Pickens County Genealogy Records
Pickens County genealogy research draws on records dating back to the county's formation in 1826 from Pendleton District. All records for the Pickens area before 1826 are held through the Pendleton District records at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Pickens County sits in the northwestern corner of South Carolina in the Blue Ridge foothills. Its history reflects the Scots-Irish and English settlers who moved into the Carolina mountains during the late eighteenth century. The county seat is Pickens. Pickens County later contributed territory to form Oconee County in 1868. Researchers tracing Oconee County families before 1868 must search Pickens County records. The Pickens County Probate Court, Register of Deeds, and public library are the primary local sources for genealogy records. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History in Columbia holds additional collections covering Pickens County from its 1826 formation.
Pickens County Quick Facts
Pickens County Probate Court and Marriage Records
The Pickens County Probate Court holds marriage licenses issued from July 1, 1911 through June 30, 1950. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 20-1-20, every marriage in South Carolina requires a written application filed with the Probate Court before a license is issued. The court maintains a permanent record of all licenses as required by § 20-1-270. The Probate Court is at Pickens County Courthouse, 222 McDaniel Avenue, Pickens, SC 29671. Phone: (864) 898-5851.
Estate records at the Pickens County Probate Court include wills, inventories, administration papers, and guardianship files from 1826 forward. These documents name heirs, list property, and define family relationships. Pickens County probate records from the nineteenth century document the mountain farming families and the communities that developed in the Blue Ridge foothills. Note that Pickens County contributed territory to Oconee County in 1868. Probate records from the Pickens courthouse include estates from the Oconee area up to 1868, making Pickens records essential for Oconee County genealogy research before that date.
For Pickens County marriage records from July 1950 onward, contact the South Carolina Department of Public Health at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201. Phone: 803-898-3630.
Pre-1826 Pickens County Genealogy: Pendleton District Records
All genealogy records for the Pickens County area before 1826 are located in the Pendleton District records held at SCDAH. Pendleton District was one of South Carolina's original districts. It encompassed much of the northwestern Upstate before being divided into Anderson and Pickens counties in 1826. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History in Columbia holds the Pendleton District records that predate Pickens County's formation.
The SCDAH Online Records Index allows name-based searches across all holdings and may return results from Pendleton District collections for ancestors in the Pickens area before 1826. State land grant plats from 1784 to 1868 that cover the Pickens County area document original land grants in the Blue Ridge foothills during the Pendleton District era.
SCDAH's online research portal links to indexes and digital collections covering Pickens County and the Pendleton District records from before the county's 1826 formation.
Pickens County Vital Records for Genealogy
South Carolina required birth and death registration starting January 1, 1915. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 44-63-10, every birth must be registered within five days. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds Pickens 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.
Death certificates become public records 50 years after death under § 44-63-84. The free South Carolina death index for genealogy covers Pickens County deaths from 1915 through 1967. For Pickens County genealogy before 1915, church records and census data are the primary sources. Baptist and Methodist congregations in the mountain communities maintained registers that document vital events in the nineteenth century. Clemson University, located in Pickens County, may also hold materials related to the county's history.
Pickens County Register of Deeds and Land Records
The Pickens County Register of Deeds maintains land records dating back to 1826. The office is at 222 McDaniel Avenue, Pickens, SC 29671. Phone: (864) 898-5868. Deeds, mortgages, and plats document property ownership since the county's formation. Under Title 30 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, counties are required to maintain and preserve these public land records.
For land transactions in the Pickens area before 1826, researchers must consult the Pendleton District records at SCDAH. The SCDAH Online Records Index includes state land grant plats from 1784 to 1868 that cover Pickens County. These early plats document original land grants in the Blue Ridge foothills and help identify the earliest families to receive land in what became Pickens County.
Pickens County Museum and Local Resources
The Pickens County Museum preserves Pickens County history and maintains historical collections. The museum holds materials documenting the county's development from its frontier origins through the twentieth century. Researchers can contact the museum for access to its collections. The Hagood Mill Historic Site in Pickens County preserves historical structures from the county's agricultural past and maintains local history collections that may be useful for genealogy research.
The Pickens County Library System at 100 Library Lane, Easley, SC 29640 maintains local history and genealogy collections. Phone: (864) 850-7077. The library holds census records, local newspapers, and family history materials. The Pickens County Historical Society preserves local history and genealogical materials specific to the county.
The South Carolina Historical Society in Charleston at 100 Meeting Street holds statewide manuscript collections that may include materials relevant to Pickens County families. Phone: (843) 723-3225. The SCGenWeb Archives for Pickens County provides free volunteer-contributed cemetery transcriptions, census extracts, and family histories.
The state death index covers Pickens County deaths from 1915 through 1967 and is a free online resource for identifying death records before contacting DPH for the full certificate.
South Carolina Archives Resources for Pickens County Genealogy
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds Pickens County records and the Pendleton District records that predate the county's 1826 formation. SCDAH is at 8301 Parklane Road, Columbia, SC 29223. Phone: (803) 896-6100. The Research Room provides access to microfilm and a research library covering all 46 counties. Staff answer queries by mail, email, and phone.
The SCDAH Digital Collections include Confederate Pension Applications from 1919 to 1938 and Will Transcripts from 1782 to 1855. Will Transcripts from the Pendleton District cover the territory that became Pickens County. The Library of Congress South Carolina genealogy guide provides resources covering Pickens County. The South Carolina Genealogical Society connects researchers to county-level genealogy resources through local chapters.
Cities in Pickens County
Pickens is the county seat of Pickens County. The county also includes Easley and Clemson. All county genealogy records are maintained at the Pickens County courthouse on McDaniel Avenue.
Nearby Counties
Pickens County contributed territory to Oconee County in 1868. Pickens County holds pre-1868 records for the Oconee area.