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No. 3. St. Michael’s Church–Charleston, S. C. ST. MICHAEL’S CHURCH is situated at the North East corner of Meeting and Broad Streets. The corner-stone of the Church was laid in 1752, by Governor Glen. The site was occupied previously by a wooden building known as St. Philip’s Church, which was erected in 1690, being the first Episcopal Church built in South Carolina. About the year 1751, the old wooden Church was torn down, and the present St. Michael’s Church built. The steeple of this Church is very prominent, and can be seen some distance at sea. it was selected by the Federals on Morris’ Island, during the late war, as a target during the shelling of the City. Several thousand shells were thrown at it, without once striking the steeple, although other portions of the Church were struck several times, doing but trifling injury, however, The first shell thrown was on the morning of the 21st August, 1863, about half past one o’clock. The shelling was kept up, with brief intermissions, until the evacuation of the City in February, 1865. The first shells were thrown from a battery located in the marsh, between Morris’ and Black Island, distant about five miles from the City, and called the “Swamp Angel.” For a long period after the commencement of the shelling of the City, the Confederate authorities kept a look out in the steeple of St. Michael’s Church. A daily report of the number of shells thrown, together with the movements of the ships of war stationed off the bar, and the forces on Morris’ Island, was made to head quarters. The total number of shells thrown into the City from the Batteries on Morris’ Island, was in the neighborhood of thirty thousand. Many buildings were struck, doing small damage in comparison to what was expected. The loss of life was trifling, being less than a dozen persons, all told. That portion of the City south of Calhoun street was almost entirely abandoned, the inhabitants removing to the upper portion and outskirts of the City. The dimensions of St. Michael’s Church are as follows: length, 130 feet; width, 60 feet; nave, 74 feet; chancel, 10 feet; vestibule (inside) 22 feet; portico, 16 feet. The steeple is 168 feet high. The chime of bells (eight in number) cost, in England, £581 14s. 1d. The Clock cost £194. They were landed in Charleston in 1794, from the ship “Little Carpenter,” Captain Muir. At the evacuation of Charleston, in 1782, Major Traille, of the Royal Artillery, removed the bells, under the pretence [sic] of being a military perquisite belonging to the Commanding Officer of Artillery. The vestry of the Church applied for their restoration, as private property they having been purchased by subscription. After considerable delay, Sir Guy Carleton, at New York, on the 28th January, 1783, issued an order for their immediate restoration. The bells, however, had been shipped from Charleston to England, and could not be restored as ordered by Sir Guy Carleton. After their arrival in England, they were sold. Mr. Rybenew, formerly a merchant in Charleston, became the purchaser. He shipped them back to Charleston, for sale as a commercial adventure, where they were again landed in November, 1783. Upon their arrival the overjoyed inhabitants took possession of them, hurried them up to the Church, and then into the steeple, without thinking that they might be; violating a private right. Mr. Rybenew, shortly after this, became bankrupt, and it is not positively known whether he ever realized anything fro his purchase of the bells. In 1861, as a matter of precaution, they were removed to Columbia where they remained undisturbed until Sherman’s army entered the city. During the burning of Columbia, they were so damaged from heat as to render them perfectly useless. Two of them were stolen, and have never been recovered. They were re-shipped to England in Spring of 1866, to be recast. The work of re-casting was done by descendants of the firm who originally cast them. On the 18th February, 1867, they were again landed in Charleston. They were detained in the Custom House stores for some time, on account of the non-payment of duties, which were heavy, amounting to nearly three thousand dollars They were finally released one or two at a time, and placed in the steeple of the venerable fane where their prototypes had been place upwards of a century before. They were rung for the first time on the 21st March, 1867, chiming the appropriate air of “Home Again.” The building shown on the same side with the Church, is the City Hall, formerly the United States Bank. The site on which the City Hall now stands, was, in Colonial times, occupied as a market-place. [uncredited stereo card]

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