St. Stephen's Episcopal Church - Saint Stephen, SC - Church with Original Brick from 240 Years Ago

Located at 196 Brick Church Circle in Saint Stephen, South Carolina, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also a National Historic Landmark. At the time that St. Stephen's was established in 1754, a wooden chapel already existed. The Parish decided to replace the wooden structure with a brick building. Building of the brick church did not even begin until 1767. The church building was completed in 1769.

The brick church was designed and built by Francis Villepontoux and A. Howard, who also provided the bricks for the building. The church is a small brick country parish church and was built on a rectangular plan. The master mason for the project was William Axson. Axson was a Freemason and inscribed the Masonic insignia and his name on one of the ground bricks located above the chancel window. To this day, the brick church has been well-preserved and features a gambrel roof. The preservation of the brickwork and several of the features of the church building and grounds are what make St. Stephen's a destination for the historically inclined. Visitors can enjoy the distinctive architecture of the church.

The church was not neglected in spite of the fact that services were not held regularly between 1808 and 1932. During the 19th century, the church was repaired twice. Currently, St. Stephen's is undergoing restoration and also being painted. The church building is actively used today and is part of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina.

On April 5, 2009, St. Stephen's celebrated its 240th anniversary (based on the year the church was completed). In honor of this milestone, St. Stephen's Outreach Committee planned a re-creation event. Led by Reverend Jeffery R. Richardson, the anniversary service began at 11:00am. Many visitors and church members wore costumes from the era in which the church building was built. The 1662 Book of Common Prayer was used for the Holy Communion.

After the anniversary service, St. Stephen's held a family picnic, and the food was served out of old cast iron pots. The food consisted of items that would have been eaten during the period that the church was completed. Charleston's Channel 2 News filmed the event and aired portions of it. Their coverage featured the fact that St. Stephen's is rich in history. It also highlighted the American Revolution and Civil War ancestral cemetery markers that surround the church. In addition to the markers, the original bricks of the building remain, and two of these bricks bear the signatures of the brick makers.

St. Stephen's holds services on Sundays and Wednesdays. Sunday service begins at 8:45am and is followed by hospitality time. On Wednesday, service begins at 6:30pm and is followed by Bible Study and Supper. In addition to worship services, St. Stephen's has a Worship Committee, a Wardens & Budget Committee, and a Mission Council, and each group typically meets monthly.

Reverend Jeffrey R. Richardson is the Vicar at St. Stephen's. Reverend William H. Holmes served as Deacon until his retirement in June of 2009. Additional staff at St. Stephen's include a Sr. Warden, a Jr. Warden, 3 Mission Council Members, a Music Director, a Churchyard Coordinator, and a Treasurer.

Anyone wishing to obtain additional information about St. Stephen's can do so by calling the church directly at 843-567-3419.