About
Limestone University, formerly Limestone College, was a private Christian university in Gaffney, South Carolina, United States. Established in 1845 by Thomas Curtis, a scholar born and educated in England, Limestone was the first women's college in South Carolina and one of the first in the nation. It was the third-oldest private college in South Carolina. Ten buildings on the campus, as well as the Limestone Springs and limestone quarry itself, are on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to its traditional campus in Gaffney, the university provided online degrees and previously had physical locations in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, and Florence.
In 1970, Limestone became fully coeducational. In 2020, its name was changed from Limestone College to Limestone University.
In 2025, the Limestone University Board voted to permanently terminate both on-campus and online operations at the end of the spring semester, citing significant financial challenges. The final graduation ceremony for Limestone University was held on May 3, 2025. Limestone Faculty issued a vote of "no confidence" against president Nathan B. Copeland prior to the ceremony and requested that the president and the board of trustees not be in attendance for the final ceremony.