51 Bull Street
City Directories and History: HOLY TRINITY REFORMED EPISCOPAL CHURCH Constructed circa 1880
“This congregation was formed as small groups of African Americans left the Protestant Episcopal Church to form the Reformed Episcopal Church. In 1875 this congregation was organized under its present name, and in 1876 the site at 51 Bull Street was acquired. Construction was begun by 1880, and the church was built in three weeks for the cost of $1,000.”
Information from: The Buildings of Charleston – J.H. Poston – Author, for the Historic Charleston Foundation, 1997
“Holy Trinity Reformed Episcopal Church. In 1874, a group of black members left the Protestant Episcopal Church and were admitted into the Reformed Episcopal Church. In 1875, they organized under the present name, and in 1876 acquired the present site. In 1880, the congregation hired Welling & Gleason, contractors, to build the present structure. It was completed in three weeks at a cost of $1,000. The cornerstone was laid by the Right Rev. Peter Fayssoux Stevens, first bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church in South Carolina. This is a simple wooden structure with an air of dignity engendered by the classic portico and pleasing proportions. ” (Legerton, 22-23.) – CCPL
Other sources of interest: Charleston Tax Payers of Charleston, SC in 1860-61 and the Dwelling Houses of Charleston by Alice R.H. Smith – 1917 The HCF may also have additional data at: Past Perfect and further research can be uncovered at: Charleston 1861 Census Schedule or The Charleston City Guide of 1872
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