Edgefield County, South Carolina
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

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. The county seat is the town of Edgefield.

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. (Source: South Carolina State Library)

For information on early counties and districts, consult The Formation of Counties in South Carolina. The Official County Website is located at http://www.edgefieldcounty.sc.gov/ .

• Edgefield County, South Carolina History Books at Amazon.com.
• Search Historical Newspapers from South Carolina (1783 - 1975 ) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 450 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in over 2,800 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
• Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
• Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.

Edgefield County Court Records

See Also South Carolina Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

Edgefield County Clerk of Court has Court Records from 1785 and is located at 129 Courthouse Square, P.O. Box 34, Edgefield, 29824; (803) 637-4080 .

The Clerk of Court consist of The Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions. The Court of Common Pleas is the court of general jurisdiction over civil cases in Edgefield County, excepting those cases in which the amount or value of property in dispute is less than $7,500. Cases involving money or property totaling less than $7,500 are heard in Small Claims Magistrates' Courts. The Court of General Sessions is the court of general jurisdiction over criminal cases in Edgefield County, excepting most misdemeanor cases, which are usually adjudicated in the Magistrates' Courts.

Edgefield County Clerk of Probate Court has Marriage Records from 1911 , Probate Records from 1785 and is located at 124 Courthouse Square, Edgefield, SC 29824; Telephone: (803) 637-4076.

Probate Court has original jurisdiction over actions concerning the issuance of marriage licenses, the estate of a deceased person, the will of an individual, the estate of a minor or incapacitated person, trusts, and involuntary commitments.

South Carolina had no law requiring marriage licenses or registration unti 1 July 1911. Licenses are on file with the judge of probate in each county. Prior to 1911, marriages were legal if performed according to canonical law; common law marriages also were recognized. Many churches recorded marriages, but when compared with the vast number of marriages that took place, the number of documented marriages is small. Marriage settlements, made by a widow and her second husband to protect the heirs of her first husband, and pre-marital agreements, not necessarily involving widows, were popular for a while. These records date from about 1760 to about 1890 and may be found in county conveyance books or the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and on microfilm at the FHL. Newspapers accounts of marriages from 1732 to the present are a primary source of marriage documentation (see Newspapers).

Edgefield County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1786 and is located at 129 Courthouse Square, P.O. Box 34, Edgefield, 29824; (803) 637-4080. The Register Of Deeds Office records land titles, leins and other documents related to property transaction in Edgefield County. The Register Of Deeds Office must assure that all recorded documents comply with the requirements of federal and state recording statutes and are available for public review.

Below is a list of online resources for Edgefield County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Edgefield County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Edgefield County, South Carolina Court Books at Amazon.com
• South Carolina Marriages, 1641-1965
• South Carolina Marriage Notices, 1732-1801
• South Carolina Baptist Marriages, 1835-65
• South Carolina Baptist Deaths and Marriages, 1866-87
• Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
• Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.

Edgefield County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in South Carolina

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! There were no South Carolina birth or Death certificates before January 01, 1915.

Edgefield County Health Department has vital records and is located at 21 Star Road, Edgefield, S.C. 29824, Phone: (803) 637-4035. This office can search for birth and death records from January 01, 1915. Marriage records prior to 1950 may be available from the Probate Judge in the county where the license was issued. Divorce records since April 1949 should be available from the County Clerk in the county where the petition was filed (See Edgefield County Court Records for Address and Phone number)

South Carolina DHEC, Division of Vital Records is located at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201; telephone # (803) 898-3630, fax #: (803) 799-0301.

The fee to search for a birth, Marriage or Death certificate is $12.00, which includes one certified copy of the certificate or a "Certificate of Failure to Find." There were no South Carolina birth or Death "certificates" before January 01, 1915. You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.

For each additional copy of the certificate ordered at the same time, the fee is $3.00. Checks or Money Orders should be made payable to "S.C. DHEC, Division of Vital Records." Please do not send cash. Fees are non refundable. Additional fees of $5.00 are required for expedited service. The expedite fee guarantees a response leaving the Division of Vital Records within three (3) working days. A response can be in the form of a letter, a telephone call, or a certification being mailed.

Mail all Applications to: S.C. DHEC, Division of Vital Records is located at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates or Death Certificates. Ordering Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.

