“A Romanesque Revival style church overlooking the square since 1856.”
328 Meeting Street
City Directories and History: CITADEL SQUARE BAPTIST CHURCH
Constructed 1855-56; steeple restored 1990-91
“Formed in 1854 by twelve members from First Baptist Church who were eventually joined by members of the Wentworth Street Baptist Church in Ansonborough and the Morris Street Baptist Church in Radcliffeborough, this amalgamated congregation began construction of a new church building within a few months. Edward C. Jones and Francis D. Lee apparently designed the new Baptist church with a style referred to in the
Charleston Courier as “pure Norman,” following the Romanesque structures found particularly in France. Jones and Lee’s design predates the more famous work in this style by Henry Hobson Richardson. On the exterior a massive gable roof fronts Meeting Street with arched entries surmounted by elaborate Romanesque windows, the central one supporting a rose window. The 224-foot spire was toppled by the hurricane of 1885. Its replacement, a shorter, late-Victorian version of the earlier steeple, was in turn replaced following damage in Hurricane Hugo. In 1990 the congregation raised funds to restore the steeple to its original height, with some concessions on the design to incorporate the post-1885 work. In the interior, ribbed vaulting and plaster bosses decorate the ceilings and the pulpit area where an alcove was originally wainscoted in oak. The interior was formerly painted in an imitation of stone.”
Information from: The Buildings of Charleston – J.H. Poston – Author, for the Historic Charleston Foundation, 1997
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Jan. 21, 1891 – “Emma Abbott, the well known singer, has left a legacy in her estate of $5,000. for the Citadel Square Baptist Church.”
Enjoy additional historic images here: Civil War
Access information on numerous Charleston County and South Carolina churches, by clicking the highlighted S.C. Digital Library name.
Other sources: Charleston Tax Payers of Charleston, SC in 1860-61, Dwelling Houses of Charleston by Alice R.H. Smith – 1917, Charleston 1861 Census Schedule, and a 1872 Bird’s Eye View of Charleston, S.C. The Hist. Charleston Foundation may also have additional data at: Past Perfect
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
User comments always welcome - please post at the bottom of this page.
[…] irony has Mother Emanuel adjacent to and sharing a parking lot with a historically white church that slaves built. Those same slaves were not allowed to sit in the main gallery of the church but […]