Sumter has several structures recognized on historic registry that are still used today

Established in 1800, according to sumtersc.gov, Sumter County is dense with historically significant places.

Here are a few that are recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.

Sumter County Courthouse, 141 N. Main St.

William Augustus Edwards, a South Carolina architect who designed a lot of the state's courthouses in the early 1900s, designed the Sumter County Courthouse, according to nationalregister.sc.gov.

When voters approved the 2014 Penny for Progress initiative, the courthouse got a facelift.

According to the county's website, the courthouse "received a much-needed renovation as new energy-efficient windows were installed and a new elevator tower was added to the structure."

Additionally, the main courtroom was improved, and the $3 million project helped return the historic structure to its original glory.

Opera House, 21 N. Main St.

Constructed in 1893, Sumter's opera house housed Sumter's first theater on the second floor.

"This structure housed many of the traveling road shows that toured the country in the late 19th century," according to nationalregister.sc.gov.

According to earlier reporting from The Sumter Item, the historic structure will undergo $15 million in renovations this year.

There are plans to expand the venue's lobby, entrance, dressing room and backstage amenities. Upon completion, the opera house will be connected to 19 N. Main St. The stage and seating within the opera house will not undergo any changes.

Temple Sinai, 11 Church St.

Sumter's Jewish community was one of South Carolina's largest in the early 19th century, according to nationalregister.sc.gov.

In 1895, the Sumter Hebrew Benevolent Society and the Sumter Society of Israelites merged under the name of the Sumter Society of Israelites, according to nationalregister.sc.gov, and purchased a then-empty lot on the corner of Church Street and West Hampton Avenue to build a synagogue. By 1906, there was a wood-frame building on the lot, and today's brick sanctuary, Temple Sinai, was also built during the early 20th century.

"Congregation Sinai was born in the late 19th century, and by the 1930s, about 90 families were members. The congregation thrived for many years before facing a sharp decline in membership at the end of the 20th century, which led members to consider the future of the temple," according to templesinaisumter.org. "Out of these considerations was born the Temple Sinai Jewish History Center, which opened its doors in 2018. Today, Temple Sinai serves as the home of both the Temple Sinai Jewish History Center and Congregation Sinai and continues to function as the center for Jewish life in Sumter, South Carolina."