April 25 – Charleston Churches

Maritime Center Marina

“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and loved more than you’ll ever know.” —A. A. Milne  

Charleston is known as the Holy City because it was one of the few places in the original 13 colonies that practiced religious tolerance. From the beginning, the city was a melting pot for people of all faiths, especially those who had been persecuted elsewhere because of their religious beliefs. Along with religious freedom came a skyline of some of the oldest and most beautiful houses of worship in the country. Here are just a few of the wonderful churches that are in Charleston.

The Circular Congregational Church, the present building, is the third structure to be built on this site, and was constructed circa 1892. In spite of its name, the plan of the church is more complex than circular; shaped like a clover leaf with three semi-circular parts and one rectangular.

Bethel Methodist Church was the only Charleston Historic Church, which remained open during the Civil War, and it survived the earthquake of 1886 intact. Although there have been interior alterations, the exterior has been well preserved. 

St. Philip's Episcopal Church, a National Historic Landmark, houses the oldest congregation in South Carolina and was the first Anglican Church established south of Virginia. This church is the third building to house the congregation; the first church was built in 1681. This building was completed in 1838.  

First Baptist Church, often referred to as the "Mother Church of Southern Baptists," is the oldest Baptist Church in the South, dedicated in 1822. 

This picture was taken from the Internet...I liked it! It shows the Unitarian Church (1787) and St. John's Lutheran Church (1817)