|
St. Thomas and St. Dennis's
Episcopal Church
OLD CHARLESTON
DISTRICT
The parishes of St. Thomas's and St. Dennis's
were at first distinct. St. Dennis's was settled by French
Protestants soon after the revocation of the Edict of
Nantz in 1685. This French settlement fell into the limits of
St. Thomas's, but as few of the inhabitants understood English
sufficiently to attend services, it was erected into a
distinct parish and called St. Dennis's. They had a small
church of their own, and it was well attended. For
some time they had a French clergyman.
St. Thomas's
Parish was laid off, with several others in 1706. The parish
church was built of brick, on a neck of land on the northwest
side of Wando River. It was begun in 1707 and
finished in 1708.
In 1747 the part of an Act passed in 1708
which appointed St. Dennis's as a chapel of ease to St.
Thomas's was repealed. The Reverend Mr. Garden informed the
Society in 1755 that most of the French refugees, who had
inhabited the parish, were dead and their descendants,
understanding the English language, had united themselves with
the Church of England.
The building was burned in a
woods fire in 1815. It was rebuilt but remained unfurnished as
late as 1820. The present structure of brick faced with stucco
is small with a fanlighted entrance and windows with
semicircular heads.
BY
HAZEL CROWSON SELLERS
South Carolina
Churches |