St. Michael's Episcopal Church (Charleston, South Carolina)

Infobox_nrhp
name =St. Michael's Episcopal Church
nrhp_type = nhl


caption = St. Michael's Episcopal Church
location= 80 Meeting St. (at Broad St.),
Charleston, South Carolina
lat_degrees = 32
lat_minutes = 46
lat_seconds = 33.91
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 79
long_minutes = 55
long_seconds = 50.74
long_direction = W
locmapin = South Carolina
area =
built =1751-1761
architect= Unknown; Builder, Samuel Cardy
architecture= Georgian
designated= October 09, 1960cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=528&ResourceType=Building
title=St. Michael's Episcopal Church |accessdate=2008-03-07|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service]
added = October 15, 1966cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]
governing_body = Private (St. Michael's Episcopal Church)
refnum=66000704

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.

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 Church, 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. [ [http://www.stmichaelschurch.net/02c_history.php St. Michael's Episcopal Church history] ] [ [http://www.stphilipschurchsc.org/spce/history St. Philip's Episcopal Church history] ]

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 columns. [ [http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/charleston/S10817710006/index.htm South Carolina Department of Archives and History listing for Saint Michael's Episcopal Church] ]

It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960,citation|title=PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/66000704.pdf National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: St. Michael's Episcopal Church] |32 KB|date=1978 |author=James Dillon |publisher=National Park Service and PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Photos/66000704.pdf "Accompanying two photos, exterior, from 1969"] |32 KB] and it was included in the first promulgation of the National Register in 1966.

ee also

*List of Registered Historic Places in South Carolina
*List of National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina
*St. Michael's Episcopal Church

References

External links

* [http://www.stmichaelschurch.net/ St. Michael's Episcopal Church website]
* [http://www.stmichaelschurch.net/02c_history.php St. Michael's Episcopal Church history]
* [http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/charleston/S10817710006/index.htm Saint Michael's Episcopal Church, Charleston County (80 Meeting St., Charleston)] , including 4 photos, at South Carolina Department of Archives and History
* [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.sc0027 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://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=528&ResourceType=Building National Historic Landmarks Program listing for Saint Michael's Episcopal Church]
* [http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/charleston/S10817710006/index.htm National Register listings for Charleston County]
* [http://www.stphilipschurchsc.org/spce/history St. Philip's Episcopal Church history]
* [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/charleston/ Historic Charleston's Religious and Community Buildings, a National Park Service "Discover Our Shared Heritage" Travel Itinerary]