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Laurens County, South Carolina

47 topographic sheets and 18 fire insurance atlases across 2 places.

Research this county

From the record

26 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

South Carolina within the United States
Laurens County within South Carolina
Explore by year 1825 1927

What the record shows

  • 2 places in this county were surveyed for fire insurance: Clinton, Laurens, between 1884 and 1950.
  • 18 fire insurance atlases survive for the county. Topographic coverage is national; fire insurance survey reached only incorporated places with something worth insuring.
  • 718 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 26 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 21 buildings and 5 districts.
  • 8 of the 26 listings were added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 62 populated places in this county; 62 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Photographs

5 photographs, 1936

Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.

Rendering lard at the home of a successful rehabilitation client. Laurens County, South Carolina
Rendering lard at the home of a successful rehabilitation client. Laurens County, South Carolina
Photographer not recorded, 1936. Library of Congress
104-112 Gary Street (Commercial), 104-112 Gary Street, Clinton, Laurens County, SC
104-112 Gary Street (Commercial), 104-112 Gary Street, Clinton, Laurens County, SC
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Zelotes Holmes House, 619 East Main Street, Laurens, Laurens County, SC
Zelotes Holmes House, 619 East Main Street, Laurens, Laurens County, SC
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
John Calvin Owings House, 787 West Main Street, Laurens, Laurens County, SC
John Calvin Owings House, 787 West Main Street, Laurens, Laurens County, SC
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
John Calvin Owings House, Outbuildings, 787 West Main Street, Laurens, Laurens County, SC
John Calvin Owings House, Outbuildings, 787 West Main Street, Laurens, Laurens County, SC
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress

Places on the National Register

26

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Photograph PropertyType ListedReference
Albright-Dukes Housebuilding198686003149
Charlton Hall Plantation Housebuilding199595000633
Clinton Commercial Historic Districtdistrict202084000577
Lyde Irby Darlington Housebuilding198686003150
Allen Dial Housebuilding198282003874
Charles H. Duckett Housebuilding198686003151
Duncan's Creek Presbyterian Churchbuilding197373001714
James Dunklin Housebuilding197474001861
Gray Court Downtown Historic Districtdistrict2024100010908
Gray Court-Owings Schoolbuilding200404000354
Dr. William Claudius Irby Housebuilding198686003152
Irby-Henderson-Todd Housebuilding198383002200
Laurens County Courthousebuilding197272001214
Laurens Historic Districtdistrict198080003675
Laurens Historic District (Boundary Increase)building198686003164
Nickels-Milam Housebuilding197676001705
Octagon Housebuilding197373001715
Owings Historic Districtdistrict2025100012281
John Calvin Owings Housebuilding197878002520
William Dunlap Simpson Housebuilding197474001862
Sitgreaves Housebuilding198686003158
South Harper Historic Districtdistrict198686003161
Sullivan Housebuilding197373001716
Thornwell-Presbyterian College Historic Districtbuilding198282003873
Williams-Ball-Copeland Housebuilding198686003159
Wilson-Clary Housebuilding198686003471

Digitised newspapers

6 issues

Sampled issues, machine-read from the Library of Congress scan and published page by page, so every headline and column is searchable text.

The Laurens Advertiser

Laurens, S.C., 1885 to 1973. Machine-read from the Library of Congress scan.

Bird's-eye views and land ownership maps

2

Drawn when these were printed as single large sheets: the town seen from the air, and the county divided into its farms with every owner named. Each opens the original at the Library of Congress.

Land ownership map, 1825 - Laurens District, South Carolina
Land ownership map (1825) - Laurens District, South Carolina. Library of Congress.
Land ownership map, 1883 - A complete map and sketch of Laurens County, S.C.
Land ownership map (1883) - A complete map and sketch of Laurens County, S.C.. Library of Congress.

Photographs from libraries nationwide

3 of 5 shown

Selected from the Digital Public Library of America's 5 image records catalogued for this county. Every one shown here carries a public-domain status or a licence that permits reuse on a site that carries advertising; non-commercial, share-alike and restricted images are excluded. The selection is spread across the county's towns (at most eight per town), so no single institution's bulk upload crowds out the rest. Each opens the holding library's record, and the complete set at the Digital Public Library of America is one click away.

Clinton Cotton Mills -- Clinton, South Carolina, Boston Public Library - undated
Clinton Cotton Mills -- Clinton, South Carolina. Boston Public Library, via the Digital Public Library of America.
Midway Motel, 2 1/2 miles east on U.S. 76, Clinton, S. C., Boston Public Library - undated
Midway Motel, 2 1/2 miles east on U.S. 76, Clinton, S. C.. Boston Public Library, via the Digital Public Library of America.
Lydia Cotton Mills -- Clinton, South Carolina, Boston Public Library - undated
Lydia Cotton Mills -- Clinton, South Carolina. Boston Public Library, via the Digital Public Library of America.

