Free previewStop 4 of Haunted Charleston Walking Tour
The Steeple That Steered Ships Home
You're on Church Street, and the building in front of you is St. Philip's, the church whose white tower seems to float above this end of the street. Look at the three columned porches at its base, then let your eyes climb the tower, stage by stage, all the way to the tip of the spire. That spire is the heart of this story.
St. Philip's is the oldest congregation in South Carolina, founded in 1680. But it has been unlucky with buildings. The first church was wooden, standing where St. Michael's is today, and a hurricane damaged it in 1710. The second church, right here on Church Street, took until 1723 to finish. Then in 1835 it burned to the ground.
What happened next tells you something about Charleston.
That's the opening. The rest plays at stop 4 of Haunted Charleston Walking Tour (3 min in all). Unlock the tour to hear it all, or try stop 1 free first.
