SC Department of Archives and History
State archives — colonial to modern government records, maps, and genealogy research rooms.
Societies, libraries & archives
South Carolina State Library
Statewide library services, newspapers, and digital collections.
South Caroliniana Library (UofSC)
Manuscripts, rare books, and family papers for SC research.
Charleston Library Society
Historic membership library with strong Lowcountry collections.
South Carolina Historical Society
Manuscripts, maps, and Lowcountry history collections.
Lowcountry Africana
Essential free portal for African American research in the Lowcountry and beyond.
Historic Columbia
House museums and local history programming in the capital city.
Spartanburg County Historical Association
Upstate history museum and research resources.
Greenville County Historical Society
Upstate local history society.
York County Historical Society
Culture & Heritage Museums network serving York County research interests.
Beaufort County Library
Local history and genealogy collections for the sea islands and Lowcountry.
Georgetown County Library
Local history resources for the rice kingdom / Waccamaw region.
Horry County Memorial Library
Coastal and Conway-area local history collections.
Florence County Library System
Pee Dee regional library services and local history.
Aiken-Barnwell Genealogical Society
Genealogy society serving Aiken and Barnwell researchers.
Old Edgefield District Genealogical Society
Focus on historic Edgefield District families and migrations.
Pendleton District Commission
Anderson / Pickens / Oconee heritage tourism and history context.
Catawba Cultural Center
Catawba Nation cultural resources — essential for Indigenous research in the region.
FamilySearch — South Carolina
Wiki portals, digitized film, and catalog entries for every SC county.
National Archives at Atlanta
Regional NARA facility for federal records useful to SC researchers (courts, military, census access support).
Darlington County Historical Commission
Local history resources for Darlington County.
Lancaster County Library
Public library system serving Lancaster researchers.
Oconee History Museum
Upstate mountain-county local history museum.
Pickens County Library System
Local history and genealogy collections for Pickens County.
Sumter County Genealogical Society
Genealogy society focused on Sumter-area families.
Old Darlington District Chapter SCGS
SCGS chapter covering historic Darlington District research interests.
Colleton County Memorial Library
Lowcountry public library with local history materials.
Berkeley County Library System
County library services for Berkeley researchers.
Dorchester County Library
Public library system for Dorchester County.
Lexington County Public Library
Midlands library system with local history interest.
Anderson County Library
Upstate library system.
York County Library
Library system serving York County communities.
Charleston County Public Library
Major Lowcountry public library system.
Richland Library
Capital-city public library with strong local history programming.
SC Genealogical Society
Statewide genealogical society with local chapters.
Huguenot Society of SC
Resources for Huguenot lineage research in Carolina.
Jewish Historical Society of SC
Jewish community history across South Carolina.
Avery Research Center (College of Charleston)
African American history archives for Charleston and beyond.
Abbeville County Library System
Public library serving Abbeville County researchers.
Aiken County Public Library
Local history and genealogy interest for Aiken County.
Allendale-Hampton-Jasper Regional Library
Regional library services for Allendale, Hampton, and Jasper researchers—verify branch holdings.
Bamberg County Library
County library services for Bamberg researchers.
Barnwell County Library
Local public library for Barnwell County.
Calhoun County Public Library
Public library serving Calhoun County.
Cherokee County Public Library
Library services for Cherokee County (Gaffney).
Chester County Library
Public library for Chester County researchers.
Chesterfield County Library System
Library system serving Chesterfield County.
Clarendon County Public Library
Public library for Clarendon County.
Dillon County Library
Public library serving Dillon County.
Edgefield County Library
Local library for Edgefield District research support.
Fairfield County Library
Public library for Fairfield County.
Greenwood County Library
Library system for Greenwood County.
Kershaw County Library
Public library serving Kershaw County / Camden.
Laurens County Public Library
Library services for Laurens County.
Lee County Public Library
Public library for Lee County.
Marion County Library
Public library serving Marion County.
Marlboro County Public Library
Library services for Marlboro County.
McCormick County Library
Public library for McCormick County.
Newberry County Library
Public library serving Newberry County.
Oconee County Public Library
Library system for Oconee County.
Orangeburg County Library
Public library for Orangeburg County.
Saluda County Library
Public library serving Saluda County.
Spartanburg County Public Libraries
Major Upstate public library system with local history interest.
Union County Carnegie Library
Public library for Union County.
Williamsburg County Library
Public library serving Williamsburg County.
Greenville County Library System
Large Upstate library system—local history and genealogy collections.
Sumter County Library
Public library for Sumter County.
Columbia Chapter SCGS
SCGS chapter serving the Columbia / Midlands research community.
Charleston Chapter SCGS
SCGS chapter for Charleston and Lowcountry researchers.
Greenville Chapter SCGS
SCGS chapter for Greenville Upstate research.
Spartanburg Chapter SCGS
SCGS chapter for Spartanburg-area families.
Piedmont Historical Society
Upstate historical/genealogical publishing and local research interest (verify current programs).
Old Pendleton District SCGS Chapter
SCGS chapter covering historic Pendleton District (Anderson, Pickens, Oconee).
Catawba-Wateree Chapter SCGS
SCGS chapter interests along the Catawba–Wateree corridor—verify meeting locale.
Pee Dee Chapter SCGS
SCGS chapter for Pee Dee regional research.
Pinckney District Chapter SCGS
SCGS chapter for historic Pinckney District research interests.
Historic Camden Foundation
Revolutionary War–era site and local history programming for Camden.
Cheraw Lyceum / local history
Local history interpretation in Cheraw—verify hours and research access.
Museum of York County (CHM)
Culture & Heritage Museums network—York County history exhibits and research interest.
Beaufort History Museum
Local history museum for Beaufort and sea-island context.
Horry County Museum
Local history museum for Horry County.
Florence County Museum
Local history and art museum for Florence / Pee Dee.
Museum of the Cherokee in South Carolina
Regional Cherokee history interpretation—pair with Indigenous research guide and tribal resources.
Rice Museum (Georgetown)
Rice culture interpretation useful for plantation-era research context.
Clemson University Special Collections
University archives and special collections for Upstate and agricultural/textile history.
Furman University Special Collections
Baptist and Upstate manuscript collections—verify access policies.
Winthrop University Archives
University archives useful for York County and education history.
College of Charleston Special Collections
Lowcountry manuscripts and rare materials (pair with Avery Research Center for AA collections).
Medical University of SC University Archives
Institutional archives sometimes useful for medical/professional biographical research.
SC State University Historical Collection
HBCU historical collections—important for African American education and community research.
Wofford College Library Special Collections
Methodist and Upstate collections—verify holdings and access.
Presbyterian College Library / archives interest
Campus collections may include regional Presbyterian materials—contact library for access.