Bethesda Presbyterian Church | |
Location | 502 Dekalb St., Camden, South Carolina |
---|---|
Coordinates | 34°14′46″N80°36′19.28″W / 34.24611°N 80.6053556°W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1822 |
Architect | Robert Mills; Simons & Lapham |
Architectural style | Early Republic |
Part of | City of Camden Historic District (ID71000787) |
NRHP reference No. | 85003258 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | February 4, 1985 [1] |
Designated NHL | February 4, 1985 [2] |
Designated CP | May 6, 1971 |
Bethesda Presbyterian Church is a historic church at 502 DeKalb Street in Camden, South Carolina. A National Historic Landmark, the main church building was built in 1822 and is one of few surviving churches designed by 19th-century American architect Robert Mills.
The Bethesda Presbyterian Church is set on the north side of DeKalb Street (United States Route 1) in the center of Camden. The church campus includes six buildings: the main sanctuary, John Knox Hall, the Bethesda Christian School, Hammet Chapel, the McAm Building, and Westminster Hall. In front of the sanctuary is a monument, like the sanctuary designed by Robert Mills, dedicated to the memory of the Baron DeKalb, a Continental Army soldier killed in the 1780 Battle of Camden.
The main sanctuary is a rectangular brick building, with a four-columned portico on the south (street-facing) facade and a modest steeple at the north end. The front facade of the building is laid in Flemish bond, while the other three sides are laid in American bond. Behind the south portico is a large central round arch niche, which is flanked by symmetrical entrances. The north facade, which now serves as the main entrance, has a Tuscan portico sheltering a pair of staircases leading up to the gallery level. A pair of entrances provide access to the main level, and there is a round-arch window opening centered above. The side walls each have five round-arch windows. The interior is organized with the pulpit and altar at the south end, with a balcony at the north, supported by unfluted columns. Decorative elements of the balcony include dentillated elements, recessed panels, and fluted pilasters. [3]
The Presbyterian Church in Camden was established before the American Revolutionary War; its first sanctuary was destroyed during that war, and two more were built c. 1790 and 1806 to satisfy the needs of a grown congregation. The present sanctuary was designed by Robert Mills, then already an architect of some reputation, and was completed in 1822. It is stylistically more Classical than some of his later work, and is one of his few surviving ecclesiastical designs. Although the building underwent a number of alterations, especially in the late 19th century, most of these changes were reversed in the 20th century, and the building bears a significant resemblance to Mills' original design. [3]
The church (along with the accompanying DeKalb monument) was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1985. [2] [3] It is also a contributing property within the City of Camden Historic District.
Local folklore suggests the Church is haunted by Agnes of Glasgow, who was supposedly buried in the graveyard and remains searching for her lost lover. [4] [5]
Kershaw County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 65,403. The county seat and largest community is Camden. The county was created in 1791 from parts of Claremont, Lancaster, Fairfield, and Richland counties. It is named for Col. Joseph Kershaw (1727–1791), an early settler and American Revolutionary War patriot.
Government Street Presbyterian Church in Mobile, Alabama is one of the oldest and least-altered Greek Revival church buildings in the United States. The architectural design is by James Gallier Sr., James H. Dakin, and Charles Dakin. The trio also designed Barton Academy, four blocks down Government Street to the west. Government Street Presbyterian reflects the influences of Ithiel Town, Minard Lafever, and Andrew Jackson Downing. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1992.
Agnes of Glasgow (1760–1780) was a Scottish woman who became a figure of American folklore.
The Lancaster County Jail is a historic former jail building at 208 West Gay Street. Built in 1823, it is a virtually unaltered work of the noted early American architect Robert Mills, and reflects innovative changes in jail design promoted by him. It is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1973.
Lancaster County Courthouse is a historic courthouse in Lancaster, South Carolina. Built in 1828, it has been in continuous use since then. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973, as a possible work of Robert Mills, an important American architect of the first half of the 19th century. It also has the distinction of being the site of the last witch trials to take place in the United States.
The Camden Battlefield is the site of the Battle of Camden on 16 August 1780, a British victory by General Charles Cornwallis over a mixed force of Continental Army regulars and state militia forces led by General Horatio Gates. The battlefield sprawls over an area estimated to be 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) about 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Camden, South Carolina, bounded on the north by Lake Shamokin, and extending south. Flat Rock Rd (S-28-58) passes roughly through the center of the battlefield, and United States Route 521 marks its eastern boundary. The American Battlefield Trust and its partners have acquired and preserved more than 294 acres of the battlefield as of mid-2023. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961.
The Robert Mills House, also known as Robert Mills Historic House and Park or the Ainsley Hall House, is a historic house museum at 1616 Blanding Street in Columbia, South Carolina. Built in 1823 to a design by Robert Mills, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973 for its architectural significance. The Historic Columbia Foundation owns and operates the home, which has been furnished with decorative arts of the early 19th century, including American Federal, English Regency, and French Empire pieces.
Mulberry Plantation, also known as the James and Mary Boykin Chesnut House is a historic plantation at 559 Sumter Highway south of Camden, South Carolina. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 2000, it is significant as the home of American Civil War chronicler Mary Boykin Chesnut, who produced some of the most important written accounts of the war from a Confederate perspective. The main house, built about 1820, is a fine example of Federal period architecture.
