Aiken Genealogy Records
Aiken genealogy research draws on Aiken County records, as Aiken is the county seat of Aiken County in the western South Carolina midlands near the Georgia border. Aiken County was formed in 1871, and Aiken city was founded in 1835 as a railroad town. The city became a fashionable winter resort in the late nineteenth century, attracting wealthy northern families whose records may supplement local South Carolina sources. All official genealogy records for Aiken residents are held at the Aiken County Probate Court and Register of Deeds. The Aiken County Public Library and the Aiken County Historical Museum are the primary local resources for Aiken genealogy.
Aiken Quick Facts
Aiken County Public Library for Aiken Genealogy
The Aiken County Public Library at 314 Chesterfield Street SW, Aiken, SC 29801 maintains local history and genealogy collections that serve as the primary research resource for Aiken genealogy. Phone: (803) 642-2020. The library holds local newspapers, city directories, compiled family histories, and genealogy reference materials specific to Aiken and Aiken County. The library's collections document the full range of Aiken's history from its founding as a railroad town through the winter colony era and into the twentieth century. Researchers can access census records, obituary files, and other reference materials that help reconstruct family histories from the earliest settled period of the county.
The Aiken County Historical Museum at 433 Newberry Street SW, Aiken, SC 29801 holds collections documenting Aiken County's history from the founding period through the modern era. The museum's holdings include materials from the four predecessor counties from which Aiken County was formed in 1871, as well as materials specifically related to the city's development as a winter colony destination. The museum holds photographs, documents, and artifacts related to the equestrian and social history of Aiken's winter colony period, which brought wealthy families whose records may supplement official county genealogy materials. The Aiken County Historical Society supports genealogy research through publications and maintains files on Aiken County families.
Aiken's history as a winter colony destination means genealogy research here often involves tracing seasonal residents and their families alongside the permanent South Carolina families who lived in the community year-round.
Aiken County Records for Genealogy
The Aiken County Probate Court at 109 Park Avenue SE, Aiken, SC 29801 holds marriage licenses from July 1, 1911 through June 30, 1950 and estate records from the county's 1871 formation. Phone: (803) 642-2080. For Aiken marriages from July 1950 onward, contact the South Carolina Department of Public Health at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201. Phone: 803-898-3630. Researchers tracing Aiken families before 1871 must consult records from the predecessor counties. Edgefield County records are most relevant for the northern Aiken area, while Barnwell County records cover the southern portions.
The Aiken County Register of Deeds at 109 Park Avenue SE maintains land records dating back to 1871. Phone: (803) 642-2072. The SCDAH Online Records Index includes land plats from the Edgefield, Barnwell, Lexington, and Orangeburg county territories that became Aiken County. Because Aiken city was established in 1835, decades before the county was formed, the earliest Aiken city land records are found in the Edgefield County records at SCDAH.
Aiken Vital Records
South Carolina required birth and death registration starting January 1, 1915. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds Aiken County birth records for 1915 to 1918 online and death records for 1915 to 1963. The South Carolina Department of Public Health holds vital records from 1915 to present at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia. Phone: 803-898-3630.
The free South Carolina death index for genealogy covers Aiken County deaths from 1915 through 1967. Records for Aiken city residents are filed under Aiken County. For Aiken genealogy before 1915, church records and census data are the primary sources. Aiken had active Episcopal, Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian congregations whose records document vital events from the city's 1835 founding. St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church in Aiken is one of the oldest congregations in the city and holds records relevant to both permanent residents and the winter colony families who attended services during their seasonal stays.
The State Library guide helps Aiken researchers navigate which county and state offices hold specific record types, particularly useful given that Aiken County was formed from four predecessor counties and Aiken city predates the county's creation by 36 years.
Nearby Cities
Aiken is the county seat of Aiken County. North Augusta is another major Aiken County community near the Georgia border. Edgefield County to the north holds records for families from the area before Aiken County was formed in 1871.