Hampton County was created on February 18, 1878 by an act of the South Carolina General Assembly that cut away the northern portion of Beaufort County creating the 33rd county of the state’s 46 counties. The county was named for statesman and soldier, General Wade Hampton, III, who was elected governor of South Carolina in 1876.
Shortly after, Miles B. McSweeney founded The Hampton County Guardian newspaper in 1879 before going on to become the only county resident ever to serve as Governor of South Carolina.
On 1769 maps, Beaufort District was subdivided into three parishes: St. Peter’s, St. Luke’s and Prince William’s. Most of Prince William’s Parish is now Hampton County. Another name for the northern part of Beaufort was Lincoln County, which eventually became Hampton County.
In 1868 the county seat of Beaufort County was relocated from Gillisonville, which was near the center, to the Town of Beaufort. This created greater distances for many of the county residents to travel in order to conduct county business thus creating a hardship. The State Legislature was petitioned to allow a new county to be formed, giving birth to Hampton County
Since these citizens were breaking away for the purpose of having their own courthouse, it was important to seat the new government in a place convenient to all. Voters chose the geographic center of the new county, but when it was surveyed, the center was found to be a large cypress pond surrounded by swamp. In a second referendum, Varnville won the county seat race and commissioners determined the new courthouse could be situated within two miles of the town that won the referendum. The center of the courthouse was placed exactly two miles from the Varnville Depot. The well-worn brass top of the surveyor’s benchmark may still be seen in the center of the main corridor in the Hampton County Courthouse. Officially identified as the Town of Hampton Courthouse, the town was incorporated December 23, 1879 as Town of Hampton.
In 1912, a strip of Beaufort County and a southwestern slice of Hampton County were joined to form Jasper County. In 1919, Hampton County was again reduced in size when the northernmost tip was cut off and added to a piece of southern Barnwell County to form Allendale County
Today’s Hampton County was originally mapped as “Indian Lands.” Yamasee and Creek Indians, migrating from Florida, and others had trading posts, trails, burial grounds and ceremonial grounds throughout the pinewoods and swamplands. Numerous Indian names remain: Salkehatchie, Coosawhatchie, Huspah, Caw Caw and Combahee.
Hampton County did not escape the ravages of war, its lands seeing action in the Yamasee War, Revolutionary War and Civil War. General William T. Sherman’s Union troops cut a three-pronged swath of destruction through Hampton County on his march from Savannah, Georgia to Columbia, South Carolina.
Historical Markers
Hampton County Courthouse
Elm Street, Hampton SC
Town of Brunson
Highway 278 between Morris & Broad Streets, Brunson SC
Miles McSweeney Home Site
Regions Bank, Jackson Avenue E. at First St. E., Hampton SC
Lawtonville Baptist Church
194 Fourth Street East, Estill SC
Prince Williams Baptist Church
Pond Town Road, right on Prince Williams Road, Brunson SC
American Legion Hut
Corner of Hoover Street & Jackson Avenue West, Hampton SC
Whippy Swamp Muster Ground
Harmony Presbyterian Church, Crockettville SC
Plywood Plastics Corporation/Westinghouse Micarta Division
Hoover Street North/Hwy. 601 N, Hampton SC
Estill Presbyterian Church
343 Clark Street, Estill SC
Estill Methodist Church
287 Keene Avenue, Estill SC
Hampton Colored School
725 Holly Street West, Hampton SC
Morrison Academy
At Lawtonville Cemetery on Old Orangeburg Rd south of Estill, SC
Old Pocotaligo Road (March from the Sea)
Intersection of Pocotaligo Road and Highway 601 South, Hampton SC
Lawtonville Church (Circa 1884)
Augusta Stagecoach Road north of Crab Orchard Road, Estill SC
Hermitage Plantation
Located on Federal Correctional Institution Property, Estill SC
Gifford Rosenwald School
6146 Columbia Highway, Gifford SC
Steep Bottom Baptist Church
2035 Steep Bottom Road, Estill SC
Huspah Baptist Church & School
105 Hoover Street North, Hampton SC
Davis Swimming Pool and Airport
1395 Shirley Road, Garnett SC
Yemassee Rosenwald School
Fennell Elementary, 131 Yemassee Highway, Yemassee SC
Hickory Grove Baptist Church
125 Hickory Grove Road, Brunson SC
James Washington Moore House
503 Oak Street West, Hampton SC
Cherry Grove Christian Church
1895 Cherry Grove Road, Brunson SC
WWII POW Camp
505 Hoover Street W.at Hampton Elementary School, Hampton SC
Bank of Hampton
15 Elm Street East, Hampton SC
Brunson Rosenwald School
(Former Allen Elementary) 483 North Broad Street, Brunson SC
Estill Rosenwald School
(Former Estill Training School) 555 Third Street West, Estill SC
Lucile Ellerbe Godbold
Martin L. King Boulevard North between Fourth and Fifth Streets, Estill SC
Site of Hampton High School 1911-1954
408 Mulberry Street, Hampton SC
All Wars Memorial
Courthouse Square (on First St. West side), Elm Street, Hampton SC