Near Florence in Florence County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Hopewell Presbyterian Church
Photographed by Cindy Bullard, October 25, 2010
1. Hopewell Presbyterian Church Marker (front)
This church, organized ca. 1770, is the first Presbyterian church in what is now Florence County. Many of its founding families came to S.C. from Scotland and Ireland. The first church here, a frame building, stood across Old River Road with the church cemetery around it, but burned soon after it was completed.
The second church was replaced by this Greek Revival church in 1842, with its two-story portico, gallery, and original pews. Darlington (1827), Florence First (1861), and Effingham (1906) are daughter churches of Hopewell. The church and cemetery were listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
Erected 2008 by Congregation in Memory of Mrs. W.H. (Lydia) Gregg. (Marker Number 21-25.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1770.
Location. 34° 7.703′ N, 79° 37.41′ W. Marker is near Florence, South Carolina, in Florence County. It is on Old River Road (County Route 57), on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in South Carolina’s Pee Dee. 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 10 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: William W. Harllee (within shouting distance of this marker); William Wallace Harllee / Florence Henning Harllee (within shouting distance of this marker); Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Salem United Methodist Church (approx. 0.7 miles away); Willow Creek Baptist Church (approx. 2½ miles away); Red Doe (approx. 3½ miles away); Mt. Zion Methodist Church (approx. 3.7 miles away); Mt. Zion Rosenwald School (approx. 3.7 miles away); Mars Bluff Rice Growers (approx.
Photographed by Cindy Bullard, October 25, 2010
2. Hopewell Presbyterian Church Marker (reverse)
Also see . . . National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form for the Church and Cemetery.
This form was prepared by Sarah Fick of Historic Preservation Consultants, Inc. in December 1999. The summary description of historical significance is on page 5:
Hopewell Presbyterian Church and Hopewell Cemetery are historically related properties set at opposite sides of Old River Road in the Claussen community of rural Florence County. The church, completed in 1842, is a good example of a frame edifice in the Greek Revival style. The cemetery, in use since the late eighteenth century, occupies a three-acre site where the original Hopewell Presbyterian Church stood. It contains a notable collection of nineteenth century marble headstones and monuments, many signed by their carvers, laid out in a distinctive pattern of alignment by family. Inside the cemetery is the church's early Session House.(Submitted on May 25, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
Photographed by Cindy Bullard, October 25, 2010
3. Hopewell Presbyterian Church
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 21, 2026
5. National Register of Historic Places plaque for the church
Photographed by Cindy Bullard, October 27, 2010
6. Hopewell Cemetery
Photographed by Cindy Bullard, October 25, 2010
7. Hopewell Church Cemetery
Photographed by Cindy Bullard, October 27, 2010
8. Hopewell Cemetery National Register Stone
Credits. This page was last revised on May 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 27, 2010, by David Bullard of Seneca, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,729 times since then and 48 times this year. Last updated on October 28, 2010, by David Bullard of Seneca, South Carolina. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 27, 2010, by David Bullard of Seneca, South Carolina. 4, 5. submitted on May 25, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 6. submitted on October 28, 2010, by David Bullard of Seneca, South Carolina. 7. submitted on October 27, 2010, by David Bullard of Seneca, South Carolina. 8. submitted on October 28, 2010, by David Bullard of Seneca, South Carolina. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
