St. Matthew's German Evangelical Lutheran Church
Encyclopedia
The German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Charleston, South Carolina was incorporated on December 3, 1840. Through usage and custom the Church is now known as St. Matthew's German Evangelical Lutheran Church or St. Matthew's Lutheran Church and is a member of the South Carolina Synod
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.
. Wagener's first intent was to form a German language, "ecumenical, cosmopolitain" congregation for all faiths: Lutheran, Reformed, and Catholic. However, when the ecumenical plan failed, it was decided to organize the congregation as an Evangelical Lutheran Church. Wagener was elected the congregation's first president and would establish the town of Walhalla, South Carolina
in 1849 as a colony for German immigrants. Later he would become a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army
and remain the Commandant of Charleston until the evacuation of the city in February 1865. In 1866, he would represent the Charleston district in the South Carolina House of Representatives
, and in 1871 Wagener was elected the first Democrat mayor of Charleston after the Civil War.
The congregation's first purchase was a cemetery for the burial of German-speaking citizens during a yellow fever
outbreak in 1841. Known as Hampstedt or God's Acre Cemetery, the grounds on Reid Street would eventually hold 1,048 individuals by the mid-1850s. During the first year of the congregation's organization, worship services were held in the Lecture Room of the Second Presbyterian Church at 63-65 Society Street, the German Fire Company at 6 Chalmers Street, and the Lecture Room at St. John's Lutheran Church (English) on Clifford St. (formerly known as Dutch Church Alley). Interestingly, the Presbyterian Lecture Room would be purchased by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston in 1861 to form St. Paul's German Catholic Church. The Lutheran congregation's first church building was a classical Greek Revival
structure on the northwest corner of Hasell and Anson Streets. The architect was Edward Brickell White
, and it was dedicated on June 22, 1842. The cost for the land and construction by John Dawson was $11,000.
In 1856 the church purchased Bethany Cemetery because the first cemetery was full. There were several additional yellow fever outbreaks during the early years of the congregation. According to church records, there were 147 deaths in 1854, 308 in 1858 and 130 in 1865 of which 84 were children. During the worst outbreaks, Pastor Ludwig "Louis" Müller would officiate at three funerals every day.
During the American Civil War
the sanctuary was spared destruction in the fire of 1861 and only the windows and some furnishings were damaged during the Siege of Charleston
. By 1860, Germans represented 5% of the Charleston population. The congregation would outgrow the original sanctuary by 1868 when 40 applications for pews could not be filled. In 1878 the sanctuary was sold to a group of 53 Lutherans who formed the German Evangelical Lutheran St. Johannes Church.
In 1868, the church purchased its present site from Father Patrick O'Neill and contracted the Irish-born architect John Henry Devereux to design a gothic revival
sanctuary with suggestions from Ludwig Müller, the congregation's Pastor. Devereaux also designed the Renaissance Revival U.S. Post Office in Charleston. The new sanctuary was dedicated in 1872 with elaborate ceremonies and 3000 persons attending. In 1883, the church began to hold services in German and English. In 1901, a clock and set of ten bells from the Meneely Bell Foundry
were installed in the steeple at a cost of $7000. Three additional bells would be added later in 1966. A Sunday school building was added in 1909. As the nation entered the Great War
in 1917, 83 members of the church would serve in the military with 5 paying the supreme sacrifice. Due to anti-German sentiments during World War I, German language services had ended by 1918. The sanctuary was renovated in 1925 with an elaborate gothic marble altar installed and an addition of a 5-stop chancel organ. During one of the worst years of the Great Depression
, an expansive Sunday school building was constructed in 1932 at the cost of $81,000.
In 1941, joint services were started in the Sunday school building for armed service personnel stationed in Charleston. A program of singing, entertainment, and a social hour were held each Sunday evening during the duration of World War II
. In 1944, a Service Center Building was constructed on St. Matthew's property on Vanderhorst street by the National Lutheran Council, a cooperative body comprising eight Lutheran church bodies in the United States, who then created the Service Commission. This commission served as the official military agency of the council and worked to provide spiritual ministry to service personnel. Also during the war, German hymnals were loaned to the German Prisoners of War camp in Hampton, South Carolina. The Church's organist and a vocal quartet presented a program of Christmas music to the prisoners, also. In World War II, 191 members of St. Matthew's served their country with 3 paying the supreme sacrifice.
