Two historic Episcopal churches in Charleston will each receive major grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to make repairs to their sanctuaries.
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Thomas Street and St. John’s Reformed Episcopal Church on Anson Street are among 33 historically Black churches nationwide that will share in grants from the Trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.
“America’s 250th anniversary is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the remarkable legacy of our nation’s historically Black churches,” said Brent Leggs, the fund’s executive director “They are essential civic institutions that have anchored democracy, community leadership, and collective care for generations.”
The Rev. Dr. Michael Shaffer, St. Mark’s current rector, said the $500,000 grant that the church will get will support repair and restoration of the property, which features a prominent portico, Corinthian columns and intricate stained glass.
Founded on Easter Sunday in 1865 and constructed in 1867, St. Mark’s is one of the few all-wood churches in Charleston, he said. The city’s free Black community established the church.
St. Mark’s is an example of the post-Civil War use of the Roman Revival style in Charleston. It is one of the last temple form churches designed by architect Louis J. Barbot, Shaffer added.
Built in 1850, St. John’s will use its $60,000 grant to conduct an assessment of whether the building meets standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act standards, and “help us prioritize the repair we need to make,” said church member Patrice Capers, who wrote the grant application.
Capers said the church got assistance from the Historic Charleston Foundation and a grant-writing workshop conducted by the Jesus Does Work (JDW) Network.
“I am very excited we got the award,” Capers said. “I am very honored and grateful.”
St. John’s was the home church of the renowned blacksmith Philip Simmons.
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