Trinty Lutheran Church
National Register Listing
Street Address:
390 Hampton Street, Elloree, SC (Orangeburg County)
NRHP Nomination
Record Number:
S10817738040
Description and Narrative:
Trinity Lutheran Church is significant for its architecture and as an excellent example of the ecclesiastical architecture of J. Carroll Johnson, well-known early twentieth century Columbia architect of the firm of Urquhart & Johnson. The church, constructed in 1914 in the shape of a cross, is made of blue granite which was mined in Winnsboro, South Carolina. This excellent example of Gothic Revival parish church architecture has distinctive exterior and interior features, and a sophistication not often exhibited in rural farming communities of South Carolina. Laid in random courses, its walls feature sixteen granite and limestone buttresses, granite and cast stone parapets rising two feet above the gabled slate roof, contrasting mortar, and distinctive custom limestone arched door and window surrounds. Broad wooden eaves extend well beyond the walls and feature fascia boards and open rafter tails. Trinity Lutheran Church’s edifice and interior are rich in symbolism, as attested to by the eighteen stained glass windows. These windows were installed in 1952 and are the symbols of important events portrayed in the Bible. The largest stained glass window in the sanctuary is located on the southwest elevation wall and covers half of the space of the wall. It is framed by a flamboyant Gothic arch. A heavy pine-beamed, bracketed truss system supports the roof and adorns the sanctuary's and transepts' ceilings. Two noncontributing buildings are also on the property, a parish building, built sixty years after the construction of the church, and an addition to the parish building added in 1994. Listed in the National Register August 1, 2008.
Period of Significance:
1914 – 1915
Level of Significance:
Local
Area of Significance:
Architecture
National Register Determination:
listed
Date of Certification:
August 1 2008
