Department of Archives and History
A Historical Commission was established by the General Assembly in 1891 to obtain transcripts of the colonial records from England. When the commission completed its work it recommended a permanent commission be established. In 1905 the Historical Commission elected its first Secretary. The Commission became the South Carolina Archives Department in 1954.
The duties of the Department of Archives and History are to preserve and administer the noncurrent records of the state and its county divisions, to preserve private records the department is authorized to accept, and to improve standards of preservation and care of public records. It also publishes documents on the history of South Carolina, administers a historical markers program and promotes state history, genealogy, and archaeology.
- South Carolina Department of Archives and History Website
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Electronic records from the SC Department of Archives and History
Available are records from the African-American Heritage Commission, Map collection, oral histories of the Robert E. McNair gubernatorial admnistration, record set of agency publications, 1893-2011, Andrew Jackson address, 1979, and Teaching American History files, 2001-2012 -
Agency website archive
From the SC State Government Web Archive by the Department of Archives & History
Collections in this community
Recent Submissions
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Historic preservation news and notes
(South Carolina State Library, 2022-07-19)The State Historic Preservation Office at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History publishes a monthly newsletter featuring agency programs and events, and highlights those of state and national preservation ... -
Historic preservation news and notes
(South Carolina State Library, 2022-06-17)The State Historic Preservation Office at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History publishes a monthly newsletter featuring agency programs and events, and highlights those of state and national preservation ... -
South Carolina standards and guidelines for archaeological investigations
(South Carolina State Library, 2013-08)This is an advisory framework for archaeological fieldwork and reporting in the state of South Carolina. It offers guidance to project archaeologists, administrators, and other interested parties who prepare reports and ... -
Smiling faces, historic places : the economic benefits of historic preservation in South Carolina
(South Carolina State Library, 2003-01-17)Smiling Faces Historic Places contains these five major conclusions: historic preservation activities create jobs ; historic preservation increases property values ; historic preservation is the vehicle for heritage tourism ... -
Journal of the Commons House of Assembly, October 6, 1757-January 24, 1761
(South Carolina State Library, 1996)This is a record of the proceedings of the Commons House of Assembly from October 6, 1757 to January 24, 1761. -
The Fig Island ring complex (38CH42) : coastal adaptation and the question of ring function in the Late Archaic
(South Carolina State Library, 2002-08-05)This report describes fieldwork and laboratory analysis undertaken at the Late Archaic Fig Island site (38CH42), located on a marsh island associated with Edisto Island, off the South Carolina coast. The fieldwork and ... -
Educational document packets 1-8
(South Carolina State Library, 1997-01-21)The Department of Archives and History began in 1989 to issue curriculum materials highlighting particular documents from the Archives. These resource packets provided topical documents, relevant illustrations, historical ... -
The changing face of South Carolina politics
(South Carolina State Library, 1993)These mini-posters celebrate selected twentieth-century political milestones. They illustrate the interaction of human beings and document the changing face of South Carolina politics. -
Sustaining historic places in changing times : historic preservation plan for South Carolina 2020-2026
(South Carolina State Library, 2021)The state historic preservation plan is used to guide decision-making on a general level, coordinate statewide preservation activities, and communicate statewide preservation policy, goals, and values to the preservation ... -
Historic preservation news and notes
(South Carolina State Library, 2022-05-20)The State Historic Preservation Office at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History publishes a monthly newsletter featuring agency programs and events, and highlights those of state and national preservation ... -
Historic preservation news and notes
(South Carolina State Library, 2022-04-28)The State Historic Preservation Office at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History publishes a monthly newsletter featuring agency programs and events, and highlights those of state and national preservation ... -
African American historic places in South Carolina
(South Carolina State Library, 2021-06)This publication provides information on properties in South Carolina that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places or have been recognized with South Carolina Historical Markers as of June 2021 and have ... -
Whom we would never more see : history and archaeology recover the lives and deaths of African American Civil War soldiers on Folly Island, South Carolina
(South Carolina State Library, 1993)The siege of Charleston, the attack on Folly Island and African American participation in the Civil War are depicted. Also discussed are the archaeological excavation efforts to recover the remains of the soldiers who ... -
News in review
(2022-02)The Review and Compliance Division of the State Historic Preservation Office periodically publishes News in Review with information that helps federal and state agencies and applicants identify historic properties listed ... -
I will not be silent and I will be heard : Martin Luther King, Jr., the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and Penn Center
(South Carolina State Library, 1993)This gives the history of the beginning of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference which started at Penn Center on St. Helena Island, S.C. -
Historic preservation news and notes
(South Carolina State Library, 2022-03-18)The State Historic Preservation Office at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History publishes a monthly newsletter featuring agency programs and events, and highlights those of state and national preservation ... -
Historic preservation news and notes
(South Carolina State Library, 2022-02-18)The State Historic Preservation Office at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History publishes a monthly newsletter featuring agency programs and events, and highlights those of state and national preservation ... -
A History of South Carolina's State House
(South Carolina State Library, 1994)This document explains the development, reconstruction, and evolution of the South Carolina State House throughout time. This publication has been taken from a historic documentation report on the South Carolina State House ... -
Selected Bibliography of County, City, and Town Histories and Related Published Records in the South Carolina Archives Reference Library
(South Carolina State Library, 1994)This bibliography provides an easy-to-use list of the county, city, and town histories and related published records-abstracts of wills and deeds, cemetery records, marriage and death notices, and so forth available in the ... -
The State Seal of South Carolina : A Short History
(South Carolina State Library, 1992)This document explains the history and evolution of South Carolina's state seal over time.