Midtown - Downtown in Columbia in Richland County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

St. Peter's Church and Ursuline Convent

Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2010

1. St. Peter's Church and Ursuline Convent Marker

Inscription. First church built 1824; present church 1906. In the churchyard is buried John R. Niernsee (1823-85), Major C. S. A.; architect of the State House. Ursuline convent located SE corner Main and Blanding streets 1858-65; Valle Crucis 1865-87; Hampton-Preston House 1887-90; erected here 1889.

Erected 1938 by The Columbia Sesquicentennial Commission of 1936. (Marker Number 40-34.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Churches & Religion. A significant historical year for this entry is 1824.

Location. 34° 0.316′ N, 81° 2.258′ W. Marker is in Columbia, South Carolina, in Richland County. It is in Midtown - Downtown. Marker is on Assembly Street near Taylor Street (South Carolina Highway 12), on the right when traveling south. Located between Taylor Street (SC 12 westbound) and Hampton (SC 12 eastbound) Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Columbia SC 29201, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church (a few steps from this marker); The Big Apple (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Israelite Sunday School / Columbia's First Synagogue (about 600 feet away); We Shall Not Be Moved (about 600 feet away); Nathaniel J. Frederick House

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

(about 700 feet away); Efird's Department Store / Mast General Store (about 700 feet away); Canal Dime Savings Bank/Bouie v. City of Columbia (1964) (about 700 feet away); 'We Kept the Fire Going' (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbia.

Regarding St. Peter's Church and Ursuline Convent. Built in 1906, St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church is primarily significant as an excellent example of Gothic Revival church architecture designed by a major regional architect. St. Peter’s is also significant as one of the most important Catholic churches in South Carolina, established in 1821 and considered the “mother church” of many congregations in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. It was designed by Frank Pierce Milburn, one of the most significant and prolific architects working in the South from the 1880s to the 1920s. Milburn, a Kentucky native, practiced throughout the Southeast, most notably in North and South Carolina. His work includes several railroad stations, several buildings at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and extensive enlargements of the South Carolina State House and the Florida State

St. Peter's Church and Ursuline Convent Marker, looking south along Assembly Street image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, May 6, 2010

2. St. Peter's Church and Ursuline Convent Marker, looking south along Assembly Street

Capitol. Other notable Milburn buildings in Columbia include Union Station, the South Carolina State Dispensary Office Building, and the Columbia City Hall and Opera House (demolished). The church is constructed of locally selected dark red brick, trimmed with Bedford stone and dull glazed white terra cotta. The roof is Buckingham slate while the main doors are of cathedral oak. A cemetery dating from ca. 1840 is at the rear of the church. Listed in the National Register September 28, 1989.(South Carolina Department of Archives and History)

St. Peter's Church and Ursuline Convent National Register of Historic Places: image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, May 6, 2010

3. St. Peter's Church and Ursuline Convent National Register of Historic Places:

St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church (added 1989 - Building - #89001610) • Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering • Architect, builder, or engineer: Milburn,Frank Pierce • Architectural Style: Gothic • Area of Significance: Architecture • Period of Significance: 1900-1924 •

St. Peter's Catholic Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, May 6, 2010

4. St. Peter's Catholic Church

Mother Church of Central
South Carolina

Parish Established 1821

This building, the second
to be erected on this
site, was begun in 1906
and formally dedicated
in 1909

St. Peter's Church and Ursuline Convent image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, May 6, 2010

5. St. Peter's Church and Ursuline Convent

(Upper Medallion)
American Revolution Bicentennial
* Richland County Committee *
Landmark 78
(Lower Medallion)
National Register of Historic Places St. Peter's
Roman Catholic Church
South Carolina
Department of Archives
and History

St. Peter's Church image. Click for full size.

South Carolina Department of Archives and History, circa 1989

6. St. Peter's Church

South Carolina Department of Archives and History, circa 1989

7. St. Peter's Church

South Carolina Department of Archives and History, circa 1989

8. St. Peter's Church

Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 7, 2010, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,469 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on July 7, 2010, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.