In 1961, the final expansion and renovation of the Parish buildings was completed which included an auditorium and the air conditioning of the sanctuary and Sunday school building.
St. Matthew's plays host to many cultural events throughout the year and broadcasts its Sunday 11:00 am service live on WSCC-FM
94.3. Professor Stefan Engels
of Leipzig, Germany noted scholar on the works of Sigfrid Karg-Elert
has performed many times on the 61 rank Austin Organ
. The church is also a frequent venue for Charleston Symphony Orchestra Gospel Choir concerts.
were saved. The destroyed gallery stained glass windows would be replaced by Franz Mayer & Co.
of Munich, Germany and executed by the studios of George L. Payne of Patterson, New Jersey. The destroyed windows in the front of the church would be replaced by the Hunt Stained Glass Studios of Pittsburgh, PA who had installed the originals. The first service in the restored sanctuary was on June 12, 1966.
’s 135 mile per hour winds swept across the peninsula of Charleston at midnight on September 21, 1989, no building was left untouched, including St. Matthew's sanctuary. On Sunday morning September 24th, 135 members gathered in the water-logged and darkened nave
to assess the damage and offer prayer that the structure was basically still intact. Damage to the 117 year-old structure, however, was significant.
The entire steeple was denuded of its copper sheathing, large sections of the slate
roof were blown off which damaged the building’s drainage system and gutters, other slate tiles damaged the adjacent educational building. Large sections of stucco were stripped from the exterior walls. Water filled the "dead-air space" of the nave walls, necessitating the resurfacing of all interior walls and the vaulted ceiling. It would also be necessary to restore the decorative brackets and ornamental cherubs throughout the nave. All carpets and parquet flooring had to be replaced. Restoration and renovation of the entire facility cost over $1.6 million and took almost two years. On September 21, 1990, two years to the day after the "storm of the century," the nave and the educational building were rededicated, with South Carolina Synod Bishop James Aull leading the congregation in a service of praise and thanksgiving.
from May 1884, the building was a boots and shoes store. Since the Fall of 2000, the Community Center of St. Matthew's has provided a range of services to the surrounding community. Current activities are AS Kids after school program, English as Second Language instruction,Tot's Morning Out developmental child-care, energy conservation instruction, emergency food pantry, and Lutheran Campus Ministries. The Center hosts an annual Afternoon Tea during Spoleto Festival USA
and a Christkindlmarkt in December.
in 1973. It remains the tallest church steeple in the state. The building is 65 feet wide by 157 feet deep. Over the vestibule rises the tower and spire. At a distance of 135 feet from the ground the tower takes an octagonal shape then reaches upward to the terminal height of 255 feet and 5/8 inches. The spire was originally topped by a wrought iron finial made by German-born Christopher Werner who also created the Palmetto Monument on the Capitol grounds in Columbia, South Carolina. The finial was destroyed in the cyclone of 1885 and not replaced due to cost. The nave is 100 feet long by 56 feet wide and the vaulted ceiling rises 72 feet above the box pews. Originally the interior and exterior were painted in a faux stone finish, and in the 1880s the exterior displayed a black and white Ablaq banded effect. Presently the interior is white and the exterior is plastered in medium red. St. Matthew's is listed as an exceptional contributing property of the Charleston Old and Historic District
and is a contributing building in the Charleston National Historic Landmark District.
