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| Add Photo — Add Link — Add Commentary — Correct this page — Print | | Greenville in Greenville County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic) |
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Christ Church (Episcopal)
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By Brian Scott, January 1, 2003 | |
| | | 1. Christ Church (Episcopal) Marker | | |
Inscription.
Started in 1820 as
St. James' Mission,
the first church built
here in 1825
on land given by
Vardry McBee, was
consecrated in 1828 by
Bishop Nathaniel Bowen
as Christ Church.
The present church was
built 1852-54 with
Rev. John D. McCollough
as architect using plans
drawn by Joel R. Poinsett,
and consecrated in 1854
by Bishop Thomas Davis.
Erected 1967 by Christ Church Guild. (Marker Number 23-10.)
Location. 34° 51.06′ N, 82° 23.686′ W. Marker is in Greenville, South Carolina, in Greenville County. Marker is on North Church Street (U.S. 29) south of East North Street (South Carolina Route 183), on the right when traveling north. Click for map. Marker is located on the west lawn of the churchyard. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10 North Church Street, Greenville, SC 29601, Greenville SC 29601, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 10 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Here Lieth the Body of Sarah M. Crittenden (within shouting distance of this marker); In 1825 (about 300 feet away, in a direct line); Church Street (about 400 feet away); Frank Selvy (about 800 feet away); "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (approx. 0.2 miles away); Greenville Memorial Auditorium (approx. 0.2 miles away); Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates (approx. 0.2 miles away); Frank Howard (approx. 0.2 miles away); Site of First Baptist Church / Baptist Seminary (approx. 0.2 miles away); Brockman Park (approx. 0.2 miles away). Click for a list of all markers in Greenville. | | | | 
By Brian Scott, January 1, 2003 | |
| | | 2. Christ Church (Episcopal) | | |
Also see . . .
1. Christ Church (Episcopal). The official website of Christ Church (Episcopal). (Submitted on April 20, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)
2. Christ Church (Episcopal). Historically, Christ Church is Greenville’s oldest organized religious body (1820) as well as the city’s oldest church building (1852-1854). (Submitted on September 16, 2008, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.)
3. Christ Church (Greenville, South Carolina). Christ Church (Episcopal) is an Episcopal church in Greenville, South Carolina (USA) which was consecrated in 1854. (Submitted on March 21, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.)
4. Christ Church (Episcopal) Cemetery Index - Part 1. Surveyed May 18, 1991. (Submitted on April 11, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.)
5. Christ Church (Episcopal) Cemetery Index - Part 2. Surveyed May 18, 1991. (Submitted on April 11, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.)
6. Vardry McBee. Vardry McBee is often called the "Father of Greenville." (Submitted on January 11, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.)
7. Vardry McBee Marker. Statue and marker in downtown Greenville dedicated to Vardry McBee. (Submitted on July 23, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.)
8. Nathaniel Bowen. Nathaniel Bowen (June 29, 1779 – August 25, 1839), was the third bishop of South Carolina in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. (Submitted on January 11, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.)
9. Joel Roberts Poinsett. Joel Roberts Poinsett (March 2, 1779 – December 12, 1851) was a physician, botanist and American statesman. (Submitted on March 21, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.)
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By Brian Scott, December 24, 2008 | |
| | | 3. Christ Church (Episcopal) | | |
10. Joel Roberts Poinsett Marker. Marker located in downtown Greenville, SC dedicated to Joel Roberts Poinsett. (Submitted on July 23, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.)
11. Ellison Capers. Ellison Capers (October 14, 1837 – April 22, 1908) was a school teacher, Confederate general in the American Civil War, theologian, and college administrator from South Carolina. (Submitted on July 24, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.)
12. Grace Episcopal Church Marker. Marker located in Anderson, SC dedicated to another church where Ellison served as rector. (Submitted on September 20, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.)
13. Calvary Church / Glenn Springs Marker. Marker located in Glenn Springs, SC dedicated to another church where Ellison served as rector. (Submitted on September 20, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.)
Additional comments.
1. About Christ Church (Episcopal)
The present building, for which the cornerstone was laid on May 29, 1852, replaced the original small church which was erected in 1825 on approximately the same site. The Reverend John DeWitt McCullough, D.D. is the credited architect. Consecration of the building took place September 29, 1854.
