Huguenot Church

Front inscription

French Protestants known as Huguenots were among the earliest Europeans to arrive in colonial S.C. They were part of a broader Huguenot diaspora fleeing religious persecution in France. The first large contingent in Charleston landed in 1680. Hundreds more settled after the Edict of Nantes was revoked in 1685. By 1687, the Charleston refugees had organized a church and likely worshipped at this site. Around 1701 the original wooden church was replaced by a brick one.

Reverse inscription

By the end of the American Revolution, this was the last remaining independent Huguenot church in S.C. The c.1701 church burned in the 1796 fire and was replaced a few years later. Members ceased regular worship in the French language in the 1820s and subsequently began holding services in English. This fourth church dates to 1845. Designed by architect Edward Brickell White, it is one of the earliest and finest examples of Gothic Revival design in Charleston.