S.C. Local Historic District Authority — Home Rule + Chapter 29 (SC)
Tracked preemption from the South Carolina overlay bundle.
Overview
← All state preemptionsSouth Carolina overlay roll-upSouth Carolina zoning wikiSouth Carolina building codesFederal overlaysGlossaryFederal-conflict: Not flagged
Effective
1931-10-13
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:SC
Other South Carolina preemptions
S.C. Short-Term Rentals — No State Preemption (explicit non-preemption)S.C. ADU / Density / Design Review — No State Preemption (explicit non-preemption)S.C. Military Installation Compatibility — AICUZ / JLUS CoordinationS.C. §6-29-1145 — Manufactured Housing Zoning Parity RuleS.C. Brownfields / Voluntary Cleanup Program — §44-56-710 et seq.S.C. Local Government Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act of 1994 — Procedural FloorS.C. Scenic Rivers Act of 1989 — Designated Scenic, Recreational, and Natural RiversS.C. Beachfront Management Act — OCRM Baseline / Setback Line Overlay
Trigger predicate
When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.
OR
parcel.in_local_historic_district==Trueparcel.is_local_landmark==True
Preempted fields
2 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.
| Field | Op | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
base_districts[*].historic_preservation_review | require | certificate_of_appropriateness | Local Board of Architectural Review (BAR) / Design Review Board (DRB) Certificate of Appropriateness required for exterior alterations, demolition, new construction within designated districts. |
base_districts[*].historic_district_authority_basis | override | chapter_29_plus_home_rule | Unlike states with dedicated historic-preservation enabling statutes, SC local HP authority rests on Chapter 29 (§6-29-720 authorizes overlay/zoning districts) + home rule (§5-7-30). Title 60 Chapter 12 governs state-agency Section 106 review and does NOT delegate authority to local governments. |
Citation
Authority source
Charleston Old and Historic District Ordinance (1931) — first US historic district zoning ordinance; S.C. Const. Art. VIII §§7-9 (home rule); S.C. Code §6-29-720 (zoning ordinance authority); S.C. Code §5-7-30 (Home Rule Act of 1975); Title 60 Chapter 12 (state agencies — §106 framework, not local enabling)
§ §§6-29-310 — 6-29-1200; §5-7-30; S.C. Const. Art. VIII
Research notes
Charleston adopted the FIRST historic preservation zoning ordinance in the United States in 1931, creating the Old and Historic District and the Board of Architectural Review — predating the federal Historic Sites Act (1935) and National Historic Preservation Act (1966). SC has no dedicated state-level historic preservation enabling statute; local HPCs operate under home-rule overlay authority. Notable SC local historic overlays: Charleston Old & Historic District + Old City District, Beaufort Historic District, Columbia (Heathwood Hall + Robert Mills), Georgetown, Camden, Aiken, Greenville, Spartanburg, Edgefield. National Register listing alone does not trigger local regulation. Federal Fort Sumter National Monument is administered by NPS and lies outside local zoning.