Greenville Genealogy Records
Greenville genealogy research draws on Greenville County records, as Greenville is the county seat and largest city in Greenville County. The city grew from a backcountry trading post called Pleasantburg into a major textile manufacturing hub in the South Carolina Upstate. Greenville County was formed in 1786. All official genealogy records for Greenville residents are held at the Greenville County Probate Court and Register of Deeds. The Hughes Main Library South Carolina Collection is the primary local resource for Greenville genealogy and holds extensive materials on Greenville County families and local history.
Greenville Quick Facts
Hughes Main Library for Greenville Genealogy
The Hughes Main Library South Carolina Collection at 25 Heritage Green Place, Greenville, SC 29601 is the primary local resource for Greenville genealogy research. Phone: (864) 527-9220. The South Carolina Collection holds local history materials, genealogy reference books, city directories, local newspapers on microfilm, and compiled family histories relating to Greenville County and the broader Upstate region. Researchers tracing Greenville families can access census records, obituary indexes, and a range of published and manuscript materials that document the city's history from its earliest settlement period through the twentieth century.
The Greenville County Historical Society maintains records and publications on Greenville County families and history. The society's publications include family histories and county records compilations that supplement the official vital records and probate materials. Furman University at 3300 Poinsett Highway maintains special collections and university archives that hold materials relevant to Greenville families and the broader Upstate community. The university's connection to the Baptist community of the Upstate means its archives include church records and affiliated organizational materials alongside academic collections.
The Greenville County Museum of Art and the Upcountry History Museum at 540 Buncombe Street preserve materials related to Greenville's social and industrial history, including photographs and documents that can help genealogy researchers place their ancestors in the context of the city's development. The Bob Jones University library also holds historical collections related to the Greenville area community.
Greenville's growth from a backcountry trading post to a major Upstate city is documented across county, university, and local archives that together provide a comprehensive record of the families who shaped the region.
Greenville County Records for Genealogy Research
The Greenville County Probate Court at 301 University Ridge Suite 1100, Greenville, SC 29601 holds marriage licenses from July 1, 1911 through June 30, 1950 and estate records dating back to 1786 when the county was formed. Phone: (864) 467-7170. Rock Hill marriage records before July 1950 are held at the county probate court. For marriages from July 1950 onward, contact the South Carolina Department of Public Health at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201. Phone: 803-898-3630.
The Greenville County Register of Deeds at 301 University Ridge Suite 1300, Greenville, SC 29601 maintains land records dating back to the county's formation in 1786. Phone: (864) 467-7243. Property records document ownership of Greenville city properties and all Greenville County land going back to the earliest grants. The SCDAH Online Records Index includes land plats from the state's early settlement period that cover the Greenville County area, and these provide the earliest documented land history for Greenville families.
Researchers tracing families from the northern Greenville County area should note that some records may involve Spartanburg County, as the two counties share borders and families frequently crossed county lines. The city of Greer straddles the Greenville-Spartanburg county line, which can complicate record searches for families from that area.
Greenville Genealogy Vital Records
South Carolina required birth and death registration starting January 1, 1915. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds Greenville 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 Greenville County deaths from 1915 through 1967. Records for Greenville city residents are filed under Greenville County. For Greenville genealogy before 1915, church records and census data are the primary sources. Greenville had active Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Episcopal congregations whose records document vital events from the city's earliest decades. The Greenville County Historical Society and the Hughes Main Library hold some compiled church records and cemetery surveys that help researchers access pre-registration vital events.
SCDAH holds microfilm and digital collections covering Greenville County from the late eighteenth century forward, complementing the extensive local resources available through the Hughes Main Library and county offices in Greenville.
Nearby Cities
Greenville is the county seat of Greenville County. Other cities in the area include Greer, Simpsonville, and Mauldin within Greenville County, and Spartanburg in the neighboring county to the east.