St Stephen’s Episcopal Church – St. Stephen, South Carolina

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, located in the rural Berkeley County town of St. Stephen, is one of only 125 colonial churches of the Episcopal faith still open for regular services in the United States. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Landmarks and is one of only 76 National Landmarks in South Carolina.

General Francis Marion‘s brother, his nephew, and many of his comrades played roles in the construction of St Stephen’s. Although there is no written record to verify this, it is probably safe to assume that General Marion himself worshiped here occasionally. The church was completed in 1769, but regular services were discontinued in 1808. Nevertheless, St. Stephen’s was well maintained throughout the nineteenth century, which allowed services to easily resume in 1932.

This photo, taken from the southwestern side of the surrounding churchyard cemetery, gives visitors their first glimpse of the church. As you follow the dirt road, your eyes focus on the double door, slightly ajar, inviting you in for a closer examination. St. Stephen’s is a fine example of a small, Georgian, country chapel. Standing in stately simplicity for over 240 years, it is a true treasure of Berkeley County.

SCIWAY thanks Elizabeth Carroll of St Stephen, who took this great picture in August 2009 and also provided us with much of this excellent history about the church.