The county from the air

31 shown

Flown by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1937 and 1989, the Aerial Photo Single Frames collection is the definitive mid-century view of the land: fields, roads and rivers as the camera saw them. The Survey holds 1,672 frames inside the rectangle that bounds this county; the 31 frames below were taken over the county itself, chosen across the decades of flights (at most four a year from that rectangle), so one flight cannot crowd out the rest. The full set is free to browse and download at EarthExplorer under the dataset Aerial Photo Single Frames.

U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1951-01-26, scale 1:59000
1951-01-26, scale 1:59000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1951-01-26, scale 1:59000
1951-01-26, scale 1:59000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1951-01-26, scale 1:59000
1951-01-26, scale 1:59000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1951-01-26, scale 1:59000
1951-01-26, scale 1:59000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1961-06-23, scale 1:60000
1961-06-23, scale 1:60000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1961-06-23, scale 1:60000
1961-06-23, scale 1:60000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1961-06-23, scale 1:60000
1961-06-23, scale 1:60000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1961-06-23, scale 1:60000
1961-06-23, scale 1:60000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1964-04-01, scale 1:50000
1964-04-01, scale 1:50000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1964-04-01, scale 1:50000
1964-04-01, scale 1:50000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1964-04-01, scale 1:50000
1964-04-01, scale 1:50000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1964-04-01, scale 1:50000
1964-04-01, scale 1:50000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1966-03-05, scale 1:19000
1966-03-05, scale 1:19000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1966-03-05, scale 1:19000
1966-03-05, scale 1:19000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1966-03-05, scale 1:19000
1966-03-05, scale 1:19000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1966-03-05, scale 1:19000
1966-03-05, scale 1:19000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-02-20, scale 1:19000
1969-02-20, scale 1:19000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-02-20, scale 1:19000
1969-02-20, scale 1:19000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-02-20, scale 1:19000
1969-02-20, scale 1:19000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-02-20, scale 1:19000
1969-02-20, scale 1:19000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-03-09, scale 1:19000
1970-03-09, scale 1:19000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-03-09, scale 1:19000
1970-03-09, scale 1:19000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-03-09, scale 1:19000
1970-03-09, scale 1:19000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-03-09, scale 1:19000
1970-03-09, scale 1:19000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1972-03-05, scale 1:24000
1972-03-05, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1972-03-05, scale 1:24000
1972-03-05, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1972-03-05, scale 1:24000
1972-03-05, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1976-02-23, scale 1:33000
1976-02-23, scale 1:33000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1976-02-23, scale 1:33000
1976-02-23, scale 1:33000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1976-02-23, scale 1:33000
1976-02-23, scale 1:33000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1976-02-23, scale 1:33000
1976-02-23, scale 1:33000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.

Weather records

24 stations, 7 gages

The thermometers that kept this county's weather, and the gages that measured the flow of its streams, as the federal records hold them. The extremes below are measured values from those records, not estimates.

The 1950 census, district by district

60 districts

Who lived here in 1950, one enumeration district at a time, as the Census Bureau described each district. Each row opens its official National Archives result, with Population Schedules and ED Maps available there.