In January 1856, the new Christ Church was described in the | | | | 
Roper Mountain Science Center, Coxe Collection, September 20, 2009 | |
| | 4. Vardry McBee
(1776-1854) | | |
Southern Episcopalian as “First Point Gothic, length 112 feet, five lancet windows, western end a pantaphlet ad a circle with emblem of the Holy Trinity, triplet window in chancel, glass by Wills of New York, vestry in north transept, the tower is connected with the south porch, spire rising to 130 feet…”
Innovations have included addition of a gallery in the west end, 1875; addition of south transept and enlargement of chancel, 1830. In 1968, the fabric of the church was restored and the following additions made: extension of east sanctuary wall, addition of north transept, enlargement of balcony, construction of Galilee porch at northwest corner, excavation for undercroft beneath entire church, fireproof flooring and remodeled entrances. Increased seating capacity from 350 to 650 achieved completion of the original cruciform design after 114 years without altering the over-all plan.
Significance
Historically, Christ Church is Greenville’s oldest organized religious body (1820) as well as the city’s oldest church building (1852-54). It has traditionally been recognized as an outstanding example of Gothic architecture. Each addition has been in keeping with its style and original plan for a cruciform building. A magnificent stained glass window by Mayer of Germany is a memorial to Ellison Capers, rector of Christ Church (1866-1888), bishop | | | | 
Wikipedia | |
| | 5. Joel Roberts Poinsett
(1779–1851) | U.S. Special Agent to Latin American Counties 1810-1814
S.C. House of Representatives 1816-1820
S.C. Board of Public Works 1818-1820
U.S. House of Representatives
from South Carolina 1821-1825
Special U.S. Envoy to Mexico 1822-1823
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico 1825-1830
S.C. House of Representatives 1830-1833
U.S. Secretary of War 1837–1841 | | |
of the Diocese of South Carolina (1893-1908), and Confederate brigadier general.
In the churchyard (the burying ground) surrounding the building are buried former governor of South Carolina, Benjamin Franklin Perry; several Greenville mayors; many Confederate war dead and the first Greenville man lost in World War I. Also interred here are the parents and son of the first Bishop of the Diocese of Upper South Carolina; Vardry McBee, “Father of Greenville”; and many other church and civic leaders. A South Carolina historical marker was erected here in 1967. (Source: National Register nomination form.) — Submitted March 21, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.
2. More About Christ Church (Episcopal)
Christ Church Episcopal Church is the oldest extant church and earliest established congregation in Greenville. It began when Reverend Rodolphus Dickerson arrived in 1820 to establish an Episcopal presence in the village through St. James Mission. Dickerson was able to attract a few natives but soon discovered that the population (and congregation) would swell in the summers when Charlestonians would make their retreat to Greenville. Services were held in the log courthouse in the center of Court Square. Five years later, Vardry McBee (even though he was still | | | | 
By Www.generalsandbrevets.com | |
| | | 6. Bishop Ellison Capers (1837-1908) | S.C. Secretary of State 1885-1887
7th Episcopal Bishop of South Carolina 1894–1908 | | |
living in North Carolina) provided four acres of land on the east side of the village for the St. James congregation to build a church. This first structure was built on the same property of the current church but was located just to the south. The first small brick church measured fifty-five by thirty by eighteen feet and took many years to fully complete. A balcony for African Americans and a belfry were added in the 1830s with funds obtained through the common practice of renting church pews. St. James Mission was admitted into the Diocese in 1828 and was renamed Christ Church.
Greenville's growth and prosperity began to take off in the next decades, and so did the size of Christ Church congregation. Plans began in 1845 for the erection of a larger church to meet their needs. Initially plans were submitted by Vestryman Joel Poinsett but were later rejected for the high cost. Eventually Reverend John D. McCollough's Gothic cruciform designs (similar to designs by popular Neo-Gothic architect Richard Upjohn) were accepted and a cornerstone was laid in 1852. Bricks from the former church were used as the foundation of the new one. Two years later the new $15,000 brick building was dedicated but consisted only of the nave and a belfry. The nave is thirty-nine feet wide with short brick buttresses and a sixty-five-foot-high steep gabled roof that slopes halfway down the | | | | 
By Brian Scott, January 1, 2003 | |
| | | 7. Christ Church (Episcopal) | | |
building's height. The sides of the nave were pierced with narrow lancet arch windows with stained glass. One of the stained-glass windows was made by Tiffany & Co. in New York City (other Tiffany windows in Greenville may be found in Bob Jones University's boardroom and at the Gassaway Mansion). The altar wall of the nave originally had three tall narrow lancet arch stained-glass windows by Wills of New York. Funds raised by ladies in the Christ Church Guild were put toward the installation in 1914 of a massive stained-glass window depicting Christ's Ascension and The Last Supper created by Mayer Studios of Munich, Germany.
