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Lexington County Genealogy

Edited by Avery Parker for South Carolina Genealogy · Lexington County hub · Last reviewed July 13, 2026 · How we work & cite

  • Formed 1804
  • Parent district Orangeburg District
  • County seat Lexington
  • Neighbors Aiken, Calhoun, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, Saluda

Photos & maps

Freely licensed images from Wikimedia Commons (and related open sources), cached locally for research context.

Historic view — Lexington County
Historic view Upstateherd · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Courthouse — Lexington County
Courthouse CampWalterJohnson · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Map — Lexington County
Map David Benbennick · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons Source

What’s new

History

This week in Lexington County history

  • 1780
    Lexington County Revolutionary late summer Thu, Aug 20

    Militia movements and later pensions cross modern lines—use federal files.

This week in South Carolina history · Genealogist timeline · Queries for this county

In-depth topics

Towns & communities

13 places — view all town pages

Lexington county seat Cayce West Columbia Irmo Batesburg-Leesville Chapin Gilbert Pelion Swansea South Congaree Springdale Pine Ridge Gaston

Lexington County was formed in 1804 (Orangeburg District). The county seat is Lexington. Neighboring counties include Aiken, Calhoun, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, Saluda.

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).

Lexington County was formed in 1804 from the old Orangeburg District. The county name was in honor of the Revolutionary War battle of the same name. (Lexington, Mass.) Granby was the original county seat (just south of where Cayce is now located.) After problems with flooding the county seat was moved in 1820 to present day Lexington.

The town of Lexington is a "descendant" of sorts of the township of Saxe-Gotha which was laid out encompassing most of present day Lexington County. The idea with laying out the Royal Townships was to encourage settlement of the "back country". The Colonial government of King George II established 11 of these Royal Townships in South Carolina. Of course, one reason as stated was the encouragement of settlement of the back country, but the main motive was to create more of a buffer between the low country plantations and powerful indian tribes to the west.

Two very important indian trails went through what has become Lexington County, Cherokee Path and Occaneechi Path. US Highway 1 roughly follows Occaneechi Path and US 378 approximates the trail of Cherokee Path.

1 mile to the east of Lexington was the location of the Battle of Tarrar Springs in the Revolutionary War (November 16, 1781).

The town suffered tremendous loss of buildings in 1865 under the occupation of forces under the command of Gen. Sherman (Lexington was under control of the army guarding the Western Flank of Shermans troops.) Most businesses and homes, the county jail and courthouse and St. Stephen's Lutheran Church were all burned.

Lexington County houses the Lexington County Museum which illustrates life around the turn of the 18th century. There are 15 buildings on the property including the Lexington Post Office (first building constructed in Lexington, SC.) The John Fox farmhouse is included in the collection as well. In addition to the buildings there are many items in the collection that would have been common to day to day life in the ante-bellum era.

Lexington County SCGenweb site [Wayback; prefer SCDAH / FamilySearch wiki]

Lexington County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 1442
Lexington, SC 29072

Lexington County Courthouse
212 S. Lake Drive
County Courthouse
Lexington, SC 29072

Census

1850 Federal Census Index - by last name only

Query Forums

Researcher path (Lexington)

  1. Metro pair: Always consider Richland/Columbia for twentieth-century work and 1865 displacement.
  2. Dutch Fork / church belt: Identify congregation early—Lutheran and other rural churches often beat late vitals.
  3. Parents/neighbors: Orangeburg District edge and later Calhoun carve-outs confuse borders.
  4. Stack: Census → land/probate → church → Columbia/Lexington papers → directories.

Lexington cheatsheet · Richland · Calhoun.

History notes

Lexington 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.

SC jurisdiction depth: Use the district-era map and record survival topics—plus the pre-1785 statewide deed recording trap on the land matrix row.

Formation sources: County formation ~1804 from Orangeburg District — verify against SCDAH, FamilySearch Wiki, and official county government history pages. Do not rely on Wikipedia alone.

Local history & events

Recent news and notices about historic sites, heritage programs, reenactments, and local history related to Lexington County (and statewide South Carolina heritage stories). Links open external publishers — verify details before traveling.

Updated automatically from public news feeds focused on history and heritage. See statewide local history news · Suggest an event

Research tools

Free printables for field sessions and home research nights—core to this site’s practical-tools mission.

This county’s cheatsheet Starter checklist Statewide bundle Start here guide

Record availability matrix

Guidance for what tends to exist for this county—not a guarantee. Always verify at the repository. Statewide method notes: vitals, land, probate, census.

SC jurisdiction trap (read first)

Pre-1785 deeds were often recorded centrally in Charleston (Secretary of the Province/State), not only in a local courthouse. Always pair the land row below with parent-district labels and SCDAH colonial series. See also this county’s district-era map and record survival topics.

