The Rock Hill Herald reported on Nov. 5, 1885 – “A family living near Camden has a trowel which has an ilustrous history. It is made of solid silver with an ivory handle. On it is engraved, “Made for Brother Lafayette to lay the cornerstone of the DeKalb’s Monument, 1825.” It was made by Mr. A. Young, father of Mr. George G. Young. It was later used to lay the cornerstones of the Charleston Masonic Temple, the Confederate Monument at Columbia, the Jasper Monument in Charleston, the Confederate Monument in Camden and the new opera house in Camden.”
City Directories and History: 1913 – Camden City Hall, Opera House, Star Theatre, 1925 – City Hall, Opera House, Carl A. West M.D.
Built about 1886, this building served as a opera house and city hall for many years.
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“Camden undertook an important civic improvement a few years later, the building of a new town hall combined with an opera house to enhance business, meeting, and entertainment facilities for area citizens. The town council at the time consisted of Intendant James Jones and Wardens John T. Nettles, M. A. Metts, H. G. Garrison, and John M. Smyrl. In July 1884 they agreed to purchase from Herman and Mannes Baum the property at the southeast corner lot of Rutledge and Broad streets for thirty-five hundred dollars. Here a cavernous old store dubbed “the Ark” had burned seven years earlier. In June 1885, under Intendant J. C. Rollings, the town issued fifteen thousand dollars in construction bonds. Although in the previous municipal building on the other side of Broad Street the town hall and the town thereafter shared space above the town market, at this time a separate town market was built just south of the Camden Opera House, as the new building was called. The old town clock and distinctive King Haigler weather vane were moved from the other side of Broad Street and added atop the new structure.” (Information courtesy of A History of Kershaw County, S.C. by Joan A. Inabinet and L. Glenn Inabinet, 2001 – The Un. of S.C. Press)
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IMAGE GALLERY – Courtesy of the Monarch Collection, Camden A&M and current image by photographer Bill Segars, 2016
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