The impressive belfry rises 130 feet into the air and is set asymmetrically off to the side -- a technique derived from English country models and used by Richard Upjohn in New England. The simple square-shaped base has projecting corner piers, all of which provide the foundational means to support the weight of the tower. The second tier has a decorative oculus stained-glass window and trefoil design on the south side with short lancet arch windows on the east and west ends. The third part of the tower is the tallest brick section, with soaring lancet arch windows on each side. The angled transition with inverted triangular broaches narrows to the next level, creating an octagonal shape for the remainder of the structure. Four rectangular | | | | 
By Brian Scott, January 1, 2003 | |
| | | 8. Christ Church (Episcopal) Steeple | | |
windows provide variety for the fourth level before a brick (not tile or copper) octagonal steeple soars to its pointed apex. The transepts were added in later years (1880 and 1958) and complete the original design plan.
Christ Church (Episcopal) is the only downtown church to have a cemetery associated with it on the grounds (as directed by Vardry McBee). The first grave was established in 1835 by parishioner Sarah Crittenden. It is the final resting place for many of Greenville's leaders, including Vardry McBee, Governor Benjamin Perry, Mayor T.C. Gower, H.C. Markley and Hamlin Beattie. (Source: A Guide to Historic Greenville, South Carolina by John M. Nolan, 2008 pgs 115-117.) — Submitted April 11, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.
3. McBee's Tithe
Vardry McBee, the father of Greenville, donated land and $500 worth of limber from his mill on the Reedy River to five congregations. This act was known as McBee's Tithe. These were the first five churches in downtown Greenville (and they contribute to Greenville's nickname: the Church City). The five churches are: First Baptist, First Presbyterian, Christ Church (Episcopal), St. Mary's Catholic, and Buncombe Street United Methodist. — Submitted March 21, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. | | | | 
By Brian Scott, December 24, 2008 | |
| | 9. Entrance at Base of Steeple -
Southwest Corner | | |
4. About Vardry McBee
Vardry McBee was perhaps the most pivotal figure in the history of our city and Greenville County as a whole. thanks to his business acumen and impressive foresight for how the community could grow and prosper.
A product of the Carolina frontier, McBee was born in 1775 on the eve of the American Revolution, a conflict that would prove formative in his early years. Both his father and older brother fought with the Patriots, at King's Mountain and the Battle of Cowpens. McBee himself never fought for American independence, but instead used his considerable fortune to improve the lives of his fellow citizens, appropriating his land and fortunes to public projects.
McBee opened the first textile mill on the Reedy River, but he saw value in a diversified economy. In his private business life, that meant he owned two flour mills, a cotton factory, and wool and paper mills. Publicly, even as he approached his 80s, it led him to champion the construction of a railroad line that connected Columbia and Greenville. In 1853, this line became the first rail to serve the community, and it would eventually become a turning point in the economy of the town. (Source: G: The Magazine of Greenville, Jan/Feb 09, pg 66.) — Submitted March 21, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. | | | | 
By Brian Scott, April 11, 2009 | |
| | | 10. Christ Church (Episcopal) Church and Cemetery | | |
5. About Joel Robert Poinsett
It's widely known that Joel Poinsett was the first ambassador to Mexico, a position he held for five years, but he also served as the first consul-general of the United States to Buenos Aries, Argentina, and Santiago, Chile. He studied medicine and law, and not surprisingly was extremely well traveled, but he also had interests in natural history, science, and politics.
While serving in the South Carolina legislature, Poinsett was appointed president of the board of public works from 1819 to 1821, a position that had him overseeing construction of the state road that traversed Saluda Mountain. This road (modern-day S.C. Secondary Road 42) ran from Charleston, through Columbia, and into North Carolina, creating a seamless connector capable of accommodating even the "heaviest load," in places of several ineffective roads already in existence. Not surprisingly, more than twenty years later, he would join Vardry McBee and others to support connecting Columbia and Greenville by rail. (Source: G: The Magazine of Greenville, Jan/Feb 09, pg 68.) — Submitted July 23, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.
