Contestants pose for a group portrait in April 1954 after participating in a radio broadcast at WLCM about the upcoming Miss Lancaster pageant. (Photo by Lavoy Studio via The Lancaster Archive)
Welcome to The Lancaster Archive, a preservation website featuring historic Lancaster SC photos from 6 photographers spanning over 7 decades. Scroll down to begin viewing the latest photos, click on the keywords to view by subject or use the search box below to find images. The Lancaster Archive is a division of Columbia SC Photographer Travis Bell / Creative, LLC.
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Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Miss Lancaster Contestants at WLCM - 1954 - Lancaster SC Photos
Contestants pose for a group portrait in April 1954 after participating in a radio broadcast at WLCM about the upcoming Miss Lancaster pageant. (Photo by Lavoy Studio via The Lancaster Archive)
Monday, August 17, 2026
Downtown Kershaw - 1952 - Lancaster County Photos
Downtown Kershaw is seen in Sept. of 1952.
Some of the places that can be seen are Simpson's Drugs, Hayes Pharmacy, Magill's Refreshment Center, Belk and more.
(Photo by Julian Starr/The Lancaster News via The Lancaster Archive)
Sunday, August 16, 2026
Skateboarding in Lancaster - 1980s - Lancaster SC Photos
Skateboarding exploded in the mid to late 1980s. Many Lancaster skaters put their wooden ramps on wheels so they could easily move them around.
One popular spot was the Rice School parking lot.
This collage shows teens launching off ramps at Rice School and other locations in '87 and '88.
(Photos by Travis Bell)
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Arch Street View - 1950s - Lancaster SC Photos
Arch St., looking west, is seen in the 1950s in downtown Lancaster. Up ahead is Main St. and the back of the former U.S. Post Office is on the left.
If you drove up to Main St. and turned right, you would be driving towards Charlotte. Also seen is the Chrysler-Plymouth dealership on the left and at right is The Springs Block.
This classic photograph was made by the photographer, Julian Starr Jr., while he stood at the intersection of Arch and White streets. Starr, who was the editor and publisher of The Lancaster News from 1952 through 1971, also had a love for photography.
(Photo by Julian Starr Jr./The Lancaster News via The Lancaster Archive)
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Springmaid Beach Aerial - 1960 - Myrtle Beach SC Photos
Springmaid Beach ,which provided recreation for Lancaster families for decades, is seen on March 29,1960 in this aerial photograph.
Rooms were just $2.00 a night. Playground equipment can be seen in the top right of the image.
(From The Lancaster Archive collection)
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
North Elementary (Then North Junior High) - 1966 - Lancaster SC Photos
North Junior High, now North Elementary, is seen in the center of this 1966 aerial photograph. Also seen are the future locations of Lancaster Square, Lancaster Memorial Stadium and Dunkin. (Photo by Lavoy Studio via The Lancaster Archive)
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
First United Methodist Church VBS - 1959 - Lancaster SC Photos
Children gather outside First Methodist Church on Gay St. during vacation bible school in the summer of 1959. Windows can be seen open as there was no air conditioning in the church at the time.
See below for cropped versions, making it easier to see faces.
(Photo by Lavoy Studio via The Lancaster Archive)
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Dobson Elementary - 1950 - Lancaster SC Photos
Students at Dobson Elementary School, located at 1636 Alpha Road, run towards Lavoy Bauknight's camera during recess in 1950.
The Lancaster County Library bookmobile can be seen in the background.
(Photo by Lavoy Bauknight via The Lancaster Archive)
Monday, May 18, 2026
LHS JV Cheerleaders - 1989 - Lancaster SC Photos
LHS JV cheerleaders pose for a group portrait in 1989. (Photo by The Lancaster News via The Lancaster Archive)
Catawba Fish Camp
Many thanks to Catawba Fish Camp for helping bring hundreds of celebrated images to life from Lancaster County's visual history!
Sunday, May 10, 2026
LHS Cheerleaders - 1989 - Lancaster SC Photos
LHS cheerleaders pose for a group portrait in 1989. (Photo by The Lancaster News via The Lancaster Archive)
Monday, May 4, 2026
Hot Air Balloon Celebrating Springs 100th Anniversary - 1987 - Lancaster SC Photos
A hot air balloon celebrates the 100th anniversary of Springs while sitting outside the Springs customer service building in Lancaster in 1987. (Photo by The Lancaster News via The Lancaster Archive)
Saturday, May 2, 2026
Lancaster Motor Speedway - 1989 - Lancaster Motor Speedway
Race cars and fans are seen near turn one at Lancaster Motor Speedway in March of 1989. The track has hosted thousands of races since it opened in 1954.
Did you know? In December of 2021, NASCAR used the speedway to test its Next Gen car for the dirt race at Bristol.
(Photo by The Lancaster News via The Lancaster Archive
Monday, April 27, 2026
Boy Scouts at Philmont Scout Ranch - 1976
Lancaster boy scouts pose for a group portrait at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico in 1976.
The ranch opened in 1939 and is known as one of the top, high-adventure camps in the country. At 140,000 acres, it is the world's largest youth camp.
(Photo from The Bob Hardin collection via The Lancaster Archive)
Buford Schools Aerial - 1951 - Lancaster SC Photos
Schools are seen in the Buford community on Rocky River Rd. in this 1951 aerial photograph.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Red Rose Baseball Team - 1932 - Lancaster SC
The Lancaster (SC) Red Rose semi-pro baseball team poses for a group photo after defeating The Charlotte Firemen in the 1932 Carolinas Championship.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Lancaster Feed and Farm Storefront - 1963 - Lancaster SC Photos
Lancaster Feed and Farm is seen on Market St. in 1963. The popular store sold plants, outdoor playground equipment, lawn mowers, sporting goods and more. This location is not far from the American Legion baseball field, which would be to the left of this building. (Photo by Lee Studio via The Lancaster Archive)
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Lancaster Feed & Farm
The sales floor at Lancaster Feed and Farm is seen in 1963. The popular hardware store sold everything from tools to baseball gloves and more.
The business, which was always busy on Saturday mornings, was located on Market St., not far from the Lancaster County Fairgrounds.
(Photo by Lee Studio via The Lancaster Archive)
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Donate To The Lancaster Archive
Will you consider a donation to The Lancaster Archive? Choose from the amounts below or enter a custom amount.
A $50 recurring donation for for at least 4 months or
a $99 recurring donation for at least 2 months includes a free, professional-grade 16x20 print.
Once you're recurring payments have been made, simply email us at thelancasterarchive@gmail.com and let us know which image you would like for your free print. Please include your shipping address.
Choose the blue button below to pay with a debit / credit card. Thank you! -Travis and Staff
St Luke Methodist Junior Choir - 1962
Children in the St. Luke United Methodist junior choir pose for a group portrait at the church in April of 1962. In front is Dr. Marshall, who directed the choir. (Photo by Lavoy Studio via The Lancaster Archive)



















