Almost all of the images in this collection document a particular South Carolina place at a specific time in its history. This section, organized alphabetically is not intended, therefore, as a comprehensive list of every South Carolina community. It is actually a fairly impressionistic look at the county seats and rural villages, as well as the cities, in which South Carolinians live and work. For several towns and cities (Beaufort, Camden, Charleston, Columbia, Darlington, Georgetown, Greenville, Spartanburg, and Sumter), an effort has been made to select several images that show how that place has changed over time. Other places were chosen for special features that have made that town unique; still others have been chosen because they illustrate the features that many towns in the state have shared.
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The Old Records Building, designed by architect Robert Mills, served as the Greenville County Courthouse until 1855. It is photographed here in 1918 behind the Barnum and Bailey's Circus Parade...
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This view of Columbia from across the Congaree River appeared in the New York "Illustrated News" on January 5, 1861. Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.
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Aerial view of Aiken, around 1956. Courtesy of the Aiken County Historical Museum.
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An aerial view of Winnsboro around 1950, before the Confederate monument in front of the clock tower was moved because it caused traffic accidents. The clock, assembled in 1833, is thought to be the...
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This 1973 painting by Mildred White is titled "Dismantling the Dixie Life Building." Courtesy of the Sumter County Museum Archives.
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Although Anderson itself is primarily an industrial city, it is the county seat of an important agricultural county. Cattle are shown being judged at the "Fat Cattle Show," March 25, 1941, at McGees...
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The artist James Audubon (see John James Audubon) first came to Charleston in late October of 1831, and was so welcomed by its citizens, particularly the Reverend John Bachman (see John Bachman) that...
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This Columbia view of Main Street, looking south, in 1906. Originally named "Richardson Street," the name was changed to Main Street in 1892, since the street had become the city's main central hub of...
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Morgan Square, Spartanburg, as it appeared in 1939. Alfred T. Willis, photographer. Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.
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View of the north side of the Darlington town square around 1920, showing the City Hall in the background. Courtesy of the Darlington County Historical Commission.
