This wooden church still stands as Charleston’s oldest Methodist church building. As the Methodist community grew in Charleston in the 18 th century, the church purchased land at the corner of Calhoun and Pitt Streets in 1797 in order to have burial grounds for its members. The church building was completed by 1808. The Old Bethel United Methodist Church welcomed African American members and the church’s construction was paid for by both black and white members of the community. However, the African American worshippers were confined to the church’s galleries, and by the mid 1800s had pulled away over the restriction.
In 1852, Old Bethel was moved west on the site to make room for a new building for the white congregation. This building, the Bethel United Methodist Church, was completed by 1854 and was the only church to remain open during the Civil War. Old Bethel United Methodist Church was donated to the black congregation and in 1882 was moved across the street to its current site. Both congregations continue to have active memberships to this day.
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