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MUSEUM HISTORY
On July 25th, 2005 the Laurens County Museum Association (LCMA) was officially organized in order to preserve the rich history of the county by establishing a museum at a central location. The Founding Officers of the museum were James H. Gambrell, President; Kathy H. Crotts, Vice President; Jane C. Corn, Secretary; and Carole H. Senn, Treasurer.
The museum building at 205 West Laurens Street was purchased on September 26th, 2006 and renovated with a South Carolina Competitive Grant which was received on August 2nd, 2007. In May 2007, the museum published a Laurens County Post Card book with over 200 post cards dating from 1900. LCMA published this book in conjunction
with Arcadia Publishing’s Postcard History Series.
The following year, 2008, the Laurens County Museum Heritage Cookbook containing 400+ recipes was published. An eating history of Laurens County by Libby Rhodes answered the question from the subtitle “Where Did We Eat Before Fast Food?” This eating history highlighted good food spots from across the county with information and pictures of Laurens County boarding houses, drive-ins, drugstore grills, home caterers, hotels, and cafes.
In 2009, professional brochures were printed and distributed throughout the county and at the Welcome Centers. With this web site the museum is reaching out to the public with up-to-date technology.
The museum not only displays donated artifacts but also is an educational facility for the children of Laurens County and serves as a link to other historical sites.
The museum is staffed entirely by volunteers and operates through donations, memberships, grants and fundraisers.
LAURENS COUNTY HISTORY
On March 12th, 1785, Laurens became one of six counties carved out of the Ninety Six Judicial District, westernmost of the seven original parishes in South Carolina.
When the county was formed, some people wanted to name it after local Revolutionary War hero Johnathan Downes. Downes suggested that the county be named Laurens in honor of one of South Carolina’s most important leaders during the Revolutionary War.
Therefore, the county derived its name from distinguished statesman, Henry Laurens. He was a prosperous rice planter and merchant from Charleston, South Carolina. During colonial times, he was active and influential in South Carolina’s Commons Assembly for many years, eventually serving as Vice President of that body. Henry Laurens succeeded John Hancock as President of the Continental Congress in 1777, during the Revolutionary War. An effective leader, he worked for a strong central government and was instrumental in gaining aid from France and Holland. Traveling as America’s Minister to Holland in 1780, he was captured by the British, charged with treason, and imprisoned until the end of the Revolutionary War in 1781. He was influential in drafting the Treaty of Paris, which ended hostilities between the United States and England.
With the coming of the railroad, rural communities such as Mountville, Waterloo, and Gray Court quickly turned into bustling villages as trains carried their agricultural goods to the US markets. Laurens County developed into a thriving textile producer with five mills employing thousands of workers. Today international companies such as Michelin and Milliken have helped establish Laurens County in the technological world of the 21st century.
Located in the city of Laurens on the downtown square, the Laurens County Courthouse was constructed c. 1838. Though court is no longer held in the historic building it provides office space for the Board of Elections, Veterans Administration, and the Main Street Laurens organizations. It is the seat of the County Council and remains an important landmark in Laurens County.
Founded in 1880 by Rev. William Plumer Jacobs, Presbyterian College in Clinton is a leader among southeastern private colleges. Over the years it has grown to serve students from 27 states and seven foreign countries and is the focal point of higher education in Laurens County.
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