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Laurens County was established in 1785 as a part of the Old 96 District. Original maps indicate
the town may have originally been called Laurensville. The first reference to it being called Laurens
is a town charter written in 1873.
Andrew Johnson (1808-1875), the 17th President of the United States, owned and operated a tailor shop on the town square (circa 1820). He could be considered the most famous entreprenuer who has owned a business in Laurens. He went on to become Governor of Tennessee, Vice-President of the United States under President Abraham Lincoln, and upon Lincoln's assassination, the 17th President of the United States. A replica of the historic shop is currently under construction in Laurens.
The Dunklin House was built in 1812 by Washington Williams and was built as a wedding gift to his daughter. One of the oldest homes in the City of Laurens, it now functions as a museum owned by the Laurens County Landmark Foundation.
The textile and glass industries were at one point a major source of employment; however, most of the old factories have closed over the last thirty years.
In March 2005, Laurens, became a part of The Learning Channel's "Town Haul" series. Six projects were featured during the filming and several of those projects were completed before the series end. Other projects were completed later by the City of Laurens. Projects included a park, a barbershop, a teen club, and amphitheater.
Hootie and the Blowfish performed at the new amphitheater. Many residents were thrilled to have TLC in town filming for a month and volunteered to help with the projects.
Photo courtesy of The Laurens County Advertiser
Sources - Wikipedia, S.C. State Library and the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce Web Sites
Andrew Johnson (1808-1875), the 17th President of the United States, owned and operated a tailor shop on the town square (circa 1820). He could be considered the most famous entreprenuer who has owned a business in Laurens. He went on to become Governor of Tennessee, Vice-President of the United States under President Abraham Lincoln, and upon Lincoln's assassination, the 17th President of the United States. A replica of the historic shop is currently under construction in Laurens.
The Dunklin House was built in 1812 by Washington Williams and was built as a wedding gift to his daughter. One of the oldest homes in the City of Laurens, it now functions as a museum owned by the Laurens County Landmark Foundation.
The textile and glass industries were at one point a major source of employment; however, most of the old factories have closed over the last thirty years.
In March 2005, Laurens, became a part of The Learning Channel's "Town Haul" series. Six projects were featured during the filming and several of those projects were completed before the series end. Other projects were completed later by the City of Laurens. Projects included a park, a barbershop, a teen club, and amphitheater.
Hootie and the Blowfish performed at the new amphitheater. Many residents were thrilled to have TLC in town filming for a month and volunteered to help with the projects.
Photo courtesy of The Laurens County Advertiser
Sources - Wikipedia, S.C. State Library and the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce Web Sites
The City Of Laurens
Laurens is located in the Upstate of South Carolina, United States. The City of Laurens is the county seat of Laurens County and both are named after Henry Laurens, president of the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War. This part of the state was settled primarily by Scotch-Irish and English immigrants in the mid 1700s, and during the American Revolution quite of few of its residents remained loyal to Great Britain. Several Revolutionary War battles were fought in the county, including the battle of Musgrove's Mill (August 19, 1780).
Laurens is located in the Upstate of South Carolina, United States. The City of Laurens is the county seat of Laurens County and both are named after Henry Laurens, president of the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War. This part of the state was settled primarily by Scotch-Irish and English immigrants in the mid 1700s, and during the American Revolution quite of few of its residents remained loyal to Great Britain. Several Revolutionary War battles were fought in the county, including the battle of Musgrove's Mill (August 19, 1780).