Darlington County, SC Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

Section 58-124, adopted by Ord. No. 19-19 in November 2019 as part of the county's Bailey Bill Program under S.C. Code 1976 §§ 5-21-140 and 4-9-195, sets the eligibility test for a Historic Designation. Subsection (a) requires the property to be at least 50 years old and to also meet one of three tests: listing on the National Register of Historic Places, designation as a historic property by county council, or location within an area county council has designated a historic district. Subsection (b) makes clear that any property meeting subsection (a) is thereby granted a Historic Designation for purposes of the Bailey Bill and the county's program.

That designation is the gateway to the Special Assessment described in § 58-123: a property tax assessment frozen at the fair market value found when Preliminary Certification is granted, running for an Assessment Term of five to twenty years depending on how much of the property's value the owner spends on a qualifying rehabilitation. Section 58-127 designates the county's Historical Commission as the Reviewing Authority under S.C. Code 1976 § 6-29-870, and § 58-128 routes applications through the Historical Commission for review before county council votes on Preliminary Certification.

Section 58-131 further limits the program's reach in unincorporated Darlington County: a historic property located inside a municipality, such as the City of Darlington or Hartsville, must be separately approved by that municipality before the county will match the special tax assessment, keeping city and county historic designations distinct.