Most of Coward was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1991. Below: maps from 1946 on and the census since 1970.
The town was likely named after either Captain Solomon Coward, a major land owner in the region or former Confederate Colonel Asbury Coward who would later become Commandant of the South Carolina Military Academy.
Much of Coward's pre-incorporation economy centered around cash crops like tobacco or cotton. The town's economy was also supported by a local sawmill.
In recent years the town has been troubled by rising water levels in the Lynches River and increased flooding as a result.
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 Wikipedia, 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.
