CHARLESTON, S.C. — Church and city leaders in Charleston, S.C., gathered this week to celebrate 275 years of St. Michael’s Church, the white-steepled landmark at the Four Corners of Law, and to lay out plans to keep it standing for generations to come.
St. Michael’s, at the corner of Meeting and Broad streets, is the oldest church building on the Charleston peninsula. According to the church’s own history, the parish was created in 1751 when Charles Town’s population outgrew St. Philip’s Church. A bill creating the new Anglican parish was signed into law on June 14, 1751, and construction started the next year. The building took about a decade to finish and opened for worship in 1761. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark.
The church has lived through much of the city’s history. Its steeple served as a lookout and navigation marker during the Revolutionary War, and the building was damaged during the British siege and occupation in 1780. Departing British forces carried its eight bells to England, and they were returned in 1783. President George Washington worshipped there from Pew 43 during his 1791 visit. The building also came through the 1886 Charleston earthquake, which caused the steeple to sink several inches, and a 1938 tornado.
Mayor William Cogswell credited the generations of people who have loved and cared for the church with its long life. Helen Hill, CEO of Explore Charleston, said the church stands for faith, resilience and service to others. The Rev. Alfred Zadig Jr., the church’s pastor, spoke about the church’s place beside the buildings where the city’s laws are made and enforced.
Looking ahead, Zadig outlined the Light to the Nations capital campaign, which aims to raise $10 million for the church’s upkeep, and a Friends of St. Michael’s effort inviting wider community support during the anniversary year. On Dec. 6, the church plans to dedicate a commemorative plaque honoring five parishioners who signed founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
