St. Mary’s dates back to 1789, when it was established as the first Catholic Church in the Carolinas and Georgia. Parishioners first gathered in a run-down Methodist meeting house until 1801, when the congregation built themselves a place of their own to worship in. This brick structure was destroyed by the Charleston fire of 1838, and was replaced the following year with the Roman-inspired church which stands today. This building, designed in the “Greek Revival” style, suffered damage during the Civil War like many of the places of worship in Charleston, South Carolina.
The church’s interior features numerous works of art and a painted ceiling inspired by Roman masterpieces. With its polished marble altar and luminous stained glass arched windows donated by members of the congregation over the years, the parishioners of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church have contributed significantly to the beauty of this historic sanctuary. The monuments in the crowded burial grounds tell the story of over two centuries of worshippers, with inscriptions reflecting seventeen nationalities.
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