was dedicated in 1967. It has 3 manuals, 47 stops, 61 ranks and electropneumatic action. The Austin Organ Opus 2465 stop list:
GREAT (unenclosed)
16 Gemshorn,
8 Principal,
8 Bourdon,
8 Gemshorn (ext),
4 Octave,
4 Spitzflote,
2 Waldflote,
II Rauschquint,
IV Fourniture,
Cymbelstern,
Chimes,
Gt-Gt 16, 4,
Sw-Gt 16, 8, 4,
Ch-Gt 16, 8, 4,
Pos-Gt 8,
SWELL (enclosed)
16 Lieblich Gedackt,
8 Geigen Principal,
8 Hohl Flute,
8 Gamba,
8 Gamba Celeste,
4 Principal,
4 Rohrflote,
2 Flautino,
IV Plein Jeu,
16 Contra Fagotto,
8 Fagotto (ext),
4 Clairon,
8 Trumpet,
Sw-Sw 16, 4,
Ch-Sw 8,
Ch-Pos 8,
CHOIR (enclosed)
8 Nason Flute,
8 Flauto Dolce,
8 Flute Celeste,
4 Koppelflote,
2 2/3 Nasard,
2 Blockflote,
1 3/5 Tierce,
8 Krummhorn,
8 Bombarde,
8 Trumpet en chamade,
Tremulant,
Ch-Ch 16, 4,
Sw-Ch 16, 8, 4,
Gt 8; Pos 8,
CHANCEL (enclosed)
8 Gedackt,
8 Viole d'amour,
8 Viole celeste,
4 Principal,
4 Chimney Flute,
III Mixture,
8 Trompete,
Tremulant,
Chancel on Great,
Chancel on Choir,
POSITIV
8 Suavial,
4 Praestant,
2 Prinzipal,
1 1/3 Larigot,
III Cymbel,
4 Schalmei,
PEDAL
32 Resultant (ext),
32 Lieblich Gedackt (electronic),
32 Contra Bombarde (electronic),
16 Principal,
16 Bourdon,
16 Gemshorn (Gt),
16 Lieblich Gedackt (Sw),
16 Flauto Dolce (Ch ext),
8 Octave,
8 Gemshorn (Gt),
8 Gedeckt (ext),
4 Choralbass,
III Mixture,
16 Bombarde (Ch ext),
16 Fagotto (Sw),
8 Bombarde (Ch),
4 Krummhorn (Ch),
16 Gedeckt (Chancel),
8 Floete (Chancel),
Chimes (Gt),
Gt-Ped 8, 4;
Sw-Ped 8, 4;
Ch-Ped 8, 4;
Pos-Ped 8
Manual One
8 Bourdon, 4 Prestant, 4 Quintaton, 2 Flute a bec, Cymbale III, 8 Trompette
Manual Two
8 Quintaton, 4 Flute a Cheminee, 2 Doublette, 1 1/3 Larigot, 8 Trompette, Tremulant
Pedal
16 Quintaton, 8 Bourdon, 4 Prestant, 8 Trompette
depictions of the Crucifixion and the four Evangelists. In 1912, 12 opalescent memorial windows were installed on the ground floor. These windows have been attributed to the Quaker City Stained Glass Company of Philadelphia. Of special merit are the two full-length windows of Martin Luther
and Philipp Melanchthon
. During the fire of 1965, 16 windows in the upper gallery and organ loft were destroyed. Only the window of the Nativity at the rear of the south gallery was not damaged. This original window and its companion replacements, the Annunciation and the Holy Apostles, were products of the Hunt Studios in Pittsburgh. The remaining replacement gallery windows were by the studio of Franz Mayer & Co.
of Munich, Germany represented by the studios of George L. Payne of Patterson, New Jersey.
South Carolina Synod
The South Carolina Synod is one of 65 geographical administrative districts of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, comprising the entire state of South Carolina. The current bishop of the Synod is The Rev. Dr. Herman R. Yoos III, who was elected by the 2008 Synod Assembly at the...
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.
History
The church was founded by Johann Andreas Wagener and 49 other German-speaking citizens wishing to worship in their native language in the port city of Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. Wagener's first intent was to form a German language, "ecumenical, cosmopolitain" congregation for all faiths: Lutheran, Reformed, and Catholic. However, when the ecumenical plan failed, it was decided to organize the congregation as an Evangelical Lutheran Church. Wagener was elected the congregation's first president and would establish the town of Walhalla, South Carolina
Walhalla, South Carolina
Walhalla is a mountain city in Oconee County, South Carolina, United States. It is located from Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina and is also located in the Appalachian Mountains of South Carolina. The population was 3,801 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Oconee County...
in 1849 as a colony for German immigrants. Later he would become a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
and remain the Commandant of Charleston until the evacuation of the city in February 1865. In 1866, he would represent the Charleston district in the South Carolina House of Representatives
South Carolina House of Representatives
The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the upper house being the South Carolina Senate. It consists of 124 Representatives elected to two year terms at the same time as US Congressional elections...
