6 – 8 Archdale Street
City Directories and History: UNITARIAN CHURCH
Constructed 1772-87; remodeled 1852 Francis D. Lee, architect
“Construction of the Unitarian Church was halted for the duration of British occupation of Charleston during the American Revolution. Begun in 1772, it was finally dedicated in 1787 and was called the Second Independent Church. The congregation was born out of the Independent
The church was rechartered as the first Unitarian church in the South in 1839 and was remodeled into its present perpendicular Gothic style in 1852. The architect Francis D. Lee designed a new tower on the west end and a chancel at the east end. A prevailing respect for the old structure encouraged the retention of elements from the original building, while Lee added loftier details to the edifice. Inspired by the Chapel of Henry VII at Westminster, Lee added the decorative fan vaulting of plaster which adorns the interior and also added buttresses to the building and changed the fenestration to reflect the Gothic style. The church suffered extensive damage during the earthquake of 1886; while the interior was repaired, surviving ornamentation on the tower was stripped away.”
Information from: The Buildings of Charleston – J.H. Poston for the Historic Charleston Foundation, 1997
Begun in 1772, the church was Gothicized by Francis D. Lee between 1852 and 1854. The building is a good statement of the emotional mood of the mid-nineteenth century when the romantic and picturesque were dominant not only in literature but also in building design. Of Gothic Revival design, the church has a crenellated four-story tower and lancet-arched windows. The main entrance is a Tudor arch, while the eighteen paned lancet arched main tower window has a crocketed hood mould. All windows in the west façade have hood moulds. The building is constructed of stuccoed brick and has false masonry buttresses. Lee designed the church’s interior to simulate that of the chapel of Henry VII at Westminster. The architect’s use of compound piers to “support” the ceiling and to divide the nave and the aisles is quite good and gives the arches an appearance of soaring to heights that they never reach physically. A great deal of Gothic tracery is used in balustrades and arches within the nave of the church. Listed in the National Register November 7, 1973; Designated a National Historic Landmark November 7, 1973. (Courtesy of the SC Dept. of Archives and History)
View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property.
Other resources: Charleston Tax Payers of Charleston, SC in 1860-61, Dwelling Houses of Charleston by Alice R.H. Smith – 1917, Charleston 1861 Census Schedule, 1844 Map of Charleston, and a 1872 Bird’s Eye View of Charleston, S.C. The Hist. Charleston Foundation may also have additional data at: Past Perfect
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