South Carolina was under the Proprietary Governors from 1670 until 1719.  In 1682, South Carolina was divided into three counties, namely ; Colleton on the Combahee River; Berkeley on the Stono River; and Craven on the Awendaw River. A portion of the Winyah Bay was not settled at this time, neither was the Savannah River region. This section later became Granville County which actually went far into the reaches of North Carolina.*

By 1779 what is now the northern part of Allendale County, was a part of the Orangeburg District.   In 1785 Winton County was formed from part of the Orangeburg District, and in 1868 it was renamed Barnwell County.

The southern part of what is now Allendale County was divided into Prince William in 1745; St. Peters was taken from Prince William in 1765 and St. Luke in 1767.   St. Luke was between St. Peters and the Savannah River. With several changes during the interim in 1800, this became Beaufort District, and still later, in 1868 it became Beaufort County. Hampton County was formed from Beaufort County in 1878. *

Allendale County was formed from part of Barnwell County on the north, and part of Hampton County on the south, in 1919.

Origin of the Name - Allendale*

Excerpts from the pen of the late Dr. John Williams O'Gilvie, in the Southern Christian Advocate of July 20th, 1882 reveal an interesting account of the original town and also the origin of the name, Allendale. Prior to the construction of the C. & W. C. Rail¬road in the approximate year of 1872, there was a post office called Buddenville about five miles away from the present town of Allendale, situated in a southwesterly direction. Buddenville had been named for a Mr. Budden, a teacher in the community.

Buddenville Post Office was the center of a region inhabited by large planters and land owners where wealth, affluence, culture and high standards of living were reflected in palatial homes and surroundings, of families living there.

Academies of learning, instructors of music, art, and languages were maintained in the community in order to prepare youth for higher educational advantages afforded both within the States and abroad. Also, attesting to the support of religious denominations in this area, are several churches that have withstood the ravages of time, and also church-yard cemeteries where structures once stood.

According to Dr. O'Gilvie, the nearby railroad caused an influx of people from adjoining areas to settle in the new location, later to be called Allendale.

The area surrounding the settlement had been "localized and called Swallow Savannah," because of its topography. There were also several other nearby areas, likewise called Duck Savannah and Heron Savannah.

With the establishment of a post office in this settlement on the new railroad, consideration of a name became a problem. Dr. O'Gilvie stated "Swallow Savannah" would not be a good choice be-cause the word was too long, and, as the Allen's were among the first settlers, consequently, the name Allen, plus the suffix "dale" resulted in a simple word pleasing to the ear, also. Thus, it was decided to name the place Allendale.

Dr. O'Gilvie, a pioneer of this section, a physician of prominence and also an outstanding citizen, died in 1905.
Dr. O'Gilvie's wife was the former Miss Sallie Moye, whose family also was prominent in affairs of their era.
The Buddenville section is often designated as "Old Allendale" by the many people returning to visit the land of their forebears.

*From "Allendale on the Savannah," by Alexania Easterling Lawton and Minnie Reeves Wilson, 1970

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**Augustus Theodore Allen, while he has a home at Columbia convenient to the educational centers where his children are being trained, spent practically all his life and has his chief business interests at Allendale, the county seat of the new Allendale County, a name that of itself is a distinct tribute to the long residence and prominence of the Allen family in that community.

Allendale was formerly in Barnwell County, and among the more prominent members of the Allen family there have been Leroy Allen, Wesley Allen and in more recent years the late George Pierce Allen, a banker and influential figure in state politics.

P. H. Allen lived about a mile northwest of the present town of Allendale, and was the first postmaster of that community. When the railroad was completed on July 4, 1872, he was instrumental in having founded the present town .of Allendale, named in honor of the Allen family.

A brother of P. H. Allen was John M. Allen, grandfather of Augustus Theodore Allen of Columbia and Allendale, and who was a state senator from the Barnwell district. A. T. Allen, who is a brother of the late George Pierce Allen above noted, was born near Allendale, April 5, 1864, son of Augustus T. and Jane (Roberts) Allen. His father was a Confederate soldier. Augustus Theodore Allen was a very small boy when the Town of Allendale was established. He still has extensive and valuable planting interests in that vicinity. His efforts and enterprise have made him prominent in that section, and he was one of the men chiefly instrumental in the movement which brought about the organization of the new County of Allendale in January, 1919. This is one of the richest small counties in the state. Mr. Allen is president of the National Motor Sales Company of Columbia, which company is a large southern distributor of automobiles and trucks. He is a director in the First National Bank of Allendale, associated with W. T. Riley, Jr.. who is president.

Mr. Allen is a member of the staff of Governor Cooper with the rank of lieutenant colonel. In order to give his family educational advantages he established a home in Columbia in 1915. This fine home is at the corner of Gervais and Pickens

streets. He and his wife have two children, Augustus T., Jr., and Miss Dorothy Grace Allen.

Augustus T. Allen, Jr., went with the first thirty from the University of South Carolina to Camp Hancock in the machine gun service and had finished about half of the course when the armistice was signed. He returned to the college and graduates with the class of 1921.

**From; History of South Carolina, Volume 5
Yates Snowden, Harry Gardner Cutler
The Lewis Pub. Co., 1920