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New Bordeaux Worship Site

SC PICTURE PROJECT 4 Comments

SC Picture Project / McCormick County / New Bordeaux Worship Site

Located in present-day McCormick County, New Bordeaux was the last of seven French Huguenot colonies founded in South Carolina. The stone monument pictured below marks the site of the colony’s original Huguenot church.

New Bordeaux Worship Site

Maxi Farnsworth of Taylors © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The Huguenots, who fled Europe in search of religious freedom, settled the area – called Hillsborough Township – in 1764 and quickly established a community around the church. The were led by the Reverend Jean Louis Gibert of Lunes, Languedoc, France. Gibert petitioned the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1761, hoping to be granted land for a new colony of Huguenots. Though Gibert wanted land by the Ohio River for growing grapes, he was given land in the upcountry of South Carolina, a region that, despite several Huguenots settlements further south, lacked a Huguenot presence.

Gibert, who established nearby Badwell Plantation, called his settlement New Bordeaux and attempted – unsuccessfully – to grow grapes along the Savannah River. Nonetheless, by 1765 around 300 Huguenots populated the community, and by 1772 nearly 500 Huguenots had moved to New Bordeaux.

The Revolutionary War proved devastating to the town and its fledgling economy. The colonists dispersed in the years after the war, and while the town did not survive, descendants of the original French settlers are still found throughout western South Carolina. Gibert is interred in Badwell Cemetery.

Plan Your Trip: New Bordeaux Worship Site

Where is New Bordeaux Worship Site located?
Address: Off Hugeunot Parkway , McCormick, SC 29835
GPS Coordinates: 33.927256,-82.390982
What else should I see?
Badwell Cemetery 1.2 miles
Buffalo Creek 2.2 miles
Bordeaux Hall 2.6 miles
John de la Howe School 4.1 miles
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina Churches
  • McCormick Historic Sites
    New Bordeaux Worship Site Map

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dan Vickers says

      February 3, 2019 at 2:54 PM

      Starting to check this stuff out after Ancestry results and genealogy folder that I cleared out of my parents’ home.

      My grandfather was a Salley who married a LeRoy. Past that, French names include:
      Bellot, Guillebeau and Paschal…

      All of these came through SC….

      If you know any good sites outside of Ancestry and WikiTree, then let me know.

      I can share what I have as well.

      Reply
    2. Lynn Della says

      January 19, 2019 at 8:37 PM

      I was unaware of New Bordeaux until just finding a reference to it on MyHeritage. I am a direct descendant of Sarah (Roberson) Britt Dellechaux/Delachaux (wife of Jacob), who arrived in New Bordeaux in 1768 (and relocated to Abbeville, SC following the deaths of Jacob and their daughter Susanna in 1790).

      The information here about them and their journey to New Bordeaux is a great addition to infromation we already had. Thanks!

      Reply
    3. Don Webb says

      December 31, 2017 at 1:55 PM

      I found the corner markers for the one acre site. Would be interested in hearing how the site was deeded to the Huguenot Society. It must have been a daunting task.

      Reply
    4. Regina manley says

      September 9, 2016 at 8:55 PM

      This is amazing information. It helped me out to find direction to graveyards I been looking for. I found it very interesting. Thanks for sharing it.

      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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