National Historic Landmark

St. James' Church, Goose Creek

Goose Creek, Berkeley County, South Carolina
Listed
April 14, 1970
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
70000566

About this property

St. James' Church, Goose Creek, also known as the Goose Creek Church, is an Episcopal church at 100 Vestry Lane in Goose Creek, South Carolina. Built in the 1710s, it is one of South Carolina's oldest surviving buildings, and one of a small number of surviving early Georgian chapels in the nation. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970. St. James Church is located on a wooded lot on the west side of Snake Road, between the Goose Creek Primary School and Goose Creek Road. It is a single story masonry structure, built out of stuccoed brick and covered with a clipped-gable slate roof. The building corners are quoined, and there is a line of simple brickwork at the eave. There are entrances at the centers of three sides, with flanking round-arch windows. The main entrance is on the west side, with flanking pilasters rising to a decorative frieze and gabled pediment. The interior has three aisles separating rows of 18th-century box pews. The east end of the building has the pulpit, with an original reading stand and sounding board. The wall behind the pulpit carries rich baroque decoration, whose central feature is the seal of George I of Great Britain. Its decorations include cherubs in stucco and a pelican feeding her young. The Province of Carolina formally established the Church of England in 1706, dividing South Carolina into six parishes. The Saint James parish church was built 1713-19 by English settlers from Barbados, and is one of the oldest Episcopal churches in the United States. The building has seen some modest alterations, and its walls were strengthened with iron tie rods in 1844. The church was damaged by an earthquake in 1886, which collapsed the west gable end. The original churchyard is now surrounded by a brick wall. Buried in the churchyard is Ralph Izard, a former U.S. senator from South Carolina who served as president pro tempore of the Senate in 1794. Robert Jordan, author of The Wheel of Time series of fantasy novels, also has his ashes buried here. A monument to John Parker (1759–1832) was moved there in 1952 from the nearby Hayes Estate, for preservation. List of National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina National Register of Historic Places listings in Berkeley County, South Carolina Media related to St. James Church (Goose Creek, South Carolina) at Wikimedia Commons Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. SC-79, "St. James' Protestant Episcopal Church, Goose Creek, Berkeley County, SC", 17 photos, 9 data pages, 1 photo caption page St. James Church, Goose Creek Cemetery Inscriptions at Find a Grave.com

Location

Goose Creek, Berkeley County, South Carolina
32.97551, -80.02941

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about St. James' Church, Goose Creek

This page lists St. James' Church, Goose Creek. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your St. James' Church, Goose Creek report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Otranto Plantation
Industrial
0.8 mi
Medway
Industrial
5.2 mi
Otranto Plantation Indigo Vats
Industrial
5.7 mi
Ashley River Historic District
Listed
6.9 mi
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
Listed
7.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was St. James' Church, Goose Creek listed on the National Register?

St. James' Church, Goose Creek was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 1970.

What type of historic resource is St. James' Church, Goose Creek?

St. James' Church, Goose Creek is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is St. James' Church, Goose Creek a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. St. James' Church, Goose Creek has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for St. James' Church, Goose Creek?

The period of significance for St. James' Church, Goose Creek is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near St. James' Church, Goose Creek?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near St. James' Church, Goose Creek will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Berkeley County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Berkeley County.

Explore BerkeleyCounty ›

More historic places in South Carolina

Browse all historic places in South Carolina.

View South Carolinahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

South Carolina history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

South Carolinahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near St. James' Church, Goose Creek will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report