There are a few online vital record databases which include: South Carolina Baptist Deaths and Marriages, 1866-87 and South Carolina Baptist Marriages and Deaths, 1835-65 which are a collection of marriage and death notices is derived from Baptist newspapers in South Carolina. Also there is the South Carolina Death Index, 1915-1949 & 1850-52 from the South Carolina DHEC.

Below is a list of online resources for Edgefield County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Edgefield County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek’s order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
• Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
• Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
• Edgefield County, South Carolina Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
• South Carolina Marriages, 1641-1965, these sources include newspapers, church records, and pension applications
• South Carolina Newspaper Marriage Notices, 1732-1801, from one of the first newspapers in the state, the South Carolina Gazette.
• Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.

Edgefield County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for South Carolina

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

Federal Population Schedules that exist for South Carolina are 1790, 1800 (Part of the 1800 census for Richland District is missing), 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. The first federal census was taken in 1790. The 1850 census of York and Lexington districts indicates county of birth as well as state for each person.

There are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms

Below is a list of online resources for Edgefield County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Edgefield County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Edgefield County, South Carolina Census Books at Amazon.com
• Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.

Edgefield County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

South Carolina Antique Maps & Atlases has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for South Carolina and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for South Carolina showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for South Carolina showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The South Carolina Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here

Below is a list of online resources for Edgefield County Maps. Email us with websites containing Edgefield County Maps by clicking the link below:

• Edgefield County, South Carolina Map Books at Amazon.com
• Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.

Edgefield County Military Records

See Also Military Records in South Carolina

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Edgefield County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Edgefield County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• Edgefield County, South Carolina Military Books at Amazon.com
• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of South Carolina (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783 from the State of South Carolina.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files from the State of South Carolina (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
• Southern Claims Commission from the State of South Carolina (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
• Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of South Carolina (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of South Carolina (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from South Carolina units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier.
• Case Files of Applications from Former Confederates for Presidential Pardons ("Amnesty Papers"), 1865-67 from the State of South Carolina (The National Archives): NARA M1003. View, Print Copy & Save Original Applications for pardon submitted to President Andrew Johnson, 1865-67, by former Confederates excluded from earlier amnesty proclamations.
• Military - The men and women called to serve their country in military duty are a source of pride to their families and to their nation. Now, with databases containing more than 16 million names and thousands of government records available to search, researching your veteran ancestors has become easier than ever before.

Edgefield County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

With the exception of a single tax list from 1733 and occasional lists of tax collectors, no colonial tax records of South Carolina have survived. Parishes and townships functioned as tax districts until 1800; circuit court districts and their counties also functioned as tax districts from 1785–1800. Many of these tax lists are incomplete, the known tax lists, 1783–99, are as follows:

• Christ Church Parish, 1784, 1786, 1788, and 1793–99
• Prince Frederick's Parish, 1784 and 1786
• Prince George's Parish, 1786–87
• Prince William's Parish, 1798
• St. Andrew's Parish, 1784–85, 1787, 1789, 1791, and 1795
• St. Bartholomew's Parish, 1783–87 and 1798
• St. Helena's Parish, 1798
• St. James Goose Creek, 1796
• St. John's Berkeley Parish, 1793
• St. Luke's Parish, 1798–99
• St. Paul's Parish, 1783, 1785–96, and 1798–99
• Ninety-Six District, 1787
• OrangeburghDistrict, 1787
• Lancaster County in Camden District, 1797
• Lexington County in Orangeburgh District, 1788.

Directories for the city of Charleston date from 1782. These directories may help locate a Charleston ancestor who does not appear in other records. They are housed at the Charleston Library Society

• Jury List - The jury lists include men eligible to serve on juries and were compiled from tax lists. The Jury Lists of South Carolina, 1778–1779  is accepted as proof of the identity of Revolutionary War patriots. The best available substitutes for colonial tax lists are jury lists.
• Voter Registration Lists - Voter registration lists, 1867, 1868, and 1898 are another valuable substitute for tax records. The lists from 1867 and 1868 are particularly useful for Black American research because the newly freed slaves registered to vote; many blacks make their first appearance in the voter registration lists. Although voter registration was conducted by counties, the originals of the 1867, 1868, and 1898 lists are at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History; counties maintained copies for their records.

Most districts/counties have some tax records dating from 1800 to the present, with the majority of tax records dating from 1865. A fairly complete series from 1824, mostly of the Low Country districts, is available at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has originals of most extant tax lists, and microfilmed copies of county tax records are available at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and the FHL.

