The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-05-30
THE CIRCULAR CHURCH.
It's History-A Move to Rebuild It.

THE CIRCULAR CHURCH.
It's History-A Move to Rebuild It.
We have before us 'sManual of the Inde'
pendent or Congregational {Circular) Church,
Of Charleston, S. c." from which we collate
the following facts connected with the history
of this church, whose bare walls and tower
stand as monument of the devastating fire
of 1861:
The records of this church were destroyed
In the hurricane of l7l3, and therefore very
little is known of its early history beyond the
TACT that sit was constituted ten years after
the settlement of the city in 1880" The edihce,
! which was located on the site of the present
ruins, in Meeting street, was long known as
ssThe White Meeting" from the color fits eX-
ter;o.. From this it is claimed that Meeting
street derived its name. In 1923, the church
building, ''but forty feet square and slightly
built" having by long time gone to decay" )"
was repair ed by one hundred and four contri-
butors, at a cost of little over eight thous-
and pounds.
During the Revolutionary war, when the
! British were in Charleston, they used the
church first as hospital. and afterward as
storehouse for provisions. and when they left
ssit was but a shell of the time-h0nored struc-
ture." It was repaired at cost Of six thous-
and dollars, and dedicated anew by Rev. Wm.
HollinsheaG, on the 18th of December, lIS3
Previous to the revolution the increasing num-
bers of the congregation rendered two houses
of worship necessary, and q building was COM
menced in Archdale street, but was not COM
pleted until l7s7. Rev. Mr.. Keith was settled
as co-pastor with Mr.. Hollinshead, the two
pastors alternating morning and afternoon in
the two churches.
On the 18th of February. 1904, it was resolv-
ed to build an entirely new brick church (of
circular form, having lightweight feet interior
diameter,) at an estimated cost of 100000. By
disposing of the pews about $40 900 were rails
ed, which amount with the subscriptions was
sufficient to defray the entire expense. On the
25th of May, 1906, the church was dedicated
with an appropriate sermon from each Of the
co-pastors. The two churches on Meeting and
Archdale streets, associated for nearly twenty
years, separated in July; 1911, by the general
consent of those who formerly constituted the
one corporation. "The Archdale street
Church eventually assumed the name Of
The Unitarian Church., which it still retains"
In 1888, a lofty and graceful splre was erect
ed, and in 1853 the church was extensively re-
paired, at cost of $40, ,Ooo In the great fire of
1861 the church was destroyed. The congre-
cation worshipped in the Hibernian Hall. in
the lecture-room of the Central Presbyterian
Church and in the Orphanhouse Chapel, re-
spectively, until February IL, 1867, when the
present lecture-room was ready and dedicated,
having been rebuilt by the exertions Of four
teen male members. In q few months after
the dedication one hundred and seven of the
former white members. and more than fifty
colored members were regathered into the
ancient fold. The congregation hope to re-
build their church, and subscription to that
end has been inaugurated.
The smanual" asserts that this church,
though styled Presbyterian by the records
above referred to, "was, as it has ever been,
undenominationa In polity. Apparently from
its origin 1t has united both CongregaLionalists
and Presbyterians. The first three ministers
or pastors are supposed to have been Congre-
gationalists I; the Rext two were Prcsbyterians.
In 1871, during the incumbency of the sixth,
the Presbyterians separa-
ting. formed the First Presbyterian Church of
Charleston. The White Meeting, however,
continued to be called indiscriminately the
Congregational or Independent
Church. Its pastors were called from either
but prohibited from modifying
or changing the government Of the church
acting as congregation