Trinity Episcopal Church
ABBEVILLE
The restoration of Trinity Abbeville began in late 2018 in partnership with The Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina and Friends of Trinity Episcopal Church with a goal of saving the leaning steeple and replacing the leaking roof, that, without intervention, would collapse.
A true landmark, the church structure was condemned for safety reasons due to concerns that the iconic 125-foot steeple may collapse. Because of the enormous historical significance of the church and the substantial amount of needed restoration, it was listed as one of Preservation SC’s “Places at Risk” in 2018.
The congregation and the diocese raised more than $700,000 dollars to start the renovations, but they still need to raise more funds to completely stabilize Trinity Episcopal and return it to its former glory. That’s where we stepped in.
History
Trinity Abbeville, designed in 1860 by George E. Walker, is a neo-gothic building standing 125 feet tall just a block from Abbeville's Town Square. The exterior is composed of stucco overlaying locally make brick. The interior features William Gibson stained glass windows and a rare tracker organ designed by John Baker, one of only two remaining in existence. Trinity Abbeville is so important to history and continues today as a meeting place for worshipers and tourists alike.
Restoration
Meadors Conservation conducted a thorough structural evaluation of the building envelope and interior. Crack monitors were installed throughout the building to monitor and track existing cracks in the masonry walls and trusses. The conservation laboratory analyzed the historic bedding mortar and stucco to determine their original composition and develop historically accurate replication mixes. The analysis revealed that the stucco was composed of natural cement, while the original bedding mortar was a combination of lime, brick dust, and an unwashed finely graded aggregate. Based on the fieldwork findings, Meadors developed a prioritized list of repairs and corresponding budget allocations to inform the church's future restoration planning.
In three years, Preservation SC raised nearly $1M, oversaw the baseline repairs, and reopened the church to the greater Abbeville community. In a small town with a terrific number of historic landmarks, Trinity is the town’s top tourist destination.
Today, the church is once again open for worship and visitors. Thank you to the National Trust for your support and for making it possible, and thank you to the many generous donors for your kind contributions, and for following along with this project.
Learn more about Trinity Abbeville, and support their current restoration efforts, by visiting the Friends of Trinity website here.
