These datasets are part of the manuscript "Agricultural management legacy effects on switchgrass growth and soil carbon gains" in which we observed the impact of historic tillage management and historic and continued N fertilization on switchgrass growth and soil C gains. In this study, we hypothesized that the inconsistencies in soil organic carbon (SOC) accrual by switchgrass might be due, in part, to differences in prior land management among the systems subsequently planted to switchgrass. To test this hypothesis, we measured SOC and other soil properties, root biomass, and switchgrass growth in an experimental site with a 30-year history of contrasting tillage and N-fertilization treatments, seven years after switchgrass establishment. We determined switchgrass’s monthly gross primary production (GPP) for six consecutive years and conducted deep soil sampling. Nitrogen fertilization expectedly stimulated switchgrass growth, however, a tendency for better plant growth was also observed under unfertilized settings in the former no-till soil. In topsoil, SOC significantly increased from 2007 to 2023 in fertilized treatments of both tillage histories, with the greatest increase observed in fertilized no-till. Fertilized no-till also had the highest particulate organic matter content in the topsoil, with no differences among the treatments observed in deeper soil layers. However, regardless of fertilization, the tillage history had a strong effect on stratification with depth of SOC, total N, and microbial biomass C. Results suggested that historic and ongoing N fertilization had a substantial impact on switchgrass growth and soil characteristics, while tillage legacy had a much weaker, but still discernible, effect.