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Edgefield, South Carolina

12 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1983. It stands in the Edgefield census division. It lies in ZIP code area 29824. The Survey maps it on the Edgefield quadrangle. 2,322 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 531 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Edgefield within Edgefield County

On record in Edgefield

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 8 records

Population over time

2 figures

Edgefield fell from 4,750 to 2,322 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
20104,750
20202,322-2,428 (-51%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

7 surveys from 12 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

What the histories say of this town

47,093 words

1 chapter about Edgefield from the published histories of the county, public domain and reproduced complete.

ChapterFrom Length
HistoryHistory of Edgefield County from the Earliest Settlement to 1897 (1897)47,093 words in 3 parts

Photographs

2 photographs, 2017

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.

Typical scene in the piney woods of Southeast South Carolina's Edgefield County, near Eureka
Typical scene in the piney woods of Southeast South Carolina's Edgefield County, near Eureka
Highsmith, Carol M, 2017. Library of Congress
Edgefield County Bridge No. 3, Road S-63 spanning Log Creek, Pleasant Lane, Edgefield County, SC
Edgefield County Bridge No. 3, Road S-63 spanning Log Creek, Pleasant Lane, Edgefield County, SC
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress

Fires near this place

105 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 105 fires within 5 miles of Edgefield between 1992 and 2017, burning about 522 acres in total. 5 started naturally. 8 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined44
Debris and open burning36
Equipment and vehicle use8
Arson/incendiarism8
Natural5
Smoking2
Misuse of fire by a minor1
Recreation and ceremony1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
5 September 2008Debris and open burningunder an acreSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
27 September 1994Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
16 September 1992Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
13 September 2002Debris and open burning1.0 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
11 September 1999Arson/incendiarism1.0 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
1 September 1997Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
8 August 1999Debris and open burning1.0 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
21 August 2002Debris and open burningunder an acreSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Edgefield County

Mines and quarries near this place

2 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Edgefield: 2 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Granite, Stone, Dimension, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Granite, Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Edgefield Granite QuarryGranite, Stone, Crushed/BrokenPast ProducerIgneous Intrusion
Unidentified Granite QuarryGranite, Stone, Dimension, Stone, Crushed/BrokenPast ProducerIgneous Intrusion

