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St. Michael's Episcopal Church (Charleston, South Carolina)
Encyclopedia
St. Michael's Episcopal Church is an historic Episcopal church and the oldest surviving religious structure in Charleston
, South Carolina
. It is located at Broad and Meeting streets on one of the Four Corners of the Law
, and represents ecclesiastical law. It was built in the 1750s by order of the South Carolina Assembly. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and is a National Historic Landmark
. It is still an active church in the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina
.
, It had been damaged in a hurricane in 1710 and a new St. Phillip's Church was built a few blocks away on Church Street. In 1727, what was left of the old wooden church was demolished.
It is not known who designed St. Michael's, but it shows the influence of St Martin-in-the-Fields
, London
, designed in the 1720s by James Gibbs
. Samuel Cardy was the builder. The walls are of brick that was stuccoed over and painted white. The two-story portico
facing Broad Street was the first of its size in colonial America and features Tuscan
column
s.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960, and it was included in the first promulgation of the National Register in 1966.
s.
Charleston, 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...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. It is located at Broad and Meeting streets on one of the Four Corners of the Law
Four Corners of the Law
The Four Corners of the Law is a term commonly used to refer to the intersection of Meeting and Broad Streets in Charleston, South Carolina. The term was coined in the 1930's by Robert Ripley, creator of Ripley's Believe it or Not!. , constructed between 1752 and 1761, stands on the southeast...
, and represents ecclesiastical law. It was built in the 1750s by order of the South Carolina Assembly. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and is a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. It is still an active church in the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina
Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina
The Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America covering an area of 24 counties in the eastern part of the state of South Carolina. Its see city is Charleston, home to the Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul and Diocesan House. There are...
.
History
St. Michael's Church was built between 1751 and 1761 at the corner of Broad and Meeting streets on the site of the original wooden church built in 1681 by St. Philip's ChurchSt. Philip's Episcopal Church (Charleston, South Carolina)
St. Philip's Episcopal Church is an historic Episcopal church in the French Quarter neighborhood of Charleston, South Carolina. Its National Historic Landmark description states: "Built in 1836 , this stuccoed brick church features an imposing tower designed in the Wren-Gibbs tradition...
, It had been damaged in a hurricane in 1710 and a new St. Phillip's Church was built a few blocks away on Church Street. In 1727, what was left of the old wooden church was demolished.
It is not known who designed St. Michael's, but it shows the influence of St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields is an Anglican church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Its patron is Saint Martin of Tours.-Roman era:Excavations at the site in 2006 led to the discovery of a grave dated about 410...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, designed in the 1720s by James Gibbs
James Gibbs
James Gibbs was one of Britain's most influential architects. Born in Scotland, he trained as an architect in Rome, and practised mainly in England...
. Samuel Cardy was the builder. The walls are of brick that was stuccoed over and painted white. The two-story portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
facing Broad Street was the first of its size in colonial America and features Tuscan
Tuscan order
Among canon of classical orders of classical architecture, the Tuscan order's place is due to the influence of the Italian Sebastiano Serlio, who meticulously described the five orders including a "Tuscan order", "the solidest and least ornate", in his fourth book of Regole generalii di...
column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960, and it was included in the first promulgation of the National Register in 1966.
Chimes
The church houses a clock and bells dating from colonial times, whose tune is copied in many longcase clockLongcase clock
A longcase clock, also tall-case clock, floor clock, or grandfather clock, is a tall, freestanding, weight-driven pendulum clock with the pendulum held inside the tower, or waist of the case. Clocks of this style are commonly 1.8–2.4 metres tall...
s.
See also
- List of Registered Historic Places in South Carolina
- List of National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina
- St. Michael's ChurchyardSt. Michael's ChurchyardSt. Michael's Churchyard, adjacent to historic St. Michael's Episcopal Church on the corner of Meeting and Broad Streets, is the final resting place of some famous historical figures, including two signers of the Constitution of the United States. The church was established in 1751 as the second...
External links
- St. Michael's Episcopal Church website
- St. Michael's Episcopal Church history
- Saint Michael's Episcopal Church, Charleston County (80 Meeting St., Charleston), including four photos, at South Carolina Department of Archives and History
- St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 80 Meeting Street, Charleston, Charleston County, SC: 41 b&w photos, 4 color photos, 11 drawings, 16 data pages, at Historic American Building Survey
- http://www.halseymap.com/Flash/window.asp?HMID=23 site history
- National Historic Landmarks Program listing for Saint Michael's Episcopal Church
- National Register listings for Charleston County
- St. Philip's Episcopal Church history
- Historic Charleston's Religious and Community Buildings, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary