• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SC Picture Project

The purpose of the South Carolina Picture Project is to celebrate the beauty of the Palmetto State while preserving some of its vanishing landscapes.

  • FIND A LANDMARK
    • BY CITY
    • BY COUNTY
    • BY CATEGORY
    • BYGONE LANDMARKS
  • ADD IMAGES
  • VOLUNTEER
  • SPONSORS
  • DONATE

Barnwell Sundial

SC PICTURE PROJECT Leave a Comment

SC Picture Project / Barnwell County / Barnwell Sundial

The unusual “town clock” in Barnwell is actually a sundial and tells the time by the angle of the sun in the sky. Quite possibly the only one of its kind, it has displayed the accurate time – within two minutes of standard time – for over 150 years.

Barnwell Court House and Sundial

Melissa Roberts of Barnwell, 2012 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The vertical sundial is located on Main Street in front of the Barnwell County Courthouse. It was a gift to the city in 1858 from state senator J.D. Allen. Standard time was not officially established until 1884, making this remarkable sundial, decades ahead of its time.

Barnwell County Court House

Melissa Roberts of Barnwell, 2012 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The plaque, seen below, stands near the sundial, detailing its history. The following inscription can be found on the plaque:

“The oldest known device for the measurement of time, a sundial indicates time by the position of the shadow of a gnomon cast by the sun on the face of a dial marked in hours. The gnomon is a flat piece of metal in the center of the dial with its back pointing towards the North Pole when in the northern hemisphere and facing due south and with the upper edge slanting at an angle equal to the altitude of the location of the sundial.

Obtained from Mr. D. B. Hasleton, Ironmonger, of Charleston, S. C., this sundial was presented to the citizens of Barnwell in September, 1858, by Joseph Duncan Allen (1812-1880), benefactor and philanthropist of Barnwell, who served in the Florida Seminole Indian War, Mexican War and Confederate Army, S. C. House of Representatives and S. C. Senate.

Atop the sundial, a cannonball rests which was used in the Confederate War.

Although the adjacent courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1865, the sundial survived and is in its original location. In 1918, a concrete curbing was added as a protection against traffic hazards. The sundial was repainted, additional concrete reinforcement was added at the base and after much research, this plaque was designed and installed on June 3, 1986.

Barnwell County Courthouse Sundial Marker

Kathy Dickerson of Greenwood, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Reflections on the Barnwell Sundial Clock


Contributor Mike Stroud tells us this about using the Barnwell sundial clock: “When adding one hour for daylight savings plus the one minute the table shows for the date, the shadow was within one minute of the correct time, as shown by data stored with photo from camera, 12:33 pm. Close enough for me!”

Barnwell Sundial Clock

Mike Stroud of Bluffton, 2008 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Add your own reflections here.

Plan Your Trip: Barnwell Sundial

Where is Barnwell Sundial located?
Address: 141 Main Street, Barnwell, SC 29812
GPS Coordinates: 33.243689,-81.364951
What else should I see?
Barnwell County Courthouse 0 mile
Barnwell City Hall 0 mile
Barnwell Police Station 0.1 mile
Barnwell Confederate Memorial 0.1 mile
Show me more like this!
  • Barnwell Historic Sites
  • See other South Carolina Town Clocks
    Barnwell Sundial Map

    Please Help Us Stay Online

    We’d like thank everyone who generously supports the South Carolina Picture Project. You provide us with the inspiration and financial support we need to keep doing what we do. Every reader’s contribution, larger or small, is valuable. If you have enjoyed this website or found it helpful, please pitch in. Each donation helps – and it only takes a minute. Thank you!

    Support the SC Picture Project!

    $3,160 of $12,500
    105 Donations
    $ 50.00
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $50.00

    You may also like

    You may also like

    Bethlehem Baptist ChurchBethlehem Baptist Church Banksia Hall in Barnwell, SCBanksia Hall Barnwell Old Police Guard HouseBarnwell Police Station George Todd HouseDr. George R. C. Todd House Patterson House BarnwellJ.O. Patterson, Jr. House

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    FIND A LANDMARK

    Why This Site Matters

    Help Keep This Site Online

    We depend on the support of today’s readers to document South Carolina’s landmarks for future readers. Please help us continue this important work by making a donation below.

    $3,160 of $12,500
    105 Donations
    $ 50.00
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $50.00

    Recent Posts

    • H.L. Hunley
    • Strand Theater
    • Camden Depot
    • Charleston City Marina
    • Secession Hill

    Footer

    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

    CONTACT US

    We’d love to hear from you! Send us a quick email at share@scpictureproject.org.

    If you are looking for permission to use a photo, please reach out directly to the photographer listed in the image’s credit.

    JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

    The South Carolina Picture Project has two Facebook groups. One is dedicated to SC Historic Landmarks and Iconic Landscapes, and the other is dedicated to SC Nature and Wildlife.

    South Carolina Picture Project © 2022 · All Rights Reserved