, and in 1871 Wagener was elected the first Democrat mayor of Charleston after the Civil War.
The congregation's first purchase was a cemetery for the burial of German-speaking citizens during a yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
outbreak in 1841. Known as Hampstedt or God's Acre Cemetery, the grounds on Reid Street would eventually hold 1,048 individuals by the mid-1850s. During the first year of the congregation's organization, worship services were held in the Lecture Room of the Second Presbyterian Church at 63-65 Society Street, the German Fire Company at 6 Chalmers Street, and the Lecture Room at St. John's Lutheran Church (English) on Clifford St. (formerly known as Dutch Church Alley). Interestingly, the Presbyterian Lecture Room would be purchased by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston in 1861 to form St. Paul's German Catholic Church. The Lutheran congregation's first church building was a classical Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
structure on the northwest corner of Hasell and Anson Streets. The architect was Edward Brickell White
Edward Brickell White
Edward Brickell White , also known as E. B. White, was an American architect. He was known for his Gothic Revival architecture and his use of Roman and Greek designs.-Life:...
, and it was dedicated on June 22, 1842. The cost for the land and construction by John Dawson was $11,000.
In 1856 the church purchased Bethany Cemetery because the first cemetery was full. There were several additional yellow fever outbreaks during the early years of the congregation. According to church records, there were 147 deaths in 1854, 308 in 1858 and 130 in 1865 of which 84 were children. During the worst outbreaks, Pastor Ludwig "Louis" Müller would officiate at three funerals every day.
During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
the sanctuary was spared destruction in the fire of 1861 and only the windows and some furnishings were damaged during the Siege of Charleston
Second Battle of Charleston Harbor
The Second Battle of Charleston Harbor, also known as the Siege of Charleston Harbor, Siege of Fort Wagner, or Battle of Morris Island, took place during the American Civil War in the late summer of 1863 between a combined Union Army/Navy force and the Confederate defenses of Charleston, South...
. By 1860, Germans represented 5% of the Charleston population. The congregation would outgrow the original sanctuary by 1868 when 40 applications for pews could not be filled. In 1878 the sanctuary was sold to a group of 53 Lutherans who formed the German Evangelical Lutheran St. Johannes Church.
In 1868, the church purchased its present site from Father Patrick O'Neill and contracted the Irish-born architect John Henry Devereux to design a gothic revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
sanctuary with suggestions from Ludwig Müller, the congregation's Pastor. Devereaux also designed the Renaissance Revival U.S. Post Office in Charleston. The new sanctuary was dedicated in 1872 with elaborate ceremonies and 3000 persons attending. In 1883, the church began to hold services in German and English. In 1901, a clock and set of ten bells from the Meneely Bell Foundry
Meneely bell foundry
The Meneely Bell Foundry was a bell foundry established in 1826 in West Troy , New York, by Andrew Meneely. Two of Andrew's sons continued to operate the foundry after his death, while a third son, Clinton H. Meneely, opened a second foundry across the river with George H. Kimberly in Troy, New...
were installed in the steeple at a cost of $7000. Three additional bells would be added later in 1966. A Sunday school building was added in 1909. As the nation entered the Great War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1917, 83 members of the church would serve in the military with 5 paying the supreme sacrifice. Due to anti-German sentiments during World War I, German language services had ended by 1918. The sanctuary was renovated in 1925 with an elaborate gothic marble altar installed and an addition of a 5-stop chancel organ. During one of the worst years of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, an expansive Sunday school building was constructed in 1932 at the cost of $81,000.
