“S” is for South Carolina Department of Archives and History

“S” is for South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Located in Columbia, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History (SCDAH) is a state agency responsible for collecting the valuable public records of South Carolina. The General Assembly established the South Carolina Historical Commission in 1894 and in 1905 expanded its mission, making it responsible for the state's archives. The name of the agency was changed to the South Carolina Department of Archives and History in 1967. Services of the SCDAH encompass historic preservation, history education, historical research, publications, records management, and records conservation. As of 2026 the archives held over 34,000 cubic feet of records, 27,000 microfilm reels, and 2,000,000 megabytes of electronic records. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History occupies a state-of-the-art building, housing the Archives and History Center and the state’s Historic Preservation Office.