Laurens’ Economic Development Corporation

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Welcome to Laurens South Carolina, one of America's great small towns. Renowned for its people, architecture and culture, Laurens' distinctive character and progress are the result of more than 200 years of thoughtful planning and achievement by countless citizens.

Location Where you want to be Laurens South Carolina is located in one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. Laurens is just 44 minutes from Greenville, SC and 53 minutes from Spartanburg, SC, and 3 hours from Charleston, SC, the second largest port on the east coast. Our network of interstate highways extends Laurens’ businesses reach to a large percentage of all U.S. consumers.

A Look Back Nestled in the welcoming countryside of upstate South Carolina, the city of Laurens serves as the county seat for Laurens County. Featuring a stunning public square and historic surrounding streets, downtown Laurens is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1790, Laurens, named for statesman Henry Laurens of Charleston, was founded. A wooden courthouse, also used as a church and a schoolhouse, was constructed shortly afterwards. The existing courthouse was built in 1837. In the 1800’s, Laurens was known for its trade of tailor-made clothes. In 1825, one of the city's most famous residents, President Andrew Johnson, and his brother came to the town to establish their own tailor shop. By the end of the nineteenth century, textiles were becoming very important in Laurens and the rest of the South Carolina upstate. The Laurens Cotton was established in 1895 and the Watts Mill was established in 1902. However, over the past decade,

textiles have been displaced by a wide variety of industries, including automotive-related, warehouse/distribution, metal forging and ceramics. Today, Laurens is a very diverse, vibrant community. It is obvious that throughout the community, hard work is complemented well by easy living.

Contact information: LaurensFirst PO Box 1247, Laurens, SC 29360 864-984-0328 – Fax: 864-984-5356 Email: Information@LaurensFirst.org SCIway - The South Carolina Information Highway