In 1941, joint services were started in the Sunday school building for armed service personnel stationed in Charleston. A program of singing, entertainment, and a social hour were held each Sunday evening during the duration of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1944, a Service Center Building was constructed on St. Matthew's property on Vanderhorst street by the National Lutheran Council, a cooperative body comprising eight Lutheran church bodies in the United States, who then created the Service Commission. This commission served as the official military agency of the council and worked to provide spiritual ministry to service personnel. Also during the war, German hymnals were loaned to the German Prisoners of War camp in Hampton, South Carolina. The Church's organist and a vocal quartet presented a program of Christmas music to the prisoners, also. In World War II, 191 members of St. Matthew's served their country with 3 paying the supreme sacrifice.
In 1961, the final expansion and renovation of the Parish buildings was completed which included an auditorium and the air conditioning of the sanctuary and Sunday school building.
St. Matthew's plays host to many cultural events throughout the year and broadcasts its Sunday 11:00 am service live on WSCC-FM
WSCC-FM
WSCC-FM , also known as "News Radio 94.3 WSC", is a radio station located in Charleston, South Carolina. The station is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to the nearby community of Goose Creek and broadcasts on 94.3 FM with a effective radiated power of 25 kW.-History:94.3...
94.3. Professor Stefan Engels
Stefan Engels
Stefan Engels is an internationally renowned German organist.-Career:Stefan Engels studied at the Musikhochschulen in Aachen, Düsseldorf, and Köln. From 1993 to 1998, he studied with Robert Anderson and Wolfgang Rübsam...
of Leipzig, Germany noted scholar on the works of Sigfrid Karg-Elert
Sigfrid Karg-Elert
Sigfrid Karg-Elert was a German composer of considerable fame in the early twentieth century, best known for his compositions for organ and harmonium.-Biography:...
has performed many times on the 61 rank Austin Organ
Austin Organs, Inc.
Austin Organs, Inc. is a manufacturer of pipe organs based in Hartford, Connecticut. The company is one of the oldest continuously-operating organ manufacturers in the United States...
. The church is also a frequent venue for Charleston Symphony Orchestra Gospel Choir concerts.
The Fire of 1965
On January 13, 1965 at approximately 6:50 pm smoke was discovered coming from the church building. An incandescent light had ignited some painting materials in the church. Soon flames were engulfing the roof. The fire appeared to be under control by 8:45 pm. However, increasing winds spread the fire to the steeple and at 10:00 pm the structure fell directly in front of the church plunging 18 feet into the courtyard where it remains as a memorial of the tragic event. Rather than relocate to the suburbs where most of the church members lived, the congregation decided to rebuild the historic structure. A survey of the damage showed that the chancel and all but one ground floor stained glass windows were intact. Also, the chancel furniture, altar hangings, and "wine glass" PulpitPulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
were saved. The destroyed gallery stained glass windows would be replaced by Franz Mayer & Co.
Franz Mayer & Co.
Franz Mayer & Co. is a famous German stained glass design and manufacturing company, based in Munich, Germany, that has been active throughout most of the world for over 150 years...
of Munich, Germany and executed by the studios of George L. Payne of Patterson, New Jersey. The destroyed windows in the front of the church would be replaced by the Hunt Stained Glass Studios of Pittsburgh, PA who had installed the originals. The first service in the restored sanctuary was on June 12, 1966.
Hurricane Hugo
When Hurricane HugoHurricane Hugo
Hurricane Hugo was a classical, destructive and rare Cape Verde-type hurricane which struck the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe, Montserrat, St. Croix, Puerto Rico and the USA mainland in South Carolina as a Category 4 hurricane during September of the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season...
’s 135 mile per hour winds swept across the peninsula of Charleston at midnight on September 21, 1989, no building was left untouched, including St. Matthew's sanctuary. On Sunday morning September 24th, 135 members gathered in the water-logged and darkened nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
to assess the damage and offer prayer that the structure was basically still intact. Damage to the 117 year-old structure, however, was significant.
The entire steeple was denuded of its copper sheathing, large sections of the slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roof were blown off which damaged the building’s drainage system and gutters, other slate tiles damaged the adjacent educational building. Large sections of stucco were stripped from the exterior walls. Water filled the "dead-air space" of the nave walls, necessitating the resurfacing of all interior walls and the vaulted ceiling. It would also be necessary to restore the decorative brackets and ornamental cherubs throughout the nave. All carpets and parquet flooring had to be replaced. Restoration and renovation of the entire facility cost over $1.6 million and took almost two years. On September 21, 1990, two years to the day after the "storm of the century," the nave and the educational building were rededicated, with South Carolina Synod Bishop James Aull leading the congregation in a service of praise and thanksgiving.
