Rural Shulerville nestled within the Francis Marion National Forest is home to this abandoned church in Berkeley County. Though this building was constructed in 1941, the first sanctuary built on this site was a Methodist church made of logs in 1828. Now surrounded solely by forest, the church site was once part of a community comprised of several families. The first church belonged to the Cooper River Circuit, a Methodist preaching circuit, along with seven or eight other congregations. A school added at some point by Methodists also sat on adjacent property before being torn down in 1949.
As membership declined with the gradual loss of the population in this rural area during the 1840s, the church became dormant. As a result, the church was dropped by the Methodist conference. However, in 1847 a new church was built a mile from the original site, called Dawn of Hope.
It flourished until the advent of the Civil War, when that church was abandoned due to lack of members. A house of worship in this vicinity was revitalized in 1875 by Reverend H.G. Gantt, who built a new church on the original site and gave it the name Halfway Creek Church for the creek that runs near it.
By 1901 the church was once again vacant until it was deeded to Esaw, or Enon Baptist Church, in 1906. As that church declined through subsequent decades, the building was eventually torn down. In 1941 the property came under the stewardship of New Wappetaw Presbyterian Church in McClellanville, who built this structure for rural residents.
Interestingly, the foundation sits upon wooden piers. In 2005 New Wappetaw Presbyterian transferred control of the building to Bethany Pentecostal Holiness Church, who still owns the empty church and surrounding property.
Aerial Views of Halfway Creek Church
I help keep the grass cut at this beautiful churchyard, and I’m dissapointed to see it in its current condition. I believe it should be preserved.
I have grandparents buried there – also an uncle, a brother, and other loved ones.
Love the old church and cemetery. Also any history of the people of that area. I am a Morris and have many family members buried there. Would love to discuss any ties or interest in Halfway Creek.
Loretta Brown Myers I would like to see the old pictures that you have of the Halfway Creek Church. I HAVE A LOT OF kin buried there and also my mom went to school there Thank you
My dad William Edward Gaskins was just buried there on Saturday.
We are so sorry for your loss!
I believe that this is the church that my great-grandfather is buried at. I went there a couple of years ago but cannot find his grave. Does anyone have a list of people buried there?
The grave in last picture is of my mom Salome Lee Lambert Brown.
My grandfather, John Terry Hills of McClellanville, helped to build this church in 1941. He was also a lay preacher there on occasion. I have a heart pine bench and a bootjack that the men of the congregation gave him as a token of appreciation. My cousin John Terry Hills has a heart pine miter box that was used in the construction. It would be good to see the building salvaged.
I have the old photos from the newspaper in 1941 while the church was being rebuilt. I also have 2010 pictures of the podium which is on loan in McClellandville, SC. I also have pictures from the 1970s before the church was so ransacked, with my father behind the podium. I did a complete cemetery and church history in 2010. Annually I walk the cemetery and send updates to the people/organizations it was originally distributed to. I will be glad to share what I have with you. Loretta
Wow, Loretta, how wonderful! we would love to have more information or historic photos that would enhance this page. Please send anything along to us here: http://www.sciway.net/sc-photos/ We greatly appreciate your help and knowledge!
Hello Larreta, my mother Clara Decker -Williams-Brinson grew up there and attended the church as a child back in the 20s and 30s. Many of our relatives are buried in the church cemetery including Melvin Brinson, Barbara Brinson , Isaac Brinson and some others. We live in California now but visit someone often. Would really love to see the information you have about the cemetery in the history of the church. Thank you so much for all the work you’ve done on it. Sincerely, Doug Decker and Clara Decker
I visited Halfway Creek Church and cemetery on May 30, 2014. Although the church is in great disrepair from exposure to the elements and vandals, the cemetery gravesides are well maintained. I wonder if the are any photographs of the first two church structures ( circa 1828 and pre-Confederate War) built on the site that could be posted here? It’s a lovely, peaceful spot in a long leaf pine forest.