The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-06-18

l.
BILE historical record is thus lost. In
the first vestry Of which there is a
record, appear the names of three
Huguenots, Col. Samuel Prioleau. Mr..
Gabriel Magnigault, and Mr.. John
Abram Motto. These offices were not
sinecures, so many duties being put
upon the vestry and wardens that
persons had some time almost to be
forced to serve under penalties for
refusing On one long account OF deb
! its and credits this quaint entry oc-
ours: 10 Nov. By Delta, received from
Benjamin Smith a. fine recovered by
,, Justice Gibbs from Peter Brez, for
knocking down Mr. Pinchney's negro.
In 1893 Mr.. John Laurens, of Revolt
tionary fame. was elected to serve as
one of the wardens.
When annual election took place
at Easter there were elected not only
the vestry and wardens, but five COM
missioners of the highway. six pack
ers, five wood measures and five
firemasters. The civil and ecclesias.l-
cal affairs Of the town were settled
in the porch Of the church. A free
school established by rhe assembly.
HIP. was united with the school of
the Society for the Propagation Of the
Gospel, and was connected with ST.
Philips church until the Revolution.
In 1884, by the efforts Of the ves-
try. a work house and a hospital were
esta blished. The Gazette of 1748 gives
the information that Frederick Hol-
zendorf, chirugeon of ST. Philips hos
pital, Charles Town, has renewed his
residence"
In 1740 took place the trial OF the
great Whitefield for conducting scrv-
ices without regard for the Prayer
Book. which@resulted in the loss Of
this eminent and eloquent preacher to
the Episcopal Church. A great fire
which destroyed large part of the
town-the loss being estimated at a
million anc half dollars. also oc-
CURED this year.
In 1743 the Society for the Propaga-
ton of the Gospel established with
its own funds and voluntary subscrip-
tions school for the training of
negro teachers. to be sent out to in
s.ruct the negro and Indian children.
Among the contributors were the Hon.
Charles Pinckney. Joseph Wragg.
Benjamin Smith, Robert Pringle. ia
cob Motto, Col. Othniel Beaie and
Sarah Trott This school continued
for twenty-five years. supervised by
the successive commissarleS. b
Rev. Garden. the Rev. Clark and the
Rev. Robert Smith, afterwards first
Bishop of South Carolina, who in 1888
organized an Academy of Learning,
and spared no trouble or expense in
securing the best classical teachers.
This academy became, by the passage
of an act in 1885, the Charleston Col
1ege.
DESTROYED in Fire of 1885.
st, Philips escaped the great fires
of 1910, 1878, 1896 and 1910. In that
OF 1895, when the French Protestant
Church was destroyed. the steepie of
ST. Philips was afire, and was only
saved by a courageous negro, who
climbed up and tore off the burning
shingles; for the signal service he
was given his freedom, the story OF
which as has been said, is splendldly
told, (although attributed to the
wrong structure) in a poem How ne
saved St. MichaePs." Cnhappily the
beautiful church, so rich in historical
Interest, was completely destroyed by
fire February Ia, 1885.
st. Philips was rebuilt with re-
markable prompitude and energy; and
in spite of the great financial panic
Of that year. the cornerstone OF the
new building was laid in 1887. the
first service held under its roof MAY
8. 1888, and the church was conse-
Grated by Bishop Bowen, November 3,
1888. The new church was built on
the old foundation, except that !!
was extended twenty-five feet east
wardly. and the ground plan little
changed. In regard to it's external
appearance the new church did not
differ greatly from the old building,
but many alterations were made IN
the interior. The Communion table
sacred link saved from the fire. con-
tinued to be used.
In the earthquake OF 1885. st. Phil
ip's was seriously wrecked. The walls
were cracked, the west porch destroy
ed. north and south porches shattered
the roof broken through by falling OF
iron columns and bricks from the
steeple. and the galleries displaced.
The cost of repairing the building
after this great disaster was nearly
$4,000.
Damaged BY lightning Last Year.
In 1744 occurred two violent thun-
der storms. one in Aprii. the other IN
June. The lightning struck the church
during both of these storms. damag-
ing the steeple and the organ In ex-
actly the same places, the first caus-
ing the death Of Mr.. Furness. who
was hanging one Of the bells which
used to hang in the steeple. early IN
the sos a clock with bells was pre-
sented to the church by Mr.. john
Campbell, of Beaufort. the uncle OF
the then incumbent Of Old st. Helena
Church. in Beaufort, the Rev. John
Barnwell Campbell. The bells we're
given 20 the Confederate government
to be cast into cannon. By a strange
coincidence. during the year l32o, St.