Craven County, South Carolina facts for kids
Craven County, South Carolina was one of the first three areas called "counties" in the English colony of Carolana (which later became South Carolina). It was created in 1682 by the Lords Proprietor, who were like the owners of the colony. This original county covered a large area, stretching from Awendaw Creek north to the western shore of Winyah Bay and going inland.
Over the years, the boundaries of Craven County changed several times as the colony grew and organized its land.
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Early Changes to Craven County
In 1685, just a few years after Craven County was formed, a nearby area called Berkeley County expanded and took over the southwestern part of Craven County. Later, in 1691, Craven County gained some land from the unorganized areas to its northeast.
Counties Become Parishes
Around 1706, the Lords Proprietor decided to change how the colony was organized. They set up a system based on church areas called "parishes" for the Church of England. This meant that the counties, like Craven County, no longer had administrative jobs. They just became names for certain geographic areas.
- The southwestern half of what used to be Craven County became known as St. James Santee Parish.
- In 1721, the northeastern half of Craven County became Prince George Parish. This new parish also included some land that had been unorganized to the north and east of the original county.
More Parish Divisions
The changes continued. In 1734, Prince Frederick Parish was created from the northwestern part of Prince George Parish. This new parish also extended into the unorganized land to the northwest.
A year later, in 1735, the border between South Carolina and the Province of North Carolina was officially set. This changed the size of Prince George Parish, making it smaller.
Judicial Districts are Formed
By 1769, the colony decided to create "judicial districts." These were larger areas where courts were set up. The parishes were then grouped into these new districts:
- St. James Santee Parish became part of the Charlestown District.
- Prince George Parish was included in the Georgetown District.
New Counties and Modern South Carolina
After the American Revolution, in 1785, the new State of South Carolina started creating counties within these judicial districts.
- St. James Santee Parish (from Charlestown District) was divided into two new counties: Washington County and Marion County.
- Prince George Parish (from Georgetown District) was divided into Williamsburg County and Winyaw County (which was later spelled Winyah).
However, these new counties didn't immediately start working as administrative areas. The older judicial districts continued to handle most of the official tasks for a while.
Modern County System
In 1868, the South Carolina State Constitution made a big change: all the state's districts were officially called "counties," and they have been known by that name ever since.
More changes happened later:
- In 1882, a new Berkeley County was formed from parts of upland Charleston County. This new county included land that had once been part of Marion and Washington counties, which were originally part of Craven County.
- Charleston County kept the coastal lands that were part of the very first Craven County.
- In 1893, Charleston County expanded even more, moving northwest into Berkeley County.
Today, the land that was once Craven County is now spread across parts of several modern counties: Berkeley, Charleston, Georgetown, and Williamsburg counties.
