Union in Union County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Episcopal Church Of The Nativity

Photographed By Wes Cox, May 7, 2010

1. Episcopal Church Of The Nativity Marker

Inscription. Marker Front:
This parish was established in 1855 with the Rev. John DeWitt McCollough (1822-1902) as its first rector. This Gothic Revival church, consecrated in 1859 and called “probably the most exquisite gem of a Church in our whole Diocese” the next year, was designed by McCollough. He adapted a plan by architect Frank Wills, whose St. Anne’s Chapel, Fredericton, in New Brunswick, Canada, is virtually identical.

Marker Reverse:
The inspiration for this church came from Mary Poulton Dawkins (1820-1906) of London, England, wife of Judge Thomas N. Dawkins, and her sister Jane Poulton McLure, wife of Maj. John W. McLure; their families founded this church. The fine marble baptismal font is by the noted American sculptor Hiram Powers (1805-1873). The Church of the Nativity was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Erected 2009 by Congregation. (Marker Number 44-11.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Churches & Religion. A significant historical year for this entry is 1855.

Location. 34° 42.598′ N, 81° 37.177′ W. Marker is in Union, South Carolina, in Union County. Marker is on South Church Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 320 S Church St, Union SC 29379, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Sims High School (approx. 0.2 miles away); Jefferson Davis Dined in This House (approx. 0.4 miles away); Union County Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Union County Confederate Monument (approx. half a mile away); Union Community Hospital (approx. half a mile away); Reconstruction Era Lynchings in Union County / Union County Jail Raid Massacre (approx. half a mile away); John Pratt (approx. half a mile away); Lynching in America / Lynching in Union County after 1877 (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Union.

Also see . . . South Carolina Department of Archives and History. The Church of the Nativity in Union is a notable example of Gothic Revival ecclesiastical architecture. Delicately articulated exterior details, high quality craftsmanship in stone, and the Louis Tiffany stained glass chancel triplet window combine to make the Church of the Nativity one of the finest Episcopal parish churches in the Southeast. The church belongs to a stylistic group of unpretentious parish churches of the 1840s and 1850s that feature small size, diagonal buttresses, a feeling for stone, and an intimate relationship between the building and surrounding landscape. These characteristics derive from English parish-church architecture

Photographed By Wes Cox, May 7, 2010

2. Episcopal Church Of The Nativity Marker

of the fourteenth century. Two of the major forces behind the construction of the church, Charlotte Poulton, and her sister, Mary Poulton Dawkins, were Englishwomen newly arrived from outside of London. They, along with Reverend John D. McCollough, who had already designed a number of Episcopal churches in South Carolina were knowledgeable about the leading currents in ecclesiastical architecture. On May 1, 1855, the cornerstone was laid but construction did not begin until the following year. Construction was interrupted by the Civil War, but the church was completed shortly thereafter. Hiram Powers, noted American sculptor, carved the octagonal white Carrara marble font that stands in the nave of the church. Listed in the National Register August 30, 1974. (Submitted on May 7, 2010, by Wes Cox of Union, South Carolina.)

Photographed By Wes Cox, May 7, 2010

3. Episcopal Church Of The Nativity Marker

Photographed By Wes Cox, May 7, 2010

4. Episcopal Church Of The Nativity Marker

Photographed By Wes Cox, May 7, 2010

5. Episcopal Church Of The Nativity Marker

Photographed By Wes Cox, May 7, 2010

6. Episcopal Church Of The Nativity Marker

Photographed By Wes Cox, May 7, 2010

7. Episcopal Church Of The Nativity Marker

Photographed By Wes Cox, November 7, 2010

8. Episcopal Church Of The Nativity Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on November 27, 2020. It was originally submitted on May 7, 2010, by Wes Cox of Union, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,152 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on May 7, 2010, by Wes Cox of Union, South Carolina. 8. submitted on November 7, 2010, by Wes Cox of Union, South Carolina. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.