Name/Title
222 Calhoun Street (Old Bethel Methodist Church)Entry/Object ID
CALHOUN.222.01Scope and Content
Constructed 1797-1798. Old Bethel Methodist Church was organized in 1797 and the church building was completed by 1798. The third oldest church in South Carolina (and the second oldest church structure in Charleston), the building originally stood on the corner of Pitt and Calhoun Streets where the present brick church of Bethel Methodist Church now stands. The simple frame structure was moved to the rear corner of the property in 1852 after Bethel Methodist's brick church was completed. The old church became the meeting place of the African American members of Bethel's congregation. In 1880, the building was rolled across Calhoun Street to its present location where it became known as Old Bethel Methodist. The church is an example of 18th century meeting house architecture, with its plainly finished galleried interior. Designed with a simple rectangular floor plan, originally, its only ornamentation was the classical cornice and front and rear gables. The columned portico was added in 1880 after the church was moved to its present location. With the exception of the high pulpit and sounding board, the church retains much of its 1798 appearance. (Charleston's Religious & Community Buildings, NPS.gov.)
File contains HCF staff research notes (scant); narrative histories; newspaper articles (including 1951, 1966, 1980 DYKYC); Part I certification (National Register) which includes building history and architectural description; architectural drawing of section? (unattributed, undated); photocopy of architectural drawing of front elevation (unattributed, undated).Collection
Historic Charleston Foundation Property RecordsAcquisition
Accession
CALHOUN.222.Source or Donor
222 Calhoun Street (Old Bethel Methodist Church)Acquisition Method
Collected by StaffLexicon
Search Terms
Calhoun Street, Churches/Synagogues/Houses of Worship, Harleston Village, National Register of Historic Places, Relocated buildings, Bethel United Methodist Church (Charleston, S.C.), Church buildings--South Carolina--Charleston, African American churches--South Carolina--CharlestonArchive Details
Archive Size/Extent
1 File FolderArchive Notes
Finding Aids: Index to Property Files
Level of Description: FolderLocation
Location
Shelf
Property File ShelvesRoom
Margaretta P. Childs ArchivesBuilding
Missroon HouseCategory
PermanentDate
February 7, 2023Location
Container
PF Box 17Shelf
Prop File Shelves, Property File ShelvesRoom
Margaretta P. Childs ArchivesBuilding
Missroon HouseCategory
PermanentRelationships
Related Entries
Notes
2006.010.047-49, 2006.010.384-385, 2011.015.82, CALHOUN.222.02a-k, CALHOUN.222.03, CALHOUN.222.04a-i, CALHOUN.222.05, PITT.057.1, PITT.057.2Created By
admin@catalogit.appCreate Date
May 11, 2006Updated By
admin@catalogit.appUpdate Date
February 17, 2023