A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ON EDISTO ISLAND
By BETTY PARTENHEIMER
By BETTY PARTENHEIMER
The Presbyterian Church on Edisto Island is one of the oldest in South Carolina and in America standing on original property. It was built in 1830 at a cost of $6,000.00. The building that stands today is not the original sanctuary. A previous one was located "across the road" (not hwy 174). Like today's sanctuary, it had box pews, an elevated pulpit and a slave gallery. An earlier building and the one just described both were destroyed by fire.
Surrounding the sanctuary is the historic graveyard, containing
graves that date back to 1787. Five former pastors are buried
there as are early ancestors of some of the current church
members. Before 1787, church members were buried on their
plantation properties.
Our earliest records were sent to Columbia for safe keeping
during the Civil War and, sadly, they were destroyed at that
time. However we are indebted to a Baptist historian who
wrote that when the first Baptists came to Edisto, they
reported that there was a Presbyterian Congregation already worshiping here in 1686. We do not know where on the Island they were worshiping.
In 1717, a man named Henry Bower donated 300 acres of land
to the church. The present sanctuary is located on a part of
that land. There is a small Prayer Chapel next
to the sanctuary which was built sometime before 1800.
It also had been located "across the road", later moved
to its present location. Its original use was for officers
of the church (elders) to conduct their meetings somewhere
other than the sanctuary where their heated arguments
were inappropriate. During most of the 19th century,
the church maintained a summer chapel and a pastor's
residence on Edingsville Beach, in an area that now lies
under the waters of the Atlantic Ocean one-half mile offshore,
north of the State Park campground.
It is believed that the architect who designed our sanctuary was Robert Mills, nationally known for his design of the Washington Monument. Over the years, the interior of the building was changed to accommodate each era. Recently the sanctuary was restored as closely to its original conformity as current building codes allow, the elevated pulpit, the most prominent restored feature. An Allen Renaissance organ, donated anonymously by a member of the church, was installed on completion of the restoration in 2003. The building is listed on the National Registry of Historical Buildings, as is the Manse, built in 1838, which was renovated in 2008. It is located on Store Creek . In the 1980s the Education and Fellowship building and the Omni gymnasium were constructed.
Thirty-one pastors have served this congregation. The Reverend Donald McCleod served the church for 29 years (1793-1821). He was succeeded by The Reverend William States Lee who served for 51 years! It was during Pastor Lee's service to the church that the evacuation by the Whites, due to the Civil War, took place. At the end of the war they returned to find that the Black members were worshiping in the sanctuary. Ownership of the church was consequently reclaimed by the Whites upon petition to Federal authorities and the freed slaves withdrew to form their own separate congregation, the Edisto Presbyterian Church, still existing today. It is interesting to note that between 1821-1858 there were 338 slave members and 89 white members.
Throughout its history, the church has celebrated two sacraments: the Lord's Supper and baptism. The historic Scottish tradition of serving groups of communicants seated at tables in front of the pulpit has continued. The tables were originally configured to seat twelve -- a reminder of the twelve disciples.
Surrounding the sanctuary is the historic graveyard, containing
graves that date back to 1787. Five former pastors are buried
there as are early ancestors of some of the current church
members. Before 1787, church members were buried on their
plantation properties.
Our earliest records were sent to Columbia for safe keeping
during the Civil War and, sadly, they were destroyed at that
time. However we are indebted to a Baptist historian who
wrote that when the first Baptists came to Edisto, they
reported that there was a Presbyterian Congregation already worshiping here in 1686. We do not know where on the Island they were worshiping.
In 1717, a man named Henry Bower donated 300 acres of land
to the church. The present sanctuary is located on a part of
that land. There is a small Prayer Chapel next
to the sanctuary which was built sometime before 1800.
It also had been located "across the road", later moved
to its present location. Its original use was for officers
of the church (elders) to conduct their meetings somewhere
other than the sanctuary where their heated arguments
were inappropriate. During most of the 19th century,
the church maintained a summer chapel and a pastor's
residence on Edingsville Beach, in an area that now lies
under the waters of the Atlantic Ocean one-half mile offshore,
north of the State Park campground.
It is believed that the architect who designed our sanctuary was Robert Mills, nationally known for his design of the Washington Monument. Over the years, the interior of the building was changed to accommodate each era. Recently the sanctuary was restored as closely to its original conformity as current building codes allow, the elevated pulpit, the most prominent restored feature. An Allen Renaissance organ, donated anonymously by a member of the church, was installed on completion of the restoration in 2003. The building is listed on the National Registry of Historical Buildings, as is the Manse, built in 1838, which was renovated in 2008. It is located on Store Creek . In the 1980s the Education and Fellowship building and the Omni gymnasium were constructed.
Thirty-one pastors have served this congregation. The Reverend Donald McCleod served the church for 29 years (1793-1821). He was succeeded by The Reverend William States Lee who served for 51 years! It was during Pastor Lee's service to the church that the evacuation by the Whites, due to the Civil War, took place. At the end of the war they returned to find that the Black members were worshiping in the sanctuary. Ownership of the church was consequently reclaimed by the Whites upon petition to Federal authorities and the freed slaves withdrew to form their own separate congregation, the Edisto Presbyterian Church, still existing today. It is interesting to note that between 1821-1858 there were 338 slave members and 89 white members.
Throughout its history, the church has celebrated two sacraments: the Lord's Supper and baptism. The historic Scottish tradition of serving groups of communicants seated at tables in front of the pulpit has continued. The tables were originally configured to seat twelve -- a reminder of the twelve disciples.
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