About the Business
Andrew Staton founded Staton Research in 2021, with the goal of connecting people to the history that shapes their lives. The biggest and boldest step yet in his career centered around history, genealogy, and beyond, Andrew hopes to use his years of education and experience to help others unlock the secrets to their family history and the history of the world around them.
Andrew first took an interest in genealogy after his grandfather, Glenn Staton Sr., passed away in 2008. As he dug into the history of his own family, Andrew quickly discovered his research skills and passion for genealogy, and chose to attend the College of Charleston to further his interest in history. While in Charleston, he discovered the study of Historic Preservation, and immediately felt a connection to it as a bridge between the ancestors of our past and the built environment of our present. Where an ancestor may often begin to feel like just a name on a page, standing in front of the home where they lived can bring them to life in an entirely different way, and creates a stronger connection that Andrew hopes to share with others through Staton Research.
About the Researcher
Andrew Michael Staton was born and raised in Simpsonville, South Carolina, and has deep roots in and around the Upstate. He attended Plain Elementary School, Bryson Middle School, and Hillcrest High School where he graduated in 2013. Three years later, he graduated from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Historic Preservation & Community Planning, with minors in Urban Studies and Art History. He then attended the University of Maryland, graduating with a Master of Library and Information Science with a focus on Archives and Digital Curation in 2018. He is the author of Images of America: Simpsonville, the first comprehensive history book about the town, published in 2016. In 2022, Andrew joined the board of the Upstate Preservation Trust, which works to preserve historic sites throughout Upstate South Carolina.
In his personal life, Andrew is a proud husband and father. His wife, Meagan, is a fellow history and preservation lover, and works as an urban planner. They married in 2018, and in 2021 they added a new leaf to the family tree with the birth of their daughter, Violet.