Laurens County Museum Association — Attraction in Laurens

Before the Scotch-Irish and other immigrants settled here, Cherokee Indians hunted and fought in the area, evident by the amount of Indian artifacts on display. Once settled, this area became more active, as it was halfway between Atlanta and Savannah.

Laurens County (est. 1785) and the city of Laurens (est. 1845), later to become the county seat, were named for Henry Laurens, a prominent businessman in the mid-1700's.

Henry Laurens fought in the Revolutionary War and was captured while at sea. He spent a year imprisoned in the Tower of London. He was first the Vice President of South Carolina, and later became one of our Founding Fathers, then Fifth President of the Continental Congress.

Laurens County became a thriving area, with manufacturing and textiles. Cotton production boomed and attracted prominent businessmen to the area. Andrew Johnson, our 17th President, was one of those people. Johnson was a tailor in Laurens before entering politics.

The Laurens Railroad Company was chartered in 1847. This was an important factor in the continuing development of the area.

Textiles and manufacturing were established in the area. Many cotton mills, including Laurens Cotton Mill in 1895, and Watts Mill in 1902. Mill baseball teams became one of the regular pastimes.

Laurens Glass Company, one the largest glass manufacturers in the Southeast for 80 years, was established in 1910.

Martha Franks was another prominent person from the county. Her lifetime of service is well documented in the museum. Forty-five of her years were spent as a missionary in China.

The Laurens County Museum was opened in 2022, and displays a tremendous amount of Historical artifacts, memorabilia and information.

There is so much on display at this beautiful museum, and I attempted to capture the most significant in photograph. To read the small print or get a better look, click on the picture to enlarge.

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We attended our nephew's wedding at the museum. What a hidden gem in downtown Lauren's. The exhibits were lovely but the event space was just exquisite! So large with a balcony area. The elevator was spacious enough to hold our whole fanily (7) and our daughter's wheelchair. The actual set up the event could have used a little more thought as there was too much separation of the tables, the dance floor and the DJ. I do not know if the food was done by the museum or if a caterer was used so I do not want to pin the poor quality of the food on the venue. If the museum did provide the food, then they have to work on that, and if it was an outside caterer - I would recommend trying a...

The Laurens County Museum is an extraordinary and educational place to visit and it is fun, too. I am very impressed with the exhibits and programs offered. I love the awesome activities for children. The staff and volunteers are truly exceptional! Who would have thought that a small town would have such a fabulous museum in such a great location on the Square. I can’t wait for...