• 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

Robertville Baptist Church

SC PICTURE PROJECT 3 Comments

SC Picture Project / Jasper County / Robertville Baptist Church

The congregation of this white clapboard church in the Jasper County village of Robertville was organized around 1781 by the Reverend Alexander Scott. The church initially was called Black Swamp Baptist Church, named for its location along the blackwater wetlands. It is said to have given rise to several other churches in this part of the state.

Robertville Baptist

Ellen Culbertson Abramo of Nazareth, PA, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The area was settled primarily by Welsh Baptists and French Huguenots, several descending from the line of Pierre Robert, a French immigrant who came to South Carolina from Switzerland following the 1685 revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The community of Robertville derived its name from the Robert family. Members of Black Swamp Baptist Church relocated their congregation from the swampland to Robertville and built a grand edifice in 1824, which was said to be one of the most beautiful in South Carolina at the time. Sadly, the church was burned by Union troops at the end of the Civil War in 1865.

Robertville Baptist

Ellen Culbertson Abramo of Nazareth, PA, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

This antebellum church was built not for Baptists but for the Ascension Episcopal Church of Gillisonville between 1847 and 1848. In 1867 it was purchased by the members of Black Swamp Baptist, who moved it to its present site in 1871. It was renamed Robertville Baptist Church in 1934 in recognition of the Robert family, who made significant contributions to the nation. Early church member Alexander Robert Lawton, a Confederate Brigadier General, founded the American Bar Association. His nephew, General Henry Martyn Robert, became well-known for writing Robert’s Rules of Order.

Robertville Baptist Church

Bill Fitzpatrick of Taylors © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Robertville Baptist Church is listed in the National Register:

Known as the “Mother of Churches” in the area, Robertville Baptist Church, organized in 1781 by the Rev. Alexander Scott, served the areas early settlers, mostly Welsh and Huguenots. First called Black Swamp Baptist Church, the name was changed in 1934 to Robertville, honoring the Robert family, all lineal descendants of Pierre Robert, a Huguenot minister who emigrated to America after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The present church building, constructed ca. 1847, was formerly Ascension Episcopal Church of Gillisonville, purchased by Robertville Baptists and moved to its present location about 1867. Remaining unaltered and designed with graceful simplicity, the little church gains its charm from an unusual but successful blending of styles: the Greek Revival with Gothic Revival details. The portico is supported by only two Doric columns (without capitals) on pedestals. The double front paneled door is crowned by a lancet arch. The Gothic detail is repeated in the gable ornament above and in the windows. All interior wood is said to be original.

Plan Your Trip: Robertville Baptist Church

Where is Robertville Baptist Church located?
Address: 26 Robertville Drive, Robertville, SC 29934
GPS Coordinates: 32.586526,-81.199415
What else should I see?
Garnett 4.8 miles
Historic Lena 18.6 miles
Estill 19 miles
Historic Estill 19 miles
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina Churches
  • See other South Carolina National Register
    Robertville Baptist 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

    Default ThumbnailChurch of the Holy Trinity Default ThumbnailOld Seneca Baptist Church White Oak ChurchWhite Oak ARP Church Prince Frederick Parish ChapelPrince Frederick’s Summer Chapel St. Mary's CatholicSt. Mary of the Immaculate Conception

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Meredith Owen McCombs says

      August 7, 2019 at 4:40 PM

      Traveling the backroads to and from Tybee Island, I thoroughly enjoyed viewing the small towns and new sights … so many small white roadside churches … and this one in Robertville was by far the most picturesque … in stark contrast to the elementary school just down the road … I was actually a bit shocked at the dilapidated appearance.

      Reply
    2. Virgil says

      April 6, 2019 at 11:52 AM

      I have admired this beautiful church and grounds for the past 50 years as I travelled back and forth from Savannah to my home in North Carolina. Kudos to the church trustees for their exquisite care of this picturesque landmark. This is truly a “Christmas card” worthy church!

      Reply
    3. Anna Howell says

      July 3, 2015 at 4:22 AM

      Robertsville Baptist is the only landmark that has remained the same since I grew up there in the fifties and sixties.

      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