Record type Coverage Years (approx.) Notes
Federal census good 1790–1950 Federal schedules available for SC with known quirks/losses in some years. Place the household in the correct county/district for each decade. Before 1804, search parent jurisdiction: Orangeburg District.
Birth records sparse 1915– Statewide birth registration in SC is comparatively late (certificates densify after ~1915). Do not expect a civil birth certificate for pre-registration generations—use delayed births, church baptisms, Bibles, census, and probate. For people living before Lexington County existed (~1804), research the family in parent jurisdictions (Orangeburg District) for land, tax, church, and census—not for earlier county birth certificates.
Marriage records partial 1804– County marriage licenses/returns densify in the 19th–20th centuries; earlier marriages often appear only in church books, bonds, newspapers, or pension files. If the couple married before Lexington County (~1804), search parent jurisdiction (Orangeburg District) and neighboring counties for the ceremony place—not only this courthouse.
Death records partial 1915– Death certificates densify after statewide registration (~1915). Earlier deaths: obituaries, church burial, probate, cemeteries, coroner notes. Pre-formation residence (~1804): search parent context (Orangeburg District) for substitutes, not for modern-style county death certificates before registration.
Land & deeds good 1804– Pre-1785: many SC deeds were recorded centrally in Charleston (Secretary of the Province/State), not only in the modern county courthouse—search colonial/Charleston series plus parent districts. County ROD typically densifies near formation (~1804); earlier freeholders: Orangeburg District.
Probate & estates good 1804– Wills, administrations, inventories, equity. Series usually begin near local court identity (~1804); gaps → neighbors, SCDAH microfilm, federal substitutes. Pre-formation: Orangeburg District.
Church & parish partial varies Church rolls often beat civil vitals before the 20th century in Lexington County. Identify denomination and congregation neighborhood early (see church & cemetery panels). Parent/earlier context: Orangeburg District.
Newspapers varies varies Seat-town and regional titles both matter. Start with the county “start here” newspaper, then Chronicling America + SC State Library microfilm catalogs. Parent/earlier context: Orangeburg District.
Military good 1775– Revolutionary through 20th-century service may generate pensions, CMSRs, and local militia notes. Pair with county context for battles and units.
Cemeteries partial varies Featured municipal and churchyards on this hub are starting points—not a complete inventory. Published abstracts and Find a Grave are incomplete; rural family plots are common. Submit survey citations via contact. Parent/earlier context: Orangeburg District.
Court records partial 1804– Common pleas / sessions / equity labels change with district-era reforms (1785, ~1800, 1868). Confirm the courthouse that held the year—not only the modern county name. Parent context: Orangeburg District.
Tax lists sparse varies Tax lists can substitute for missing census years. Coverage is uneven by locality and year; check SCDAH and published abstracts.

SCDAH & repository series inventory

Professional finding-aid layer for this county. Year ranges are research guidance based on formation and statewide patterns. Call numbers and reel IDs change—confirm in SCDAH catalogs and the FamilySearch catalog before ordering film or citing a reel.

Series Years (approx.) Repository Call / catalog notes
Colonial / Secretary of the Province–State land series (statewide)
THE SC land trap: pre-1785 conveyances often recorded centrally in Charleston. Search even for upcountry families. Pair with parent-district labels.
 1670–1785 SCDAH SCDAH colonial plats, grants, and memorials — confirm current series titles & microfilm/digital IDs in SCDAH catalogs (do not rely on a single county courthouse for pre-1785 title).
Lexington County deeds / mesne conveyances (ROD)
Local deed series typically densify after county court identity (~1804). Always re-check catalog years.
 1804– County ROD + SCDAH microfilm County Register of Deeds (or Clerk as ROD). SCDAH holds many county deed books on microfilm—look up “Lexington County” in SCDAH / FamilySearch catalog for book/reel coverage. Call numbers change; verify before ordering film.
Lexington County probate (wills, administrations, inventories)
Equity may be bound with or near probate depending on era. Thin years → neighbors + SCDAH.
 1804– County Probate + SCDAH microfilm Wills/administrations/inventories. Many counties filmed; FamilySearch wiki catalog links list digitized vs film-only. Confirm packet vs will-book coverage separately.
Lexington / district equity & related chancery-type files
Do not assume equity lives under the modern county name for every decade.
 1804– SCDAH + county Equity/bills often resolve kin and land when law-side probate is thin. Series labels shift with district reforms (~1785, ~1800, 1868). Use SCDAH equity finding aids + county inventories.
Lexington County / district court of common pleas & sessions
Useful for debts, land disputes, and name lists when deeds are silent.
 1804– SCDAH + county clerk Judgment rolls, sessions, and related court papers. Coverage and labels vary; start with SCDAH county records inventory and FamilySearch catalog entries for the county.
Lexington tax lists & related assessments (where surviving)
Compare with census decades for neighbor clusters.
 1804– SCDAH + published abstracts Tax survival is uneven. Check SCDAH and published society abstracts; some lists exist only in print abstracts or FS film. Never treat a partial web extract as complete.
Statewide vital registration (birth/death) — not a colonial county series
For pre-registration generations use church, Bible, probate, obituary, cemetery.
 1915– SC DHEC / SCDAH / FamilySearch Civil birth/death certificates densify after statewide registration (~1915). Search statewide systems and FS collections; parent counties do not hold earlier “birth certificates” for 1915+ events that never used civil registration.
Newspapers (local + regional) — SC State Library / Chronicling America
Confirm year ranges before travel; runs are often fragmentary.
 see catalog SC State Library + LOC Microfilm and digital runs: SC State Library newspaper catalogs; Chronicling America; local libraries. Hub “start-here” title is first masthead only.
FamilySearch catalog — Lexington County place search
Wiki overview: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Lexington_County,_South_Carolina_Genealogy
 see catalog FamilySearch Catalog search: Place = "Lexington, South Carolina". Review film notes for deeds, probate, court, vitals. Digitization status changes—re-check the catalog item.