The Community Center of St. Matthew's
In 1999, St. Matthew's Lutheran Church launched a $1.2 million dollar capital fund appeal to purchase and restore an historic circa 1810 building adjacent to the sanctuary to function as a community outreach center. The architect, Glenn Keys, used a photo from 1883 to guide his design. According to Sanborn mapsSanborn Maps
Sanborn Maps is an American publisher of historical and current maps of U.S. cities and towns that were initially created to estimate fire insurance liabilities. The company's maps are frequently used for preservation and restoration efforts....
from May 1884, the building was a boots and shoes store. Since the Fall of 2000, the Community Center of St. Matthew's has provided a range of services to the surrounding community. Current activities are AS Kids after school program, English as Second Language instruction,Tot's Morning Out developmental child-care, energy conservation instruction, emergency food pantry, and Lutheran Campus Ministries. The Center hosts an annual Afternoon Tea during Spoleto Festival USA
Spoleto Festival USA
Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina, is one of the world's major performing arts festivals. It was founded in 1977 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gian Carlo Menotti, who sought to establish a counterpart to the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy...
and a Christkindlmarkt in December.
The building
The structure is most known for the height of its steeple at 255 feet which was the tallest building in South Carolina until the completion of the Tower at 1301 GervaisTower at 1301 Gervais
Tower at 1301 Gervais is a high-rise building in Columbia, South Carolina, and the tallest building in the city not located along the Main Street corridor. Built in 1973, the tower has dark glazing with anodized aluminum columns to give it a dark, uniform-colored appearance. The top floor of the...
in 1973. It remains the tallest church steeple in the state. The building is 65 feet wide by 157 feet deep. Over the vestibule rises the tower and spire. At a distance of 135 feet from the ground the tower takes an octagonal shape then reaches upward to the terminal height of 255 feet and 5/8 inches. The spire was originally topped by a wrought iron finial made by German-born Christopher Werner who also created the Palmetto Monument on the Capitol grounds in Columbia, South Carolina. The finial was destroyed in the cyclone of 1885 and not replaced due to cost. The nave is 100 feet long by 56 feet wide and the vaulted ceiling rises 72 feet above the box pews. Originally the interior and exterior were painted in a faux stone finish, and in the 1880s the exterior displayed a black and white Ablaq banded effect. Presently the interior is white and the exterior is plastered in medium red. St. Matthew's is listed as an exceptional contributing property of the Charleston Old and Historic District
Charleston Historic District
The Charleston Historic District, also known as Charleston Old and Historic District, is a historic district in Charleston, South Carolina. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960....
and is a contributing building in the Charleston National Historic Landmark District.
The organs
Gallery organ
After the fire of 1965, a new sanctuary instrument by Austin Organs, Inc.Austin Organs, Inc.
Austin Organs, Inc. is a manufacturer of pipe organs based in Hartford, Connecticut. The company is one of the oldest continuously-operating organ manufacturers in the United States...
