Historic 1897 Bamberg County Courthouse Moved 500 Feet for $25,000

Bamberg County Courthouse at the corner of Main and Second Streets in downtown Bamberg was lifted and shifted 500 feet in 1950 for $25,000 after U.S. Highway 301 was rerouted through its original grounds. Work on the relocation began in 1950, and the red brick courthouse now sits at the marker coordinates 33° 17.896′ N, 81° 2.065′ W (decimal 33.298592, -81.034297).

The building dates to 1897 and was designed by architect L. F. Goodrich. The historical marker reads: “Bamberg County Courthouse, named for Gen. Francis Marion Bamberg, was formed in 1897.” The marker also records construction details: “Designed by architect L.F. Goodrich, the courthouse is built of red brick with solid masonry walls that measure two feet thick.”

Town government and citizens financed the original courthouse and county jail as part of securing the county seat for Bamberg, with the new county formed after a January 19, 1897 election and formal authorization by the legislature that spring. The county website and local histories both state the courthouse and jail were completed by town citizens in 1897; the local community history notes, “On January 19, 1897, formation of Bamberg County was voted in an election.”

Traffic and safety concerns prompted the midcentury move. County material records that Highway 301’s relocation “ran straight through Main Street” so the eastern side of the courthouse grounds became part of the roadway. The county site records that “the curve around the building was dangerous and the noise from the increased traffic interfered with the audibility of court proceedings.” Officials, advised by the South Carolina Highway Department, decided to relocate the edifice across the highway and proceed with enlarging and remodeling after fifty-three years of use.

The 1950 project combined relocation and renovation. Archival metadata for a courthouse photograph describes the structure as “Built in 1897, it was designed by L.F. Goodrich. The building was remodeled in 1950.” The historical marker records the moving cost specifically: “The total cost of moving the building 500 feet was $25,000.” Sources agree on the 1950 timing for work beginning, the move distance, and the need for remodeling tied to modern traffic routing.

The courthouse has served civic functions beyond trials. After the November 1907 school fire, local history records that “While another school was being constructed, classes were held in the courthouse.” The building’s prominent siting at the base of North Main Street and its solid masonry construction were deliberate civic choices when the county seat was secured in 1897.

A naming discrepancy remains in public records: the historical marker and local history name General Francis M. Bamberg, while the county’s official website cites William Seaborn Bamberg (1820-1858) and other Bamberg family members as namesakes. County formation records and contemporary documents from 1897 would clarify that difference.

The courthouse marker stands at the intersection of Main Highway (U.S. 301/601) and 2nd Street and is “on the right when traveling north on Main Highway.” For county business, the Bamberg County Courthouse Annex is listed as the Isaiah Odom Building, 1234 North Street, Bamberg SC 29003; mailing address PO Box 149, Bamberg SC 29003; phone (803) 245-5191; fax (803) 245-1219. The red-brick courthouse remains a visible record of the town’s 1897 origins and the midcentury trade-offs between preserving a two-foot-thick masonry courthouse and accommodating a major highway.