Anderson Genealogy Records
Anderson genealogy research draws on Anderson County records, as Anderson is the county seat of Anderson County in the South Carolina Upstate. Anderson County was formed in 1826 from the Pendleton District, and the city is named for General Robert Anderson, a Revolutionary War hero. Anderson earned the nickname Electric City in 1895 as one of the first southern cities with hydroelectric power. All official genealogy records for Anderson residents are held at the Anderson County Probate Court and Register of Deeds. The Anderson County Library and the Anderson County Museum are the primary local resources for Anderson genealogy research.
Anderson Quick Facts
Anderson County Library for Genealogy Research
The Anderson County Library at 300 N McDuffie Street, Anderson, SC 29621 maintains local history and genealogy collections that serve as the primary research resource for Anderson genealogy. Phone: (864) 260-4500. The library holds genealogy reference books, local newspapers on microfilm, compiled family histories, and materials specific to Anderson County and the surrounding Upstate region. The library's collections document the families who settled the Pendleton District and the later Anderson County area from the late eighteenth century forward. Researchers can access census records, cemetery surveys, and other reference materials that help reconstruct family histories from the county's formation period.
The Anderson County Museum at 202 E Greenville Street, Anderson, SC 29621 holds historical collections related to Anderson County history from the earliest settlement period. The museum documents the agricultural, textile, and industrial history of Anderson County and holds photographs, documents, and artifacts that help researchers understand the community context in which their ancestors lived. The museum's collections include materials on the Pendleton District from which Anderson County was formed, essential for tracing families before the county's 1826 establishment. Anderson University maintains archives and library resources related to the university's history and its connection to the broader Anderson community. The Anderson County Historical Society supports genealogy research through publications on county families and history.
Anderson's history as the county seat of Anderson County and its development as the Electric City make it a rich subject for genealogy research, with records spanning the full two-century history of the county available through the courthouse and library collections.
Anderson County Records for Genealogy
The Anderson County Probate Court at 100 S Main Street, Anderson, SC 29624 holds marriage licenses from July 1, 1911 through June 30, 1950 and estate records from 1826 when the county was formed. Phone: (864) 260-4053. For Anderson 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 Anderson families before 1826 must consult Pendleton District records, which are held at SCDAH and cover the territory that became both Anderson and Pickens counties.
The Anderson County Register of Deeds at 100 S Main Street maintains land records dating back to 1826. Phone: (864) 260-4047. The SCDAH Online Records Index includes Pendleton District land plats and early court records that predate Anderson County's formation. Anderson County shares borders with Oconee and Pickens counties, and researchers tracing families from the northern and eastern edges of Anderson County should be aware that county boundaries shifted during the division of the Pendleton District in the 1820s and 1830s.
Anderson Vital Records
South Carolina required birth and death registration starting January 1, 1915. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds Anderson 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 Anderson County deaths from 1915 through 1967. Records for Anderson city residents are filed under Anderson County. For Anderson genealogy before 1915, church records and census data are the primary sources. Anderson had active Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, and Episcopal congregations from the early nineteenth century. The Pendleton District's strong Presbyterian tradition means that church records from that era document many of the founding families of Anderson County. The Anderson County Library holds some compiled church records that help researchers access pre-registration vital events.
The State Library guide helps Anderson researchers navigate which county and state offices hold specific record types, and provides context for the Pendleton District predecessor records that are essential for tracing Anderson County families before 1826.
Nearby Counties
Anderson is the county seat of Anderson County, formed from Pendleton District in 1826. Neighboring Oconee and Pickens counties also came from the Pendleton District and share similar genealogical heritage with Anderson County.