Bluffton in Beaufort County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Campbell Chapel A.M.E.
Photographed by Glen Umberger, January 11, 2023
1. Campbell Chapel A.M.E. Marker, Side One
Built in 1853, this was originally Bluffton Methodist Episcopal church. Organized by whites, the church's 216 members in 1861 included 181 African Americas, who were likely enslaved to its white congregants. The church caught fire during the Civil War but survived. By 1874, local freed people began worshiping here as an African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church eventually known as Campbell Chapel.
Campbell Chapel was part of a wave of Reconstruction-era AME churches organized to serve southern African Americans' spiritual and educational needs. In 1875, it was one of two churches in the AME Bluffton Mission, which had 190 members. Since altered several times, the building was first purchased by nine founding trustees for $500. Campbell Chapel congregants worshipped here until 2004.
Erected 2020 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History; sponsored by A Call to Action, Inc. (Marker Number 7-64.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church
this page online
Location. 32° 14.147′ N, 80° 51.652′ W. Marker is in Bluffton, South Carolina, in Beaufort County. It is on Boundary Street north of Maiden Lane, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 21 Maiden Ln, Bluffton SC 29910, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Lowcountry and on the Sea Islands. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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 New Spain, 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 walking distance of this marker: The Burning of Bluffton (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Town of Bluffton, South Carolina (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named Town of Bluffton, South Carolina
Photographed by Glen Umberger, January 11, 2023
2. Campbell Chapel A.M.E. Marker, Side Two
Photographed by Glen Umberger, January 11, 2023
3. Campbell Chapel A.M.E.
Photographed by Glen Umberger, March 23, 2023
4. Campbell Chapel A.M.E.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 30, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 21, 2023, by Glen Umberger of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,002 times since then and 338 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 21, 2023, by Glen Umberger of Bluffton, South Carolina. 4. submitted on March 23, 2023, by Glen Umberger of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
