St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Catholic church in Ansonborough, Charleston, United States
St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church is a Catholic church on Hasell Street in the Ansonborough neighborhood of Charleston, South Carolina, built in a rectangular brick structure covered with stucco and fronted by four Doric columns. The interior follows an ancient Roman architectural style, with a central aisle and rows of pews arranged on either side.
The present building was completed in 1839 to replace an earlier structure destroyed in the Charleston fire of 1838, and it was the third church built on this site. The congregation's roots at this location go back further, reflecting a long Catholic presence in the city.
The graveyard contains tombstones inscribed in French, showing the mark of refugees from the West Indies who arrived in Charleston during the late 1700s. These graves reveal how a displaced community left its presence on this site.
The church sits on Hasell Street in the Ansonborough neighborhood, within easy walking distance of downtown Charleston. Because the building is still used for regular worship, it is worth checking ahead to find out when visits are welcome.
The interior holds a Crucifixion painting by John S. Cogdell, made to replace the original artwork lost in the 1838 fire. Cogdell was known mainly as a sculptor, which makes this painting an unusual part of his body of work.
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