A history of Camden,
since 1730
Postcards, papers and photographs of Camden from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Camden is the oldest inland city and the fourth oldest city in South Carolina. It is near the center of the Cofitachequi chiefdom that existed in the 1500s. In 1730, Camden became part of a township plan ordered by King George II. Kershaw County's official website states, "Originally laid out in 1732 as the town of Fredericksburg in the Wateree River swamp (south of the present town) when King George II ordered eleven inland townships established along South Carolina's rivers, few of the area settlers chose to take lots surveyed in the town, choosing the higher ground to the north. The township soon disappeared." In 1758, Joseph Kershaw from Yorkshire, England, came into the township, established a store, and renamed the town "Pine Tree Hill". Camden became the main inland trade center in the colony. Kershaw suggested that the town be renamed Camden, in honor of Lord Camden, a champion …
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Camden’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewMain Entrance to the Kirkwood on …, 1898: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Camden
See all 40 →
Camden, decade by decade
LOCThe Kirkwood on Camden Heights1890
LOCGolf at "The Kirkwood," Camden, S.C1890
LOCKirkwood Hotel1896
CommonsMain Entrance to the Kirkwood on Camden Heights, Camden, S.…1898 · postcard
CommonsThe Kirkwood, Camden Heights, South Carolina1898 · postcard
CommonsThe Kirkwood, Camden Heights, South Carolina1898 · postcard
CommonsCamden - "The Court Inn" 01c. 1902 · postcard
CommonsCamden - "The Court Inn" 02c. 1902 · postcard
CommonsCamden - Court Inn (1900)c. 1903 · postcard
CommonsCamden - The Kirkwoodc. 1903 · postcard
CommonsCamden - A bit of the Kirkwood on Camden Heights 01c. 1905 · postcard
CommonsCamden - A bit of the Kirkwood on Camden Heights 021905 · postcard1990s
7 historic places in Camden
Camden has 7 listings on the National Register, and they protect 177 historic buildings, because Kendall Mill Historic District alone counts 119. 2 are National Historic Landmarks, the highest tier, which fewer than 3% of listings reach.
Where they are
Architectural styles
When they were listed
LandmarkListed 1980Mulberry Plantation (Chesnut House)
LandmarkListed 1985Bethesda Presbyterian Church
Listed 1969Historic Camden Revolutionary War Restoration
Listed 1971City of Camden Historic District
Listed 1982Kendall Mill Historic District
Listed 1989Cool Springs
Listed 2000Seaboard Air Line Railway DepotThen & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as The Kirkwood on Camden Heights (1890) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (9) and the Library of Congress (3). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.