Ghost Towns in South Carolina

Beyond the famous names lies a deeper map: South Carolina holds 19 documented ghost towns. Southern ghost towns rose with cotton, timber, oil, and river commerce — and fell to floods, fires, changing trade routes, and the boll weevil. Standouts include Andersonville, Dorchester, Dunbarton, Ellenton, Ferguson, and dozens more.

The heaviest concentrations sit in Aiken County, where settlements rose — and fell — in quick succession. Among towns with verified conditions, you'll find 1 foundations only sites. 1 town is known to be publicly accessible — the rest require checking land ownership and access rules before you go.

Use the status and access filters below to narrow the list, or search for a specific town by name.