Summerton in Clarendon County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
St. Mary Catholic Church
This Carpenter Gothic church, dedicated in 1914, is the oldest Catholic church in Clarendon County. Established as a mission of St. Ann Catholic Church in Sumter, it grew out of masses held in the homes of Lebanese immigrants who came to Summerton beginning in 1899. Members of the Shaleuhy, Joseph, Nimmer, and other Catholic families organized this congregation in 1913 and acquired this lot for their new church.
This church was dedicated in 1914 by Bishop H.P. Northrop and blessed by Bishop W.T. Russell in 1917. Its columned front porch was enclosed when the church was expanded in the 1950s. The founders of St. Mary were members of the Maronite Church, an Eastern rite of the Roman Catholic Church. The stained glass window above the altar honors St. Sharbel Makhlouf (1828-1898) of Lebanon, a Maronite monk and hermit.
Erected 2014 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History; sponsored by the Ladies Club of Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church. (Marker Number 14-21.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music • Immigration • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.
Location. 33° 36.621′ N,
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Regionally, this marker is in South Carolina’s Pee Dee and in Santee Cooper Country. 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 walking distance of this marker: Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Senn's Mill (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Wagon Travel (approx. 0.2 miles away); Siege of Fort Watson, April 16-23, 1781 (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Patriot and the Redcoat (approx.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Siege of Fort Watson (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on May 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 28, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 28, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
