For Immediate Release:
Sept. 13, 2022
Contact:
Marie Cheek
Community Relations Coordinator
Culture & Heritage Museums
803.909.7312 mcheek@chmuseums.org
Historical Center of York County receives grant to preserve court records from 1840 to 1869
YORK, S.C. – The Historical Center of York County recently received a grant from the South Carolina State Historical Records Advisory Board to help preserve historical court records. The $5k matching grant will provide funding to microfilm 52 boxes of York County Court of Common Pleas Judgment Rolls dating from 1840 to 1869.
The grant will support the work of preserving records of historical civil court cases that document
complaints regarding promissory notes, foreclosures, property damage, personal injuries, estate settlements, as well as other issues brought before the Court of Common Pleas. Documents may include summons and complaints, testimony, decrees, and judgments. These records might also provide names, dates, family relationships, as well as references to local events and offer opportunities to research family history, county history, local government, and the judicial system.
“The fragile nature of the original papers makes this work especially important,” explains Nancy Sambets, director of archives for the Historical Center of York County. “In 2012, staff and volunteers organized and rehoused these documents into acid-free folders and boxes. Copies of the microfilm rolls will be provided to the South Carolina Department of Archives and History for safekeeping and permanent retention as part of the grant project.”
Since 1989, the Historical Center of York County has served as York County’s archival repository to collect, preserve, and make historical records, such as the York County Court of Common Pleas, available for genealogical and historical research.
The Historical Center of York County is operated by Culture & Heritage Museums and is located at 210 E. Jefferson Street in York, S.C. 29745. For more information call 803.818.6766 or visit www.chmuseums.org. Normal hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information on the South Carolina State Historical Records Advisory Board, go to South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
##