The South Carolina Room in the Hughes Main Library has an extensive collection of material to assist researchers
interested in historical and genealogical research.
While the major focus of the collection is Greenville and the Upstate, there are many sources for other locations in South Carolina and other states. The collection includes primary and secondary sources. The information is available in books, manuscripts, microform, periodicals, databases, photographs, maps, and newspapers. The South Carolina Room staff is
available to assist researchers in person or through the
Records Search Form.
Newspapers
The Library will be launching a new newspaper index soon!
In the meantime, please feel free to browse our INNEWS database.
Marriages
The Library maintains an online database of marriages from
1990 to the present.
Obituaries
The Library maintains an online database of obituaries from
1910 to the present.
Birth and Death Certificates
South Carolina birth certificates began to be recorded in 1915.
The birth certificates have not been released to libraries because there is a one hundred year delay before they become public records. Instructions for an application for a birth record are
found on the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control's website.
South Carolina death certificates also began in 1915. These
records are released to public institutions with a fifty year
delay. Microfilmed copies of these certificates from 1915-
1962 are available in the South Carolina Room. Also available in
the South Carolina Room is a microform index of these records from 1915-1952. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control provides an online index for all the years that have been released.
Marriage Licenses
Greenville County marriage licenses dating from 1911-1995 are available in the South Carolina Room. Both the licenses and an index to them are on microfilm.
An online index to these records can be found on the Greenville County website, but the index is currently incomplete.
The Library System's historic images collections showcase the rich and varied history of Greenville and the Upstate of South Carolina. The materials displayed here include digitized items from the South Carolina Room's archive as well as letters and photographs from private collections whose owners have generously allowed the Library to digitize and make available these historically important resources.
Digitized records of Greenville County including deeds, estate records, and district court records. These are also available on microfilm in the South Carolina Room.
The South Carolina Digital Library is the central source of information from schools, museums, archives and libraries
in South Carolina. A collaborative effort made by many
institutions statewide, this project provides free digitized documents, including photos, manuscripts, maps and
much more!
Our library staff has put together a collection of important historic landmarks located throughout Greenville County. Click the links below for maps and information!
In the print edition of the Greenville County Driving Tour of Historic Sites, we highlight some of Greenville's history as depicted in the stories of the places and individuals of local history. This full colored booklet is divided into a Northern Tour, a Downtown Tour, a Southern Tour plus a behind-the-scenes SC Room Tour of interesting archives. The Driving Tour can be purchased for $4.00 at any of our eleven library locations, the Friends Shop, SC Room, the Upcountry History Museum and the Greenville County Museum of Art.
Genealogy Questions:
Ask a Librarian
South Carolina Room
864-242-5000 ext 2169
