Near Winnsboro in Fairfield County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Mount Olivet Church

American Presbyterian and Reformed Historical Site

Photographed by Michael Sean Nix, December 15, 2008

1. Mount Olivet Church Marker

Inscription.
Organized before 1785, this Presbyterian Church was originally known as Wolf Pit Church, later as Wateree, and was finally named Mt. Olivet in 1800. The Reverend William Martin, Covenanter minister licensed by the Reformed Presbytery of Scotland, was an early minister here. The present house of worship was completed in 1869.

Erected 1975 by The Congregation. (Marker Number 20-13/202.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the American Presbyterian and Reformed Historic Sites series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1785.

Location. 34° 27.88′ N, 81° 2.016′ W. Marker is near Winnsboro, South Carolina, in Fairfield County. It is on Mobley Highway (State Highway 20-20) 0.3 miles west of State Highway 200, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Winnsboro SC 29180, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Midlands

and in the Olde English District. It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Camp Welfare (approx. 5 miles away); Graveyard Of The Richmond Covenanter Church Reformed Presbyterian (approx. 5.6 miles away); Wynne Dee (approx. 6.3 miles away); Mt. Zion Society

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(approx. 6.3 miles away); James Wilson Hudson (approx. 6.3 miles away); South East Asia (approx. 6.3 miles away); World War (approx. 6.3 miles away); Confederate Dead of Fairfield County (approx. 6.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Winnsboro.

Regarding Mount Olivet Church. Mount Olivet Presbyterian Church was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. This church is also one of 445 American Presbyterian and Reformed Historical Sites registered between 1973 and 2003 by the Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS), headquartered in Philadelphia. Approved sites received a metal plaque featuring John Calvin’s seal and the site’s registry number (PHS marker location unknown).

The following text is taken from the Presbyterian Historical Society website:

William Martin, the first Reformed Presbyterian pastor to settle in the South, organized this congregation in 1773 under the name Wolf Pen or Wolf Pit. The first meeting house, seven miles north of Winnsboro, was a log structure. Martin, brought before Lord Cornwallis in 1780 for preaching treason against the British, asserted, "The Declaration of Independence
Photographed by Michael Sean Nix, December 15, 2008

2. Mount Olivet Church Stone Marker
is but a reiteration of what our Covenanting Fathers have always maintained," and was released. In the 1790s the church was known as Wateree after nearby Wateree Creek. In 1800 the congregation moved to the present site and took the name Mount Olivet. The present building, built of brick and covered with stucco, was constructed in 1869, with a gallery at the back for "colored" members.

Also see . . . Mount Olivet Presbyterian Church, Fairfield County. South Carolina Department of Archives and History website entry (Submitted on December 15, 2008, by Michael Sean Nix of Spartanburg, South Carolina.)

Additional commentary.
1. National Register of Historic Places:
Mount Olivet Presbyterian Church ** (added 1986 - Building - #86001523) •
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering •
Architect, builder, or engineer: Unknown •
Architectural Style: No Style Listed •
Area of Significance: Architecture •
Period of Significance: 1850-1874 •
Owner: Private •
Historic Function: Funerary, Religion •
Historic Sub-function: Cemetery, Religious Structure •
Current Function: Funerary, Religion •
https://npgallery.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/86001523.pdf
Current Sub-function: Cemetery, Religious Structure •

Photographed by Michael Sean Nix, December 15, 2008

3. Mount Olivet Church
South Carolina Inventory Form:
Click for more information.
— Submitted January 13, 2011.

Mount Olivet Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Michael Sean Nix, December 15, 2008

4. Mount Olivet Church

Mount Olivet Church Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Michael Sean Nix, December 15, 2008

5. Mount Olivet Church Cemetery

Photographed by Michael Sean Nix, December 15, 2008

6. Mount Olivet Church Cemetery

Photographed by Ricky D. Smith, September 23, 2009

7. Mount Olivet Church Cemetery

Photographed by Ricky D. Smith, September 23, 2009

8. Mount Olivet Church Cemetery

Burial site of William Martin image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, April 5, 2024

9. Burial site of William Martin

Located in the woods near Martin Grave Road in Richburg, SC

Credits. This page was last revised on August 6, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 15, 2008, by Michael Sean Nix of Spartanburg, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,734 times since then and 63 times this year. Last updated on August 16, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on December 15, 2008, by Michael Sean Nix of Spartanburg, South Carolina. 7, 8. submitted on March 12, 2011, by Ricky D. Smith of Amarillo, Texas. 9. submitted on August 6, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.