  • 30-1Dials township: Gray Court town
  • 30-2Cross Hill township - That part east of Seaboard Air Line Railway outside Cross Hill town
  • 30-3Cross Hill township - That part west of Seaboard Air Line Railway, outside Cross Hill town
  • 30-4N/A
  • 30-5Dials township - That part northeast of Charleston and Western Carolina Railway and west of State Hwy. 101, outside Gray Court town
  • 30-6Dials township - That part southwest of Charleston and Western Carolina Railway, north of State Hwy. 101, east of North Rabon Creek and north of road from North Rabon Creek to county line via Green Pond Church, outside Gray Court town
  • 30-7Dials township - That part south of road from county line to North Rabon Creek via Green Pond Church, west of North Rabon Creek and northwest of State Hwy. 101
  • 30-8Dials township - That part southeast of State Hwy. 101 and west of North Rabon Creek
  • 30-9Dials township - That part south of State Hwy. 101, west of Charleston and Western Carolina Railway and east of North Rabon Creek, outside Gray Court town
  • 30-10Dials township - That part east of State Hwy. 101 and east of Charleston and Western Carolina Railway, outside Gray Court town
  • 30-11Hunter township: Clinton town: Clinton town - That part comprising Ward 1 Bounded by Town limits; State Hwy. 56, Musgrove; E. Carolina Ave.; N. Broad, W. Pitts, Elizabeth
  • 30-12Clinton town - That part comprising Ward 2 Bounded by Town limits; U.S. Hwy. 76 (E. Carolina Ave.); S. Broad, N. Broad, E. Carolina Ave., Musgrove (State Hwy. 56)
  • 30-13Clinton town - That part comprising Ward 3 Bounded by E. Carolina Ave.; Town limits; S. Broad
  • 30-14Clinton town - That part of Ward 4 Bounded by W. Maine; N. Broad, S. Broad; Seaboard Air Line Railway
  • 30-15Clinton town - That part of Ward 4, excluding Thornwell Orphanage Bounded by S. Broad; Town limits; Seaboard Air Line Railway
  • 30-16Thornwell Orphanage (In Clinton town, Ward 4)
  • 30-17Clinton town - That part comprising Ward 5 Bounded by Town limits; N. Sloan, W. Pitts, N. Broad; W. Maine; Town limits
  • 30-18Clinton town - That part of Ward 6 Bounded by Town limits; Elizabeth; Jefferson; N. Sloan
  • 30-19Clinton town - That part of Ward 6 Bounded by Jefferson; Elizabeth; W. Pitts; N. Sloan
  • 30-20Goldville, unincorporated: Goldville, unincorporated - That part Bounded by Unnamed Rd.; U.S. Hwy 76; State Hwy. 66 (Milton Rd.); Grove Pl., Unnamed road, Unnamed road, Bush Creek, Columbia, Newberry and Laurens Railroad
  • 30-21Goldville, unincorporated - That part Bounded by Bush Creek; Unnamed rd., Unnamed rd., Grove Pl.; State Hwy. 66 (Milton Rd.)
  • 30-22Goldville, unincorporated - That part Bounded by State Hwy. 66 (Milton Rd.); Grove Pl.; Pickens; Ogdensburg
  • 30-23Goldville, unincorporated - That part Bounded by State Hwy. 66 (Milton Rd.); U.S. Hwy. 76; Unnamed rd.; Grove Place
  • 30-24Lydia Mills, unincorporated Bounded by 1/2 mile offset north of unnamed road; Clinton city limits; Seaboard Air Line Railway; State Hwy. 762
  • 30-25Hunter township - That part east of State Hwy. 56, outside Clinton town and the unincorporated place of Goldville, excluding State Training School (part) (See separate map for boundaries of Goldville)
  • 30-26State Training School - That part in Hunter township (Remainder of State Training School is in Jacks township)
  • 30-27Hunter State township - That part southeast of Little of State River Hwy. 72, west of State Hwy. 56 and northeast of Little River
  • 30-28Hunter township - That part northwest of State Hwy. 72, outside Clinton town and the unincorporated place of Lydia Mills (See aerial photo ASW-3B-03 for boundaries of Lydia Mills)
  • 30-29Hunter township - That part southeast of State Hwy. 72 and southwest of Little River
  • 30-30Jacks township: Jacks township - That part north of State Hwy. 72
