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South Carolina County
Calhoun County, South Carolina
Congaree National Park proximity and the Santee Cooper basin - from the Congaree National Park (the 26,000-acre national park preserving the largest intact tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the southeastern United States - the ancient bald cypress and water tupelo trees rising from the Congaree River floodplain represent a cathedral of old-growth forest that Calhoun County borders) to the Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie Santee Cooper system that borders Calhoun County's eastern edge, providing recreation and water supply for the Midlands region.
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Office: Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency – 201 Mill Street, St. Matthews, SC 29135 | (803) 874-3042 | Fax: (803) 874-4357 | Director: David Chojnacki | Hours: Mon–Fri 9 AM–5 PM (EOC operates 24 hours during active emergencies)
Services: Coordinates countywide disaster preparedness, response, and recovery; maintains a Hazardous Mitigation Plan updated with public input; the Senior P.R.E.P. program specifically addresses elevated emergency risks faced by older adults
Notes: Calhoun County EMS maintains 3 ALS ambulances stationed in St. Matthews, Sandy Run, and Creston, SC.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-601 and SC-6 serve St. Matthews, the county seat, nestled between Richland, Lexington, and Orangeburg counties
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Calhoun County Building and Planning – 102 Courthouse Drive, Suite 112, St. Matthews, SC 29135 | (803) 874-4201 | Email: [email protected]
Services: Building permits for unincorporated Calhoun County; inspections scheduled Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (minimum notice required)
Notes: Confirm whether your property falls under county or a specific municipal jurisdiction, as towns within Calhoun County may maintain separate permitting.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Calhoun County Veterans Affairs Office – St. Matthews, SC
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Calhoun County Library – St. Matthews, SC
Main Branch: Calhoun County Library – 900 FR Huff Drive, St. Matthews, SC 29135 | (803) 874-3389
Services: Public library service in Calhoun County began in 1912, organized by the St. Matthews Literary Society; the library’s original historic building – a Greek Revival structure on Railroad Avenue built around 1877 as a private residence and adapted for library use in 1949 – remains one of St. Matthews’ oldest buildings and is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1975); bookmobile service continues to serve the county’s rural communities
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Calhoun County is genuinely home to a significant Revolutionary War site – the FORT MOTTE BATTLE SITE, where Loyalist British forces commandeered the Mt. Joseph Plantation in 1780, fortifying it as a military supply depot along the crucial convoy route between Camden and Charleston; the plantation, then occupied by the family of Rebecca Brewton Motte, became known as “Fort Motte” in her honor; during the 1781 Siege of Fort Motte, Patriot forces set the plantation mansion itself on fire to force the British garrison’s surrender – a dramatic and well-documented episode of the war, after which British forces did indeed surrender; remarkably, the site was genuinely considered as a potential location for the capital of the newly formed state of South Carolina before Columbia was ultimately chosen; the Fort Motte Battle Site remains accessible today and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1972); Calhoun County, formed in 1908 and directly named for statesman John C. Calhoun, is a low-lying Coastal Plain region bordered by the Congaree River and touching Lake Marion, originally settled by Palatine German farmers in the 1730s on land previously inhabited by the Congaree people
Notes: The Siege of Fort Motte’s genuine, well-documented Revolutionary War history – including the site’s real consideration as a potential South Carolina state capital – is a distinctive and historically significant piece of local heritage.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Calhoun County GIS – accessible via calhouncounty.sc.gov
Parcel Search: Calhoun County Assessor
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Calhoun County Animal Control/Shelter – 140 Purple Martin Drive, St. Matthews, SC 29135 | (803) 874-2914
Services: Provides animal sheltering, adoption, lost-and-found pet assistance, low-cost vaccination clinics, and enforcement of county animal control ordinances; serves St. Matthews, Swansea, Elloree, Cameron, Gaston, and North
Related: Tri-County Humane Society – PO Box 108, St. Matthews, SC, a separate nonprofit partner.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: SC DHEC – scdhec.gov
Notes: Contact Calhoun County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Calhoun County is genuinely home to the Fort Motte Battle Site, where a dramatic Revolutionary War siege – including the burning of a family’s own plantation mansion to force British surrender – took place, and which was even considered as a potential site for South Carolina’s state capital. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Calhoun County
Calhoun County is South Carolina’s Congaree National Park gateway county – the ancient bottomland hardwood forest preserving old-growth bald cypress trees borders Calhoun County along the Congaree River floodplain.
