Dorchester County Genealogy
- Formed 1897
- Parent district Berkeley and Colleton
- County seat St. George
- Neighbors Bamberg, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Orangeburg
Dorchester County was formed in 1897 (Berkeley and Colleton). The county seat is St. George. Neighboring counties include Bamberg, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Orangeburg.
Use the research panels below for modern starting points—government contacts, census, vital records, cemeteries—and read the legacy narrative for local history notes and older link collections (some updated).
Dorchester County was formed in 1897 from Berkeley and Colleton Counties. The county was named for Dorchester Massachusetts. As early as 1696 a group of Congregationalists from there relocated to South Carolina and founded the town of Dorchester. That town was abandoned in 1788, but the parish name of St. George Dorchester persisted. The county seat is St. George. One notable location in Dorchester county is Middleton Place Gardens, laid out in 1741, the oldest landscaped gardens in the country. This was a rice plantation. The Middleton family included a member of the Continental Congress, signer of the Declaration of Independence and a Governor and Ambassador.
Dorchester County SCGenweb site
Dorchester County Courthouse
201 Johnson Street
County Courthouse
Saint George, SC 29477
Dorchester County Records
Census
1790 Federal Census of the areas that would become Dorchester County
Cemeteries
USGS listing of cemeteries of Dorchester County (St. George Parish and Beech Hill)
Dorchester County Query Forums
Cities and towns of Dorchester County:
- Charleston
- Dorchester
- Grover
- Harleyville
- Lincolnville
- North Charleston
- Reevesville
- Ridgeville
- Saint George (County Seat)
- Summerville
News related to Dorchester County, SC
History notes
Dorchester County's documentary trail follows South Carolina's district-to-county evolution. When searching before county formation, check parent districts and neighboring counties for deeds, estates, and tax lists.
Research starting points
Census
Federal census schedules (and some state/colonial substitutes) are foundational for Dorchester County household reconstruction. Start with every decade the family should appear, then correlate with land and probate.
Vital records
South Carolina statewide vital registration is comparatively late. For many Dorchester County families you will rely on a mix of county probate, church registers, Bible records, newspapers, and delayed birth certificates—not only a single “vital records office” file.
Cemeteries
Cemetery surveys for Dorchester County appear in published books, Find a Grave, USGenWeb archives, and local historical society vertical files. Always note whether a reading is complete or partial.
Courthouse & contacts
Dorchester County Courthouse
St. George, South Carolina
https://www.dorchestercountysc.gov/