Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
St. Andrew’s Parish Church
Photographed by Brandon D Cross
1. St. Andrew’s Parish Church Marker
St. Andrew's Parish Church was one of ten Anglican churches established in S.C. by the Church Act of 1706. The church was built in 1706, expanded in 1723, and restored in 1764 after a fire. It is the only extant colonial cruciform church in South Carolina. Rev. John Grimké Drayton of Magnolia Plantation led the church from 1851 to 1891 and was its longest-serving rector. Col. William Izard Bull of Ashley Hall directed an extensive restoration in 1855.
The parish engaged in an active ministry to enslaved people before the Civil War and to freed people after it. The church was badly damaged in the Charleston Earthquake of 1886. It was dormant from 1891 to 1948, when it reopened to serve the growing population of West Ashley. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, survived Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and was restored in 2004-05. St. Andrew's continues to have an active congregation.
Erected 2022 by St. Andrew’s Parish Church. (Marker Number 10-123.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1706.
Location. 32° 50.291′ N, 80° 2.99′ W. Marker is in Charleston
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Regionally, this marker is in the Lowcountry. 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 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Skirmish at St. Andrew’s Parish Church (here, next to this marker); Ashley River Region (approx. 1.7 miles away); The Founding Of Ashley Hall / From The Revolution To Civil War (approx. 2 miles away); A Sacred Place (approx. 2.6 miles away); Drayton Hall / Drayton Family (approx. 2.6 miles away); South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company (approx. 3 miles away); Jenkins Orphanage (approx. 3.2 miles away); Excursion Up the Ashley (approx. 3.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charleston.
Another marker is no longer nearby. St. Andrew’s Parish Church (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Also see . . . Old St. Andrew’s Parish Church. (Submitted on March 6, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
Photographed by Brandon D Cross
2. St. Andrew’s Parish Church Marker (left)
Photographed by Brandon D Cross
3. St. Andrew’s Parish Church
Photographed by Brandon D Cross
4. St. Andrew’s Parish Church sign
Hugh C. Leighton Co. (courtesy of University of South Carolina, South Caroliniana Library), circa 1908
5. Interior of Old St. Andrews Parish Church - Built 1706 near Charleston, S. C.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 6, 2024. This page has been viewed 561 times since then and 45 times this year. Last updated on March 11, 2024. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 6, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. 5. submitted on March 7, 2024. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