Below is a list of online resources for Edgefield County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Edgefield County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Edgefield County, South Carolina Tax Books at Amazon.com

Edgefield County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other South Carolina Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Edgefield County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Edgefield County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Edgefield County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 486, Edgefield 29824
• Old Edgefield District Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 546, Edgefield, SC 29824; ph: 803.637.4010; EMAIL
• D A Tompkins Library, 104 Courthouse Square, Edgefield, SC; 803-637-4010
• Piedmont Historical Society, PO Box 1842, Spartanburg, SC 29304; Ph:864-574-3056
• South Carolina Archives & History Center, 8301 Parklane Road; Columbia, SC 29223; Tele: (803) 896-6100, Fax: (803) 896-619
• SC State Library - South Carolina Reference Room
• The South Carolina Genealogical Society, P. O. Box 492, Columbia, SC 29202-0492
• The South Carolina Historical Society, The Fireproof Building, 100 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401; Phone 843.723.3225, fax 843.723.8584
• Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
• Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.

Edgefield County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in South Carolina

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

The WPA and the DAR have compiled major collections of South Carolina tombstone inscriptions. Most South Carolina counties have historical or genealogical societies that have compiled cemetery records. See addresses for local historical and genealogical societies. Cemetery records are frequently published in the major genealogical periodicals of South Carolina

There are many churches and cemeteries in Edgefield County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Edgefield County Tombstone Transcription Project. The South Carolina Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches and cemeteries free for viewing or download here.

Below is a list of online resources for Edgefield County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Edgefield County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers throughout the world.
• Edgefield County, South Carolina Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Edgefield County, South Carolina Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Edgefield County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Edgefield County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Search for Local South Carolina Researchers or Earn Money by becoming a Local South Carolina Researcher!
• Edgefield County, South Carolina Family Books at Amazon.com
• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Edgefield County ] [ South Carolina ] [ Main Page ]
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
• Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
• The South Carolina Family Group Sheet Project
• Family Trees - Ancestry has thousands of family trees shared by other members. They can help you identify how ancestors are related and give you clues about birth, marriage, and death information. Family trees are an excellent resource for filling in gaps in your research or even to simply know where to begin.
• Pictures - One of the more exciting discoveries in doing family history research is finding a photograph of your ancestors or their residence. Finding historic postcard photos and drawings of towns and important events throughout history can also give you a visual look into your ancestors lives.
• Reference Materials & Finding Aids - Reference materials, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other how-to books, can be tremendously helpful in finding and interpreting historical documents. Many of these books can help you learn where to look for more information and how to use what you've already found to uncover more clues.

Extended History

 

Edgefield County was created in 1785 when the Old Ninety Six District of Upper South Carolina was divided into smaller districts, or counties, by act of the State Legislature. Although we have been left with little information about the selection process for a site for the seat of government for the new district, the records which we do have suggest that the site was chosen about the same time as lines of the new district were laid off. It was approximately in the center of the new district.

The property on which the County government was to be established was originally a forty four acre tract granted to David Burk in 1784. Of Burke we know very little. Burke sold the tract to Drury Mims, an early settler of Edgefield and the ancestor of the Mims family which has contributed many prominent citizens to the county over the centuries.

It was recorded in the minutes of the Judges of the Edgefield Court in 1786 that taxes were being collected from Edgefield inhabitants for the purpose of making payment for the "public building." During the same period, the meetings of the Judges of the Edgefield County Court were held at the plantation of John Harris and Drury Mims' house near the "County 'Goal' in 1786. Harris' plantation and Mims' house were both in the immediate vicinity of where the Public Square in now stands. Thus, apparently the county Goal was already constructed as early as 1786.

From these same minutes we find that the first Court House for Edgefield County was under construction in 1788. In that year Edward Mitchel, John Gray and John Cheney were appointed commissioners to "let the laying the floors of the Court House with seasoned good plank 1 1/2 inch thick, 16 window shutters, 3 in each folding, 3 pannels, 2 folding pannels case in side and out with the doors lined with 1/2 inch plank, 3 pannels in a door, the two end windows sashed, a neat stair case and banister, the whole finished in a workman like manner out of seasoned stuf."

The Court later ordered that bond be taken by the commissioners from Isaac Foreman, "one of the builders of the court house," and be filed in the Clerk's office. Later, the court ordered that "Henry Ware be allowed his account provided it be produced which is twenty nine pounds and four pence for building the Court House."

