Registration No. 33-_____

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8

             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                           COMMUNITY BANKSHARES, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


          South Carolina                                         57-0966962
  (State or other jurisdiction of                             (I.R.S. Employer
  incorporation or organization)                             Identification No.)

               791 Broughton St., Orangeburg, South Carolina 29115
              (Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

                           COMMUNITY BANKSHARES, INC.
                             1997 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                              (Full title of Plan)


           William W. Traynham                    Copies to:
       Community Bankshares, Inc.                 George S. King, Jr., Esquire
              President and                       Suzanne Hulst Clawson, Esquire
         Chief Financial Officer                      Sinkler & Boyd, P.A.
           791 Broughton Steet                    1426 Main Street, Suite 1200
    Orangeburg, South Carolina 29115             Columbia, South Carolina 29201
(Name and address of agent for service)
                                                         (803) 779-3080
             (803) 535-1060
      (Telephone number, including
    area code, of agent for service)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                          Calculation of Registration Fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Proposed
                                                           Proposed                   maximum
  Title of securities          Amount to be            maximum offering         aggregate offering            Amount of
   to be registered          registered(1)            price per share(2)             price(2)              registration fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                           <C>                         <C>                     <C>                         <C>       
     Common Stock,
     no par value             166,000 shares              $13.25                  $2,199,500.00               $611.46
<CAPTION>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

(1) This  registration  statement  also  covers  such  indeterminable  number of
    additional shares as may become issuable to prevent dilution in the event of
    stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions  pursuant to the terms
    of the Plan.

(2) Estimated  solely  for the  purpose  of  calculating  the  registration  fee
    pursuant  to Rule  457(c)  under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  based on the
    average of the high and low  trading  prices of the shares  reported  by the
    American Stock Exchange on May 17, 1999.
                                                         Exhibit Index on page 6


<PAGE>



                                     PART I

         This   registration   statement  relates  to  registration  of  166,000
additional  shares of common stock,  which are reserved for issuance pursuant to
the Registrant's 1997 Stock Option Plan. A registraton  statement has previously
been  filed  with  respect  to other  shares of the  Registrant's  common  stock
reserved  for issuance  under the same stock  option plan.  The contents of such
earlier  registration  statement (File No. 333-29951),  filed June 24, 1997, are
hereby incorporated by reference herein.

Item 8.  Exhibits.

          4       Community   Bankshares,    Inc.   1997   Stock   Option   Plan
                  (incorporated  by reference to appendix to Registrant's  Proxy
                  Statement  filed in connection with the 1997 Annual Meeting of
                  Shareholders.)

          5       Opinion of Sinkler & Boyd, P.A.

         23.1     Consent of J. W. Hunt and Company, L.L.P.

         23.2     Consent of Sinkler & Boyd, P.A. (included in Exhibit 5).

         24       Power of Attorney

<PAGE>


                                   SIGNATURES

The Registrant

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized, in the City of Orangeburg, State of South Carolina on May 17, 1999.

                               Community Bankshares, Inc

                                    s/E. J. Ayers, Jr.
                               By:----------------------------------------------
                                    E. J. Ayers, Jr.
                                    Chief Executive Officer

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following person in the capacities
indicated on May 17, 1999.

                                    s/William W. Traynham
                               By:----------------------------------------------
                                    William W. Traynham
                                    President and Chief Financial Officer
                                    (Principal Accounting and Financial Officer)
                              
                                        4

<PAGE>



         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities indicated on May 17, 1999.

s/E. J. Ayers, Jr.
--------------------------------
E. J. Ayers, Jr.                                      Chief Executive Officer,
                                                      Chairman of the Board of
                                                      Directors

s/Alvis J. Bynum
--------------------------------
Alvis J. Bynum                                        Director

s/Martha Rose C. Carson
--------------------------------
Martha Rose C. Carson                                 Director

s/Anna O. Dantzler
--------------------------------
Anna O. Dantzler                                      Director

s/J. M. Guthrie
--------------------------------
J. M. Guthrie                                         Director

s/Richard L. Havekost
--------------------------------
Richard L. Havekost                                   Director

s/Phil P. Leventis
--------------------------------
Phil P. Leventis                                      Director

s/Jesse A. Nance
--------------------------------
Jesse A. Nance                                        Director

s/William H. Nock
--------------------------------
William H. Nock                                       Director

s/Samuel F. Reid, Jr.
--------------------------------
Samuel F. Reid, Jr.                                   Director

s/William W. Traynham
--------------------------------
William W. Traynham                                   President, Chief Financial
                                                      Officer, Director

s/J. Otto Warren, Jr.
--------------------------------
J. Otto Warren, Jr.                                   Director


--------------------------------
Wm. Reynolds Williams                                 Director

s/Michael A. Wolfe
--------------------------------
Michael A. Wolfe                                      Director




                                        5

<PAGE>



                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT

4         Community  Bankshares,  Inc.  1997 Stock  Option
          Plan  (incorporated  by  reference  to appendix to
          Registrant's  Proxy  Statement filed in connection
          with the 1997 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.)

