• 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

Mt. Olivet Presbyterian Church

SC PICTURE PROJECT 6 Comments

SC Picture Project / Fairfield County / Mt. Olivet Presbyterian Church

This historic church in Winnsboro dates to the time when Scots-Irish settlers began establishing homesteads in the Upstate – then called the backcountry. In 1772 the Reverend William Martin, an Irish immigrant and Covenanter, or Reformed Presbyterian minister, settled here and began preaching about a quarter of a mile from the current church site in an area called Wolf Pit of Wolf Pen. Martin is thought to be the father of Presbyterianism in Fairfield County, particularly the Associate Reformed Presbyterian (ARP) denomination.

Mt. Olivet Presbyterian Church Front View

Trace Walters of Rock Hill, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

By 1785, a Presbyterian church, called Wateree Church, had formed near its namesake Wateree Creek. This congregation likely developed under influence of the Reverend Martin. The church eventually was renamed Mt. Olivet, and a building to house the congregation was built in 1800. This church, which was located near the current church, served the congregation until after the Civl War.

Mt. Olivet Church

Jim Dollar of Indian Land, 2015 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

In 1869 members of Mt. Olivet moved into this stuccoed brick building. The church’s walls are four bricks thick. Church lore states that the clay used for the bricks was extracted from the creek bed behind the original church. The granite foundation was also locally quarried; Winnsboro remains well-known for its abundance of blue granite. Though the church underwent interior modifications during the late-nineteenth or early-twentieth century, its original architectural integrity remains intact. Interior changes include the addition of a drop ceiling, altering the previous vaulted ceiling.

Mt Olivet Church in Winnsboro

Bill Fitzpatrick of Taylors, 2012 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Mt. Olivet’s churchyard was established before the present church was built. It was used by the congregation as far back as 1795, the date of its earliest headstone, though earlier graves may exist. A cast-iron fence defines the boundaries of the churchyard, which contains the graves of veterans from the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Two modern buildings now share the six-acre site with Mt. Olivet Presbyterian Church.

Mt. Olivet Churchyard

Jim Dollar of Indian Land, 2015 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Mt. Olivet Presbyterian Church is listed in the National Register:

The Winnsboro area of Fairfield County has been served by a Presbyterian congregation since before 1785. The Reverend William Martin, a Coventar minister from Ireland who settled in South Carolina in 1772, preached at the Wolf Pit, a quarter mile from the present Mount Olivet Church, about the time of the American Revolution. In 1785 there was an established church in the vicinity called Wateree Church, after nearby Wateree Creek. The church was subsequently named Mount Olivet Presbyterian Church and a building was constructed near the present site around 1800. The present building, which was completed in 1869, is significant as a basically intact example of a rural church building, illustrating local construction techniques and stylistic characteristics of the period. The church is a one-story, rectangular, front-gabled building. The church is of masonry construction with brick bearing walls which are four bricks thick. The brickwork is covered with stucco, which has been scored to resemble cut stone. The foundation is granite. The large cemetery northwest of the church contains several historically and artistically significant gravestones dating back to 1795 and is enclosed by a cast-iron fence.

More Pictures of Mt. Olivet Presbyterian Church


Mt. Olivet Presbyterian Church Marker

Trace Walters of Rock Hill, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Mt. Olivet Cemetery

Jim Dollar of Indian Land, 2015 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Mt. Olivet

Jim Dollar of Indian Land, 2015 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Plan Your Trip: Mt. Olivet Presbyterian Church

Where is Mt. Olivet Presbyterian Church located?
Address: Mobley Highway, Winnsboro, SC 29180
GPS Coordinates: 34.464978,-81.033815
What else should I see?
White Oak ARP Church 7.6 miles
T.G. Patrick Store 7.7 miles
Camp Welfare 8.1 miles
Mt. Zion Institute 10 miles
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina Churches
  • See other South Carolina National Register
  • Winnsboro Historic Sites
    Mt. Olivet Presbyterian Church 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!

    $ 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

    Brick Church JenkinsvilleOld Brick Church New Hope ARP ChurchNew Hope ARP Church White Oak ChurchWhite Oak ARP Church Stone Church Fairfield CountyOld Lebanon Church Greenbrier SchoolGreenbrier School

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Robert McCain says

      October 16, 2021 at 9:26 PM

      I found a James McCain on a list for the church. My ancestor Alexander McKean had a son named James. If anyone runs across anything for McKean, my email is rcmccain@hotmail.com. Alexander’s mother was Catherine and had land on Reedy Creek.

      Reply
    2. Ms. Curry Walker says

      October 2, 2019 at 12:57 PM

      I visited Mt. Olivet Cemetery on 10 August 2019 and found it in a condition. The grass was ankle high and many trees were growing between the monuments of my ancestors: McCulloughs and Stevensons. I was told by a local that there is no longer an active congregation. I notified the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church Synod in SC by email of what I found. You may reach them at arpc@arpsynod.org

      Reply
    3. Robbie Lovelace says

      August 14, 2019 at 12:21 PM

      I noticed that a homecoming was mentioned in a post below in 2016. Do they have these regularly? Who can provide information regarding this?

      Reply
    4. Steve Dickey says

      February 1, 2019 at 9:15 PM

      My grandfather, W.J. Dickey, was baptized here as an infant. If anyone could assist with genealogical research of the family I would be indebted to you.

      Reply
    5. Joan Morrison Gehring says

      May 4, 2016 at 7:37 PM

      My grandmother, aunts and uncles are buried there. The homecoming is May 7th, 2016.
      Gladden Family

      Reply
    6. Kathey Farley says

      March 13, 2016 at 2:51 PM

      I had multiple ancestors follow Reverend Martin to South Carolina from Ireland. I'm hoping to visit this landmark soon!

      Reply

    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.

    $ 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

    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.

    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