In 1790 the court ordered that the Treasurer of the county "do pay unto LeRoy Hammond Esq. (a Judge of the Court) all such debts as may be due to him by an assignment of Isaac Foreman for undertaking and building part of the Court House out of the monies that he may receive for the use of the County."

It was not until 1792 that Arthur Simkins, a prominent early settler and one of the Judges of the Edgefield County Court, deeded, for the "sum of one Shilling Current money," to the Judges of Edgefield County Court a "certain plantation or tract of land containing two acres whereon the Court House and goal now stand, bounded southwardly by Moses Harris, westwardly on John Simkins all the parts adjoining on the land of the said Arthur Simkins; also one and quarter of an acre adjoining on the south side of the said two acres wbereon the Clerk of the said County hath lately built a House for his office...."

Sometimes between 1792 and 1820 a second court house was built, replacing the earlier weatherboard structure. In 1820 this second building was described as "a slight,

rough, inferior building, relatively large of brick, and capable of repair." Identical porticos with pairs of stairs were added to the east and west front, and extensive remoldeling was specified in a contract dated July 10, 1827. Edgefield County Commissioners Benjamin Frazier, Christian Breithaupt, Allen B. Addison, and Whitfield Brooks, advertised in the 1827 Augusta Chronicle in Augusta, Georgia, that they had made the "liberal appropriation of $3,000 for the repair and improvement of the Court House." This court house was described in 1833 by an English visitor as "of brick, which is a good building."

In the March 8, 1838 edition of The Edgefteld Advertiser, A.B. Addison, chairman of the Edgefield commissioners of public buildings of Edgefield District called for bids on construction of a new third court house to be built of brick, 60x48 feet and of the following specifications: 'A passage running lengthwise through the lower story with three offices on each side. The courtroom and two jury rooms to be in upper story, and also two ranges of seats for spectators, and a two story portico at the end."

The next mention of the court house occurred in the minutes of the fall term of court in 1838. Judge John Belton O'Neal was presiding. The commissioners of public building being called upon to show cause why they should not be indicted for neglecting to repair the jail and some of the public offices in the court house, made the following return: "That a contract was made with a stone mason to make certain repairs for the meeting of this court but had not been done because of failure of the mason to carry out his contract, but certain other repairs had been made. In relation to public offices in the court house, the board have only to say, that they did not deem it proper to expend any portion of their very limited means in their improvement as the court house was soon to be taken down for the purpose of erecting a new one." This was signed by A.B. Addison, chairman, and approved by John Belton O'Neal, presiding judge.

The February 21, 1839 issue of The Advertiser announced:

The new court house is now completed, and we invite the citizens of the District, and strangers, to come and see it. It is a large and noble looking building, standing on the western side of the great road leading to the upper country, and but a few yards distant from the site of the old court house.

The building is of brick, and 'is two stories in height. in the lower story there are six rooms, the Sheriffs office, the Clerk's, the Commissioner's in Equity, the Ordinary's, a Jury room, and a small apartment adjacent to the Clerk's office. A long and spacious passage runs between the rooms. The front of the edifice is at eastern end, and is painted so as to resemble granite. By a noble flight of granite steps, protected by black iron railings, the visitor ascends into the portico, which is supported by four massy columns. From thence he enters the court room, which is large and spacious and contains a sufficient number of windows.

Besides the seat for the judge which is neat, and those for the jury, there are others arranged conveniently for spectators. In the court room there is a large semi circular table for the gentlemen of the bar.
In the western end of the upper story there are two jury rooms, and a small retiring room, situated immediately in the rear of the judge's seat.

As the visitor enters the village by either of the great thoroughfares, the Court House presents a commanding appearance and immediately attracts his attention. In conclusion, it may be truly said that the style of the building is chaste and that it is an ornament to the village.

The contractor of building this third structure was Charles Beck, who had been earlier associated with Robert Mills commissions throughout the South. Mills' influence on this third Edgefield Court House is undeniable.

In 1930 the old building was remodeled, bringing about enlargement and modernization. The court room was expanded the width of two jury rooms by the process of extending the building west and to the rear, the lower floor of the extension being arranged as offices and fire proof vaults for the clerk of court.

Another building program was begun in 1933, which extended the main building still further westward and to the rear, providing new offices for the sheriff. This later program of expansion was carried on to add to the main courthouse building a new jail with modern facilities and a number of offices used by various government activities. Also, a water supply and central heating plant were added during this time.