The county of York was established March 12, 1785 by dividing the district of Camden into seven counties, three of which were named Lancaster, Chester and York, with York County having 685 square miles.

The names of Lancaster, Chester and York had been brought from England to Pennsylvania, and then on to South Carolina by the early settlers.

In 1755, Indian troubles from the French and Indian War brought many more people down to York county.

Yorkville, in its earlier days was known as Fergus Crossroads.  Two brothers, William 
and John Fergus, owned a tavern where the road from Rutherfordton to Camden and the road from Charlottesburg (Charlotte) to Augusta crossed.  When York County and thirty three other counties were established in 1785, it was stipulated that each of these counties should erect courthouses and public buildings in the most convenient part of each county with a tax to be levied to cover the cost of "building the court houses, prisons, pillories, whipping posts and stocks."  Being nearest the center of the county, Yorkville was chosen as the county seat and remains so today.

It was inevitable that the intersection of the two main wagon roads of the up-country would soon outgrow the name of Fergus Crossroads to become the busy city of Yorkville.

Its architecture and its well-known services to this court house town makes for a rich history.  Recently, it has been restored to its original elegance and is now serving as lovely apartment homes for local residents.

In 1854, the Yorkville Female Academy was established on East Jefferson Street.  This building was later used as a portion of the McCelvey Elementary School, which has been remodeled over the years.   Today it serves as a community meeting place for plays, programs, etc. It is named McCelvey Center.

Col. Jenkins was killed in the war, but Col. Coward returned to Yorkville and reopened the school. This building no longer stands, but it was the main building of the Episcopal Church Home for Children, an orphanage.  

The present courthouse was completed in 1914; the new annex built in 1955 completes the present structure, which is the fourth courthouse to occupy the site.  The third courthouse, which was torn down in 1912 to make way for the present one, was designed by the noted architect, Robert Mills of Charleston, the designer of the Washington Monument and other outstanding buildings.  He was the first American born and American trained architect.

Many historic homes and buildings still stand in York. (An election was held in May, 1915, and voters approved dropping the "ville".)  Some existing structures were built before 1800 and many are over a century old.

York has many historic and beautiful churches.  The first church established in York was the Independent Presbyterian Church in 1813.  It was dissolved in 1864. The oldest denomination that still exists is the Trinity Methodist organized in 1824. First Presbyterian Church was organized in 1842, the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in 1852, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in 1853, the First Baptist Church in 1866, the Divine Saviour Catholic Church in 1938, and the Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in 1957.

In 1976, as a part of the National Bicentennial, the inner-city area of York was designated an Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.  It is one of the largest Historic Districts in the state, consisting of 340 acres and containing over 180 historic structures and landmarks.  York is truly an historic and beautiful town of which all can be proud.

York's people know a sense of place because it is a southern community built by the sweat of many brows and the brilliance of many minds.  York is inhabited by descendants of slaves, slave owners and Indians.  The streets honor presidents named Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Madison, and Roosevelt.  A prominent street named Liberty is reminiscent of York's heritage.

The York Oil Mill was also a thriving industry in this cotton growing area.