Oconee County, South Carolina – Old Pickens County Courthouse

This photograph of the old Pickens County courthouse was taken by Deborah Davis of Oconee County in March of 2007.

Deborah describes her visit to the courthouse: "We went up Highway 183 to see the old Pickens County Courthouse/church that was the old town of Pickens before Oconee and Pickens Counties were split and the Keowee River became Lake Keowee. The earliest grave there dates to 1790. Many other graves had to be relocated here when the lake was formed. The floors inside the building are the original heart pine floors."

The old Pickens County courthouse was used until 1868, when the South Carolina Constitutional Convention created Oconee County out of a portion of Pickens County. Shortly thereafter, a new courthouse was built at its present location in the town of Pickens and many residents of the old town of Pickens moved to the new town. Source: Pickens County - A Brief History.

Directions:

From Pickens: travel west on SC 183 to the Keowee(Seneca) River. Proceed 0.2 mile to the Old Pickens Presbyterian Church gravel entrance road on the right. Turn right(North) and travel 0.1 mile, then turn right (east) to the church.

From Seneca: at the junction of US 123 (US 76) and SC 130 travel north on SC 130 to SC 183 East. Turn right onto SC 183. Travel one mile to the Old Pickens Presbyterian Church gravel entrance road on left. Turn left and travel 0.1 mile then turn right to the church.

From Salem: travel south on SC 130 to SC 183 east. Turn left onto SC 183. Travel one mile to the Old Pickens Presbyterian Church gravel entrance road on the left. Turn left and travel 0.1 mile, then turn right to the church.