St. Matthews (the county seat, population ~2,100) serves the county’s small population in the Midlands between Columbia and Orangeburg.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Calhoun County Assessor at 102 Courthouse Drive, Suite 102, St. Matthews, SC 29135, phone 803-874-3613. SC owner-occupied assessed at 4% of market value.
Courts & Legal
Calhoun County Probate Court at 102 Courthouse Drive, Suite 102, St. Matthews, SC 29135, phone 803-874-2418, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF COURT (RECORDING)
302 South Fair St, St. Matthews, SC 29135
(803) 874-3524
PROBATE COURT
302 South Fair St, St. Matthews, SC 29135
(803) 874-3524
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Calhoun County Probate Court, St. Matthews (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The 1913 Calhoun County Courthouse, NRHP-listed, is a significant local landmark.
Local societies
No dedicated Calhoun County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Calhoun County Probate Court 902 South F.R. Huff Drive, St. Matthews, SC 29135 (803) 874-3514
Calhoun County is in central South Carolina, seated in St. Matthews. The 1913 Calhoun County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
South Carolina HAS adopted a version of the Uniform Probate Code, giving it more standardized and generally more streamlined procedures than states with older, common-law-based systems. Probate is handled by a dedicated Probate Court in each of South Carolina’s 46 counties – a separate court of limited jurisdiction, led by an elected Probate Judge (four-year term). The case is filed in the county where the decedent lived.
Small Estate Affidavit / Collection by Affidavit (S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201) – available when the gross value of the entire probate estate, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $45,000 (raised from $25,000 for deaths after May 2025). At least 30 days must have passed since death, and no petition for appointment of a personal representative can be pending anywhere. The successor files a Form 420PC “Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property,” which the probate judge approves and countersigns.
Summary Administration (§ 62-3-1203) – a simplified probate procedure available when the value of the estate passing by will (less liens and encumbrances) is under the statutory threshold, or when the surviving spouse is the sole heir or beneficiary.
Informal Probate – the standard path for the majority of estates. No notices or hearings are required unless demanded by an interested party.
Formal Proceedings – reserved for contested matters: objections to a personal representative’s appointment, will contests, a lost or destroyed will, or declaratory judgments on intestacy.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files a petition (Form 300ES to open a full estate) with the Calhoun County Probate Court where the decedent resided; if there’s a will, the original is filed with it.
For informal probate, the Probate Judge (or a designated staff member) reviews the application administratively; formal proceedings require notice and a hearing.
The court issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, giving the personal representative authority to act.
The personal representative files an inventory and appraisement within 90 days of qualification, and provides periodic accountings as the court requires.
Creditors are notified; claims not timely presented are barred.
The estate closes with a final settlement – a verified report and proposed distribution served on interested parties and approved by the Probate Court.
What it costs
Filing fees vary; check with Calhoun County directly for current fees.
A personal representative’s bond, when required, must equal one and one-half times the value of the estate’s personal property, though bond can often be waived under certain conditions.
South Carolina does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax applies, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE COURT
302 South Fair St, St. Matthews, SC 29135
(803) 874-3524
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
302 South Fair St, St. Matthews, SC 29135
(803) 874-2109
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS
302 South Fair St, St. Matthews, SC 29135
(803) 874-3524
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
DHEC Public Health Office
1275 Bull St, St. Matthews, SC 29135
(803) 874-2036
Department of Social Services
302 South Fair St, St. Matthews, SC 29135
(803) 874-2039
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Calhoun County Public Health (DHEC) – St. Matthews, SC
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: St. Matthews
Population: 14,000
Established: 1908
Tier: 3
Public Records
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