110 Calhoun Street
City Directories and History: The Church of the Cross, ca. 1857, is significant architecturally as a design of Edward Brickell White. White (1806-1882), a prolific engineer and architect of the mid-nineteenth century, was proficient in a wide range of styles: Classic, Renaissance, and Gothic Revival. White designed numerous churches, schools, office buildings and commercial structures in South Carolina. The cruciform
shaped Church of the Cross, completed in 1857, is one of his Gothic Revival designs, but differs from the stuccoed, more formal churches of Charleston and Columbia. The Carpenter Gothic style with board and batten exterior and interior open timbered roof is in keeping with the church’s scenic, rural setting. The architect’s choice of material, unfinished cypress, and his use of proportion and design, confirm his sensitivity to the character of the small church. Located on a bluff overlooking the May River, the church is surrounded by live oak and palmetto trees. In 1960 a parish house, which is included in the area nominated, was built in a style compatible with the church, using cruciform plan, pointed arch windows and doors, and weathered cypress siding. Listed in the National Register May 29, 1975. [Courtesy of the SC Dept. of Archives and History]
————
“Edwin Brickell White was the architect of the Church of the Cross. Built in the Gothic Revival style, the church was completed in 1857 at a cost of $5,000. The cruciform-shaped, Carpenter-Gothic style church was not built according to White’s plan, which included towers and a vestibule. The front (east) facade has a central pointed-arch doorway flanked by two shuttered lancet windows. Above the doorway is a tripartite lancet window with smaller trefoil-shaped windows on either side. The lancet-arch motif also appears on bays of the north and south facades. The north end of the transept has a gabled protrusion and an open bell tower.
Interior walls are plastered in a shade of pale pink. The pews are the early box type. Exposed beams of hard yellow pine support the roof. The carved wooden balustrade of the galleries repeats the pointed arch motif of the bays.”
Information from: Historic Resources of the Lowcountry, The Lowcountry Council of Government, Cynthia C. Jenkins, Preservation Planner – Published, 1979
Stay Connected
Explore history, houses, and stories across S.C. Your membership provides you with updates on regional topics, information on historic research, preservation, and monthly feature articles. But remember R&R wants to hear from you and assist in preserving your own family genealogy and memorabilia.
Visit the Southern Queries – Forum to receive assistance in answering questions, discuss genealogy, and enjoy exploring preservation topics with other members. Also listed are several history and genealogical researchers for hire.
User comments welcome — post at the bottom of this page.
Please enjoy this structure and all those listed in Roots and Recall. But remember each is private property. So view them from a distance or from a public area such as the sidewalk or public road.
Do you have information to share and preserve? Family, school, church, or other older photos and stories are welcome. Send them digitally through the “Share Your Story” link, so they too might be posted on Roots and Recall.
Thanks!
IMAGE GALLERY via photographer Bill Segars – 2006