About the SC Old 96 District

Abbeville County has a rich and colorful history that traces back to the 1700s. The county was formed in 1758 and stretches from the Savannah River to the Saluda River across the upstate and encompasses the towns of Abbeville, Calhoun Falls, Donalds, Due West, and Lowndesville. Abbeville is named after a town in France located in northern France only 20 miles from the Atlantic coastline. Abbeville County South Carolina sits along the Savannah River separating South Carolina and Georgia.

Edgefield County was first settled in the 1750’s. Edgefield County is endowed with rich clay resources including massive deposits of kaolin, sands, feldspars, and pine trees, all necessary for making pottery. A stoneware tradition based on Chinese technology using English traditional methods of making vessels made this area famous. Edgefield County developed a strong tradition of political leadership, contributing 10 South Carolina governors and 7 United States Senators. The county is comprised of these towns-Edgefield, Johnston and Trenton.

Greenwood County was formed in 1897 from portions of Abbeville and Edgefield counties, which had originally been part of the old Ninety-Six District. The arrival of the railroad in 1852 stimulated cotton growing and textile manufacturing in this area. The first cotton mill in Greenwood opened in 1890 with 75 workers.  A project was launched to construct Buzzard’s Roost Dam on the Saluda River to impound Lake Greenwood and generate electricity in the 1930’s. Lake Greenwood continues to be a major asset to the county. The county is home to Hodges, Greenwood, Ninety Six, Troy and Ware Shoals.

Laurens County is located in the Piedmont Region of South Carolina and was formed in 1785. It was named after Henry Laurens, the fifth president of the Continental Congress. The Battle of Musgrove Mill, just outside Clinton, SC, was the first time during the American Revolution that regular soldiers of Great Britain were defeated in battle by militia. Four important Revolutionary War battles took place in Laurens County. In 1853, Laurens District resident Ann Pamela Cunningham began the movement for restoration of Mount Vernon, the national historic site. Laurens County includes Clinton, Cross Hill, Gray Court, Laurens and Waterloo.

At the doorway to the fabulous J. Strom Thurmond Lake, McCormick County offers a wonderful blend of old and new. McCormick County was formed in 1916 from parts of Edgefield, Abbeville, and Greenwood Counties. McCormick County in the early 1700s was an discovered, an unspoiled and an enchanting paradise. McCormick County is the smallest county in South Carolina by land area and second-smallest by total area. The railroad tells the tale of early year’s that fueled the county’s growth. Three state parks call McCormick County home-Baker Creek, Hickory Knob and Hamilton Branch. McCormick County is home to Mt. Carmel, Willington, Plum Branch, Parksville, Modoc, Clarks Hill, and McCormick.