St. Philip's Church is an historic church at 142 Church Street in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

. It was formerly 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 States ...

church, but it is currently a parish of the

Anglican Diocese of South Carolina The Anglican Diocese of South Carolina (ADOSC) is a diocese of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). The diocese covers an area of 24 counties in the eastern part of the state of South Carolina. In 2019, it had 17,195 baptized members a ...

, in the

Anglican Church in North America The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a Christian denomination in the Anglican tradition in the United States and Canada. It also includes ten congregations in Mexico, two mission churches in Guatemala, and a missionary diocese in Cuba. ...

. Its National Historic Landmark description states: "Built in 1836 (spire completed in 1850), this stuccoed brick church features an imposing tower designed in the

Wren Wrens are a family, Troglodytidae, of small brown passerine birds. The family includes 96 species and is divided into 19 genera. All species are restricted to the New World except for the Eurasian wren that is widely distributed in the Old Worl ...

Gibbs Gibbs or GIBBS is a surname and acronym. It may refer to: People * Gibbs (surname) Places * Gibbs (crater), on the Moon * Gibbs, Missouri, US * Gibbs, Tennessee, US * Gibbs Island (South Shetland Islands), Antarctica * 2937 Gibbs, an asteroid ...

tradition. Three Tuscan pedimented porticoes contribute to this design to make a building of the highest quality and sophistication." On November 7, 1973, it was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

and designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

. and

History

Established in 1680, St. Philip's is the oldest European-American religious congregation in South Carolina. The first St. Philip's Church, a wooden building, was built between 1680 and 1681 at the corner of Broad and Meeting streets on the present day site of St. Michael's Episcopal Church. It was damaged in a hurricane in 1710 and a new St. Phillip's Church was begun a few blocks away on Church Street. After being delayed it was finished in 1723. It burned to the ground in 1835. Work on the present church was begun that same year and completed the next. The steeple was added between 1848 and 1850. A prominent early rector of St. Philip's was Rev. Thomas Frost, a fellow of

Caius College, Cambridge Gonville and Caius College, commonly known as Caius ( ), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1348 by Edmund Gonville, it is the fourth-oldest of the University of Cambridge's 31 colleges an ...

, who became rector of St. Philip's in 1785. Leading the church in the post-Revolutionary War period, he had to create a new role after Anglicanism was disestablished in the United States. Rev. Frost died in 1804 at 46 years of age. Rev. Thomas Downes Frost, son of the first rector Frost, was chosen as assistant minister of St. Philip's on March 12, 1815. The second Rev. Frost died an early death at age 26 in 1819.

Henrietta Johnston Henrietta de Beaulieu Dering Johnston (c. 1674 – March 9, 1729) was a pastelist of uncertain origin active in the Colonial history of the United States, English colonies in North America from approximately 1708 until her death. She is both the ...

, the wife of another early rector, Gideon Johnston, became the first recorded female artist in the American colonies. Mary Roberts, the first female American miniaturist, was connected to the church and buried here in 1761, as recorded in the register.Saunders, Richard H. and Ellen G. Miles. ''American Colonial Portraits · 1700-1776''. Washington, D.C.; Smithsonian Institution Press, 1987. pp. 94-97, p. 163 The tower of St. Philip's served for many years as the rear tower of a set of range lighthouses serving to guide mariners into Charleston's harbor; the front tower of the range was located on

Fort Sumter Fort Sumter is a historical Coastal defense and fortification#Sea forts, sea fort located near Charleston, South Carolina. Constructed on an artificial island at the entrance of Charleston Harbor in 1829, the fort was built in response to the W ...

. The light was used from 1893 to 1915. The use was restored temporarily in 1921 when the normal light needed repairs. The church was the site of a convention on November 17, 2012, which sought to legitimize the disassociation of the

from

The Episcopal Church The Episcopal Church (TEC), also known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (PECUSA), is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, based in the United States. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is ...

, and to amend the diocesan constitution and canons to remove all references to the Episcopal Church. (November 17, 2012). Diocese of South Carolina. As a result, the title to the building was disputed between the Anglican Diocese and the Episcopal Diocese. On 17 August 2022, the South Carolina Supreme Court affirmed the property rights of six parishes, including St. Philip's Church, of the

, who will be able to keep them because of this decision. File:Alexander Christie House, South of Broad, Charleston, SC (49550209857).jpg, The Alexander Christie House (ca. 1805) has served as the rectory of church since 1908 File:St-philips-episcopal-charleston-sc2.jpg, The building's steeple is adorned with clocks File:St. Philips Church Charleston SC.jpg, The interior of the church File:St. Philip's West Graveyard.jpg, alt=A photograph showing a view of the West Graveyard of St. Philip's Church, The West Graveyard of St. Philip's Church File:St. Philip's Church and Graveyard, Charleston SC.jpg, Graveyard in proximity to Church

Notable burials

Notable burials in the church graveyard include: *

John C. Calhoun John Caldwell Calhoun (; March 18, 1782March 31, 1850) was an American statesman and political theorist who served as the seventh vice president of the United States from 1825 to 1832. Born in South Carolina, he adamantly defended American s ...

, seventh vice-President of the United States. * Captain John Christie, 60th OR Royal American Regiment, and Founder and First Worshipful Master of Lodge No. 1 at Detroit, Michigan. * Judith DuBose, colonial heiress *

Christopher Gadsden Christopher Gadsden (February 16, 1724 – August 28, 1805) was an American politician who was the principal leader of the South Carolina Patriot movement during the American Revolution. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress, a brigadie ...

, a signer of the

Continental Association The Continental Association, also known as the Articles of Association or simply the Association, was an agreement among the Thirteen Colonies, American colonies, adopted by the First Continental Congress, which met inside Carpenters' Hall in Phi ...

. *

Judith Smith Ladson Judith Smith Ladson (May 1766 – September 4, 1820) was an American heiress and socialite who served as the Second Lady of South Carolina. A member of the colonial planter class, she was the daughter of the slave trader Benjamin Smith and the wi ...

, colonial society figure * Charles Pinckney, US Senator, Governor of South Carolina, and a Signer of the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...

. *

Edward Rutledge Edward Rutledge (November 23, 1749 – January 23, 1800) was an American Founding Father and politician who signed the Continental Association and was the youngest signatory of the Declaration of Independence. He later served as the 39th govern ...

, Continental Congressman and a Signer of the

United States Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America in the original printing, is the founding document of the United States. On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the Second Continen ...

and

References

External links

*
St. Philip's Church websiteSt. Philip's Church history
including 9 photos, at South Carolina Department of Archives and History
National Historic Landmarks Program listing for St. Philip's ChurchHistoric Charleston's Religious and Community Buildings, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel ItinerarySaint Philip's Church - Charleston, South Carolina
includes photos and history {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Philip's Church, Charleston, South Carolina National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Historic American Buildings Survey in South Carolina English-American culture in South Carolina Churches in Charleston, South Carolina National Register of Historic Places in Charleston, South Carolina 19th-century Episcopal church buildings Historic district contributing properties in South Carolina Anglican Church in North America church buildings in the United States Former Episcopal church buildings in South Carolina Anglican realignment congregations 19th-century Anglican church buildings in the United States

History

Notable burials

See also

References

Further reading

External links