Churches in South Carolina Burned During the American Revolution ― A Pictorial Guide

Captain Wilkins: Ready to fire the town on your order, sir.Colonel Tavington: The town? Huh, burn the church.Captain Wilkins: There's no honor in this.Colonel Tavington: Didn't you say, all those who stand against England deserve to die a traitor's death? Burn the church, CapThis scene in the movie The Patriot raises several questions. Did the British burn churches during the American Revolution? Were churches burned with people locked inside? As you have probably guessed, the correct answers are “yes” and “no.” Like many South Carolinians, Jim Neal saw this movie. Since retiring, he had done some part-time work, but always finds himself drawn back to his first love – South Carolina history. Neal knew of a couple of churches had been burned – Old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, where his mother had been a member, and Sheldon in Beaufort County, where a roadside marker states it was burned by the British. He became intrigued with learning about the churches in South Carolina that were burned and quickly discovered that a list did not exist. With help from the South Caroliniana Library, S.C. Department of Archives and History and Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution, he began to research the churches.Bill Segars’s career as a general contractor working from his home base in Kellytown, S.C., was rewarding, but he was drawn to the older churches that he would drive by as he traveled to his company’s building sites. His passion for history and his knowledge of construction came together, thanks to Larry Nix, who introduced him to old churches through his book The Old Churches of South Carolina. This 46-page volume contained a brief description of 185 pre-Civil War churches that exist in South Carolina. With this book, a camera and a map in hand, Segars set out on a quest to find, photograph, and research these buildings. His file of churches exceeded 700 when he encountered a book on historical United Methodist churches and places in South Carolina…written by Jim Neal. A phone call by Segars and a couple of meetings resulted in a partnership.The book is subtitled A Pictorial Guide, but it could have justifiably been named A Pictorial Journey. You will find photographs of each site, directions, even GPS coordinates. In addition, the authors have included information on what happened at each site. You will find that history is not always as presented and that we are still learning about these churches. Join Neal and Segars on this adventure to Churches in South Carolina Burned During the American Revolution