201 South Garden Street
City Directories and History: 1961- St John Episcopal Church, 1981 – Saint John Episcopal Church; Architect, R.S. Schuyler and George Waring – builder.
The cornerstone was laid Nov. 2, 1888 and was the third building of this congregation, organized prior to 1826. In 1842, the congregation erected a small frame church on Fairfield Street at the site of the present church cemetery. This church was burned by Union troops on Feb. 21, 1865. By 1866 the parishioners had made plans to rebuild on Liberty Street and the second church was consecrated on July 25, 1869. On March 1, 1888 this church was also destroyed by fire.
The corner of Liberty and Garden was selected as the site for the present church. On Nov. 2, 1888 the cornerstone was laid for the Gothic style church. The present rectory was built in 1920, with an addition and renovations in 1983. The Yorkville Enquirer reported on March 6, 1889 – “The Episcopal Church at Winnsboro, which was destroyed by fire on March 1, 1888 has been rebuilt and was turned over to the congregation on March 1, 1889.”
The parish house was added to the sanctuary in 1954. On October 5, 1989 St. John’s celebrated the 150 anniversary of the parish and 100 anniversary of the present building. [Courtesy the Church History]
R&R NOTE: Though the Rev. John D. McCollough did not design the current church building, he did indeed design and execute the second Saint John’s Episcopal Church in downtown Winnsboro, S.C. He was a prolific designer of Episcopal churches across both S.C. and N.C., with over twenty churches to his attribution. The church designed by Mr. McCollough on Liberty Street was destroyed by fire but one known image remains. Link to it as the History Thread below.
It is uncanty to examine the architectural similarities, between St. John’s of Winnsboro and Nativity Episcopal of Union, S.C., an early McCollough design, both Gothic in form. McCollough’s work heavily influenced the designs for the new Saint John’s church building in Winnsboro, even though he is not credited with it. His work was so well recognized, that it had become the symbol of excellent in design and artisanship, throughout S.C.’s Episcopal diocese and likely, no other form of architecture would have been acceptable to the congregation.
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!
User comments always welcome - please post at the bottom of this page.
Share Your Comments & Feedback: