Formed January 1, 1785 (8th county)
Clarendon County (31,148), Manning (3,876)
The red brick Classical Revival facility was erected in 1908. It is sited on a square at Boyce, Mill, Keitt, and Brooks streets. United States Highway 301 passes on the side as Boyce Street. Shand & Lafaye Architects designed the courthouse. The building was restored in 1969. It features columns and veteran memorials. There was an 1878 courthouse previously also in Manning, the only county seat. The county was created on January 1, 1785 from Sumter County as the 8th county. Clarendon County is named for the Earl of Clarendon. The county seat is named for Governor John Laurence Manning. Clarendon County is the birthplace for 4 South Carolina Governors, James B. Richardson, John P. Richardson II, John L. Manning, and John P. Richardson III.
Clarendon County government consists of a sheriff and 7 Council Members. Three Circuit Court Judges and Two Family Court Judges serve Clarendon, Lee, Sumter, and Williamsburg counties. Clarendon County is in eastern South Carolina. Charleston, South Carolina is south and Columbia, South Carolina is northwest of the county. The county center is 3 miles Northeast of Manning. The county is surrounded clockwise by Florence, Williamsburg, Berkeley, Orangeburg, Calhoun, and Sumter counties.
The area of the county is 696 square miles. It is 21 out of 46 in the state. It ranks 29 out of 46 in population in the state. It has a density of 44.8 persons per square mile making it 34 out of 46 in the state. Clarendon County has 18.3% of its population in its incorporated areas. Interstate Highway 95 goes northeast to southwest in the county from Sumter County to Orangeburg County. United States Highway 15 comes from Sumter County to Orangeburg County. United States Highway 301 parallels Interstate Highway 95 from Sumter to Orangeburg counties. United States Highway 521 enters from Williamsburg County, east, and exits to Sumter County, west. The county looks like a bag of marbles pointing to the northeast. Manning is in the western third of the county. Manning is the county seat and the largest city. It is 12.4% of the county population.
Manning
Paxville
Summerton
Turbeville
