Church of the Cross
National Register Listing
Street Address:
Calhoun St., Bluffton, SC (Beaufort County)
NRHP Nomination
Record Number:
S10817707022
Description and Narrative:
The Church of the Cross, ca. 1857, is significant architecturally as a design of Edward Brickell White. White (1806-1882), a prolific engineer and architect of the mid-nineteenth century, was proficient in a wide range of styles: Classic, Renaissance, and Gothic Revival. White designed numerous churches, schools, office buildings and commercial structures in South Carolina. The cruciform shaped Church of the Cross, completed in 1857, is one of his Gothic Revival designs, but differs from the stuccoed, more formal churches of Charleston and Columbia. The Carpenter Gothic style with board and batten exterior and interior open timbered roof is in keeping with the church’s scenic, rural setting. The architect’s choice of material, unfinished cypress, and his use of proportion and design, confirm his sensitivity to the character of the small church. Located on a bluff overlooking the May River, the church is surrounded by live oak and palmetto trees. In 1960 a parish house, which is included in the area nominated, was built in a style compatible with the church, using cruciform plan, pointed arch windows and doors, and weathered cypress siding. Listed in the National Register May 29, 1975.
Period of Significance:
1857;19th century
Level of Significance:
State
Area of Significance:
Architecture
National Register Determination:
listed
Date of Certification:
May 29 1975
