Sumter County Courthouse

Located in the heart of downtown Sumter, the Sumter County Courthouse has served as the seat of county government since it was built in 1907. Architect William Augustus Edwards, who was from Darlington, designed it in the Beaux-Arts style. Notable features include a recessed entrance portico with six columns and arched windows, windows with pediments on the first floor, and a stone entablature surrounding the entire top of the building. The courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a contributing property of the Sumter Historic District, which is also listed on the Register.

Sumter County was established in 1800 as part of the Sumter District, which joined Clarendon, Claremont, Salem, and Sumter counties as one entity. Sumter County officially became its own county in 1868 and is named after General Thomas Sumter, who served in the Revolutionary War and later in the U.S. House of Representatives (a statue of Sumter stands near the courthouse entrance). During the war, General Sumter earned the nickname "Fighting Gamecock" for his battle tactics and determination.

The first courthouse was built in 1821 and expanded in 1839 to look like other government buildings designed by famed architect Robert Mills, who designed the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. The courthouse was enlarged again in 1896 but by the early 1900s, it was clear that a larger building was needed. The county bought the property in 1905 and the state legislature approved the project. The current courthouse was dedicated on October 21, 1907.

Hanafi, Samia et al. "Sumter County Courthouse." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. June 16, 2004. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/ee6326f6-f2ae-4d55-bf92-78bdedc29086.

"Our History." Sumter County. Accessed June 1, 2021. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/ee6326f6-f2ae-4d55-bf92-78bdedc29086.