The Old Marine Hospital is a historic medical building at 20 Franklin Street in Charleston, South Carolina. Built 1831–33 to a design by Robert Mills, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973 for its association with Mills, and as a high-quality example of Gothic Revival architecture. The hospital was built as a public facility for the treatment of sick sailors and other transient persons.
Bethesda Presbyterian Church is a church in McConnells, South Carolina that was built in 1820. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
The High Hills of Santee, sometimes known as the High Hills of the Santee, is a long, narrow hilly region in the western part of Sumter County, South Carolina. It has been called "one of the state's most famous areas". The High Hills of Santee region lies north of the Santee River and east of the Wateree River, one of the two rivers that join to form the Santee. It extends north almost to the Kershaw county line and northeasterly to include the former summer resort town of Bradford Springs. Since 1902 the town has been included in Lee County.
Stoney Creek Independent Presbyterian Chapel of Prince William Parish or Stoney Creek Presbyterian Chapel is a chapel in southeastern Hampton County, South Carolina, United States in the unincorporated community of McPhersonville, South Carolina about 4 mi (6 km) west of Yemassee. In the USGS Geographic Names Information System, it is called McPhersonville Church. It was built about 1833. It is one block north of Pocotaglio Road on State Highway 25-286. The chapel is only antebellum structure in McPhersonville. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places on May 22, 2002.
Kingston Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian church located at Conway in Horry County, South Carolina. The sanctuary was built in 1858 and is an outstanding example of antebellum Greek Revival ecclesiastical design. The three-bay façade features a portico set on square columns with recessed panels and square pilasters. It was originally sheathed with weatherboard, but was covered in stucco in 1930 when a stuccoed brick addition was added to the rear. Also on the property is a Colonial Revival style brick educational building built in 1956. It is co-located with the Kingston Presbyterian Church Cemetery, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
All Saints Church Pawleys Island is a historic church complex and national historic district located on Pawleys Island, Georgetown County, South Carolina. The district encompasses three contributing buildings and one contributing site—the sanctuary, cemetery, rectory, and chapel. In 2004, it left the Episcopal Church to join the Diocese of the Carolinas, now part of the Anglican Church in North America, a denomination within the Anglican realignment movement.
First Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian Church (USA) church located in Muscatine, Iowa, United States. It, along with the attached Sunday School building, were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
The First Presbyterian Church is a church building located in downtown Portland, Oregon, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Construction began in 1886 and was completed in 1890. The building has been called "one of the finest examples" of High Victorian Gothic architecture in the state of Oregon. It includes stained-glass windows made by Portland's Povey Brothers Art Glass Works and a church bell cast with bronze from captured Civil War cannons.
Cool Springs is a historic home located near Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina. It was built about 1832, and is a two-story Greek Revival style house on a raised brick basement. The original house was remodeled in the 1850s. It features a tiered portico and verandahs, supported by 64 Doric order columns. A two-story kitchen addition was attached to the house about 1935. Also on the property are the contributing two horse stables, a concrete piscatory, an old stone spring, a brick basin, a dam, and granite gate posts.
City of Camden Historic District is a national historic district located at Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina. The district encompasses 48 contributing buildings, 8 contributing sites, 2 contributing structures, and 3 contributing objects in Camden. The district is mostly residential but also include public buildings, a church, and a cemetery. Camden's architecture is classically inspired and includes examples of Federal, Greek Revival, and Classical Revival, in addition to cottage-type, Georgian, Charleston-type with modifications, and mansion-type houses. Several of the city's buildings were designed by architect Robert Mills. Notable buildings include the Kershaw County Courthouse (1826), U.S. Post Office, Camden Opera House and Clock Tower, Camden Powder Magazine, Trinity United Methodist Church, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Gov. Fletcher House, Greenleaf Villa, The First National Bank of Camden, and the separately listed Bethesda Presbyterian Church and Kendall Mill.
Kendall Mill Historic District is a historic mill complex, mill village, and national historic district located at Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina. The district encompasses 119 contributing buildings, 1 contributing sites, and 1 contributing structure in Camden. The district is centered on the Wateree Plant and associated structures that date from 1899 to 1923. The mill village to the south and southeast of the plant was built between 1900 and ca. 1925 and is a virtually intact reminder of the importance of the textile industry to South Carolina. The mill faces Kendall Park, a ten-acre landscaped park. On the eastern border of the park are the mill supervisors’ houses, built between 1900 and ca. 1925. The operatives house consist of one-story, 1 1/2-story, and a few two-story frame houses which date from 1900 to 1923. The district also includes Kendall Lake, north of the mill. The Dekalb Cotton Mill was organized in 1899. The Dekalb Mill building, designed by W.B. Smith Whaley in the Romanesque Revival style, was considered a model of textile architecture. The original plant building is a four-story rectangular brick building with a back stair tower and an imposing six-story front stair tower. The west addition to the plant, which is in keeping, architecturally, with the older buildings, was constructed in 1964. It is located in the City of Camden Historic District.
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(help) and Accompanying 16 images: photos, exterior and interior, from 1974; 1822 floor plan; and engraving from 1827 (32 KB)