Of all the counties in the U.S., Abbeville County (pop. 24,417) comes first alphabetically.

The only Abbeville County

The area was settled in the early 18th century by French Huguenot farmers; they named it for Abbeville, France.

On the Somme River

The South Carolina Abbeville County is across the Savannah River from Georgia.

John C. Calhoun (1782-1850), U.S. vice president and senator, was born in Abbeville District before it was a county.

Also secretary of state and secretary of war

The county seat is the city of Abbeville (pop. 5,237).

Abbeville County Courthouse (1908)

The Abbeville Opera House (1904) is connected to the Courthouse.

218 seats

The Frazier-Pressley House is a three-story, octagon-shaped house.

Built in 1856

Trinity Episcopal Church in Abbeville was built in 1860.

In the Gothic Revival style

The 373-foot Prysmian Copper Wire Tower in Abbeville is recognized as the tallest structure in South Carolina. It is used in the manufacture of power cable.

Built in 2009

The town of Due West (pop. 1,247) is the home of Erskine College, a Christian liberal arts college established in 1839.

About 600 students

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