Old Camden Courthouse and Gaol

Old Camden Courthouse and Gaol (HMXAW)

Location: Camden, SC 29020 Kershaw County
Buy South Carolina State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 34° 14.33', W 80° 36.389'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 860 views
Inscription
On this site stood the original Camden District Courthouse and gaol (jail), built in response to increased lawlessness in the South Carolina backcountry. Construction was completed in 1771 and the first term of criminal court convened shortly afterward. The jail stood across the Great Wagon Road (Waxhaw Road) from the courthouse. The first courthouse was probably a one-room wooden building which burned in 1779. The two stories and basement of the brick jail housed criminals and runaway slaves. During the American Revolution both sides confined prisoners here, including teenaged future president Andrew Jackson, who was captured by the British in April 1781. The British fortified the jail in the summer of 1780 and burned it when they evacuated Camden in May 1781. Both the courthouse and jail were rebuilt on the same sites after the war. The second jail burned in 1812 and was replaced by the public market. The second courthouse was replaced in 1825 by the Greek-revival style building designed by architect Robert Mills.

"For the apprehending and bringing to Gaol, A. Westbury, who ? burnt the Courthouse and set fire to the Gaol ~ $100 Dolls." Expense Claim of Joseph Kershaw, March 11, 1789
Details
HM NumberHMXAW
Tags
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Saturday, September 27th, 2014 at 1:17am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17S E 536238 N 3788707
Decimal Degrees34.23883333, -80.60648333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 34° 14.33', W 80° 36.389'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds34° 14' 19.80" N, 80° 36' 23.34" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)803
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 607 Broad St, Camden SC 29020, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?