  • 30-31Jacks township - That part south of State Hwy. 72. excluding State Training School (pt.)
  • 30-32State Training School - That part in Jacks township (Remainder of State Training School is in Hunter township)
  • 30-33Laurens township: Laurens city: Laurens city - That part comprising Ward 1 Bounded by Laurens, N. Harper; Little River; U.S. Hwy. 76; U.S. Hwy. 276 (Church)
  • 30-34Laurens city - That part comprising Ward 2 Bounded by City limits; N. Harper; Laurens; Church, Ward line, Old Greenville Rd.
  • 30-35Laurens city - That part of Ward 3 Bounded by City limits; U.S. Hwy. 76 (E. Main); Columbia, Newberry and Laurens Railroad
  • 30-36Laurens city - That part of Ward 3 Bounded by City limits; Columbia, Newberry and Laurens Railroad; U.S. Hwy. 76 (E. Main); Little River, N. Harper
  • 30-37Laurens city - That part of Ward 4 Bounded by U.S. Hwy. 76, (E. Main); City limits; Charleston and Western Carolina Railway, Green, Jersey, River, Charleston and Western Carolina Railway
  • 30-38Laurens city - That part of Ward 4 Bounded by U.S. Hwy. 76 (E. Main); Charleston and Western Carolina Railway, River, Jersey, Green, Charleston and Western Carolina Railway; City limits; U.S. Hwy. 221 (S. Harper)
  • 30-39Laurens city - That part of Ward 5 Bounded by U.S. Hwy. 76 (W. Main); U.S. Hwy. 221 (S. Harper); City limits; Chestnut
  • 30-40Laurens city - That part of Ward 5 Bounded by Chestnut; City limits; U.S. Hwy. 76 (W. Main)
  • 30-41Laurens city - That part comprising Ward 6 Bounded by City limits; Old Greenville Rd, ward line, Church; U.S. Hwy. 76 (w. Main); City limits
  • 30-42Watts Mills, unincorporated: Watts Mills, unincorporated - That part Bounded by County Rd. 263 extended, County Rd. 263; Unnamed rd., Unnamed stream, Columbia, Newberry and Laurens Railroad; Gallon, Sirrene; Charleston and Western Carolina Railroad
  • 30-43Watts Mills, unincorporated - That part Bounded by Sirrene, Gallon; Conway Ave.; Conway Ave., Watts Ave.; Charleston and Western Carolina Railway
  • 30-44Laurens township - That part east of Charleston and Western Carolina Railway and north of U.S. Hwy. 76, outside Laurens city and the unincorporated place of Watts Mills. (See separate map for boundaries of Watts Mills)
  • 30-45Laurens township - That part west of Charleston and Western Carolina Railway. and northeast of U.S. Hwy. 276 outside Laurens city and the unincorporated place of Watts Mills. (See separate map for boundaries of Watts Mills)
  • 30-46Laurens township - That part southwest of U.S. Hwy. 276 and west of Charleston and Western Carolina Railway, outside Laurens city
  • 30-47Laurens township - That part south of U.S. Hwy. 76 and east of Charleston and Western Carolina Railway outside Laurens city
  • 30-48Scuffletown township: Scuffletown township - That part east of State Hwy. 30
  • 30-49Scuffletown township - That part west of State Hwy. 30
  • 30-50Sullivan township: Sullivan township - That part east of Reedy Branch
  • 30-51Sullivan township - That part west of Reedy Branch and east of. U.S. Hwy. 25 and State Hwy. 39
  • 30-52Sullivan township - That part vest of U.S. Hwy. 25 and State Hwy. 39
  • 30-53Waterloo township: Waterloo town
  • 30-54Waterloo township - That part east of Rabon Creek, northeast of Reedy River, outside Waterloo town
  • 30-55Waterloo township - That part east of Reedy River, south of State Hwy. 39, north of State Hwy. 225 and west of Rabon Creek
  • 30-56Waterloo township - That part west of Reedy River, north of State Hwy. 39. southwest of State Hwy. 225
  • 30-57Youngs township: Youngs township - That part north of Durbin Creek
  • 30-58Youngs township - That part south of Durbin Creek and north of Beaver Dam Creek
  • 30-59Youngs township - That part northeast of Harris Grove School - Ora Rd. and south of Beaverdam Creek
  • 30-60Youngs township - That part southwest of Harris Grove School - Ora Rd. and south east of Beaverdam Creek

