HOLY CITY FUND
The Holy City Initiative of the Preservation Society of Charleston will result in a sustainable program to provide preservation expertise and financial resources in support of the preservation of historic religious buildings and congregations in Charleston.  The work of the Holy City Initiative will include comprehensive surveys, workshops and stewardship training; the development of collaborative partnerships betweenreligious institutions, nonprofit organizations and local government; and the establishment of a Holy City Fund to accept contributions in support of site acquisition, preservation planning and restoration of historic religious structures.   

As an initial project, the Preservation Society of Charleston’s Holy City Initiative intern will be surveying stewards of historic religious structures in Charleston’s old Ward 11 and Ansonborough to determine major issues faced by congregations seeking to remain downtown and to preserve their buildings.  Fundraising efforts for the first 90 days through October 20, 2012 will be devoted to the acquisition of Historic St.Andrew’s Church and Parish Hall on Wentworth Street by Redeemer Presbyterian Church, which is currently leasing the use of the sanctuary and auxiliary building.

Historic St. Andrew’s Church
43 Wentworth Street, Charleston, South Carolina
Date of Construction: circa 1838
Architect: Unknown
Architectural Style: Greek Revival
Current Use: Redeemer Presbyterian Church (leased)
Project Size: 6,000 square feet (sanctuary)

Issue: Historic St. Andrew’s Church will be converted to a residential use unless the current congregation is able to acquire the building. Additionally, the adjacent brick educational building, designed by Simons and Lapham, will be converted to mixed office and residential uses.

PSC Role: The Society will collect donations through its Holy City Fund toward the acquisition of the buildings by Redeemer Presbyterian Church. PSC will subsequently accept a conservation easement protecting interior and exterior features of the buildings and restricting future uses.

Fundraising Goal: $1,600,000

Community Impact: Redeemer Presbyterian Church offers invaluable social outreach services to the community and serves as a spiritual anchor in the Ansonborough neighborhood. The church buildings are architecturally significant and contribute to Charleston’s National Historic Landmark District.

History: Built after the Fire of 1838 for the Wentworth Street Methodist Protestant Church, the original congregation merged with Zion’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1853. The Church became known as St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in 1936. The sanctuary was extensively renovated in 1908.

Seven to Save:
Holy City Initiative (2011)
Historic Ansonborough Neighborhood (2012)

DONATE online now or mail check to P.O. Box 521, Charleston SC 29402.

Please Help Save Historic St. Andrew’s Church

Redeemer Presbyterian Church is rushing to complete its campaign for $1.6 million to save historic St. Andrew's Church on Wentworth Street.  The young congregation currently leasing the 1838 church was given just 90 days, until Oct. 31st, to match a private offer.

The City’s Preservation Plan says that St. Andrew’s is “of irreplaceable importance, to be preserved…at all costs.” 

Yet the sanctuary’s interior, one of the most beautiful in the Holy City, is about to be lost through a conversion into a private home.  No law protects the handcrafted balconies, the graceful arch defining the apse, the century-old fresco of the ascending Christ, or the vintage pews and pipe organ.  

As of early October, Redeemer members have secured about two-thirds of the $1.6 million purchase price. Not only have they given sacrificially, they've also developed a sustainable business plan that will help repay a privately funded mortgage and provide a maintenance fund for the buildings’ upkeep.

Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr., City Council members, the Preservation Society of Charleston, Historic Charleston Foundation, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have expressed strong support for Redeemer’s preservation efforts.

Please consider a generous donation to save St. Andrew’s Church.  Contributions can be sent before October 31st to:  Preservation Society of Charleston, Holy City Fund, P.O. Box 521, Charleston, SC 29402, or made online at www.HolyCityCharleston.org.

Saving Historic St. Andrew’s Church is the first project of the Preservation Society’s new Holy City Initiative.  The Initiative, which will support the preservation of historic religious buildings and congregations in Charleston, is currently surveying Historic Ward 11 and Ansonborough to determine wider needs.  The survey will identify the major issues faced by congregations seeking to remain downtown and preserve their buildings.

For more information about saving St. Andrew’s, please contact Redeemer’s Building Fund Chair, Nancy Vinson, at nancyvinson@gmail.com or 843.810.3643.  You can also read more about our efforts by clicking any of the following links:

Saving St. Andrew’s

Channel 4 News 9/27/12
Charleston Mercury 6/27/12
Post & Courier 7/22/12
Pledge Form & Naming Opportunities