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South Carolina County
Kershaw County, South Carolina
Camden - America's oldest inland city and equestrian capital - from Camden's Revolutionary War significance (Camden was the site of the Battle of Camden on August 16, 1780 - the worst American defeat of the Revolutionary War, where British General Cornwallis routed General Horatio Gates's Continental Army - and the subsequent partisan warfare of Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox," across the Kershaw County backcountry) to Camden's equestrian heritage (Camden is one of America's premier equestrian communities - the Carolina Cup steeplechase, the Colonial Cup, and the National Steeplechase Association's presence make Camden one of the most significant steeplechase racing venues in the United States).
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Office: Kershaw County Emergency Management – 515 Walnut Street, Little St. Entrance, Camden, SC 29020 | (803) 425-1522 | Fax: (803) 424-4018
Services: A division of the Department of Safety and Emergency Services; coordinates with the SC Emergency Management Division, the Kershaw County Local Emergency Planning Committee, the National Weather Service, and other public safety agencies for disaster preparedness and response
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-1, US-521, and I-20 serve Camden, the county seat, roughly 20 minutes from Columbia
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Services: Building permits for unincorporated Kershaw County, submitted via the county’s online Evolve portal; permits are all-inclusive (sub-contractor permits are not separately issued – subcontractors are noted on the main permit); property must be clearly marked with the correct 911 address before applying; also handles zoning permits, swimming pool permits, dock permits, demolition permits, and structure-moving permits
Notes: Confirm whether the City of Camden or other municipalities maintain separate permitting processes.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Kershaw County Veterans Affairs Office – Camden, SC
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Kershaw County Library – branches in Camden, Elgin, and Bethune, plus a bookmobile
Key Assets: Kershaw County’s seat, Camden, is genuinely SOUTH CAROLINA’S OLDEST INLAND CITY, originally surveyed in 1732 as part of a colonial township plan ordered by King George II and later renamed Camden in 1768 in honor of Lord Camden, a British parliamentary champion of colonial rights; the town became the backcountry’s principal trade center by the 1760s under early settler Joseph Kershaw, for whom the county is named; Camden played a genuinely pivotal role in the Revolutionary War’s Southern Campaign – following the fall of Charleston, British forces under General Lord Cornwallis occupied Camden from June 1780 to May 1781, using it as their main inland supply post and headquarters, established in the home of Joseph Kershaw himself; the BATTLE OF CAMDEN (August 16, 1780), fought roughly six miles north of town, resulted in a decisive British victory over American forces under General Horatio Gates and remains one of the war’s most consequential engagements in the Southern theater; a second major engagement, the Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill (April 25, 1781), led by American General Nathanael Greene, also ended in tactical defeat for the colonists but inflicted heavy enough casualties on Cornwallis’s forces to help prompt his eventual evacuation of Camden; today, the HISTORIC CAMDEN REVOLUTIONARY WAR SITE, a 107-acre National Register of Historic Places district and open-air museum affiliated with the National Park Service, preserves reconstructed fortifications and the rebuilt Kershaw mansion, and remains one of South Carolina’s largest heritage tourism attractions; Camden also holds a distinctive modern identity as the “Steeplechase Capital of the World,” home to the third-oldest active polo field in America, with more than 1,500 thoroughbreds wintering in the area
Notes: Camden’s genuine, extensively documented dual role as both South Carolina’s oldest inland city and the site of one of the Revolutionary War’s most consequential Southern battles is a historically significant piece of American history.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Kershaw County GIS – accessible via kershaw.sc.gov
Parcel Search: Kershaw County Assessor
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Kershaw County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Kershaw County Humane Society – 128 Black River Road, Camden, SC 29020 | (803) 425-6016 | Text line: (803) 272-8410 | Email: [email protected]
Services: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, no-kill, open-door shelter with 50 years of operating history, providing food, housing, and medical care for lost, surrendered, and neglected animals countywide; runs Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) programs for feral cats through its “No More Homeless Pets” initiative; adoption applications go through a 24-48 hour vetting process, plus a required meet-and-greet if other pets are already in the home; offers volunteer opportunities including animal socialization, exercise, and training
Related: Walter Crowe Animal Shelter – 460 Fair Street, Camden, SC, also part of the Kershaw County Humane Society, providing animal control and TNR programs.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: SC DHEC – scdhec.gov
Notes: Contact Kershaw County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Kershaw County’s seat, Camden, is genuinely South Carolina’s oldest inland city and was the site of one of the Revolutionary War’s most consequential Southern battles. 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 Kershaw County
Kershaw County is South Carolina’s Revolutionary War battlefield and steeplechase capital – Camden hosted the worst American defeat of the Revolution and is now one of America’s premier equestrian communities, hosting the prestigious Carolina Cup steeplechase each spring.
Camden (the county seat, population ~7,000) is both a Revolutionary War historic site and a vibrant equestrian community – the combination of antebellum architecture, steeplechase racing, and Revolutionary War battlefields makes it one of South Carolina’s most distinctive small cities.
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Kershaw County Assessor at 515 Walnut Street, Camden, SC 29020, phone 803-425-1523. SC owner-occupied assessed at 4% of market value.
Courts & Legal
Kershaw County Probate Court at 1121 Broad Street, Camden, SC 29020, phone 803-425-1512, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE COURT
1121 Broad St, Camden, SC 29020
(803) 425-1527
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Kershaw County Probate Court, Camden (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Camden is one of South Carolina’s oldest inland towns, with deep colonial and Revolutionary War-era historical roots.
Local societies
No dedicated Kershaw 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.
Kershaw County is in central South Carolina, seated in Camden – one of the state’s oldest inland towns.
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 with the Kershaw 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 Kershaw 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
1121 Broad St, Camden, SC 29020
(803) 425-1527
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
1121 Broad St, Camden, SC 29020
(803) 425-1500
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS
1121 Broad St, Camden, SC 29020
(803) 425-1500
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
DHEC Public Health Office
1120 DeKalb St, Camden, SC 29020
(803) 425-6357
Department of Social Services
1401 Ehrenclou Dr, Camden, SC 29020
(803) 713-3800
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Kershaw County Public Health (DHEC) – Camden, SC
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Camden
Population: 65,000
Established: 1791
Tier: 3
Public Records
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