St. Michael's Church, Charleston (must see)

If Charleston’s churches were competing in a historical contest, St. Philip's Church could claim the prize for oldest congregation—but when it comes to the oldest church building still standing, the crown goes to St. Michael's Church, completed in 1761. While no one knows exactly who designed this elegant landmark, the architect clearly took inspiration from St Martin-in-the-Fields, the famous London church created in the 1720s, giving Charleston its own colonial-era version of a British classic.

Take a look at the front: the two-story portico supported by Tuscan columns was a bold architectural feature for colonial America. On the north wall, a stained-glass window, titled Easter Morning, adds a splash of color. Installed in 1898, it was designed by Louis Lederle for Tiffany Studios and assembled from roughly two thousand pieces of glass.

Above it all, the tower keeps time for the neighborhood. The clock marks the hours and quarters, while eight historic change-ringing bells—one of only four such sets in the Charleston area—fill the air with sound. The bells were cast in London in 1764 and recast there again in 1866.

Remarkably, the church itself has changed very little since the 18th century. Aside from a sacristy added in 1883, the structure remains largely intact, though history has tested its strength. The earthquake of 1886 pushed the steeple eight inches into the ground and cracked parts of the building, while a 1935 tornado and Hurricane Hugo in 1989 caused further damage. During both the American Revolution and the Civil War, the spire was even painted black to make it less visible to enemy gunners.

One notable visitor, namely George Washington, attended a service here in 1791, sitting in what is now known as the Governor’s Pew. The churchyard also holds the graves of prominent Americans, such as Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, a Revolutionary War general and signer of the Constitution, and John Rutledge, another signer of the Constitution and later a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

In short, St. Michael is not only as a place of worship, but a place where Charleston’s history continues to echo, much like the bells in its tower...