Related: District-era atlas · This county’s district map · Cited abstracts · Repositories guide

Churches & denominations

Midlands pattern: Baptist and Methodist density with Lutheran/German pockets (Dutch Fork) and strong Presbyterian clusters on the northern edge. Capital-city congregations in Richland need directory cross-checks.

For Lexington County (seat: Lexington), identify the congregation before hunting only municipal cemeteries. Membership moves across county lines more easily than deeds.

Newspapers

Named titles with year ranges and repository notes. Start with the highlighted title, then search decade variants—mastheads change often. Confirm runs before you travel.

  • Start here Lexington Dispatch / County Chronicle lineage (start here)
    Lexington · 1870–present · Weekly
    County-seat weeklies; also search Columbia dailies for metro families. Repos: Lexington County Public Library, SC State Library, Richland Library for capital titles.
  • Research portals (verify runs & holdings)
    Lexington · n/a
    Cross-check: Chronicling America · SC State Library · local public library microfilm · SCDAH newspaper finding aids · commercial digitization. Mastheads change by decade—log every title variant you search.

Statewide newspapers guide · Libraries & societies directory · Repos: SCDAH · SC State Library · local microfilm · Chronicling America

Cemeteries & burial research

Major municipal grounds, historic churchyards, and portals—not a complete inventory of every graveyard. Published abstracts and Find a Grave are incomplete.

  • Featured Lexington County — Find a Grave cemetery search
    Lexington
    Portal search for user-contributed cemetery pages and memorials. Verify stones and surveys independently.
    Find a Grave · More
  • Featured Lexington Memorial Cemetery area surveys
    Lexington
    Combine municipal and churchyard surveys for Midlands families. Dutch Fork churchyards for German-heritage lines.
  • Churchyards & family plots (survey first)
    Various
    Many SC burials never appear in municipal cemeteries. Start with church affiliation, then published surveys and GPS-enabled modern inventories.
    Find a Grave · More
  • Lexington County — Not a complete inventory
    Various
    This list is a research starting set (featured grounds + portals), not every graveyard. Published abstracts and Find a Grave are incomplete. Know a survey, correction, or missing churchyard? Use the contact form—we update county pages as evidence arrives.
    Find a Grave · Submit a correction

Not complete — help us improve. Know a published survey citation, missing churchyard, or bad link? Send a correction. · Cemeteries research guide

Societies & repositories

Full societies & libraries directory

Research starting points

Census

Federal census schedules (and some state/colonial substitutes) are foundational for Lexington 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 Lexington 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.

Courthouse & contacts

Canonical mailing target for this hub. Confirm the specific office (Clerk of Court, Register of Deeds, Probate) and current address on the county government site before you mail a records request. Historical society PO boxes are not the courthouse.

Lexington County Courthouse
Lexington, South Carolina
https://www.lex-co.com/

If not found here, try…

South Carolina brick walls are often jurisdiction problems. Search parent districts and neighbors when deeds or probate are thin—and for pre-formation families. Civil birth/death certificates are late statewide; parents do not hold earlier “county birth certificates.”

  • Formed 1804
  • Parent / earlier jurisdiction Orangeburg District — check district-era records before this county existed (districts guide).

Neighboring counties (deeds, marriages, newspapers, and kin often cross the line):

Aiken Calhoun Newberry Orangeburg Richland Saluda

Expand the same decade in neighbor newspapers, church rolls, and cemeteries—kin often cross the line for marriage and burial. Also use Start here, the districts & counties guide, migration corridors, and local history news.