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

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First Presbyterian Church of Clinton

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SC Picture Project / Laurens County / First Presbyterian Church of Clinton

This church in downtown Clinton was founded in 1855 by Scots-Irish Presbyterians who had settled in the South Carolina Upstate. The congregation’s first building soon followed, a wooden frame building measuring 40 feet by 50 feet. The church received its first permanent minister in 1864, the Reverend William Plumer Jacobs. Jacobs was a graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary and came to Clinton not only to minister to a church but also to establish a home and school for children orphaned during the Civil War. The Thornwell Home for Children, named for Dr. James Henley Thornwell, Jacob’s beloved seminary professor, opened in Clinton in 1875.

First Presbyterian Clinton

Tony Bradley of Pelzer, 2016 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Wanting to educate the students at Thornwell beyond high school, the Reverend Jacobs also founded Presbyterian College in 1880 across the street from the orphanage. Today Presbyterian College remains a top private Southern liberal arts college. The First Presbyterian Church of Clinton continues to be affiliated with both institutions, as well as the Presbyterian Community of South Carolina, a retirement home for senior citizens.

First Presbyterian of Clinton Walkway

Mark Guinn of Clinton, 2019 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

First Presbyterian Church grew exponentially under the Reverend Jacobs’ leadership, and by 1901, a granite Gothic edifice replaced the simple frame church as the congregation’s sanctuary. The granite had been donated by a church member. The second church burned in 1929, though it was quickly replaced, reusing the original granite. The present church was dedicated in 1940. In 1959 an education building was added to First Presbyterian’s grounds, and in 1998 the church’s Christian Life Center was completed on property sitting across the street from the church and graveyard. Today the church remains active, serving as a host church for both residents of Clinton and local college students.

First Presbyterian of Clinton Church

Mark Guinn of Clinton, 2019 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Plan Your Trip: First Presbyterian Church of Clinton

Where is First Presbyterian Church of Clinton located?
Address: 410 East Carolina Avenue, Clinton, SC 29325
GPS Coordinates: 34.471373,-81.874907
Website: http://www.fpcclinton.org
What else should I see?
Clinton Depot 0.5 mile
Thornwell Home for Children 0.7 mile
Presbyterian College 0.7 mile
Duncan's Creek Presbyterian Church 8.3 miles
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina Churches
  • Clinton Historic Sites
    First Presbyterian Church of Clinton Map

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    Related posts:

    Duncan's Creek Presbyterian ChurchDuncan’s Creek Presbyterian Church Horseshoe FallsHorseshoe Falls Bethel-AME-ChurchBethel AME Church Clinton DepotClinton Depot Musgrove MillMusgrove Mill Historic Site

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    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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