St. Michael's Parish
St. Michael's
Church
St. Michael's Episcopal
Church is located at the southeast corner of
Meeting and Broad Streets.
Established June 14, A.D. 1751. Building
begun in 1752 and it
opened for worship on 01 February 1761. It is
the oldest original church
building in the city of Charleston. It was first
erected to ease the overflow
of St. Philip's. The clock and bells in St.
Michael's were imported
from England in 1764. During the Revolution,
they were taken to England
as a prize of war, but was later returned.
During the Civil War,
they were sent to Columbia, SC for safekeeping,
but were damaged by fire,
during the burning of Columbia, and had to
be returned to England
for recasting. They have crossed the Atlantic
five times. Until the
late 19th century, the steeple served as the city's
look-out and alarm tower.
During the Civil War, its tower was used as
an enemy siting range
and was painted black to lessen its visibility. George
Washington and Robert
E. Lee have both worshipped from its Pew #43.
The church was seriously
injured by cyclone on 25 August 1885 and one
year later was almost
destroyed by an earthquake on 31 August 1886.
St. Michael's also has
a churchyard where many were buried, some of
which were key figures
in the early SC history.
St. Michael's
Churchyard
THIS IS
NOT A COMPLETED LISTING OF THOSE BURIED HERE....
Will
continue to update as information becomes available.
Contributed
by_ Jerri Lynne Smith
Sources
Used_St. Michael's Cemetery surveyed personally, Bible Records, Archived
old Newspapers
and old
family records. Some Political information_History of SC_Textbook.
1999,
Jerri Lynne Smith, Charleston County Webmaster