146 Church Street (St. Philip's Church)

Archive

-

Historic Charleston Foundation

St. Philip's Church

St. Philip's Church

Name/Title

146 Church Street (St. Philip's Church)

Entry/Object ID

CHURCH.146.1

Scope and Content

Original church on this site completed 1722-23; present building constructed 1835-38; additions and chancel renovated 1920; restored 1993-94. On February 16, 1835, the Mercury newspaper commented on the burning of St. Philip's Church: "such deep and general regret as prevails among our citizens ... Unsurpassed in architectural beauty by any edifice in the union..." The sentiment was made manifest in the timely reconstruction that re-created many aspects of the 1711-23 structure, most notably the triple Tuscan portico. The earlier design responded little to the provincial influences of southern colonial ecclesiastical construction and aggressively reflected the influences of English Baroque church design of the late-17th and early-18th centuries. Replacing a 1682 cypress structure at Meeting and Broad Streets, this building served the principal parish of the official church of the colony. In 1753 the Gentleman's Magazine in London published an elevation of the building's west facade. Surviving 19th-century interior views correspond to a description of the interior with its "lothy arches" and massive pillars adorned with elegant sepulchral monuments. Although it is commonly asserted that local architect Joseph Hyde was involved in the redesign and reconstruction of the building in 1835, the participation of additional architects is likely. Edward Brickell White, the architect of the French Huguenot Church, designed the later (1848-50) steeple of St. Philip's. The 1835 building underwent significant changes to the east end in 1920 under the direction of local architect Albert Simons. Changes included the extension of the east end one full bay to include a choir. The Boston architect Ralph Adams Cram was consulted for this project. His contributions included the Decalogue and the Lord's Prayer tablets and possibly the splendid "All Saints" window by Clement Heaton. The churchyard contains many early English carved markers and box tombs as does the burial ground across the street. John C. Calhoun's splendid Roman sarcophagus style monument dominates this part of the graveyard. (Poston, Buildings of Charleston.) File contains FOHG house history (undated); building histories, including from Information for Guides of Historic Charleston, Architectural Guide to Charleston, Historic Churches of Charleston, Old South Carolina Churches, and The Churches of Charleston and the Lowcountry; newspaper articles (including two undated DYKYC); "History of St. Philip's Church" by Mrs. Christopher G. Howe; National Register Nomination Form; tour of homes brochure sponsored by St. Philip's (including Elizabeth O'Neill Verner drawing of Church on cover); article with photography about steeple restoration; copies of illustrations including an 1820 painting of east side of the second Church, an engraving of west elevation from London Magazine (1735), photo of the interior before 1920s alterations, and Albert Simons's drawing (floor plan, etc.) of parish house. See Multimedia Links for descriptions in An Architectural Guide to Charleston, South Carolina, 1700-1900; Historic Churches of Charleston, South Carolina; On the Eve of the Charleston Renaissance; and Old South Carolina Churches.

Collection

Historic Charleston Foundation Property Records

Acquisition

Accession

CHURCH.146.

Source or Donor

146 Church Street (St. Philip's Church)

Acquisition Method

Collected by Staff

Lexicon

Search Terms

Church Street, Churches/Synagogues/Houses of Worship, National Register of Historic Places, Church buildings--South Carolina--Charleston, St. Philip's Church (Charleston, S.C.)

Legacy Lexicon

Object Name

Property File

Archive Details

Archive Size/Extent

1 File Folder

Archive Notes

Finding Aids: Index to Property Files

Location

Location

Shelf

Property File Shelves

Room

Margaretta P. Childs Archives

Building

Missroon House

Category

Permanent

Date

February 7, 2023

Location

Container

PF Box 28

Building

Missroon Archives/Property File Shelves

Category

Permanent

Location

Container

PF Box 29

Shelf

Prop File Shelves, Property File Shelves

Room

Margaretta P. Childs Archives

Building

Missroon House

Category

Permanent

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

White, Edward Brickell

Person or Organization

Hyde, Joseph

Person or Organization

Simons, Albert

Person or Organization

Cram, Ralph Adams

Related Entries

Notes

2004.020.007.6, 2004.020.012, 2004.020.095, 2004.020.096, 2004.020.097, 2004.020.098, 2004.020.099, 2004.020.100, 2004.020.101, 2005.019.09, 2006.007.13, 2006.010.082-84, 2007.005.1d, 2009.010.1.10, 2009.010.1.11, 2011.015.61a-g, 2015.022.4, 2017.005.22a-b, 2018.005.40, 2020.005.21, CHURCH.146.10, CHURCH.146.12, CHURCH.146.13, CHURCH.146.14a-b, CHURCH.146.15a-h, CHURCH.146.2, CHURCH.146.3, CHURCH.146.4a-b, CHURCH.146.5, CHURCH.146.6a-c, CHURCH.146.7a-b, CHURCH.146.8, CHURCH.146.9 Related Units of Description: See also postcards and other photos of Church Street churches. Illustration of churchyard after 1861 shelling and fire, 2011.009.1.

Related Publications

Notes

Buildings of Charleston (see Abstract), pp. 87-88. Some library books and/or items in pamphlet collection contain information and/or photos; do Keyword search.

Created By

admin@catalogit.app

Create Date

February 2, 2007

Updated By

admin@catalogit.app

Update Date

February 17, 2023