Edgefield County, South Carolina: History and Information

Edgefield County, South Carolina

Edgefield County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Edgefield
Year Organized: 1785
Square Miles: 502

Court House:

215 Jeter Street
County Courthouse
Edgefield, SC 29824-1133

Etymology - Origin of County Name

The origin of the name Edgefield is not clear, although it is usually described as "fanciful." Also, Edgefield may be so named because it was located on the edge of the state, between the Savannah River and unsettled lands.

Demographics:

History

The origin of the name Edgefield is not clear, although it is usually described as "fanciful." The county was formed in 1785 as part of Ninety Six District; parts of Edgefield later went to form Aiken (1871), Saluda (1895), Greenwood (1897), and McCormick (1916) counties. This part of the upcountry, settled in the late eighteenth century, was the site of several Revolutionary War skirmishes. Although primarily agricultural, Edgefield County developed a thriving pottery industry in the nineteenth century; the old alkaline-glazed Edgefield pottery is highly sought after today. The larger Edgefield County was the home of ten South Carolina governors, including Francis W. Pickens (1805-1869), Benjamin R. Tillman (1847-1918), and Strom Thurmond. Confederate General Martin Witherspoon Gary (1831-1881) was also a resident of Edgefield County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 507 square miles (1,312 km²), of which, 502 square miles (1,300 km²) of it is land and 5 square miles (12 km²) of it (0.92%) is water.

Neighboring Counties:

Saluda County, South Carolina - northeast

Aiken County, South Carolina - east

Richmond County, Georgia - southwest

Columbia County, Georgia - southwest

McCormick County, South Carolina - west

Greenwood County, South Carolina - northwest

Cities and Towns:

- Edgefield (County Seat)

town

Incorporated Area

- Johnston

town

Incorporated Area

- Trenton

town

Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of our country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."

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South Carolina Counties

Edgefield County, South Carolina

Edgefield County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Demographics:

History

Geography

Neighboring Counties:

Cities and Towns:

County Resources:

Online High Schools

County Resource Guide