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Laurens County Courthouse
The Laurens County courthouse, located in downtown Laurens, is on the National Register as an example of Greek revival architecture. The central portion was finished in 1838, with the wings added in...
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Laurens
Laurens is a small town in northwestern South Carolina and is the seat of Laurens County. Both Laurens and Laurens County are named for Henry Laurens of Charleston, who was president of the Continental...
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Brownlee Grocery
An abandoned store with a rusty sign bearing the name Brownlee Grocery sits along Highway 221 in Laurens, South Carolina. Angie Pack of Greenville, 2011 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent Contributor...
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Bethel AME Church
Bethel AME Church in Laurens may no longer be standing, but its architectural beauty, designed by African-American architect Columbus White, lives on in the archives of South Carolina history. The...
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The Redneck Shop
May of 2012 marked a new day in South Carolina race relations when the notorious Redneck Shop in downtown Laurens was shut down by the building’s new owner. In 1996 John Howard opened the shop in the...
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Allen Dial House
This home in rural Laurens County was built around 1855 by Allen Dial, a farmer and native of the area who taught himself medicine and was the local country doctor. He also was a leader at Chestnut...
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Sullivan House
Also known as Tumbling Shoals, this structure in Laurens was built in 1838 and architecturally represents the style of home typical of permanent settlers to this region during the early-to-mid...
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John Calvin Owings Home
The lavish John Calvin Owings Home in downtown Laurens is a prime example of the embellished Queen Anne architectural style so popular in the Victorian era. Built in 1896, the house features turrets,...
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Charles Duckett House
Charles Duckett, a prosperous black businessman from Laurens, built this one-story residence in 1895. The small yet ornate home includes Victorian embellishments such as the Eastlake-design front...
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Sitgreaves House
Built by real estate developer Edwin Sitgreaves around 1907, this home in Laurens is unusual for its incorporation of two seemingly disparate architectural styles. The Queen Anne style, popular during...
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Wilson-Clary House
This pink Victorian-era house in the Eastlake design was built in 1892 in historic Laurens. The original owners were J.J. Wilson, Jr., and his wife, Toccoa Irby Wilson. It was left to their daughter,...
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Octagon House
As modern as this home in Laurens may appear, it was actually built in 1859. Considered one of the first – if not the first – concrete houses in South Carolina, it is a remaining example of a structure...
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William Dunlap Simpson House
This Greek Revival home in Laurens once belonged to a South Carolina governor and Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court. Designed by its original owner, Christopher Garlington, in 1839, the...
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First United Methodist
Downtown Laurens is home to First United Methodist Church. This late nineteenth century brick edifice was built around 1897 in th Romanesque Revival style. Its bell tower reaches four stories. This...
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Laurens Cotton Mill
The ruins of Laurens Cotton Mill still watch over this small town, serving as a reminder of the Upsatate’s once-booming textile industry. Early manufacturers took advantage of the area’s natural water...
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Watts Mill
The remnants of Watts Mill linger in Laurens. The textile mill was organized in 1902, seven years after neighboring Laurens Cotton Mill was established. The fact that multiple textile mills could...
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First Presbyterian Church of Laurens
The congregation of this elegant church in downtown Laurens originally met in the courthouse that preceded the current courthouse. Organized in 1832 by the Reverend Samuel B. Lewers, the group of...
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Church of the Epiphany
This historic church in Laurens is the oldest religious sanctuary in the city and one of the oldest in Laurens County. The one-story brick church was built in 1846, the same year the congregation was...
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