was dedicated in 1967. It has 3 manuals, 47 stops, 61 ranks and electropneumatic action. The Austin Organ Opus 2465 stop list:
GREAT (unenclosed)
16 Gemshorn,
8 Principal,
8 Bourdon,
8 Gemshorn (ext),
4 Octave,
4 Spitzflote,
2 Waldflote,
II Rauschquint,
IV Fourniture,
Cymbelstern,
Chimes,
Gt-Gt 16, 4,
Sw-Gt 16, 8, 4,
Ch-Gt 16, 8, 4,
Pos-Gt 8,
SWELL (enclosed)
16 Lieblich Gedackt,
8 Geigen Principal,
8 Hohl Flute,
8 Gamba,
8 Gamba Celeste,
4 Principal,
4 Rohrflote,
2 Flautino,
IV Plein Jeu,
16 Contra Fagotto,
8 Fagotto (ext),
4 Clairon,
8 Trumpet,
Sw-Sw 16, 4,
Ch-Sw 8,
Ch-Pos 8,
CHOIR (enclosed)
8 Nason Flute,
8 Flauto Dolce,
8 Flute Celeste,
4 Koppelflote,
2 2/3 Nasard,
2 Blockflote,
1 3/5 Tierce,
8 Krummhorn,
8 Bombarde,
8 Trumpet en chamade,
Tremulant,
Ch-Ch 16, 4,
Sw-Ch 16, 8, 4,
Gt 8; Pos 8,
CHANCEL (enclosed)
8 Gedackt,
8 Viole d'amour,
8 Viole celeste,
4 Principal,
4 Chimney Flute,
III Mixture,
8 Trompete,
Tremulant,
Chancel on Great,
Chancel on Choir,
POSITIV
8 Suavial,
4 Praestant,
2 Prinzipal,
1 1/3 Larigot,
III Cymbel,
4 Schalmei,
PEDAL
32 Resultant (ext),
32 Lieblich Gedackt (electronic),
32 Contra Bombarde (electronic),
16 Principal,
16 Bourdon,
16 Gemshorn (Gt),
16 Lieblich Gedackt (Sw),
16 Flauto Dolce (Ch ext),
8 Octave,
8 Gemshorn (Gt),
8 Gedeckt (ext),
4 Choralbass,
III Mixture,
16 Bombarde (Ch ext),
16 Fagotto (Sw),
8 Bombarde (Ch),
4 Krummhorn (Ch),
16 Gedeckt (Chancel),
8 Floete (Chancel),
Chimes (Gt),
Gt-Ped 8, 4;
Sw-Ped 8, 4;
Ch-Ped 8, 4;
Pos-Ped 8
Chapel organ
In 2001, St. Matthew's obtained the Ontko Pipe Organ Opus 19a for use in the Education Building Chapel. The organ has 2 manuals, 5 registrations, and 7 ranks with electronic action. The Ontko Opus 19a stop list:Manual One
8 Bourdon, 4 Prestant, 4 Quintaton, 2 Flute a bec, Cymbale III, 8 Trompette
Manual Two
8 Quintaton, 4 Flute a Cheminee, 2 Doublette, 1 1/3 Larigot, 8 Trompette, Tremulant
Pedal
16 Quintaton, 8 Bourdon, 4 Prestant, 8 Trompette
The Stained Glass Windows
There are noteworthy stained glass windows in the sanctuary. The chancel contains the original 1872 Henry E. SharpHenry E. Sharp
Henry E. Sharp was a nineteenth-century American stained glass maker active with William Steele from c.1850 to c.1897.Sharp established himself with Steele as a glass stainer at offices at 216 Sixth Avenue....
depictions of the Crucifixion and the four Evangelists. In 1912, 12 opalescent memorial windows were installed on the ground floor. These windows have been attributed to the Quaker City Stained Glass Company of Philadelphia. Of special merit are the two full-length windows of Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
and Philipp Melanchthon
Philipp Melanchthon
Philipp Melanchthon , born Philipp Schwartzerdt, was a German reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lutheran Reformation, and an influential designer of educational systems...
. During the fire of 1965, 16 windows in the upper gallery and organ loft were destroyed. Only the window of the Nativity at the rear of the south gallery was not damaged. This original window and its companion replacements, the Annunciation and the Holy Apostles, were products of the Hunt Studios in Pittsburgh. The remaining replacement gallery windows were by the studio of Franz Mayer & Co.
Franz Mayer & Co.
Franz Mayer & Co. is a famous German stained glass design and manufacturing company, based in Munich, Germany, that has been active throughout most of the world for over 150 years...
of Munich, Germany represented by the studios of George L. Payne of Patterson, New Jersey.
External links
- St. Matthew's Lutheran Church
- The Community Center of St. Matthew's
- Kirkenmin: Worship and Music from St. Matthew's Lutheran Church
- Images of St. Matthew's at Churches of America.com
- Findagrave.com database of 1,048 Church burial records at Hampsteadt Cemetery, Charleston, SC 1841-1860
- Findagrave.com database of 10,054 Church burial records at Bethany Cemetery, Charleston, SC 1856-