Every working recorded in Edgefield County

Storms near this place

60 of 92 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Edgefield in 92 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 58 thunderstorm wind, 30 hail, 3 tornado, 1 flash flood. The reports record 1 death and 9 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
May 1998Tornado (F3)Edgefield1 killed, 9 hurt, $1,000,000An F3 tornado either destroyed or severely damaged around 60 homes and mobile homes and a church. One person was killed when her mobile home took a direct hit and was completely destroyed. Widespread trees were taken down.
May 1998Tornado (F3)Edgefield$300,000An F3 tornado touched down near SC highway 61 and moved east to SC highway 36 taking down numerous trees and causing major and minor damage to several homes.
July 2012HailEdgefield$20,000Public reported golfball size hail on Lloyd Road.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindEdgefield$18,000Sheriff reported trees and powerlines down in Edgefield...Johnston, Trenton, and other areas around the county.
November 2014Thunderstorm WindEdgefield$14,000EM reported several trees down in the eastern portions of the county. One fell on a vehicle.
August 2011Thunderstorm WindEdgefield$12,000Sheriff reported trees and powerlines down on Augusta Hwy.
June 1995Thunderstorm WindEdgefield$10,000Numerous trees and power lines downed by wind.
January 2013Thunderstorm WindEdgefield$8,000Sheriff reported trees down and power outages in Edgefield.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindEdgefield$8,000Sheriff reported trees and powerlines down.
October 2011Thunderstorm WindEdgefield$6,000Highway Patrol reported trees down near Pickens Street.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindEdgefield$5,000Sheriff reported trees down on Hwy 23.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindEdgefield$4,000Sheriff reported powerlines down in northeast Edgefield on Wigfall Street.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindEdgefield$4,000Sheriff reported trees down on Walker Road.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindEdgefield$4,000SKYWARN spotter reported trees down on Mt. Vintage Plantation road.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindEdgefield$2,000Sheriff reported several trees down on Country Club road.
July 2009Thunderstorm WindEdgefield$2,000Sheriff reported several trees down in the Meriwether subdivision.
August 2009Thunderstorm WindEdgefield$2,000Sheriff reported several trees down on hwy 283.
May 2025HailEdgefield-Broadcast meteorologist sent multiple pictures of hail from a viewer with the bigger stones ranging from quarter to half dollar size hail.
May 2025HailEdgefield-Broadcast media passed along a picture of hail roughly penny size through slack.
May 2025HailEdgefield-Images of quarter sized hail that had piled up in the parking lot of the KJs market off of Columbia road.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Broadcast media relayed a report with a picture of a large tree down near the Edgefield town square.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Spotter observed one large shed blown away and one tin shed flipped over at 420 Mims St in Edgefield.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-SC Dept. of Public Safety reports trees down across the road on Sweetwater Rd. near the intersection of Horn Creek W. Time estimated from radar.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Edgefield County dispatch reported trees down along Addison Street in Edgefield.
December 2024Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Edgefield County Dispatch received a call about a tree down on Penn St in the town of Edgefield. Time estimated by radar.
September 2023Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Edgefield County dispatch reported numerous trees and power lines were downed across the county.
July 2022Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Sheriff dispatch reported trees down on Evans St in the town of Edgefield.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Tree on a power line at the intersection of Penn St and Bauskett St in Edgefield.
February 2016Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Edgefield County Dispatch reported several trees down in and around the Town of Edgefield. Also along Sweetwater Road, Old Chappell Ferry Road and Walker Road.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Report of a tree down on Catalpa St in Edgefield. Time estimated based on radar.
December 2015Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Sheriff Dispatch reported trees down on Sweetwater Road.
May 2008HailEdgefield-TV station reported golf ball size hail in Edgefield.
June 2008HailEdgefield-Quarter size hail reported by law enforcement.
August 2008Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Sheriff Dispatch reported severel trees down along Highway 378 in northern portion of county.
March 2008HailEdgefield-SKYWARN spotter reported golf ball size hail in the Long Creek area.
May 2008HailEdgefield-Sheriff reported quarter size hail in Edgefield.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Sheriff reported trees and powerlines down on Walker road and Martintown road.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Highway Dept. reported trees down north of Edgefield on hwy 25 and secondary highways.
February 2007Tornado (EF1)Edgefield-An EF1 intermittently touched down along a 15 mile track from SW of Edgefield to N or Edgefield. Trees were taken down along the path and 3 outbuildings were destroyed and 1 severely damaged at the intersection of hwys 25 and 283.
April 2007Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Sheriff reported trees down on Clarks Hill road near the Merryweather area.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-DOT reported trees down on hwy 133.
June 2007HailEdgefield-COOP reported nickel size hail.
June 2007HailEdgefield-COOP observer reported nickel size hail.
April 2007Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Sheriff reported trees down on hwys 283, 230, and Plum Branch road.
May 2006HailEdgefield-SKYWARN spotters reported golf all size hail.
May 2006HailEdgefield-TV 26 in Augusta reported nickel size hail.
July 2006Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Emergency Manager reported trees down on Plum Branch and Vann roads.
May 2005HailEdgefield-Sheriff reported 3/4 inch hail north of Edgefield.
July 2005Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Sheriff reported trees down just west of Cleora.
May 2005Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Dept. of Highways reported numerous large tree branches down around town.
May 2005HailEdgefield-Post Office reported half dollar ball size hail on hwy 230.
May 2005HailEdgefield-Post Office reported golf ball size hail on hwy 29.
July 2005HailEdgefield-Public reported 3/4 inch hail and tree branches down on hwy 121 near the Edgefield/Saluda county line.
June 2004Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Sheriff reported trees down on hwy 23 near the middle school. Small hail was also reported.
June 2004Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-SKYWARN spotter reported trees down on hwy 25 between Edgefield and Johnston.
May 2003Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Sheriff reported trees down on hwy 378.
May 2003Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-SKYWARN spotter reported trees down on Fruithill road.
May 2003HailEdgefield-SKYWARN spotter reported 3/4 inch hail in Edgefield.
July 2003Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Public reported trees down near a church.
July 2003Thunderstorm WindEdgefield-Sheriff reported some trees down on the north side of town.

Every storm recorded in Edgefield County

Newspapers printed here

18,448 digitised pages

1 paper published in this town, digitised by the Library of Congress and free to read: 3,450 issues, 18,448 pages. Every page is searchable, so a name or a street can be looked for directly in what the town printed about itself at the time.

NewspaperPublished
Edgefield Advertiser1836 to Current

What the paper printed

21,597 words

Front pages of the local paper, read from the Library of Congress scans: 4 issues spread across its run from 1873 to 1927, 21,597 words in total. Each is reproduced on its own page, exactly as the recogniser returned it.

These pages read less well than anything else here, and the number is worth stating: about three words in four come through cleanly, against nine in ten for the building records. An 1896 broadsheet sets eight-point type in seven columns on microfilm, which is the hardest thing in this archive to read by machine. We tested our own recognisers against the Library's and they were not better, so the Library's text is what appears, with the wholly unreadable columns removed. Read it as a guide to what the paper covered, and follow the link to the scan before quoting anything.

IssuePaper Length
1873-02-06Edgefield Advertiser6,096 words
1873-02-13Edgefield Advertiser8,638 words
1873-02-27Edgefield Advertiser4,417 words
1927-12-28Edgefield Advertiser2,446 words

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Huets Crossroads2.5 miles12
Parkhill2.6 miles12
Harmony4.8 miles11
Bouknight4.9 miles11
Pine House Crossroads5.4 miles18
Trenton5.7 miles18
Antioch5.7 miles16
Swearingen (historical)5.9 miles17

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on EdgefieldAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q1016590The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1247634. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

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.