Batesburg-Leesville was first counted by the census in 1880, and 11% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 64% of U.S. towns · #48 of 169 in South Carolina. What drives it
19 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 65 buildings between them. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1964 on, and the census since 1880.
From Batesburg-Leesville’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers
How Batesburg-Leesville began
When was Batesburg-Leesville founded?
1880
Batesburg-Leesville first appears in the census in 1880. Two smaller post offices, Leesville (1820) and Batesburg (1869), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 286 in 18802020 census: 5,270146 years
How historic is Batesburg-Leesville?
B
More historic than 64% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Batesburg-Leesville is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns, #48 of 169 in South Carolina. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Batesburg-Leesville’s overall grade.
South Carolina towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical South Carolina town has 3.2 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Batesburg-Leesville’s 164 sits above most of its state (89% of South Carolina towns have fewer) while its 81 historic buildings outnumber those of 88% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.2 points).
Founding year: the first census (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Batesburg-Leesville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The town of Batesburg-Leesville was formed in 1992 by the consolidation of the neighboring towns of Batesburg and Leesville. Leesville was incorporated on February 23, 1875, and Batesburg on May 31, 1877. The first mayor of Batesburg-Leesville was also the last mayor of Batesburg, Dr. Elza S. "Sandy" Spradley, Jr. Spradley had been a practicing pharmacist and business owner in the town, a town council member, a member of the Batesburg Water Commission, a founding member of the community’s rescue squad, and an 18-year Fire Chief on the Batesburg Fire Department, retiring after 33 years. Batesburg was named for Captain Tom Bates, a prominent citizen of the community and a captain in the American Civil War. Leesville was named for Colonel John W. Lee, a prominent resident of the community.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Batesburg-Leesville. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1964Batesburg sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Batesburg-Leesville.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this viewLeesville - Lutheran Church, c. 1910
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Batesburg-Leesville’s page.
The Batesburg-Leesville post office opened in 1880, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Batesburg-Leesville rank for history?
Batesburg-Leesville is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns, #48 of 169 in South Carolina. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Batesburg-Leesville?
19 listings: 16 buildings, among them the A. C. Jones House (listed 1982, the first), and 3 historic districts, the Batesburg Commercial Historic District, the Church Street Historic District and the Leesville College Historic District, with 65 contributing buildings. 81 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Batesburg-Leesville?
11% of Batesburg-Leesville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.2 points), against a typical 3.5% for a South Carolina town; the median home was built in 1972.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (10), the Library of Congress (2), the National Register of Historic Places (19), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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