Charleston is filled with countless photo-worthy historic sites, and the area of Church Street with the steeple of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church soaring into the sky is one of the most popular vistas for tourists to capture on camera. St. Philip’s dates back to 1680, making it the oldest congregation in South Carolina. The present building was constructed in the 1830s and is the third building that the congregation of St. Philip’s has worshipped at since the late 17th century.
Like many of the other historical buildings in Charleston, South Carolina, St. Philip’s features Roman-inspired design details such as Tuscan porticoes and Roman columns. The steeple was added to the church ten years after it was built, and during the Civil War bells inside the tower were melted down for cannon by the Confederate forces.
Several noteworthy people have been laid to rest in the graveyard of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, including bishops, colonial Governors and former Vice President of the United States John C. Calhoun.
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