History
Abbeville County has a rich and colorful history that traces back to the 1700s. The county was formed in 1758 and stretches from the Savannah River to the Saluda River across the upstate and encompasses the towns of Abbeville, Calhoun Falls, Donalds, Due West, and Lowndesville. Abbeville is named after a town in France located in northern France only 20 miles from the Atlantic coastline. Abbeville County South Carolina sits along the Savannah River separating South Carolina and Georgia.
Abbeville County is rich in historical landmarks and famous native sons and daughters who made significant contributions to our local community, state government, and national government.
Trinity Episcopal Church was founded in 1842. The cornerstone was laid in 1859 at the current address of 200 Church Street at a cost of $15,665.00 dollars that included the organ. The church steeple sits 120 feet high and is easily seen within downtown Abbeville. The church grounds also include a cemetery which holds both Confederate and Union soldiers.
On March 18, 1782, John C. Calhoun was born near Abbeville, South Carolina. Calhoun became a congressman, senator, secretary of war, secretary of state, and vice president of the United States.
He was the first vice-president born as a United States citizen. Calhoun served as the seventh Vice President of the United States, first under John Quincy Adams (1825-1829) and then under Andrew Jackson (1829-1832), but resigned the Vice Presidency to enter the United States Senate, where he had more power. He also served in the United States House of Representatives (1810-1817) and was both Secretary of War (1817-1824) and Secretary of State (1844-1845). He is buried in the graveyard of St. Phillip’s Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Abbeville County Courthouse dates back to the 1800s and anchors a corner of the town square at 102 Court Street.
Rebecca Scott Smith is shown here with her son Lewis circa 1915. Ms. Smith was a teacher in the Abbeville County School System for 6 decades and lived to be 104 years old.