Here’s a painting that has relevance to South Carolina. What can you tell us about it? Send your guess to feedback@statehousereport.com — and remember to include your name, home city and contact information.
Last week’s mystery, “Another mystery church,” is of Hopewell Presbyterian Church in rural Florence County. Thanks to Barry Wingard of Florence for sending the photo, which was identified by Will Bradley of Las Vegas, Nevada; Elizabeth Jones of Columbia; George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; David Lupo of Mount Pleasant; Penny Forrester of Tallahassee, Fla.; Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas; Bill Segars of Hartsville; Kevin Mertens of Greenville; and Jacie Godfrey of Florence .
Jones told us the church was founded in 1770 and is the oldest in Florence County.
Graf added, “Hopewell Presbyterian Church and Hopewell Cemetery are historically related properties set at opposite sides of Old River Road in the Claussen community of rural Florence County. The church, completed in 1842, is a good example of a two-story frame edifice in the Greek Revival style. The church has a pedimented front gable end, two-story portico with two wood pillars and matching pilasters at the enclosed outer bays, and bands of five windows, taller at the principal level, at the side elevations. The building is clad in weatherboard, except the tympanum and wide architrave have flushboard siding, and rests on a brick pier foundation with brick infill. The cemetery, in use since the late eighteenth century, occupies a three-acre site where the original Hopewell Presbyterian Church stood. It contains a notable collection of nineteenth century marble headstones and monuments, many signed by their carvers, laid out in a distinctive pattern of alignment by family. Inside the cemetery is the church’s early Session House. Listed in the National Register June 2, 2000.”
- Send us a mystery. If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com and mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
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Mystery photo Battling troops on Morris Island
Submitted by Judy Hines of Charleston