Little Rock in Dillon County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Saint Paul Methodist Church
Photographed By J. J. Prats, February 26, 2009
1. Saint Paul Methodist Church Marker
Erected 1978 by Dillon County Historic Preservation Commission. (Marker Number 17-7.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Churches & Religion. A significant historical year for this entry is 1803.
Location. 34° 28.65′ N, 79° 24.133′ W. Marker is in Little Rock, South Carolina, in Dillon County. Marker is on Harllees Bridge Road (Local Road 17-23) just north of State Highway 9, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Little Rock SC 29567, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. James W. Dillon House Museum (approx. 3.7 miles away); a different marker also named James W. Dillon House Museum (approx. 3.7 miles away); Dillon County Veterans Memorial (approx. 4.3 miles away); Dillon County Supreme Sacrifice Memorial (approx. 4.3 miles away); James W. Dillon
this page online
Also see . . . National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (1977). Form prepared by Kathy Hendrix with John C. Henagan. “St. Paul’s Methodist Church, constructed ca. 1871, is an example of the transitional Italianate Victorian vernacular style of architecture. The building stands, unaltered, near Little Rock, South Carolina (earlier known as Harlleesville, South Carolina). Both St. Paul’s and its predecessor, Liberty Chapel, have been important in the religious life of this community, and the church remains today a local landmark in Dillon County.
“Architecture: St. Paul’s Methodist Church is an excellent example of the transitional Italianate Victorian vernacular style that developed between the Greek Revival and Queen Anne periods. Constructed ca. 1871, the building employs stylistic motifs in-dicative of several different styles. The basic structure is a classic meeting house form divided into bays through the use of slender pilasters. Tall, narrow windows of 12/12 sash further allude to the Victorian rather than Greek Revival proportions. A simple box cornice surrounds the
Photographed By J. J. Prats, February 26, 2009
2. Marker Roadside at Saint Paul's Methodist Church
“Dominant features of the structure are the bell tower and steeple. Other Victorian decorations on the faces of the tower include pointed-arch louvers, gabled dormers, and imbricated shingles. The interior of the church is significant because of its original pews, altar rail and furniture, coved ceiling, and narrow beaded paneling arranged in herringbone pattern.
“Religion: The history of St. Paul’s Methodist Church is directly linked with that of Liberty Chapel. Early records have been lost; however, local tradition indicates that Liberty Chapel’s history dates from the late 18th or early 19th Centuries. There is strong local tradition that Francis Asbury, who traveled in the Pee Dee area in 1807, was influential in the growth of Methodism in the community of Harlleesville (later known as Little Rock) and in the development of Liberty Chapel.
“By 1814, a church known as Liberty Chapel had definitely been established, for in that year Philip Bethea, in his will, ordered the sale of his estate and ‘...one equal share with the above named persons to be appropriated to the repairs of Liberty Chapel and the Graveyard....’ Several years later, in 1823, Liberty Chapel received as a gift the land where the present St. Paul’s Church now stands. Thomas Harllee, Sr.,
Photographed By J. J. Prats, February 26, 2009
3. Saint Paul’s Methodist Church
“Records show that Liberty Chapel made contributions to the Quarterly Conference of the Methodist Church in 1830, 1840, and 1845. In 1844, Thomas Harllee, Jr., donated ‘...to the trustees of the School At Liberty Chapel,...a right to the Schoolhouse including a half acre of land....’
“Records of the congregation have been lost, and no known description exists of Liberty Chapel. According to a speech entitled Methodism on the Pee Dee by Reverend R. E. Stackhouse, the present church structure of St. Paul’s was erected in 1871. Reverend Stackhouse also states that the congregation in 1871 changed its name from Liberty Chapel to St. Paul’s. Records of the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church list individual congregations of the Little Rock Circuit for the first time in 1878. From this time until its deactivation in 1949, St. Paul’s continued to participate in the South Carolina Conference of the Methodist Church as a member of the Little Rock Circuit of the Marion District.” (Submitted on April 11, 2009.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on April 11, 2009, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 911 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 11, 2009, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Additional photos of the church and its interior • Can you help?