6. More About Joel Roberts Poinsett
Poinsett, Joel Roberts, a Representative from South Carolina; | | | | 
By Brian Scott, January 1, 2003 | |
| | | 11. Christ Church (Episcopal) Church and Cemetery | | |
born in Charleston, S.C., March 2, 1779; spent his early childhood in England; returned to America in 1788; attended private school at Greenfield Hill, Conn., and later in Wandsworth, near London, England; studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and attended the military school in Woolwich, England; returned to Charleston, S.C., in 1800; studied law for a few months; traveled extensively in Europe from 1801 to 1809, returning to the United States for short intervals; sent to South America by President Madison in 1809 to investigate the prospects of the revolutionists there in their struggle for independence from Spain; returned to Charleston, S.C., in 1816; member of the state house of representatives 1816-1819; served as president of the board of public works; declined the offer of commissioner to South America by President Monroe; elected as a Republican to the Seventeenth Congress reelected as a Jackson Republican to the Eighteenth Congress, and elected as a Jacksonian to the Nineteenth Congress and served from March 4, 1821, to March 7, 1825, when he resigned to enter the diplomatic service; Minister to Mexico 1825-1829; member of the state house of representatives, 1830-1831; Secretary of War in the Cabinet of President Van Buren 1837-1841; died near what is now Statesburg, Sumter County, S.C., December 12, 1851; interment in the Church of the Holy Cross | | | | 
By Brian Scott, January 1, 2003 | |
| | | 12. Christ Church (Episcopal) Cemetery | | |
(Episcopal) Cemetery. (Source: Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress.) — Submitted September 20, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.
7. The Rectorships of Thomas S. Arthur and Bishop Ellison Capers
Christ Church had undergone its own agonizing Reconstruction at the close of the Civil War, but it emerged with strong leadership. In 1866 Thomas S. Arthur had been rector of the parish for twenty years. He had led the construction of the new church building, founded the Dehon School for the Poor in 1851, and remained through the trying war years. On February 7, 1866, Arthur submitted a bitter letter of resignation to the vestry: "This flock and this fold have been my constant care for nearly a quarter of a century Some of them, it is true, have stoned me to my present attitude I may shortly be called upon to submit to the annoyance of an Ecclesiastical Trial. If this trouble should come upon me, let me beseech you, brethren, not to withdraw your arm from around me." The vestry did not accept Arthur's resignation, but the trial came anyway.
William H. Campbell of Greenville, Arthur's brother-in-law, leveled serious charges of sexual misconduct against the rector. The parish was divided, and Bishop Thomas Davis appointed two clergy, Paul Trapier and J.S. Hanckel, | | | | 
By Brian Scott, December 24, 2008 | |
| | | 13. William Choice Cleveland Family Plot | | From left to right: Alelia Teresa Omberg, wife of W.C. Cleveland (May 22, 1846 - Feb 4, 1907); Harriett Emma, daughter of W.C. & A.T. Cleveland (April 29, 1868 - Dec 6, 1885); William Choice Cleveland (July 25, 1834 - Jan 1, 1908). Cleveland was mayor of Greenville, a Confederate veteran, serving in the 16th S.C., Co. K (the "Buttermilk Rangers"), and member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Part of Cleveland's large estate helped to form the East Park Avenue neighborhood. | | |
to investigate the matter. In June 1866 Trapier arrived in Greenville and was joined by Hanckel. They gathered depositions, and on October 3 Arthur submitted a second letter of resignation. This time it was accepted. The bishop convened a trial court the following year with former rector of the parish, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, as judge. Two attorneys participated in the proceedings. Armistead Burt of Abbeville represented the diocese, and former Confederate General Matthew C. Butler, himself once a member of the parish, represented the accused. Arthur was apparently acquitted on the major charges, but was found guilty on two minor counts and was suspended from parish work for five years. He continued to live in Greenville, and on May 11, 1867, Elizabeth McCall Perry wrote to Mrs. Armistead Burt that Arthur was studying law and would likely be admitted to the bar.
Christ Church faced an uncertain future until the church secured the services of Ellison Capers as lay reader. Born in 1837 in Charleston, the son of Methodist Bishop William Capers, the younger Capers was a graduate of the Citadel and taught mathematics prior to joining the Confederate army. At the end of the war, after the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. During the fighting Capers had decided to enter the ministry, and though he became South Carolina's secretary | | | | 
By Brian Scott, December 24, 2008 | |
| | 14. Vardry (1776-1854) and
Jane McBee (1783-1864) Tombstone | | |
of state in 1865, he began to read the orders under the direction of Bishop Davis. He served as lay reader at Christ Church until he was ordained deacon and priest in 1867. He then resigned as secretary of state and became rector of the parish, a post which he held, with the exception of one year, until 1887. In 1893 Capers was elected bishop coadjutor of the diocese and, after the death of Bishop W.B.W. Howe, became bishop of South Carolina.
