Christ Church (Episcopal) is an

Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

church in

Greenville, South Carolina Greenville (; locally ) is a city in and the seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. Greenville is located approximately halfway be ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. which was consecrated in 1854. The church and its courtyard are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

as Christ Church (Episcopal) and Churchyard. It is the oldest organized religious body and the oldest church building remaining in Greenville.

History

In March, 1820, Reverend Rodolphus Dickerson founded St. James Mission in the village of Greenville Court House. In 1825,

Vardry McBee Vardry Echols McBee (June 19, 1775 – January 23, 1864) was an American saddlemaker, merchant, farmer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who has frequently been called, "the father of Greenville, South Carolina". Youth McBee, the youngest o ...

, who was an early industrialist in Greenville, gave for the church. The cornerstone was laid on September 15, 1825. The brick church was long and wide. The first service was held on June 18, 1826. The church was accepted into the

Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina The Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina (EDOSC), known as The Episcopal Church in South Carolina from January 2013 until September 2019, is a diocese of the Episcopal Church. The diocese covers an area of 24 counties in the eastern part of the ...

as Christ Church Parish. In 1845, the parish proposed the building of a new church.

Joel Poinsett Joel Roberts Poinsett (March 2, 1779December 12, 1851) was an American physician, diplomat and botanist. He was the first U.S. agent in South America, a member of the South Carolina legislature and the United States House of Representatives, the ...

, who was a vestryman of the church, drew up plans. Since these were felt to too elaborate and unaffordable, construction was delayed and Poinsett died. Rev. John D. McCollough, who had designed and built over a dozen churches in

upstate South Carolina The Upstate is the region in the westernmost part of South Carolina, United States, also known as the Upcountry, which is the historical term. Although loosely defined among locals, the general definition includes the 10 counties of the commerc ...

, drew the final plans and built the church. The cornerstone was laid on May 29, 1852. It contained religious books, church and diocesan publications in a sealed copper box. The

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

of the brick Gothic church was originally long and wide. There were five lancet windows on each side. The west end had five narrow

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

windows, which has been described as a "pentaphlet," and an art glass circular window depicting the

Holy Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...

. The

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. Ove ...

had a triplet window in the chancel depicting

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...

, St. John, and

St. Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupation ...

. The peaked ceiling was tall. Although several sources, quoting an 1856 article in the ''Southern Episcopalian'', say that the brick bell tower is tall, the 1934 architectural drawings indicate that is tall from the top of the foundation to the base of its cross. The church was consecrated on September 29, 1854. A balcony was added in 1875. The south

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...

was constructed in 1880. In 1914, the triplex window in the chancel was replaced with a stained glass window of the

Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...

from Franz Mayer & Co. in

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This window was dedicated to

Ellison Capers Ellison Capers (October 14, 1837 – April 22, 1908) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War, theologian, college professor and administrator from South Carolina. Early life Capers was the son of a Methodist bishop. He was born i ...

, who was a

Confederate general The general officers of the Confederate States Army (CSA) were the senior military leaders of the Confederacy during the American Civil War of 1861–1865. They were often former officers from the United States Army (the regular army) prior to ...

, rector in 1866 to 1888, and Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina. In 1968, the north transept was built to complete the Gothic cruciform design, and an

undercroft An undercroft is traditionally a cellar or storage room, often brick-lined and vaulted, and used for storage in buildings since medieval times. In modern usage, an undercroft is generally a ground (street-level) area which is relatively open ...

was added. In 2000, the balcony was enlarged and a 68-rank Goulding and Wood organ was installed. The

Historic American Buildings Survey Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...

documented the church with photographs and measured drawings in 1934. The drawings include a site plan and drawings of various details of the church. Christ Church is now in the

Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina The Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina (EDUSC) is a diocese in the Episcopal Church. Originally part of the Diocese of South Carolina, it became independent on October 10–11, 1922 following nearly two years of planning. The see city i ...

. It sponsors

Christ Church Episcopal School Christ Church Episcopal School (CCES) is a K–12 private, Episcopal, college-preparatory school in Greenville, South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" S ...

in Greenville.

Churchyard

The churchyard has a cemetery. In addition to Vardry McBee, clergy, church members, and former mayors, three politicians are interred: the post-Civil War provisional Governor

Benjamin Franklin Perry Benjamin Franklin Perry (November 20, 1805December 3, 1886) was the 72nd Governor of South Carolina, appointed by U.S. President Andrew Johnson in 1865 after the end of the American Civil War. Early life and career Perry was born in Pickens ...

, his son,

U.S. Congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

William H. Perry, and

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Joseph H. Earle Joseph Haynsworth Earle (April 30, 1847May 20, 1897) was a United States Senate, United States Senator from South Carolina. Biography Born in Greenville, South Carolina, Greenville, he attended private schools in Sumter, South Carolina, Sumter. ...

References

External links

Christ Church (Episcopal) Historic Marker
*
Official site
Retrieved 26 June 2019 {{National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Historic American Buildings Survey in South Carolina Episcopal churches in South Carolina National Register of Historic Places in Greenville, South Carolina Churches in Greenville County, South Carolina 19th-century Episcopal church buildings