Claflin University - Orangeburg, SC

In 1769, the District Act established seven new "overarching Districts," with their own courts and records. The Orangeburgh District was first established as one of these seven new districts. At that time, Orangeburgh District incorporated the Amelia Township and the Saxe-Gotha Township along the Congaree River, as well as lands all the way to the Savannah River. The year before, in 1768, the Province established two new Parishes, and the newly-created Orangeburgh District fell into the new St. Matthew's Parish. In 1778, another new parish - Orange Parish - was created, and the town of Orangeburgh and a good part of the Orangeburgh District was now in Orange Parish.

This seemed to all make sense to the locals. After the American Revolution, the new state of South Carolina once again reorganized its judicial system, but essentially left the "overarching" Orangeburg District (the "h" now gone) pretty much intact. However, the Orangeburg District was carved into four "new counties" - Orange, Winton, Lexington, and Lewisburg. As with many of the "new counties" that were established in 1785, these four new counties did not take root, nor were court houses built or justices appointed.

In 1791, the state abolished the four "new counties" created in the Orangeburg District previously in 1785, however, the Orangeburg District remained intact with the same boundaries as in 1769. So, is this the "true beginning" of what we now know as Orangeburg County? Most historians seem to think so. Since South Carolina used the term "district" to mean two things - an "overarching" concept as introduced in 1769, but with no subordinate counties - and in 1785, the term county was used as in other states at the time, however South Carolina kept the "overarching Districts" from 1785 to 1800 and some of these did include subordinate counties.

In the case of Orangeburg, it had once been a District, with no subordinate counties from 1768 to 1785, then it became an "overarching District" from 1785 to 1791, with four subordinate counties. However, with the 1791 elimination of all four subordinate counties, was it still an "overarching District" or merely a "district" in the "county" sense of things? We'll let the "paid" historians sort that one out.

In 1800, Barnwell District (county) was carved out of the large Orangeburg District (county), the first of several to follow over the next few decades. Lexington District (county) was carved out in 1804, part of Aiken County was carved out in 1871, and Calhoun County was carved out in 1908. Berkeley County gave up some land to Orangeburg County in 1897. So, the Orangeburg County that we have today has retained its current boundaries since 1908.

The lots in Orangeburgh had already been marked off and numbered and several streets had been named. In fact, there were seventeen streets including one running along the riverfront. The center was named Broughton for the Lieutenant Governor; others were named in honor of the governor's Executive Council (Middleton, Broad, Wragg, Skein, Wright, Bull, and Fenwick). Amelia and Saxe-Gotha Streets were named for other townships. Russell Street was named for Capt. Charles Russell, commander of the Rangers, who protected the early settlers from both Indians and white outlaws.

In 1769, the Province was divided into seven "overarching Districts," the third being called the District of Orangeburgh. It contained three townships: Orangeburgh (Orange Parish), Amelia (Parish of St. Matthews), and Saxe-Gotha (Lexington - 1804). Originally, the district included all of the present counties of Orangeburg, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Lexington, and the larger part of Aiken. It extended from the Savannah to the Santee and from Charleston and Beaufort districts to present day Edgefield.

To encourage settlement, the Commons House of Assembly of South Carolina in 1730 made the area into a township in the shape of a parallelogram 15 x 5 miles. In 1735, a colony of 200 Swiss, German, and Dutch immigrants formed a community near the banks of the North Edisto River. The site was attractive because of the fertile soil and the abundance of wildlife. The river provided an outlet to the port of Charles Town for the agriculture and lumber products. The town soon became a well-established and successful colony, composed chiefly of small farmers.

Click Here for a more detailed discussion about the earliest settlers of Orangeburg. Thanks to Lynne Teague of the Orangeburg German-Swiss Genealogical Society for providing it in February of 2011.

The church played an important role in the early life of Orangeburgh. The first church building was of Lutheran denomination but was later the Episcopal Church. The church building was erected prior to 1763 in the center of the village and was destroyed at the time of the Revolutionary War. A subsequent church building was used as a smallpox hospital by Union General William Tecumseh Sherman during the American Civil War.

The center of the original village was near what is now Broughton and Henley Streets, according to a marker there.

Swiss and German farmers moved into this region around 1735, and English settlers from the lowcountry followed. The battle of Eutaw Springs was fought there during the Revolutionary War on September 8, 1781; it was the last major battle of the war in South Carolina.

Large plantations using slave labor were established in Orangeburg in the nineteenth century, and the county became a major producer of cotton. Railroads arrived in the area early; Branchville became the first railroad junction in the state in 1840.

Union troops under General William Tecumseh Sherman passed through Orangeburg in February of 1865. Orangeburg County was the birthplace of historian Alexander S. Salley (1871-1961) and singer Eartha Kitt.

The county has 131 miles of railroad and 14 accredited high schools.

The county began to have many settlers in 1735, when 161 Swiss came up from Charles Town to occupy the fertile, virgin lands, and its people of today have the inheritance of their habit and tradition of thrift and industry. Only 129 of its current citizens are foreign born.

Orangeburg produced wealth in 1925 estimated by the national department of agriculture's statisticians at $15,000,000 value, of which $12,500,000 was farm crops and $2,500,000 from lumber and manufactured products. The county leads the state in the total value of crops and livestock production. For crops affected by frost the growing season is 245 days, but there are other crops which may be and are grown the full 12 months in the year.

In the report of the statistician of the agricultural department, Orangeburg is given the leadership of South Carolina counties in the production for 1925 of cotton and cotton seed, of corn, of oats, and of sugar cane.

The county was second in the production of peanuts and third in sweet potatoes. In ownership of mules on farms it ranked third, in horses first, in hogs first, and in milch cows fifth.

In the valuation of crops made by this report, cow peas, soy beans, velvet beans, and poultry products were not included, and Orangeburg County has taken a conspicuous part in the development of soy bean cultivation. In the same year 1925, more than 50,000 pounds of poultry were shipped in carload lots and considerable quantities in addition were shipped by express and sold directly to consumer. More pecans are grown in Orangeburg and in Calhoun, most of whose area was carved from Orangeburg, than in all the rest of South Carolina.

Scattered about this great county and situated on its steam railroads and improved state and county highways are the following 17 villages with their population in 1920:

Bowman, 733 ; Branchville, 1,814 ; Cope, 266 ; Cordova, 133 ; Elloree, 925 ; Eutawville, 285; Holly Hill, 522; Livingston, 159; Neeces, 289; North, 700; Norway, 474 ; Parler, 165 ; Rowesville, 425 ; Springfield, 798 ; Vance, 124 ; Woodford, 144 ; Bowyer, 87.

Branchville derives its name from the fact that when the South Carolina railroad was built in the early 1830s from Charleston to Hamburg, before the end of the decade the construction of a branch beginning at the village to Columbia was begun. Branchville is said to be the oldest railroad junction in the world.

The city of Orangeburg is the county seat.