SC 1 Allendale to Dixiana 1926 Official

SC 3 replaces SC 1 1930 Official

Adjustments: If SC 3 ever used S-6-150 to reach Blackville it stopped dong so by 1930.
In 1933, SC 3 was extended north with US 21 to end at SC 215 (now SC 302) West Columbia.
In 1939, SC 3 north was truncated to SC 5 (now US 321) below Swansea. The route from Swansea to West Columbia became SC 5. Today it is US 321 and the US 1-21 CONN. Note that state officials 1940-42 show SC 3 re-extended back to at least Dixiana but the 1940 and 1942 Lexington County maps do not show this.
Also in 1939, SC 3 was extended south as new primary routing 5 miles towards Barton.
In 1940, SC 3 was extended to SC 361 (now S-3-23) Barton.
In 1947, SC 3 south was truncated back to Allendale, leaving behind S-3-19 and S-3-20 (all S-3-19 today).

SC 3 extended south 5 miles 1939 Official

SC 3 extended the extra mile to Barton 1940 Official

SC 3 truncated back to Allendale 1948 Official

In 1963, SC 3 was rerouted at Barnwell to instead replace SC 37 southwest to US 301. The old route to Allendale became part of SC 28 (now US 278).

SC 37 southwest of Barnwell 1951 Official

SC 3 rerouted southwest of Barnwell 1963 Official

Also in 1963, SC 3 was placed onto new construction into Blackville, leaving behind S-6-10 and a little bit of US 78.

SC 3 original Blackville approach 1962 Barnwell County

SC 3 on new alignment 1967 Barnwell County

County maps from at least 1967-80 and state officials from 1962-70 show SC 3 re-extended north with US 321 to US 21-176 Dixiana. It is unclear if it extended north to I-26.
In 1972, SC 3 was extended south as an upgrade to S-3-26, S-25-19, and S-25-39 to Estill (had been SC 631 decades earlier) and replaced SC 631 east to US 278 Grays.

SC 631 Estill to Grays 1951 Official

SC 3 extended to Grays 1972 Official

Improvements: In 1929, SC 3 was paved from Dixiana to Swansea and also from the Edisto River to Kline.
The rest of SC 3 was paved in 1932; however the short-lived extension to Barton was not paved while SC 3.
No multilane segments.
Comment: SC 3 provides access from the Columbia area to Barnwell.
South of Barnwell SC 3 crosses through a lot of empty parts of southern South Carolina.

SC 3 #1
1922 Auto Trails

US 76 and US 17 replace SC 3
1930 Official

Today SC 3 is Lady St to Sumter St to Gervais St to Harden St to Devine out of Columbia; then US 76-378 across the Wateree River except Old Garners Ferry Rd east of SC 768 (vintage narrow concrete!); Old Garners Ferry Rd east of the Wateree River; then S-43-39 to Stateburg, then SC 261 and Arthur Rd loop (more concrete!) to US 76-378; SC 3 used US 76 Business through Sumter, then US 76 northeast to Florence except: Mayesville (used SC 154 and S-43-1 Main St); and S-21-29 S. Cashua Dr west of Florence, then used US 76, US 52, then Cheves St east out of Florence. SC 3 followed US 76 past Mars Bluff and then dipped south on S-21-24 Paper Mill Rd briefly before using Dupont Rd to the original Pee Dee River crossing. On the other side it used Jake Hill Rd to Pee Dee, then US 76 to Marion. In Marion SC 3 used Dunlop St and Godbold St, then US 76 through Mullins to Nichols. East of Nichols the route used Causey Rd on the north side of the railroad but is unclear how it got to SC 9 east of the Lumber River.

SC 3 clearly west of the RR most of the time between Nichols and Fair Bluff NC 1926 NC Official