Pompion (pronounced "punkin") Hill Chapel is small "back parish" church near
Huger, South Carolina
Huger ( ) is an unincorporated community in Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States. It is part of the Charleston–North Charleston– Summerville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The ZIP Code for Huger is 29450.
The Cainhoy H ...
. Built in 1763, it is a virtually unaltered example of a brick Georgian parish church, retaining interior and exterior finishes. It was declared a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1970.
Description and history
The Pompion Hill Chapel is located in a rural area, overlooking the
Cooper River a few miles southwest of the hamlet of Huger. It is a rectangular brick building, with a clipped-gable roof, measuring . The brick is laid in
Flemish bond
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and Mortar (masonry), mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called ''Course (architecture), courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall.
Bricks ...
, and the roof is original slate. It has matching entrances on the long sides, at the center of the five-bay facades. The doors and windows are all set in openings with rounded arch tops, the windows topped by fanlights. A small chancel area projects from the building's eastern end, topped by a gable roof, and with a
Palladian window
Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...
in its eastern wall.
It is built in
Georgian style
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British monarchs of the House of Hano ...
.
The interior has a brick floor, laid in a herringbone pattern, with crossing aisles laid in red tile placed diagonally. The walls are plaster, rising to a cove ceiling. The interior woodwork and furnishings, including pews and pulpit are all original. The only significant alteration to the building is the reconstruction of the vestry at its western end, which was done using the original bricks.
The chapel was built in 1763-65, and was the second church to stand on the site. When the
Province of South Carolina
Province of South Carolina, originally known as Clarendon Province, was a province of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712 to 1776. It was one of the five Southern colonies and one of the thirteen American colonies. The monar ...
became officially Anglican (Episcopalian) in 1706, the church built here was the seat of St. Thomas' Parish, one of nine into which the province was divided. This church replaced the original wooden church, and was built by mason William Axson, with bricks provided by Zachariah Villepontoux from the nearby Parnassus Plantation.
See also
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List of National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina
This is a List of National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina, United States. The United States' National Historic Landmark (NHL) program is operated under the auspices of the National Park Service, and recognizes buildings, sites, structures, d ...
*
References
External links
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Pompion Hill Chapel, Berkeley County (near jct. of S.C. Hwys. 41 & 402, Huger) with 8 photos, at South Carolina Department of Archives and History
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{{National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina
National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina
Churches in Berkeley County, South Carolina
Churches completed in 1764
18th-century Episcopal church buildings
Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina
Episcopal churches in South Carolina
Colonial South Carolina
English-American culture in South Carolina
Historic American Buildings Survey in South Carolina
National Register of Historic Places in Berkeley County, South Carolina
1764 establishments in South Carolina
Georgian architecture in South Carolina