Pickens

January 1, 1826 (29^th county)

Pickens County (119,224), Pickens (3,126), Easley (19,993)

The red brick Georgian Revival courthouse was built in 1959.  The facility is on Main Street between Pendleton and Court streets.  United States Highway 178 is Pendleton Street in this part of the town.  Townes & Murphy are the architects.  The building was enlarged in 1997.  The courthouse features columns and veteran memorials on the grounds.  An 1891 courthouse was also located in Pickens.  Pendleton was the county seat until 1868 was Pickens assumed the role.  Pickens County was founded on January 1, 1826 as the 29^th county.  The county and county seat were named for American Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens.  Pickens County is the birthplace for 1 South Carolina Governor, Benjamin F. Perry. 

Pickens County government consists of a sheriff and 6 Council Members.  Four Circuit Court Judges and Five Family Court Judges serve Pickens and Greenville counties.  The county is on the northern border with North Carolina.  Greenville, South Carolina is directly east and Columbia, South Carolina is southeast of the county.  The county center is in Pickens 1.4 miles Northeast of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by North Carolina and Greenville, Anderson, and Oconee counties. 

The area of the county is 512 square miles.  It is 33 out of 46 in the state.  It ranks 14 out of 46 in population in the state.  It has a density of 232.86 persons per square mile making it 9 out of 46 in the state.  Pickens County has 39.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 76 clips the southwest tip of the county from Oconee County, west, to Anderson County, southeast.  United States Highway 123 crosses east to west from Greenville County to Oconee County.  United States Highway 178 enters from the north, North Carolina, and exits to the south, Anderson County.  The highest point in South Carolina, Sassafras Mountain, is in the county.  The county resembles a kite.  The City of Pickens is located in the southwest quarter of the county.  Easley is in the southeast quarter of the county and extends into Anderson County.  Pickens is the county seat and Easley is the largest city.  Pickens is 2.6% of the county population while Easley is 16.7% of the county population.  This county is in the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Easley