Florence Genealogy Records
Florence genealogy research draws on Florence County records, as Florence is the county seat of Florence County in the Pee Dee region. The city was established in 1871 as a railroad junction. Florence County was not formed until 1888, when it was created from Darlington, Marion, and Williamsburg counties, so researchers tracing Florence families before 1888 must consult those predecessor county records. All official genealogy records for Florence residents are held at the Florence County Probate Court and Register of Deeds. The Florence County Library is the primary local resource for Florence genealogy research.
Florence Quick Facts
Florence County Library for Genealogy Research
The Florence County Library at 319 S Irby Street, Florence, SC 29501 maintains local history and genealogy collections that serve as the primary research resource for Florence genealogy. Phone: (843) 413-7060. The library holds city directories, local newspapers on microfilm, compiled family histories, and reference materials on Florence County and the broader Pee Dee region. The library's genealogy section includes materials relevant to the predecessor counties of Darlington, Marion, and Williamsburg, since Florence County was carved from those counties in 1888 and families present in the Florence area before that date are documented in the predecessor county records.
The Florence Museum holds historical collections related to Florence and the Pee Dee region, including materials that document the families and communities of the area through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Francis Marion University in Florence maintains library resources and archives that support historical research on the Pee Dee region. The university's collections can be useful for researchers tracing families connected to the educational and civic life of Florence from the late nineteenth century forward.
The Florence County Historical Society maintains records and publications on Florence County families and history. For genealogy tracing the Florence Stockade and the families of Union prisoners of war held there, the National Archives holds federal records related to the facility, and the Florence National Cemetery at 803 E National Cemetery Road contains records of the soldiers buried there following the war.
Florence's origin as a railroad junction in 1871 and Florence County's formation in 1888 mean that genealogy research for early Florence families spans multiple predecessor county systems, making SCDAH an essential resource for tracing the complete record.
Florence County Records for Genealogy
The Florence County Probate Court at 180 N Irby Street, Florence, SC 29501 holds marriage licenses from July 1, 1911 through June 30, 1950 and estate records from 1888 when the county was formed. Phone: (843) 665-3031. For Florence marriages from July 1950 onward, contact the South Carolina Department of Public Health at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201. Phone: 803-898-3630. For Florence genealogy before 1888, researchers need to determine which predecessor county held the relevant territory: Darlington County to the north, Marion County to the south and east, or Williamsburg County to the southeast.
The Florence County Register of Deeds at 180 N Irby Street maintains land records from 1888 forward. Phone: (843) 665-3031. The SCDAH Online Records Index includes land grants from the predecessor counties that covered the Florence area before the county's creation. Researchers tracing property ownership in the Florence area before 1888 will need to search Darlington, Marion, and Williamsburg county land records at SCDAH to build a complete chain of title.
Florence Vital Records
South Carolina required birth and death registration starting January 1, 1915. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds Florence 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 Florence County deaths from 1915 through 1967. Records for Florence city residents are filed under Florence County. For Florence genealogy before 1915, church records and census data are the primary sources. Florence had active Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, and Presbyterian congregations that maintained records from the city's founding. The First Baptist Church of Florence and other historic downtown congregations hold or have deposited registers that document vital events for Florence families from the late nineteenth century forward.
SCDAH is essential for Florence genealogy research because the city's history predates the county's formation in 1888, and the predecessor county records held at SCDAH are necessary to trace Florence families back through the late nineteenth century.
Nearby Counties
Florence is the county seat of Florence County, formed in 1888 from Darlington, Marion, and Williamsburg counties. Records for the Florence area before 1888 are held in those predecessor counties.