First Baptist Church - Columbia, South Carolina
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 34° 00.359 W 081° 01.962
17S E 496980 N 3762819
Historic Baptist Church where the decision for South Carolina secede from the union was made in 1860.
Waymark Code: WMGWCQ
Location: South Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 04/15/2013
Views: 4
The FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, Hampton St., between Marion and Sumter Sts., is a dignified brown brick building somewhat resembling early New England churches, with no steeple or bell, square double front door and arched windows. The wide entrance porch has four brick columns, their bases formed by encircling flanges of lighter hued handmade brick, with a bell-shaped cross section. Indicating the influence of Mills's architecture, the church was erected in 1856, the second edifice for a congregation organized in 1809. The site of the first structure is now occupied by a modern Sunday school building. Determined to destroy the church where the 'Rebel Convention' met to draw up the Ordinance of Secession, Sherman's soldiers are supposed to have been deliberately misdirected by the Negro sexton to the old frame church, erected in 1811, which they burned instead.. - South Carolina: A Guide to the Palmetto State, Columbia section , pg. 230.
The church is much as described in the Guide except that is has been greatly added to. The church was used for services until 1992 at which time they were moved to the new sanctuary located to the east. The old church is used for other purposes including offices and coffee shop. It is connected to the new church. The old church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1973.