Stoney Creek Independent Presbyterian Chapel of Prince William Parish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Stoney Creek Independent Presbyterian Chapel of Prince William Parish
|
|
.jpg)
Stoney Creek Presbyterian Chapel in 1987
|
|
 Location in South Carolina
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | McPhersonville, South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Built | 1833 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 02000559 |
| Added to NRHP | May 22, 2002 |
The Stoney Creek Independent Presbyterian Chapel is a historic church building in McPhersonville, South Carolina. It's also known as the Stoney Creek Presbyterian Chapel. This old chapel was built around 1833. It's special because it's the only building left in McPhersonville from before the American Civil War. The chapel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, which means it's an important historical site. You might even recognize it from the movie Forrest Gump!
Contents
Chapel History
Early Days
Back in 1743, a group of people living near a place called Pocotaligo started a church. This church was not part of the official Church of England. Its first minister was William Hutson. In 1785, this church became known as the Independent Presbyterian Chapel of Prince William Parish.
Summer Retreat
Before the American Civil War, many wealthy rice farmers from the area built summer homes in McPhersonville. This was because McPhersonville was on higher ground. Staying there helped them avoid malaria, a sickness spread by mosquitoes, which was common in the hotter, lower areas during summer. In 1832, some of these farmers decided to set aside land to build a summer chapel for their church.
War and After
During the American Civil War, the chapel was used by the Union Army. It served as a hospital and a place for soldiers to camp. Sadly, the original Stoney Creek Presbyterian Church, located on the Pocotaligo River, was taken apart by soldiers. They used its materials to build a bridge and other structures.
After the war, the people who went to the church started using the summer chapel in McPhersonville as their main church. Over time, fewer and fewer people attended. The church group eventually closed down in 1967. The chapel was then put under the care of the First Presbyterian Church of Beaufort.
Movie Star Chapel
The chapel even became a movie set! In 1993, it was used as a filming location for the famous movie Forrest Gump. It pretended to be the "Four Square Baptist Church" where Forrest Gump prayed with a choir.
Chapel Design
Outside Look
The chapel is a simple building designed in the Greek Revival style. This style often looks like ancient Greek temples. It has a pointed roof, called a gabled roof. The front of the chapel faces southwest.
The main part of the building is about 40 feet (12 meters) long and 24 feet (7.3 meters) wide. At the front, there's a porch area called a portico. This porch is about 11 feet (3.4 meters) long and 24 feet (7.3 meters) wide. It has four strong, round columns made of pine wood. These columns are in the Doric order, which means they are simple and sturdy.
Above the porch, there's a simple triangular shape called a pediment. The main entrance has arched doors. On either side of the doors are windows with four panes of glass on top and four on the bottom. Above these windows are smaller, half-circle windows. There's also a round stained glass window right above the doorway. The sides of the chapel have five sections, each with similar windows and half-circle tops. All the windows have arched, slatted covers called shutters.
Steeple and Inside
In 1890, an eight-sided tower, called a steeple, was added above the porch. This steeple has arched windows on four of its sides. At the very top of the steeple is a decorative wooden piece called a finial.
Inside, the walls are smooth plaster. The chapel still has its original wooden pews, which are the long benches for people to sit on. The floors are made of wide pine planks. At the back, there's a raised area with two steps. A old-fashioned pump organ is located near the back door. It's partly hidden by a low fence-like structure called a balustrade with a curtain for privacy. At the front of the chapel, there's a painted table used for communion. The original oil lamps have been replaced with electric lights.
