Circular Congregational Church facts for kids
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Parish House of the Circular Congregational Church
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U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
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Parish House of the Circular Church
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 Location in South Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | 150 Meeting Street, Charleston, South Carolina |
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| Built | 1870 (parish house) 1892 (church) |
| Architect | Robert Mills (parish house) Stephenson & Greene (church) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Romanesque |
| Part of | Charleston Historic District (ID66000964) |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001683 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 7, 1973 |
| Designated NHL | November 7, 1973 |
| Designated NHLDCP | October 9, 1960 |
The Circular Congregational Church is a very old and important church building in Charleston, South Carolina. It's located at 150 Meeting Street. The church community started way back in 1681! Its special parish house, called the Parish House of the Circular Congregational Church, is famous for its amazing Greek Revival design by Robert Mills. It's even recognized as a U.S. National Historic Landmark.
Contents
History of the Church
How the Church Began
The church community started between 1680 and 1685. It was founded by English, Scottish, and French settlers. These groups were called "dissenters" because they didn't follow the official Church of England.
They built their first Meeting House in the new settlement of Charles Towne. The church building you see today stands on that exact spot. The street leading to it was even named "Meeting House Street," which later became Meeting Street.
Early church records were lost in a hurricane in 1713. For a long time, this church didn't have a single official name. People called it Presbyterian, Congregational, or Independent. It was known for being open to different Christian ideas.
Many early ministers came from Scotland, England, Wales, and New England. The "old White Meeting House" was made bigger in 1732. This was just a year after 12 Scottish families left to start a new church. They wanted a stricter Presbyterian style.
Even so, many Presbyterians stayed with the Circular Church. The church wanted to be welcoming to all moderate Christians. It didn't want to be tied down to one strict set of rules.
A Place for Freedom
The church's independent spirit grew stronger. The colonial government often treated "dissenters" (non-Anglicans) poorly. Because of this, the church became a place where people talked about revolution.
Important church members and their minister, William Tennent, spoke out for freedom. In 1775, Tennent bravely traveled around Carolina. He encouraged people to support the idea of independence from Britain.
In 1817, a group separated to form the Second Independent Church. This church later became the Unitarian Church. The Circular Church, however, remained a Trinitarian church. This means they believe in God as a Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).
The Revolutionary War Years
During the siege of Charleston in 1780, a British cannonball hit the church. When the British took over the city, they punished the church for its love of freedom. They sent 38 family leaders to prisons in St. Augustine and Philadelphia. Their families were left without help.
The Meeting House was empty after the cannonball hit. The British used it as a hospital or a warehouse. They destroyed the pews and damaged the building. Minister Tennent had died in 1777, so the church had no minister during the British occupation.
In 1782, the church members who were in exile met in Philadelphia. They planned to call a new minister to Charleston. As soon as the British left, members in Charleston began to rebuild the Meeting House. By 1787, they built a second meeting house on Archdale Street. This was to make room for their growing number of members.
Robert Mills' Unique Design
By 1804, it was time to replace the Meeting Street building with a larger one. A member named Martha Laurens Ramsay suggested a circular shape. Robert Mills, a famous architect from Charleston, drew up the plans. He also designed the Washington Monument.
The church he designed was shaped like the Pantheon in Rome. It was about 88 feet (27 meters) across. It had seven large doors and 26 windows. People said it could hold 2,000 worshippers. It was the first major domed building in North America. In 1818, someone called it "the most extraordinary building in the United States."
However, people made fun of the church because it didn't have a steeple. For years, they laughed at this rhyme:
Charleston is a pious place
And full of pious people
They built a church on Meeting Street
But could not raise the steeple.
The people of Circular Church decided to stop the laughter. In 1838, they added a tall steeple. It rose 182 feet (55 meters) above Meeting Street.
From Greatness to Destruction
From 1820 to 1860, the Circular Church had many members, both white and Black. The first Sunday School for religious education in South Carolina started here in 1816. Members also founded the Charleston Bible Society. This group was a model for the later American Bible Society.
The church had many important members. These included two state governors, famous senators, and the editor of the Charleston Courier newspaper. Their voices helped shape Charleston. The church also welcomed many enslaved people and poor people.
Sadly, the walls of the Circular Church did not stand for long. On December 11, 1861, a fire started near the Cooper River. The fire swept across the city that night, destroying the church building. The American Civil War soon followed, causing even more damage.
In 1867, the Black members of the church left. They formed their own church, the Plymouth Congregational Church. In January 1888, the congregation began to clear away the old church's remains. A new church building was finished in 1890.
Beliefs and Community Service
The Circular Church is known for being open-minded. It joined the Congregational Association in 1882. Later, it joined the United Church of Christ in 1954. In 1968, it also joined the United Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It is one of the few churches in the South that belongs to two different Christian groups.
The church follows Jesus Christ in a modern way, called progressive Christianity. Followers believe the Bible tells important truths, but not everything is meant to be taken literally. They see God as a living presence, not just a distant figure. They believe Jesus offers wisdom and guidance, rather than being a sacrifice to an angry God.
Circular Church cares about people who need help in the community. The church has started many important services in Charleston. These include the city's first marriage and family counseling center and a crisis intervention service (Hotline). They also helped start Hospice of Charleston and the Elder Shelter.
The church provides space and leaders for groups like the Charleston Interfaith Crisis Ministry, Amnesty International, and Charleston PEACE. These groups work to help the community.
The church community is made up of people from many different backgrounds and races. For 15 years, the church has had part-time clergy. This reminds everyone that every member is called to serve and help others. Visitors are always welcome to explore the church grounds. They can also join in worship and community life.
Church Buildings
The church building you see today was started in 1890. It is the third church on this site. It was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style by Stephenson & Greene from New York. The very first church building was designed by Robert Mills.
The current church is not circular, even though it's called the Circular Church. It has a unique cloverleaf shape. The parish house, with its two stairways and fancy iron railings, was named a National Historic Landmark in 1973.
Gallery
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The ruins of the Circular Church in 1865 still showed the clear circular layout of the building designed by Robert Mills
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The current church building dates from 1890 but uses bricks from the earlier church
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The steeple of Mills' design is seen in this June 1857 image from Harper's
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Circular Church (1883)
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See also