5        Opinion of Sinkler & Boyd, P.A.

23.1     Consent of J. W. Hunt and Company, L.L.P.

23.2     Consent of Sinkler & Boyd, P.A.
           (included in Exhibit 5)

24       Power of Attorney




                                        6
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 8575}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "COMMUNITY BANKSHARES INC /SC/", "cik": "0000894508", "assigned-sic": "6022", "irs-number": "570966962", "state-of-incorporation": "SC", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-78867", "film-number": "99630961"}, "business-address": {"street1": "P O BOX 2086", "city": "ORANGEBURG", "state": "SC", "zip": "29116-2086", "phone": "8035351060"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "P O BOX 2086", "city": "ORANGEBURG", "state": "SC", "zip": "29116-2086"}}
Registration No. 33-_____

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8

             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                           COMMUNITY BANKSHARES, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

          South Carolina                                         57-0966962
  (State or other jurisdiction of                             (I.R.S. Employer
  incorporation or organization)                             Identification No.)

               791 Broughton St., Orangeburg, South Carolina 29115
              (Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

                           COMMUNITY BANKSHARES, INC.
                             1997 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                              (Full title of Plan)

           William W. Traynham                    Copies to:
       Community Bankshares, Inc.                 George S. King, Jr., Esquire
              President and                       Suzanne Hulst Clawson, Esquire
         Chief Financial Officer                      Sinkler & Boyd, P.A.
           791 Broughton Steet                    1426 Main Street, Suite 1200
    Orangeburg, South Carolina 29115             Columbia, South Carolina 29201
(Name and address of agent for service)
                                                         (803) 779-3080
             (803) 535-1060
      (Telephone number, including
    area code, of agent for service)
Calculation of Registration Fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Proposed
                                                           Proposed                   maximum
  Title of securities          Amount to be            maximum offering         aggregate offering            Amount of
   to be registered          registered(1)            price per share(2)             price(2)              registration fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock,
     no par value             166,000 shares              $13.25                  $2,199,500.00               $611.46
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) This  registration  statement  also  covers  such  indeterminable  number of
    additional shares as may become issuable to prevent dilution in the event of
    stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions  pursuant to the terms
    of the Plan.

(2) Estimated  solely  for the  purpose  of  calculating  the  registration  fee
    pursuant  to Rule  457(c)  under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  based on the
    average of the high and low  trading  prices of the shares  reported  by the
    American Stock Exchange on May 17, 1999.
                                                         Exhibit Index on page 6
PART I

         This   registration   statement  relates  to  registration  of  166,000
additional  shares of common stock,  which are reserved for issuance pursuant to
the Registrant's 1997 Stock Option Plan. A registraton  statement has previously
been  filed  with  respect  to other  shares of the  Registrant's  common  stock
reserved  for issuance  under the same stock  option plan.  The contents of such
earlier  registration  statement (File No. 333-29951),  filed June 24, 1997, are
hereby incorporated by reference herein.

Item 8.  Exhibits.

          4       Community   Bankshares,    Inc.   1997   Stock   Option   Plan
                  (incorporated  by reference to appendix to Registrant's  Proxy
                  Statement  filed in connection with the 1997 Annual Meeting of
                  Shareholders.)

          5       Opinion of Sinkler & Boyd, P.A.

         23.1     Consent of J. W. Hunt and Company, L.L.P.

         23.2     Consent of Sinkler & Boyd, P.A. (included in Exhibit 5).

         24       Power of Attorney
SIGNATURES

The Registrant

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized, in the City of Orangeburg, State of South Carolina on May 17, 1999.

                               Community Bankshares, Inc

                                    s/E. J. Ayers, Jr.
                               By:----------------------------------------------
                                    E. J. Ayers, Jr.
                                    Chief Executive Officer

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following person in the capacities
indicated on May 17, 1999.

                                    s/William W. Traynham
                               By:----------------------------------------------
                                    William W. Traynham
                                    President and Chief Financial Officer
                                    (Principal Accounting and Financial Officer)
                              
                                        4
Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities indicated on May 17, 1999.

s/E. J. Ayers, Jr.
--------------------------------
E. J. Ayers, Jr.                                      Chief Executive Officer,
                                                      Chairman of the Board of
                                                      Directors

s/Alvis J. Bynum
--------------------------------
Alvis J. Bynum                                        Director

s/Martha Rose C. Carson
--------------------------------
Martha Rose C. Carson                                 Director

s/Anna O. Dantzler
--------------------------------
Anna O. Dantzler                                      Director

s/J. M. Guthrie
--------------------------------
J. M. Guthrie                                         Director

s/Richard L. Havekost
--------------------------------
Richard L. Havekost                                   Director

s/Phil P. Leventis
--------------------------------
Phil P. Leventis                                      Director

s/Jesse A. Nance
--------------------------------
Jesse A. Nance                                        Director

s/William H. Nock
--------------------------------
William H. Nock                                       Director

s/Samuel F. Reid, Jr.
--------------------------------
Samuel F. Reid, Jr.                                   Director

s/William W. Traynham
--------------------------------
William W. Traynham                                   President, Chief Financial
                                                      Officer, Director

s/J. Otto Warren, Jr.
--------------------------------
J. Otto Warren, Jr.                                   Director

--------------------------------
Wm. Reynolds Williams                                 Director

s/Michael A. Wolfe
--------------------------------
Michael A. Wolfe                                      Director

                                        5
EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT

4         Community  Bankshares,  Inc.  1997 Stock  Option
          Plan  (incorporated  by  reference  to appendix to
          Registrant's  Proxy  Statement filed in connection
          with the 1997 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.)

5        Opinion of Sinkler & Boyd, P.A.

23.1     Consent of J. W. Hunt and Company, L.L.P.

23.2     Consent of Sinkler & Boyd, P.A.
           (included in Exhibit 5)

24       Power of Attorney

                                        6