For twenty years Ellison Capers lived and served in Greenville. Early in his tenure he decided to appeal to a number of wealthy parishes in the North for financial aid. One day in New York City Capers met James Petigru Boyce, his Greenville neighbor, on the street. When Boyce inquired about Capers's success, Capers replied that after his last sermon only one five dollar bill appeared in the collection plate. To which Boyce replied: "And I your neighbor put that in." In addition to his ministry at Christ Church, Capers taught mathematics at the Female College, at Furman University, and at the Greenville Military Academy. He actively participated in many facets of the life of the city, such as the Literary Club and the Independent Riflemen during the election of 1876. Because of his service as a general officer in the Confederate Army, he was a living reminder in the community of the Lost Cause. (Source: Greenville: The History of | | | | 
By Brian Scott, April 11, 2009 | |
| | | 15. Christ Church (Episcopal) Cemetery | | |
the City and County in the South Carolina Piedmont by Archie Vernon Huff, Jr. (1995), pgs 206-207.) — Submitted September 20, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.
8. Driver charged with DUI after Christ Church cemetery incident
The Greenville News
E. Richard Walton
April 5, 2009
A 22-year-old Greenville man was charged with DUI after he lost control of his car and damaged several graves in the Christ Church Episcopal cemetery on Church Street early Saturday, police said.
The man also was charged with driving under suspension and hit-and-run after crashing a 1994 Ford Bronco at the church at 2 a.m., Greenville police Lt. Dean Elliott said.
His name could not be verified through arrest warrants Saturday.
Elliott said the man smashed into the church's fence, got stuck in the cemetery and drove back and forth, overturning several headstones, including one dated 1887. — Submitted April 11, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina.
9. Police: Drunken Driver Damages Cemetery
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Police say a 22-year-old man drove his SUV through the iron fence of an historic cemetery, and then plowed into gravestones and crypts, doing serious damage. Greenville police were conducting a traffic stop in downtown Greenville when officers heard a loud crash.
They said they saw an SUV come barreling through the fence of Christ Church Cemetery. Officers pursued the vehicle through the cemetery until the driver jump out of the SUV and ran. After a brief foot chase, officer caught and arrested Dablin Humerez. He is charged with driving under the influence, multiple counts of malicious damage and driving under suspension.
Greenville police Lt. Dean Elliott said, “Most of the graves that were disturbed are well over a century old. While new markers can certainly be erected and put in place, there’s no way that the emotional toll for the families who have had a loved ones disturbed can ever be repaired.”
Police said after Humerez was in custody, he repeatedly offered them $1,000 to let him go. (Source: wyff4.com) | | | | 
By Brian Scott, December 24, 2008 | |
| | | 16. Firebox Located on Southeast Corner of Christ Church (Episcopal) | | |
— Submitted April 11, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. |
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By Brian Scott | |
| | 17. Christ Church (Episcopal) Cemetery Damage
April 5, 2009 | | |
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By Brian Scott | |
| | 18. Christ Church (Episcopal) Cemetery Damage
April 5, 2009 | | |
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By Brian Scott | |
| | 19. Christ Church (Episcopal) Cemetery Damage
April 5, 2009 | | |
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| Credits. This page originally submitted on April 18, 2008, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 754 times since then. Last updated on June 23, 2008, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. Photos: 1. Submitted on April 18, 2008, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. 2. Submitted on June 23, 2008, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. 3, 4. Submitted on September 20, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. 5. Submitted on July 23, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. 6. Submitted on July 24, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. 7. Submitted on April 18, 2008, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. 8. Submitted on June 23, 2008, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. 9. Submitted on January 11, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. 10. Submitted on April 11, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. 11, 12. Submitted on June 23, 2008, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. 13, 14. Submitted on January 11, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. 15. Submitted on April 11, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. 16. Submitted on January 11, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. 17, 18, 19. Submitted on April 11, 2009, by Brian Scott of Greenville, South Carolina. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page. | | Add Photo — Add Link — Add Commentary — Correct this page — Print |
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