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St. Paul Campground

SC PICTURE PROJECT 5 Comments

SC Picture Project / Dorchester County / St. Paul Campground

This nineteenth century revival camp in rural Dorchester County dates to around 1880 and is similar to other religious camps in the area. While nearby Indian Field and Cypress Methodist campgrounds stem from white Methodist churches, the St. Paul Campground in Harleyville was born of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion denomination.

Indian Field St. George

Larry Gleason, Aiken Aerial Photography, 2014 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The camp was established in the late nineteenth century, a time when religious fervor expressed in the community gathering of a revival was highly popular. Trustees of nearby St. Paul AME Zion Church purchased 113 acres of land for the purpose of establishing a campground for a week of spiritual focus and celebration. While some of the acreage has been parceled and sold over the years, the church still owns most of the original property. Camp meetings, as the revivals are now called, occur the third week of October each year.

St. Paul Campground Tabernacle

Gazie Nagle of Charleston, 2014 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Like the aforementioned campgrounds, St. Paul Campground is comprised of cabins, or “tents,” arranged around a central open-air tabernacle. The St. Paul’s tabernacle can be seen above, while tents are pictured below. Families stay in the tents for the duration of a week and attend worship services within the tabernacle. Typically, tents are passed down through families. St. Paul Campground has 54 tents along with two stores occupying places in the circle – sites 2 and 47.

St. Paul Campground

Gazie Nagle of Charleston, 2014 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The tents are primitive, with hay strewn on the ground for floor covering and a sleeping loft over the main room below. Most of the tents at St. Paul have been restored at some point over the years, some displaying modern conveniences such as a screened porch. However, people are encouraged to be out in the camp community for fellowship and only in their tents for meals or sleeping. Restrooms exist in the form of privies erected behind the tent circle.

St. Paul Campground Tents

Gazie Nagle of Charleston, 2014 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

St. Paul Campground is listed in the National Register:

(St. Paul A.M.E. Zion Camp Ground) St. Paul Camp Ground is an excellent example of a Methodist camp meeting ground. It contains the buildings common to such properties in South Carolina: a tabernacle, tents, stores, and privies. However, this campground, believed to have been established ca. 1880, was organized by African-Americans belonging to St. Paul A.M.E. Church. The buildings and grounds are used for one week each year (at St. Paul, the week ending the third Sunday in October). The tabernacle is a one-story building clad in rough-sawn weatherboard, with a gable-on-hip roof of V-crimped metal. There are no windows; two entryways, without doors, are evenly spaced at each side.

There are 54 tents, two stores, and a storage house on the numbered sites at St. Paul Camp Ground. Twelve sites are vacant. Most of the tents have been rebuilt over time, but retain the style of the earlier structures. The two stores are an integral part of the campground. The one-story frame buildings occupy spots in the circle. The storehouse is a one-story gable roofed building similar to a tent. The privies, in accordance with campground rules, are behind the tents, outside the paved ring road. Privies are ephemeral structures, frequently replaced or moved, but most are small frame structures with a rear-sloping metal shed roof, weatherboard siding, and an entry in the side facing the tents.

Other Early Campgrounds in South Carolina


Indian Field Methodist Camp
Indian Field Campground
Shady Grove Tents
Shady Grove Campground
Cypress Methodist Campground
Cypress Methodist Campground
Cattle Creek Campground With Watertower
Cattle Creek Campground
Camp Welfare Tents
Camp Welfare
Mt. Carmel AME Zion Campground
Mount Carmel AME Zion Campground
Hemingway Tabernacle
Hemingway Interdenominational Campground

Plan Your Trip: St. Paul Campground

Where is St. Paul Campground located?
Address: 940 St Paul Road, Harleyville, SC 29448
GPS Coordinates: 33.204563,-80.482606
What else should I see?
Indian Field Campground 6.2 miles
St. George 8.6 miles
Klauber Building 8.7 miles
St. George Town Clock 8.8 miles
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina National Register
    St. Paul Campground Map

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ralph T. Sanders says

      July 14, 2020 at 3:48 PM

      Good afternoon. I am a Trustee of Cypress Campground and would like to know what your plans are for having Camp Meeting this year. If so what type of precautions are you planning for the week? We have not made any decisions yet. I know that Indian Fields have canceled their Camp Meeting. Thanks, Ralph Sanders

      Reply
    2. Joel Varland says

      December 14, 2018 at 10:24 AM

      I stumbled upon Indian Grove [Field] Campground two years ago while wandering around on my motorcycle. Since then I have visited all four camps in Dorchester County. Each of them are a world of wonder in and of themselves. I can’t wait till I get to attend camp meeting one of these falls.

      Reply
      • SC Picture Project says

        December 16, 2018 at 1:30 PM

        We have to agree with you, they are wonderful treasures! Happy exploring and hope you make a camp meeting one year – they’re amazing!

        Reply
      • Joseph F. Whalen says

        December 12, 2020 at 4:33 PM

        Exactly where is the Indian Grove Camp? I’m doing research into exact locations of Camp Meetings and from your description it appears hard to find and/or in deteriorating condition. Huge thanks!

        Reply
        • SC Picture Project says

          December 15, 2020 at 10:41 AM

          Hi Joseph! I believe he was referring to Indian Fields Campground. You can find a map showing its location at the bottom of https://www.scpictureproject.org/dorchester-county/indian-field-campground.html. 🙂

          Reply

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    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.

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