First Baptist Church in Charleston, Charleston

This is the oldest Baptist church in the American South, originally founded by a congregation that migrated from Maine to the Carolinas in 1696. The church building itself is a remarkable work of architecture designed by Robert Mills, the first American-born architect, and it follows the popular Greek Revival style. Mills was quite straightforward in his assessment of the building, declaring it to be "the best specimen of correct taste in architecture in the city. It is purely Greek in style, simply grand in its proportions, and beautiful in its detail."

Notable features of the church include a solid mahogany pulpit, which was crafted from wood imported from the West Indies at a considerable cost of $1,000 in 1822. Additionally, the church boasts a fabulous organ dating back to 1845, which was crafted by the renowned organ builder Erben.