St. Matthew's Lutheran Church ~ Charleston, SC
Posted by: 
garmin_geek
N 32° 47.237 W 079° 56.240
17S E 599509 N 3628205
St. Matthew's - a member congregation of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) - the world's 5th largest denomination - is also the largest Lutheran church in the South Carolina Synod.
Waymark Code: WM5P23
Location: South Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 01/28/2009
Views: 11
... By 1865, St. Matthew's had outgrown the Hassell Street location due to the large number (5,000) of German immigrants who had made their home in Charleston. The congregation of St. Matthew's purchased a lot in 1867 at the corner of King and Vanderhorst Streets - our current location- at a cost of $12,000. J.H. Devereaux was chosen as the architect, and the first monetary donation for the soon-to-be new church was $100, given by then Governor William Aiken.
In an unprecedented ecumenical show of support, St. Matthew's received contributions from throughout the city - from people of all faith traditions. The present location's cornerstone was laid in December of either 1867 or 1869 (the early German handwriting has been a challenge to consistently decipher!) At any rate, the 'new' building was dedicated on March 28 (Maundy Thursday), 1872, and newspaper reports tell of "3,000 people marching in procession" from the Anson Street site to the King Street building.
A brass key - still used today - which opens the main doors to the sanctuary building - was presented at the dedication, as was a key of gold and silver which remains today in the church's possession and is used ceremonially whenever there is a change in either lay or clergy leadership.
The current St. Matthew's was built without the loss of a single life - a blessing not universally enjoyed in those days.....
Active Church: Yes
School on property: No
Date Built: 12/01/1869
Service Times: 8:30 & 11:00
Website: [Web Link]
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