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

941 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 941 of them, burning about 4,077 acres. 31 started naturally and 104 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined412
Debris and open burning220
Arson/incendiarism104
Equipment and vehicle use51
Misuse of fire by a minor33
Smoking31
Natural31
Railroad operations and maintenance24
Power generation/transmission/distribution14
Recreation and ceremony12
Other causes8
Fireworks1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
11 September 2007Missing data/not specified/undetermined112 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
16 August 2007Equipment and vehicle use100 acresSouth Carolina Forestry CommissionMICHELIN
9 July 1993Missing data/not specified/undetermined100 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
26 March 2008Missing data/not specified/undetermined75 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
24 June 2011Natural74 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
7 April 1995Missing data/not specified/undetermined52 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
25 February 1995Missing data/not specified/undetermined50 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
16 August 2007Missing data/not specified/undetermined50 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1955 to 2026

60 of 543 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 543 reports for this county, causing 4 deaths, 71 injuries and about $34,409,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind338
Hail143
Tornado24
Flash Flood18
Lightning7
Flood5
Funnel Cloud4
Heavy Rain4

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
June 2009Thunderstorm WindOwings1 killed, $1,240,000NWS survey found an area of extensive straight line wind damage. The damage began near Gray Court, but winds intensified significantly along West Main St in the city of Laurens, mainly in areas from Todd Ave to Laurens High School. Hundreds of trees were snapped off or uprooted. A 29-year-old woman was killed on highway 321 south of the city when a tree fell on her vehicle. Numerous trees fell on homes, causing roof damage. Other trees fell on and destroyed automobiles and outbuildings. For the most part, damage caused directly by the wind was minor. However, a detached garage at the intersection of highway 76 and Stagecoach Rd had its roof blown off, causing two of the walls to collapse. Another small structure was destroyed on LC Drive.
July 2013Heavy RainHickory Tavern1 killedA tree fell in saturated soil, possibly due to gusty winds, across highway 76. A vehicle later collided with the tree, killing the passenger.
March 1984Thunderstorm Windnot stated1 killedno account filed
March 1984Thunderstorm Windnot stated1 killedno account filed
March 1984Tornado (F2)not stated43 hurt, $25,000,000no account filed
March 1984Thunderstorm Windnot stated17 hurtno account filed
May 1977Tornado (F1)not stated5 hurt, $250,000no account filed
December 1973Tornado (F3)not stated1 hurt, $2,500,000no account filed
January 2005Tornado (F2)Laurens1 hurt, $2,000,000This tornado touched down in the Ekom Community southwest of the city of Laurens, where it damaged a couple of mobile homes. The tornado then tracked northeast to the area around Laurens High School, where some small sheds were destroyed and a portion of the roof removed from a house. At the high school, the roof of a brick concession facility was blown off. Just east of the school, a mobile home was destroyed and a building received significant roof damage. The tornado continued northeast toward the Whelon Rd area, uprooting and snapping off several large trees. A small, frame guest house was damaged and a tractor overturned in this area. The tornado continued to snap and uproot large trees as it moved toward Welcome Church Rd, where 4 mobile homes were damaged and a frame home received minor roof damage. The damage path continued northeast, but ended about 200 yards north of highway 14. After briefly lifting, the tornado struck a tire distribution center just north of the highway 221 I-385 exchange. The roof of a building at the plant was damaged, which sparked a large fire in the building, burning it to the ground. An employee at the plant received minor injuries when debris fell on him. The tornado dissipated near highway 221 north of Laurens.
July 2006Thunderstorm WindClinton1 hurtNumerous trees down from the Hurricane Church Rd area to along I-26 near the highway 66 exit. Several trees fell on the interstate, requiring closure of the east-bound lane for a while. One tree fell on a car, causing minor injuries to an occupant.
June 2001Thunderstorm WindLaurens1 hurtA tree was blown over onto a house, injuring one occupant. Several other trees down in the same area.
June 1997Heavy RainLaurens1 hurtThunderstorms dumped a large amount of rain along Interstate 385 during the late afternoon. Many cars hydroplaned. One man whose car spun out of control and rested on the shoulder, got out of his car only to be pulled into a culvert filled with 2 to 3 feet of raging water. After being sucked through a drainage pipe a State Trooper rescued him, leaving him with only a few injuries.
June 1988Thunderstorm Windnot stated1 hurtno account filed
August 2006LightningGray Court$500,000Lightning struck a church, igniting a fire that destroyed the structure.
April 1993Thunderstorm Windnot stated$500,000A cluster of thunderstorms associated with an old meso-low pressure system left over from the previous day and early morning hours re-intensified as it moved rapidly from central Georgia into the southern part of the upstate. A supercell began the production of severe weather with a long track but weak tornado. The tornado left a mostly continuous 34-mile path through Greenwood and Laurens Counties. It began at Bradley in Greenwood County, crossed into Laurens County 10 miles north east of Greenwood at 1540 EST, and dissipated 5 miles south-southwest of Clinton. The tornado was of F0 intensity with a width of 200 yards in Greenwood County. Trees and power lines were blown down all along the path with fairly substantial damage in the Southern part of the city of Greenwood. Chimneys were blown off some houses and large trees fell on some structures. Not including hail damage, which will not be apparent until later, damage was estimated at $75,000 to $100,000. In Laurens County the storm became a bit stronger reaching F1 intensity with a path width of 300 yards. Most damage was around Cross Hill where a couple of mobile homes were damaged (one virtually destroyed), a steeple was blown off a church, and numerous trees were blown down. Some trees fell on structures. Damage, without hail considered, was in excess of $50,000. The hailstorm associated with the supercell was very impressive. Largest hail was restricted to the area very near the tornado with large amounts of marble to dime-size hail falling north of that area. The tornado lifted before reaching Clinton but thunderstorm winds blew down some trees and power lines, blew shingles off roofs, and enormous amounts of golfball-size hail severely damaged cars and roofs.
