St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church (Charleston, South Carolina)

St. Mary of the Annunciation Roman Catholic Church is the first Roman Catholic parish in the Carolinas and Georgia. The current building at 93 Hasell St. in Charleston, South Carolina, is the third structure to house the congregation on this site.

St. Mary of the Annunciation Roman Catholic Church
St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
District	Diocese of Charleston
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Parish
Leadership	Rev. Father H. Gregory West, JCL, Pastor Rev. Father Patrick Allen, Parochial Vicar
Location
Location	93 Hasell St. Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
Geographic coordinates	32° 46' 54.6" N 79° 55' 58" W
Architecture
Style	Greek
Completed	1839
Specifications
Capacity	350
Length	84 ft (25.6 m)
Width	50 ft (15.2 m)
Materials	Stucco over brick
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Added to NRHP	November 7, 1976
NRHP Reference no.	76001697[1]
Website
St. Mary's website

The property and an old building were purchased in 1789. It was incorporated as the Roman Catholic Church of Charleston by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1791. The first structure was replaced by a brick church that burned in the Charleston fire in 1838.

The church was rebuilt quickly and reopened on June 9, 1839. It is a rectangular building, 84 ft (25.6 m) by 50 ft (15.2 m). It is built of brick with a stucco covering. There are four Doric columns that support a large entablature. The parapet wall at the top of the church was probably constructed around 1896. There are stained glass windows imported from Munich.

The nave has a central aisle and two large rows of pews. There are smaller pews along the side aisles. Above the altar, there is a painting of the Crucifixion by John S. Cogdell. The artist donated this painting to replace an earlier painting he had done in 1814, which was destroyed in the fire. Much of the interior of the church was renovated during a three-month renovation in 1884.[2]

The church graveyard is on each side and to the rear of the church.

In the early 1980s, the neighboring Charleston Place complex was constructed, bordering the church on all sides. It was the only structure preserved on the lot, besides the few storefronts facing Meeting Street which were incorporated in the parking structure.

The St. Mary's Church is on the National Register of Historic Places, No. 76001697. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has additional pictures and information.[3] and copies of the nomination forms.[4] There are additional pictures and information available from the Historic American Buildings Survey at the Library of Congress.[5]