St. James, Goose Creek

St. James, Goose Creek

1956-1957

11/10/2016 (digital)

St. James Church is Goose Creek was constructed between 1713 and 1719 by English settlers hailing from Barbados. Not only is this one of the oldest surviving structures in South Carolina, but it is one of the oldest Georgian style chapels still standing in the United States. This single story masonry structure has a stuccoed brick exterior, quioned corners, slate jerkinhead roof and arched windows. In addition the entrance is flanked with pilasters rising to meet decorative friezes and a gabled pediment. Legend has it that the church was saved from being burnt by British soliders during the Revolutionary War because the Barbadian settlers had the chancel decorated with the British Royal Arms. In 1844 the walls were reinfored with iron rods. However, the church was still damaged by the Earthquake of 1886, causing the west gable to collapse. The church is now encompassed by a brick wall. In 1970 St. James Church was placed on the National Historic Registry.

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image/jpeg

35 mm black and white negative film

StillImage

CLS Audio/Visual Collection, Henry P. Staats Photograph Collection

chls:92

staatschurch_004