May 1993Tornado (F0)Greenpond$500,000no account filed
July 2013LightningHarris Spgs$300,000Lightning started a fire at a 4000 square foot home that completely destroyed the structure.
October 2017Tornado (EF2)Brand$250,000NWS storm survey found a second, stronger tornado touched down in Laurens County, approximately 4 miles north/northeast of where the first tornado lifted, or on the east side of Laurens, near the intersection of Fleming St Ext and Torrington Rd. Significant damage was observed along Irwin Rd, between Hazelnut Ct and Cashew Trl, where several manufactured homes were severely damaged or destroyed. An occupant of one of these homes was injured. The tornado continued north/northeast to near the intersection of I-385 and Highway 49. From there, the tornado traveled roughly along Highway 49. A frame home in this area had its roof completely removed and multiple cinder block and brick walls collapsed. Otherwise, the tornado continued to damage many outbuildings and blew down numerous trees and tree limbs. The tornado moved away from Highway 49 near the intersection of Highway 308 and while the damage path was lost in this rural area, dual pol radar data indicated the tornado likely continued north/northeast, crossing into Spartanburg County less than a mile north of Highway 49.
April 1999Thunderstorm WindMountville$250,000no account filed
July 1997Flash FloodGray Court$150,000no account filed
December 2009Thunderstorm WindCross Hill$70,000A small, but intense downburst affected the north side of the Cross Hill community. Damage began near the intersection of highways 72 and 39 and extended to the Puckett Ferry Rd and Liberty Springs Rd area. An unanchored mobile home was flipped and several other mobile homes were damaged. A shed was also flipped onto a carport. Numerous trees were also downed in the area.
April 1998Tornado (F0)Waterloo$70,000no account filed
March 1996Thunderstorm WindFountain Inn$70,000no account filed
March 2023Tornado (EF1)Hickory Tavern$50,000NWS storm survey determined that a tornado touched down in northwest Laurens County, just west of Fairview Rd and traveled east/northeast toward Barnyard Rd. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted along this segment of the path, and a couple of large trees fell on and damaged a home on Barnyard Ct. The tornado continued E/NE, downing additional trees as it crossed Deck Rd and Greenpond Rd. The path became more intermittent at that point until it approached the town of Gray Court, where tree damage again became more concentrated. The tornado continued E/NE of Gray Court, mostly remaining to the south of, but roughly paralleling Highway 92 until crossing Highway 221. The tornado then crossed the Enoree River into Spartanburg County about 1.5 miles southeast of the town of Enoree. Dozens of large trees were snapped or uprooted in the area between Gray Court and the county line.
March 2017Thunderstorm WindLaurens$50,000Spotter reported trees and power lines down throughout the city of Laurens, from around Stagecoach Rd, through the city and east to the around the Laurens County hospital. One tree fell and significantly damaged a home on Stuart St in Laurens.
November 2010Tornado (EF1)Owings$50,000This tornado touched down along Wynfield Court north of Gray Court and moved along an intermittent path in a north northeast direction. Some trees were snapped and an outbuilding overturned near the beginning of the damage path. The tornado skipped to Robert Harris Ct, tearing the underskirting off a mobile home. Damage intensified toward Bramlett Church Rd, where a mobile home was moved from its foundation and had some siding and underskirting removed. Some shingles were torn off homes on Harris Bridge Rd, while the roofs of a well house and storage shed were blown off as well. The tornado lifted near Christmastree Lane, where several large oak trees were uprooted, one of which fell on and damaged a home. Also, a detached garage was completely destroyed at this location.
August 2002Thunderstorm WindClinton$50,000Numerous trees were blown down in the south part of town. Some trees fell on vehicles and buildings.
April 1999HailLaurens$50,000no account filed
July 2016Thunderstorm WindGray Court$40,000County comms numerous trees, power lines, and power poles blown down or snapped across the county, with some trees on homes and automobiles, including one in the city of Laurens and in Clinton. An automated sensor measured a gust of 59 kts, or 65 mph at the Laurens County Airport, 4 miles east of the city. A hangar was damaged at the airport and a large tree limb fell on and damaged construction equipment. At the nearby Laurens County Park, the roof was blown off a shed and baseball dugouts. In addition, a retaining wall was blown over outside the stadium at Clinton High School.
June 1999Thunderstorm WindHickory Tavern$40,000no account filed
June 1996Thunderstorm WindPrinceton$30,000no account filed
July 2005Thunderstorm WindFountain Inn$25,000Outbuildings heavily damaged or destroyed and blown about 200 feet. Several homes received roof damage, with water pouring into 1 home.
July 1996Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$25,000no account filed
June 1995Thunderstorm WindLaurens$25,000no account filed
March 1960Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
August 2021Tornado (EF1)Cooks Xrds$20,000NWS storm survey confirmed an EF1 tornado in extreme northern Laurens County, northeast of Fountain Inn. The tornado touched down east of Pennington Rd, just north of the Scuffletown Rd intersection, tracking north-northeast, crossing the southern end of Ritchie Rd, across Pollard Rd and Highway 418, apparently lifting just west of Thackston Rd. Damage was primarily limited to multiple uprooted hardwoods and some snapped softwood trees. One of these trees fell on and damaged a home on Ritchie Rd. A shed was also destroyed and a home received minor roof damage on Highway 418 just east of Pollard Rd.
