History & Genealogy

Burrel Hemphill Monument at Hopewell ARP Church
Blackstock, SC 29014
Burrel Hemphill was a slave in the household of the very wealthy bachelor, Robert Hemphill, during the Civil War. He, reportedly, was tortured to death by troops from Sherman’s Army. The story goes that when the soldiers approached the Hemphill estate, Robert fled to North Carolina. Burrel remained and the soldiers demanded that he reveal the hiding places of the Hemphill family's silverware, other valuables and money. Whether or not Burrel was actually privy to the information is not known. A granite monument erected by the white members of the Hopewell community in later years reads: "In Memory of Burrel Hemphill Killed by Union Soldiers February, 1865. Although a Slave He Gave His Life Rather Than Betray a Trust. He Was a Member of Hopewell". Off Hwy. 321 south of Chester.
Camden Confederate Powder Magazine Park
Camden, SC 29020
This 1859 arsenal was used before and during the War for storage of arms and ammunition. It has hollow wall construction to ventilate and keep powder dry. In 2019, a park approximately .4 acre in size was completed. It contains landscaped plant features, picnic shelter, tables, benches, pedestal water fountain, and brick walking path around the perimeter of the park.
Camden First United Methodist Church
Camden, SC 29020
The church was founded in April 1866 as a part of the Seven Charges of the Charleston District of the South Carolina Missions Conference. It was originally known as "Methodist Episcopal Church". The site where Trinity is located was purchased in 1828 by the White Methodist Church and a wooden building was constructed next to the current structure for use by slaves. An African-American congregation began worship services in this location in 1872 when the white congregation moved to what is now the Lyttleton Street United Methodist Church. In November 1875, the African Americans at Trinity United Methodist Church purchased it from the Methodist Episcopal Church. The church was partially destroyed by fire in 1925. A total of 30,000 bricks were donated to rebuild the church and Richard D. Belton, a Camden-based African-American contractor, was hired to rebuild the church. After its completion, on June 28, 1928 the congregation marched from Mather Academy (a site of temporary worship) to the new building. When the Methodist church structure changed in 1972, the name was changed to Trinity United Methodist Church. After a more recent merger with another church, Trinity is now known as First United Methodist Church. View from outside; open on Sundays.
Camp Welfare
This is one of the two known such campgrounds in the Olde English District, and one of only a handful that remain in the state. Founded in 1878 and situated on eleven acres of land in rural Winnsboro, it includes Camp Welfare African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ) Church, its cemetery, the open-air arbor and many small cinder-block or wood houses known as tents. The annual religious and fellowship services or "camp meetings", held in August, are very well-attended. The church, like many in the South, was started after the Civil War as a brush arbor church. Please contact Ms. Michaela Brown before visiting.
Capt. Obadiah Hardin’s Grave In Brushy Fork Church Cemetery
Carlisle, SC 29031
Captain Obadiah Hardin commanded a 38-man company known as the Chester Guards, composed mostly of men from western Chester County. He was wounded at Drainesville December 20, 1861 and died December 28th at a hospital in Richmond, VA. Location: The cemetery is located in front of Brushy Fork Baptist Church. Contact: Chester District Genealogical Society (P.O. Box 336, Richburg, SC 29729).
Carmel United Presbyterian Church
Chester, SC 29706
In its early days, Carmel served as a worship center for the students and faculty at Brainerd Institute. The organizing of the church, as led by Reverend Samuel Loomis in 1868, was known as the Chester Mission. Since its beginnings, Carmel has focused on the religious training of African-American youths. View from outside; open on Sundays. Special tours by advance appointment.
Cash/Inglis House (c. 1830)
Cheraw, SC 29520
Around 1860, Col. E. B. C. Cash briefly owned this dwelling. Cash was a planter, and, for a short time, a Confederate officer. He is most famous for participating in the last fatal duel in South Carolina. The house was later owned by William Cowper Inglis, Capt. 8th SC Infantry and his family.
Catoe's Chapel Church of God In Christ
Bethune, SC 29009
The vision for the Catoe Chapel began in 1946 when African Americans working on the Catoe plantation approached the owner for land to build a church closer to where they lived. Sometime between 1947-48, John Catoe donated the lumber from an old house and actually helped with the building of the church. In 1949, services began in a 16 x 14 foot building that was named Catoe Chapel Holiness Church in honor of her benefactor. The original church was remodeled and expanded three times. A new modern facility was dedicated on December 24, 1996 and sits on property adjacent to the original structure. The church's founding mother, Mother Martha Brown, is buried in a cemetery located between the two church buildings. View from outside; open on Sundays.
Clinton Cemetery
Lancaster, SC 29720
This cemetery is full of southern history with graves dating back to the 1890s. Many of the local residents buried here are among the most famous in Lancaster's African-American history. One of the founders of Mount Carmel campground, noted businessman and politician, Isom Caleb Clinton's grave and those of many of his relatives occupy a beautiful plot near the center of the cemetery. Located behind Clinton Elementary School.
Clinton Chapel AME Zion Church
Kershaw, SC 29067
This is believed to have been the first separate African-American congregation established in Kershaw in the early 20th century. The church was named for Isom Caleb Clinton, a former slave who was a prominent minister in the AME. Zion Church and was ordained a bishop in 1892. The present church was built in 1909 and has undergone few alterations since that time. It stands as an intact example of the Gothic Revival style church architecture common in the period, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is representative of an early 20th-century institution in Kershaw's black community. View from outside; open on Sundays.
Clinton Junior College
Rock Hill, SC 29730
Founded in 1894 by the Reverend Dr. Nero Crockett and the Reverend W.M. Robinson, it was named for the presiding Bishop of the South Carolina Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ) Church at that time, Caleb Isom Clinton. Clinton Institute, as it was originally called, served as a boarding high school and provided a very high quality education to hundreds of newly freed black citizens. The name was later changed to Clinton Normal and Industrial Institute and the school was authorized to grant state teachers certificates. Today, Clinton Junior College is focused on providing a quality liberal arts education and retains close ties to the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ) Church.
College Inn Restaurant
Cheraw, SC 29520
This building sits on property that once belonged to the Coulter Memorial Academy, Chesterfield County‘s first school for African-American students. The restaurant took its name from the school, which began offering junior college courses in 1933 and continued until 1947. Charles “Neil” Cole, a local teacher and businessman, sought to fill a void by providing a lunch counter that served black students during the time of segregation. He opened the College Inn in 1935 and employed mostly students from Coulter Academy. He served local diners, including Cheraw native Dizzy Gillespie. The restaurant, now operated by Cole’s daughter, Carolyn Cole-Green, serves mouth-watering ribs and more in this historic setting. Open for dinner, Thurs-Sat.
Confederate Monument (Camden)
Camden, SC 29020
Erected in 1883 in memory of the local "brave sons who fell during the Confederate War, defending the rights and honor of the South". The monument features a dove on top. Located at Monument Square.
Confederate Monument (Chester Town Square)
Chester , SC 29706
Erected in 1905 at the town square to honor the men who gave their lives for the confederacy, the monument is made of granite and stands 41 feet high with Location: Town Square, Gadsden Street.
Confederate Monument (Union ARP Church)
Richburg, SC 29729
Confederate Monument erected by the Lafayette Straight Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy on May 7, 1939.