Saluda County Genealogy Records
Saluda County genealogy research requires knowing that the county was formed in 1896 from Edgefield County. All records for the Saluda area before 1896 are held in Edgefield County. Saluda County sits in the western Piedmont of South Carolina, named for the Saluda River that flows through the region. The county seat is Saluda. Saluda County is one of the smaller and more rural counties in South Carolina, and its agricultural history reflects the cotton and grain farming communities that developed in the area after the county's formation. The Saluda 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 Saluda County from its 1896 formation and the Edgefield County records that predate it.
Saluda County Quick Facts
Saluda County Probate Court and Marriage Records
The Saluda 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 Saluda County Courthouse, 101 W Church Street, Saluda, SC 29138. Phone: (864) 445-4590.
Estate records at the Saluda County Probate Court include wills, inventories, administration papers, and guardianship files from 1896 forward. These documents name heirs, list property, and define family relationships. Saluda County's early twentieth-century probate records document the farming families who established communities in the newly formed county. For genealogy research before 1896, researchers must search the Edgefield County records, which hold the complete history of the Saluda area before the county's separation.
For Saluda 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-1896 Saluda County Genealogy: Edgefield County Records
All genealogy records for the Saluda County area before 1896 are located in Edgefield County. Edgefield County was formed in 1785 as one of South Carolina's original counties and has maintained records for more than two centuries. The Edgefield County Probate Court and Register of Deeds hold the pre-1896 records for the Saluda area. SCDAH in Columbia holds microfilm of Edgefield County records that predate Saluda County's formation.
The SCDAH Online Records Index allows name-based searches across all holdings and may return results from Edgefield County collections for ancestors in the Saluda area before 1896. State land grant plats from 1784 to 1868 that cover the Saluda County area document original land grants during the Edgefield County era and are indexed in the Online Records Index.
The Online Records Index covers Edgefield County records that predate Saluda County and is the best free starting point for researching ancestors in the Saluda area before 1896.
Saluda 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 Saluda 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 Saluda County deaths from 1915 through 1967. For Saluda County genealogy before 1915, church records, census data, and the Edgefield County probate records are the primary sources. Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian congregations in the area maintained registers that document vital events going back into the nineteenth century.
Saluda County Register of Deeds and Land Records
The Saluda County Register of Deeds maintains land records from 1896 forward. The office is at 101 W Church Street, Saluda, SC 29138. Phone: (864) 445-4503. 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 Saluda area before 1896, researchers must consult the Edgefield County Register of Deeds. The SCDAH Online Records Index includes state land grant plats from 1784 to 1868 that cover the Saluda County area during the Edgefield County era. These plats document original land grants along the Saluda River and identify the earliest families in what became Saluda County.
Saluda County Library and Local Resources
The Saluda County Library at 1000 S Main Street, Saluda, SC 29138 provides local history resources and genealogical materials. Phone: (864) 445-4500. The library holds materials specific to Saluda County and the surrounding western Piedmont region. Census records, local newspapers, and family history materials available through the library complement official county genealogy records.
The Saluda County Historical Society preserves local history and genealogical materials specific to the county. Because Saluda County was formed in 1896, the historical society's collections covering the early twentieth century are particularly valuable for tracing families during the period just before vital records registration began in 1915. The South Carolina Historical Society in Charleston at 100 Meeting Street holds statewide manuscript collections that may include materials relevant to Saluda County families. Phone: (843) 723-3225.
The SCGenWeb Archives for Saluda County provides free volunteer-contributed cemetery transcriptions, census extracts, and family histories. The South Carolina State Library genealogy guide explains which office holds each type of Saluda County genealogy record based on date range.
The State Library guide helps researchers determine whether to contact the Saluda County Probate Court, Edgefield County for pre-1896 records, SCDAH, or DPH for specific genealogy records.
South Carolina Archives Resources for Saluda County Genealogy
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds Saluda County records and the Edgefield County records that predate the county's 1896 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 Edgefield County cover the territory that became Saluda County and are available free online. The Library of Congress South Carolina genealogy guide provides resources covering Saluda County. The South Carolina Genealogical Society connects researchers to county-level genealogy resources through local chapters.
Cities in Saluda County
Saluda is the county seat of Saluda County. All county genealogy records are maintained at the Saluda County courthouse on West Church Street.
Nearby Counties
Saluda County was formed from Edgefield County in 1896. Edgefield County holds genealogy records for the Saluda area before that year.