October 2017Tornado (EF1)Harris Spgs$20,000NWS storm survey found an area of weak tornado damage that began near the Highway 72/Highway 221 intersection. Although the damage path was lost northeast of this location in a heavily wooded area, dual pol radar data indicated the tornado likely continued to the north/northeast to Highway 39, where additional damage was found along Beaverdam Church Rd and Teague Rd. The tornado continued north/northeast, lifting southeast of Laurens. Damage was confined to mostly minor damage to homes, a few damaged or destroyed outbuildings, and numerous downed trees and large limbs.
April 2017Tornado (EF0)Barksdale$20,000NWS storm survey found a tornado path that roughly paralleled Owens Rd, touching down just east of highway 14 and lifting after about 3/4 mile. Most of the damage consisted of downed trees, but some Minor Structural damage occurred, mainly in the form of minor roof damage. One tree fell on a mobile home.
May 2009Tornado (EF0)Cross Hill$20,000A tornado path begin near the intersection of Amber Hill Cir and Watts Bridge Rd south of Cross Hill, where a few small trees were snapped off. The tornado moved east northeast to an RV park near the intersection of Watts Bridge and Morse Landing Rd. Two travel trailers were blown over and rolled 20-30 yards at this location. An outbuilding was destroyed and a mobile home received minor roof damage just south of the park. A few trees were snapped off in this area as well. The tornado appeared to lift as it crossed a hollow just east of Morse Landing Rd. However, additional damage to trees was observed on Barnett Rd. The tornado lifted near the intersection of Skippers Lodge Rd just north of Barnett Rd, where two large pine trees were uprooted.
June 1995Thunderstorm WindFountain Inn$12,000no account filed
December 2024Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$10,000Emergency manager reported multiple trees blown down along with damage to some roofs and a porch near the shore of Lake Greenwood.
September 2024FloodCooks Xrds$10,000Although heavy rain ended across Laurens County by early afternoon, flooding developed along the Enoree River during this time, as water from widespread very heavy rainfall over the upper part of the basin funneled its way downstream through the watershed. Low lying areas and some roads were inundated along the Spartanburg County line, including Beaverdam Church Rd. Meanwhile, flooding persisted into the afternoon along the Little River in Laurens.
June 2020Tornado (EF0)Owings$10,000NWS storm survey found the path of a brief weak tornado just southwest of Perrin Circle in Laurens County. Residents described a wispy funnel that first touched down in a field damaged a carport and uprooted several trees as it moved into a wooded area. The weak tornado intermittently touched down and lifted along its half mile track downing a few more trees and snapping large branches before lifting just short of Cooley Road. Some minor damage occurred to an old barn as well as minor structural damage to a couple of houses.
October 2015FloodBonds Xrds$10,000After as much as 10 inches of rain fell across Laurens County in a 24 hour period, flooding developed during the early morning of the 4th and continued through the day. Multiple roads were closed throughout the county due to a combination of urban/poor drainage flooding and stream flooding. Streams that flooded included Cane Creek, Little River, and Indian Creek.
July 2014Thunderstorm WindHarris Spgs$10,000County comms reported a section of roof was removed from a fast food restaurant along Highway 72 at Lake Greenwood.
September 2007Tornado (EF1)Hickory Tavern$10,000A small area of tornado damage occurred along Greenpond Rd near its intersection with Shiloh Church Rd. A chimney was blown off a house that also had several windows blown out. The house also received significant roof damage. A mobile home in the same area also received significant roof damage and was shifted off its foundation by about 20 degrees.
August 2007Thunderstorm WindHickory Tavern$10,000Numerous trees were blown down in and around Hickory Tavern along with part of the roof blown off a 100 foot wide storage building.
March 2002Thunderstorm WindCross Hill$10,000A house was reported to have received substantial damage.
August 2002Thunderstorm WindGray Court$10,000Several trees were blown down. One fell on a house.
June 1999HailHickory Tavern$10,000no account filed
June 1995Thunderstorm WindLaurens$10,000no account filed
April 1996LightningClinton$9,000no account filed
May 2025Flash FloodWatts Mills$7,000County comms reported flash flooding developed in the Laurens area and in Waterloo after a swath of 3 to 4 inches of rain fell in this area in 2-3 hours. Long Lick Branch overflowed its banks in the Waterloo area and inundated Todd Quarter Rd, which had to be closed. Harris Springs Rd was also inundated by water from Cane Creek. In the city of Laurens, the Little River overflowed its banks and flooded Little River Park. A tributary of the Little River flooded a portion of Fleming St, where a motorist became stranded in floodwater.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindWaterloo$5,000Public reported a home along Lake Greenwood in the Waterloo area sustained damage to siding, thrown patio furniture, and a bent flag pole. Multiple tree limbs were also blown down.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindCross Hill$5,000County comms reported damage to the roof of a home on Amber Hill Circle.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindHickory Tavern$5,000Public reported multiple trees blown down from west of Laurens to at least the west side of the city. One tree fell on an outbuilding, while the roof of at least one structure was damaged. Other downed trees were reported in other parts of the county.
June 2016Thunderstorm WindHickory Tavern$5,000Media reported siding torn off a home and a couple of trees blown down in the Hickory Tavern area.
August 2016Thunderstorm WindOwings$5,000County comms reported part of the roof off a house, and a few trees and power lines blown on Thompson Rd near the intersection with Reedy Creek Rd.
September 2015Thunderstorm WindMountville$5,000County comms reported a couple of trees blown down, with one tree down across a front porch.
November 2015FloodOwings$5,000After more than 4 inches of rain fell in about 36 hours, with much of that falling on the morning of the 2nd, county comms reported flooding developed across much of Laurens County. Multiple roads were closed, especially in the Gray Court, Waterloo, and Clinton areas.

