The Elgin post office opened in 1962, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Blaney (1900), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
2020 census: 1,63464 years
How historic is Elgin?
D−
Among the newest of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Elgin post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Elgin’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Elgin is among the newest of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Elgin’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 Elgin’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of South Carolina towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±1.1 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Elgin’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Elgin, previously named "Blaney", and originally "Jeffers", traces its European-American history to a post office established in the area in 1898. The small community that the post office served adopted the name Jeffers after its first postmaster, William T. Jeffers. The community did not see much growth until the Seaboard Air Line Railroad began expansion in the area in 1900. Development occurred near the railroad depot and post office. Seaboard agents, in an effort to increase use of the rail line, promoted business all along its route, including Jeffers. The town, and post office, was eventually renamed Blaney in honor of a New York banker who helped fund the railroad expansion in the region. The town of Blaney was officially chartered and incorporated on January 23, 1907.
Elgin’s post office has been open since 1962. Another post office, Blaney, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Blaney
1900–1962
Elgin
1962–today
19001960today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Jeffers PlaceWhite Hills
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Elgin’s history
What year was Elgin founded?
The Elgin post office opened in 1962, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Elgin rank for history?
Elgin is among the newest of U.S. towns. 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.
How old are the homes in Elgin?
0.7% of Elgin’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.1 points), against a typical 3.5% for a South Carolina town; the median home was built in 1997.
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 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.