A tourist from England described it in 1837 as a “neat temple, prettily situated in a shady grove.” Local Pendletonians know it simply as St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, a 175-year-old village treasure.
St. Paul’s, located on East Queen Street, was the first Episcopal Church in Upstate South Carolina. Plans for the church were laid between 1816 and 1818 and services began in 1819 in the first Farmers’ Hall. The sanctuary was completed in 1822. Until 1848, the church was open only during the summer.
St. Paul’s has been the chosen place of worship for many of the area’s most prominent residents, including the John C. Calhoun family. A popular legend has it that Calhoun would often, after services, send his family ahead in their carriage and then walk the five miles back to Fort Hill, the Calhoun home, collecting his thoughts along the way.
Today, John C. Calhoun’s wife and most of their children are buried in the graveyard adjoining St. Paul’s. In fact, the church is perhaps best known today for the renowned South Carolinians buried in its cemetery. Those buried in the cemetery include Thomas Green Clemson, founder of Clemson University; Anna Maria Clemson, Thomas Clemson’s wife and daughter of John C. Calhoun; Francis Burt, first governor of Nebraska; General Bernard Bee, the man who gave General Andrew Jackson the nickname “Stonewall”; Rev. Jasper Adams, first president of Hobarth College in New York and, later, president of the College of Charleston; General Clement Stevens, a member of Commodore Perry’s squadron at the Battle of Lake Erie and inventor of the iron-clad boat; and William Henry Trescott, Assistant Secretary of State under President Buchanan and diplomat to China.
The church organ was purchased by popular subscription in 1848 at the suggestion of Mrs. Calhoun. The congregation bought the altar and the baptismal font in 1857. The Creed and the Lord’s Prayer boards were gifts from the Holy Communion Church in Charleston. The pedestal to the font, altar rail, prayer desk, and lectern are all hand-carved. In addition, there are many vases, lights, and brasses in the church given in memory of deceased members. The original panes in the windows show patches made during the Civil War, and according to legend, the original church bell was metamorphosed into bullets for use by the Confederate Army. The second church bell was taken from the Charleston steamer, Seabrook.
Today, the church is a “Chapel of Ease” – a designation given to a church that does not have its own congregation. Most of St. Paul’s old congregation now attends Holy Trinity Church in Clemson.
St. Paul’s does have prayer services on the first and third Sundays during the summer and winter months. Services start at 5 p.m. in the winter. The church holds Christmas Eve Eucharist and an Easter afternoon service. Also, there is a Homecoming service on the Sunday closest to June 17. St. Paul’s is also available for wedding and funeral services. If you are interested in seeing the interior, please call 882-6176 or 654-2299 to inquire about guided tours by women of the church.
> Article originally appeared in The Pendletonian, Pendleton, SC
