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History · Cordova

Cordova’s post office opened in 1894, and 26% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1921 on and the census since 1920.

1894first post office
0on the National Register
26%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Cordova began

When was Cordova founded?

1894

The Cordova post office opened in 1894, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 133 in 19202020 census: 136132 years
Founding year: the first Cordova post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Cordova’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Cordova are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 209 in 1960; 136 people lived here in 2020.On the map since 19213 editions of the USGS map, 1921 to 1979. Watch Cordova change.Old housesHalf of Cordova’s homes were built before 1959.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Cordova’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Cordova’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Cordova, census by census

0100200192019401960198020002020Peak: 209

Peaked at 209 in 1960; 136 people lived here in 2020.

11 censuses, 1920–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Cordova’s Wikipedia page.

On the map

Cordova on the map, 1921 to 1979

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Cordova. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Cordova on the 1921 USGS mapCordova on the 1943 USGS mapCordova on the 1979 USGS map1921Orangeburg sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Cordova.

The story so far

Cordova, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Cordova yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Cordova is a town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Cordova had a population of 136. Despite its small size, Cordova is home to both a high school and primary school, a fire department, and a single daycare. At the heart of Cordova is the town hall, which houses community events, fundraisers, and birthday parties throughout the year.

Its first post office opened in 1894. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 169 to 136 (-20%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

Timeline

Cordova, 1894 to 1960

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1894Post officeThe Cordova post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1921On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 1953Born hereDennis Shedd is born here
  6. 1960CensusPopulation peaks at 209
By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
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Questions about Cordova’s history

What year was Cordova founded?

The Cordova post office opened in 1894, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From 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.