Mines and quarries

71 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 71 workings inside this county. 16 still produce and 55 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Vermiculite55
Limestone, General4
Gold3
Stone, Crushed/Broken3
Thorium, Titanium, Zirconium2
Granite, Stone, Crushed/Broken2
Sand2
Marble, Dimension1
Granite1

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Cold Point Granite Company QuarryStone, Crushed/Broken, GranitePast Producer1910
Master's KilnLimestone, General, Marble, DimensionPast Producer1908
418 Sand PitSandUnknownSedimentary
Entrekin QuarryGranite, Stone, Crushed/BrokenUnknown1908
Gray Court QuarryGranite, Stone, Crushed/BrokenProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
North Rabon CreekThorium, Titanium, ZirconiumUnknownPlacer-Modern-Fluvial
South Rabon CreekThorium, Titanium, ZirconiumUnknownPlacer-Modern-Beach
Taylor MineSandUnknownSedimentary
Gray Court #246 QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Joanna QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Mt. Olive ProspectGoldOccurrence
Raeburn Creek ProspectGoldPast ProducerVein
Raeburn Creek ProspectGoldProspect
Garlington KilnLimestone, GeneralPast ProducerMetamorphic
Masters KilnLimestone, GeneralPast ProducerMetamorphic
Raysors KilnLimestone, GeneralPast ProducerMetamorphic
Abercrombie MineVermiculitePast Producer
American Vermiculite #1 PitVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Ball MineVermiculiteProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Boyd-Whitmore MineVermiculiteUnknownMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
BradshawVermiculiteUnknownMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Brown PitVermiculitePast Producer
Burns-Nelson MineVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Charles WaldrepVermiculiteProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Clinton MineVermiculitePast Producer
Cook 1a and 1bVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Cooper #1 & #2VermiculiteUnknownMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Cooper MineVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Craig MineVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Davis-Dewitt MineVermiculiteUnknownMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Enoree MineVermiculitePast Producer
Exfoliating PlantVermiculitePlant
Ezell MineVermiculiteUnknownMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
F. Waldrep MineVermiculiteUnknownMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Goodwins MineVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Hanna Mine Number 5VermiculitePast Producer
Harlan-Roper MineVermiculiteUnknownMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Henderson MineVermiculitePast Producer1983
Henry Estate MineVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Hudging MineVermiculiteProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Ivey MineVermiculiteUnknownMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Jacks #1 MineVermiculiteUnknownMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Kearney MillVermiculiteProducer
Kenneth Hanna MineVermiculiteProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
L-C Broadcasting MineVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Laurens County MinesVermiculiteProducer
LeonardVermiculiteProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Lois AbercrombieVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Maddens-KernalsVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Mason Donnan MineVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Mims MineVermiculiteUnknownMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Monroe MineVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion.
New W.D. Abercrombie MineVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Number 8 MineVermiculiteProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Patterson #1 ProspectVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Patterson #2 ProspectVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Patterson #3 MineVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Patterson #6 MineVermiculiteProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Pinson #2 MineVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Powers MineVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Roper MineVermiculiteUnknownMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Stribling MineVermiculiteUnknownMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Sumner MineVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Templeton MineVermiculiteProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Templeton MineVermiculiteUnknownMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Tommy Blakely MineVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Triston MineVermiculiteProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Verenes TractVermiculiteUnknownMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
W.L. Patterson MineVermiculiteUnknownMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Wright #1 and #2 MineVermiculitePast ProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion
Wright No. 1. & 2.VermiculiteProducerMetamorphosed Igneous Intrusion

Every populated place in the county

62

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on. The 2 places that were also surveyed for fire insurance come first, with the number of atlases and photographs held for them.

The vanished settlements of Laurens County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.

Recorded here

Clinton, South Carolina

12 topographic sheets and 9 fire insurance atlases, 1884 to 1950

Laurens, South Carolina

13 topographic sheets and 9 fire insurance atlases, 1884 to 1941

Everything this county holds

The complete index, with nothing left out. Each of these is a separate record with its own page: a federal survey report, or the case file that argued a property on to the National Register. Both are public domain and reproduced word for word.

Surveyed structures

4 structures

The vanished settlements of Laurens County, the places these records name that are no longer on the map.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.