About South Carolina Historical Society
In 1855 a group of South Carolina’s most distinguished citizens came together to found the South Carolina Historical Society, to preserve South Carolina’s rich historical legacy for future generations. Today the SCHS is the state’s oldest and largest private repository of books, letters, journals, maps, drawings, and photographs about South Carolina history. Our mission is “to expand, preserve, and make accessible our invaluable collection, and to encourage interest and pride in the rich history of our state.” The SCHS holdings are vast and grow constantly with the addition of materials from South Carolina’s 300-year history. The SCHS is a private, non-profit organization depending entirely on the generosity of its members to preserve and extend awareness of South Carolina history. We receive no local, state, or federal funding for our operations.
