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Mount Carmel Presbyterian Church

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SC Picture Project / McCormick County / Mount Carmel Presbyterian Church

Mount Carmel is a community located in McCormick County near the border of South Carolina and Georgia. The area was first settled by Scots-Irish immigrants in the 1750s, followed by the French and Germans in the 1760s and 1770s, respectively. With the advent of nearby Willington Academy at the turn of the nineteenth century and the establishment of local cotton plantations, the population began to grow.

Mt. Carmel Presbyterian

Bill Fitzpatrick of Taylors, 2013 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

William Dorn discovered gold mines in present-day McCormick in 1852 and capitalized on them with slave labor. After the Civil War led to emancipation, the mines became significantly less profitable. Cyrus McCormick purchased the mines and surrounding land in 1871. Unable to revive the mines, he focused on developing a community instead, now known as McCormick. He also purchased railroad stock, galvanizing the establishment of a train line there and in neighboring villages such as Mount Carmel. Mount Carmel’s section of the Savannah Valley Railroad was completed in 1886, which spurred a period of prosperity.

Mt. Carmel in McCormick County

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

After the tracks were laid, Mount Carmel saw the addition of five general stores, a pharmacy, a grocery store, two gins, and two blacksmith shops, among other businesses. Mount Carmel Presbyterian Church was organized during this time of growth, and this frame building was constructed around 1890 on land given by the Morrah family to house the congregation. Services were held in the weatherboard meeting house until the mid-1950s.

Mt. Carmel Presbyterian Church Side

Janie Phipps of Leeville, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

In 1975 the church grounds hosted a reenactment of the seizing of British-occupied Fort Charlotte by American troops in 1775. The Revolutionary War engagement took place around six miles southwest of this site.

Mt. Carmel Presbyterian Doorway

Janie Phipps of Leeville, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The fort ruins are now submerged beneath Strom Thurmond Lake, built in 1954. Mount Carmel Presbyterian Church is not to be confused with another church in the area with a similar name, Mount Carmel ARP Church.

Mt. Carmel Presbyterian Shutter Detail

Janie Phipps of Leeville, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Mount Carmel Presbyterian Church is listed in the National Register as part of the Mount Carmel Historic District:

Mount Carmel is a small town that developed in the 1880s, contemporary with the development of the Savannah Valley Railroad. The community was a flourishing village by the turn of the century. The district is located in the heart of the town and contains a high concentration of buildings constructed during the town’s period of prosperity, between 1885 and 1920. Included in the district are residential, commercial, institutional, religious, and industrial buildings, located in an irregular patter adjacent to the railroad tracks.

The district maintains integrity as a turn-of-the-century community; of the fifty-one properties contained in the boundaries, forty contribute to the historic character of the district. The district includes a collection of buildings which represent a range of late nineteenth and early twentieth century vernacular architectural modes such as the single-pile central hall farmhouse, the meeting house form, and the bungalow. The few key buildings invoke some elements of high style, including Victorian, Queen Anne, and Classical features.

Mount Carmel Presbyterian Church – Interior


Mount Carmel Presbyterian Church

Tania Ashley of Greenwood, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Mount Carmel Presbyterian Church

Tania Ashley of Greenwood, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Mount Carmel Presbyterian Church

Tania Ashley of Greenwood, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Plan Your Trip: Mount Carmel Presbyterian Church

Where is Mount Carmel Presbyterian Church located?
Address: South Carolina Highway 81, Mount Carmel, SC 29840
GPS Coordinates: 34.005549,-82.507203
What else should I see?
McAllister and Sons 0.2 mile
Hester Cotton Gin 0.2 mile
Mount Carmel ARP Church 0.8 mile
Little River Truss Bridge 4.2 miles
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina Churches
  • Mount Carmel Historic Sites
  • See other South Carolina National Register
    Mount Carmel Presbyterian Church Map

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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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    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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