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History

The Cherokee Indians were the original inhabitants of Laurens County. John Duncan (a native of Aberdeen, Scotland) was the first white settler to inhabit the area. He arrived in 1752 from Pennsylvania and settled along a creek in the northeastern section of the county, between present-day Clinton and Whitmire. Scottish-Irish immigrants out of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia became the predominant settlers in this area.

The General Assembly passed an act on March 12, 1785, whereby six counties were established out of the Old 96 District. Laurens County was one of those counties. The town of Laurens (known as Laurensville well into the 19th century) became the county seat; the first courthouse was erected in 1786. The current courthouse was built in 1840 and enlarged several times over the past 160 years.

Hillcrest Square, a spacious court and office facility, opened in November 2000 to serve the county’s growing population.During the Revolutionary War, Laurens County was the site of several significant battles including Musgrove Mill on August 18, 1780. Today, the location of this battle is marked by the Musgrove Mill State Historic Site, which opened to the public on May 5, 2003. The visitors center at the park documents the role South Carolina patriots played in winning American independence.

By 1820, Laurens was known for its tailor-made clothes. Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States, came to Laurens in 1824 and established a tailor shop in the town square. By 1840, the area was booming with establishments, including medical practitioners; a fancy confectionery and fruit store; carriage, buggy and wagon shops; tailoring establishments; building contractors; flour and corn mills; and 81 registered whiskey distilleries.

By the end of the 19th century, textiles were becoming very important in Laurens County and the Upstate. The Laurens Cotton Mill was established in 1895. Mercer Silas Bailey built the first cotton mill in Clinton in 1896, and both Lydia Mill and Watts Mill were established in 1902.

However, over the past decade, textiles have been displaced by a wide variety of industries.

The city of Laurens owes its beautiful location to John Rogers, Charles Allen, Jonathan Downes and others who were deputized by the 14th and 51st Regiments of South Carolina to lay out a town.

Laurens County derived its name from a patriot, warrior and statesman, the Honorable Henry Laurens of Charleston. Henry Laurens was president of the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War and later served as ambassador to France to secure aid in helping the colonies with their independence.

Martha Franks Baptist Retirement Community

Laurens County Disabilities and Special Needs Board