The original Belvedere Elementary School was built in 1918 on land donated by William Thurmond, the father of Sen. Strom Thurmond. It consisted of three rooms and accommodated grades one through eight. In 1954, a modern, fire-resistant brick school was built on land donated by Miller H. Karnes in Belvedere Ridge.

In 1918, the community felt the need for an elementary school. Funds needed to be raised to match that given by the state of South Carolina. So, the community sold homemade ice cream at the street car shop, had boxed suppers and other projects.

There have been many additions and alterations throughout the years. There was an entire wing added behind the school. A physical education building was added, and the playground has undergone many changes. The biggest change happened during the 2021-2022 school year when a large portion of the old building was torn down and a whole new building was connected to the remaining old section.