Trinity Episcopal Church and Cemetery
National Register Listing
Street Address:
Church St., Abbeville, SC (Abbeville County)
NRHP Nomination Form
Record Number:
S10817701003
Description and Narrative:
Trinity Episcopal Church is an example of Gothic Revival architecture in South Carolina that remains as originally constructed and contains handmade interior woodwork. Thomas Parker, Thomas Jackson and Thomas Walter Thomas organized the church in 1842. Bishop Thomas F. Davis consecrated the building in 1860, built after plans by George E. Walker, architect, of Columbia, and by Blease and Baxter, contractors, of Newberry. The solid walls are more than two feet thick, and are constructed of brick from an Abbeville brickyard. They are coated with cement that, over the years, has acquired a soft rose patina from the underlying native clay. The church’s spire is 130 feet tall and continues to dominate the local skyline. The organ, made by John Baker of Charleston, was installed soon after the church was built and is one of two such known organs in South Carolina. A magnificent stained glass altar window from England ran the Union blockades in the 1860s and was then carted to the upcountry. The churchyard and cemetery contain boxwood gardens, towering old magnolia trees and graves of church leaders. Listed in the National Register May 6, 1971.
Period of Significance:
1860
Level of Significance:
Local
Area of Significance:
Performing Arts;Architecture;Religion
National Register Determination:
listed
Date of Certification:
May 6 1971
