Swansea in Lexington County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Mount Olive A.M.E. Church
This is the first permanent site of Mount Olive African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church. Church leaders acquired this site from Hilliard and Joanna Goodwin in 1899, a few years after the Town of Swansea was chartered. Congregants organized several years earlier and are said to have met under a brush arbor before building their first church here. The church's founders included members of the Hildebrand, Johnson, and Lykes families.
Many of Mount Olive's original members had previously been enslaved in this part of Lexington County and worked as farmers after emancipation. The congregation was initially part of the A.M.E. Church's Columbia District and later joined the Wateree District. The first A.M.E. church in Swansea. Mount Olive was a valuable community resource for local African Americans. The current church dates to c. 1909 and was later brick-veneered.
Erected 2021 by South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, sponsored by Mount Olive A.M.E. Trustee Board. (Marker Number 32-48.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures.
this page online
Location. 33° 44.086′ N, 81° 6.081′ W. Marker is in Swansea, South Carolina, in Lexington County. It is on South Church Street (U.S. 321) north of South Church Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 496 S Church St, Swansea SC 29160, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Midlands and in the Greater Columbia Area. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in 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 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: First Baptist Church of Gaston (approx. 5.9 miles away); Jeffcoats' Meeting House
Another marker is no longer nearby. Savany Hunt (was approx. 9½ miles away but has been permanently removed).
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 16, 2026
3. Mount Olive African Methodist Episcopal Church
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 16, 2026
4. Church cornerstone
A.M.E. Church
1895 - 1909
Rev. I.H. Alston. B.S.
Rev. J.W. Lykes. Pastor.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 23, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 44 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 23, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
