Demonstrators walk along a street holding signs demanding the right to vote and equal civil rights at the March on Washington - civil rights history sites

Self-guided · County in South Carolina

Civil Rights History Sites in Laurens County, SC

The churches, schools, lunch counters and homes where the civil rights movement was organized, fought and remembered.

Open the South Carolina map · All states

Every region holds some piece of the country's story. Laurens County is one of 46 counties in South Carolina. The markers and register listings are where those pieces are written down, and the closest ones to Laurens County, SC are listed below.

Man and woman standing beside gray wall - civil rights history sites — Photo: Suzy Brooks on Unsplash

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mathew Ahmann in a crowd of demonstrators at the March on Washington - civil rights history sites — Photo: Unseen Histories on Unsplash

Civil rights march on Washington, D.C - civil rights history sites — Photo: Library of Congress on Unsplash

On the record near Laurens County, SC

The 12 nearest

21 listed sites on the record match civil rights history sites within 120 miles of Laurens County, SC, out of 56 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 18 listed sites carry Laurens County as their county.

Hope Rosenwald School41 miles from the center of Laurens County · Building · Pomaria · listed 2007National Register of Historic Places
Hart County Training School52 miles from the center of Laurens County · Hart County · marker erected 2020Georgia historical marker program
Retreat Rosenwald School60 miles from the center of Laurens County · Building · Westminster · listed 2011National Register of Historic Places
Pine Grove Rosenwald School60 miles from the center of Laurens County · Building · Columbia · listed 2009National Register of Historic Places
Hopewell Rosenwald School62 miles from the center of Laurens County · Building · Clarks Hill · listed 2010National Register of Historic Places
Lt. Col. Lemuel Penn and the Civil Rights Act65 miles from the center of Laurens County · Madison County · marker erected 2006Georgia historical marker program
Catawba Rosenwald School66 miles from the center of Laurens County · Building · Catawba · listed 2013National Register of Historic Places
Ware High School: Civil Rights Milestone71 miles from the center of Laurens County · Richmond County · marker erected 1998Georgia historical marker program
The Riot of May 11-12, 197072 miles from the center of Laurens County · Richmond County · marker erected 2020Georgia historical marker program
Tabernacle Baptist Church72 miles from the center of Laurens County · Richmond County · marker erected 2019Georgia historical marker program
Amanda America Dickson Toomer72 miles from the center of Laurens County · Richmond County · marker erected 2021Georgia historical marker program
Trinity CME: "Mother Trinity"72 miles from the center of Laurens County · Richmond County · marker erected 2016Georgia historical marker program

Distances are straight-line from the center of Laurens County, SC. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Civil Rights History in Laurens County, step by step

1
Read the short history of the period for this area
2
Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter
3
Visit the nearest site and read its full record
4
Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest
5
Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Laurens County, SC ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Laurens County, SC?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Laurens County, SC?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Laurens County

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Laurens County, SC the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Laurens County, SC are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.