New Tabernacle Fourth Baptist Church

New

Tabernacle

Fourth

Baptist

Churchhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Tabernacle-Fourth-Baptist-Church

GOTHIC REVIVAL

https://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Tabernacle-Fourth-Baptist-Church

May 12, 2011 - “Seven to Save” is an annual outreach program of the

Preservation Society of Charleston designed to focus the work of the

organization in a proactive and constructive way, delivering intellectual

and financial resources to raise awareness and support for key

preservation projects in Charleston and the region.

Seven sites, representative of seven broader issues, will be announced each

year during National Historic Preservation Month in May as “Seven to Save.” Associated with each site will be

specific programmatic activity, which can include:

·protective ordinances · historic resource surveys

· National Register nominations· preservation and stabilization plans

· adaptive use plans· historic markers

· community workshops and training· hands-on clean-up/fix-up efforts

· historical research · fundraising and special events· public awareness campaigns

“The scope and aim of the Society should be very far reaching, ramifying

into all parts of the city and all branches of the work of preservation.”- Minutes, Society for the Preservation of Old

Dwellings, May 5, 1920

- 2013 Preservation Society of Charleston- http://www.preservationsociety.org/program_currentdetail.asp?

icID=44


NEW TABERNACLE FOURTH BAPTIST CHURCH

Francis D. Lee’s circa 1860

Gothic Revival church at 22 Elizabeth Street, originally known as St. Luke’s Episcopal Church,

requires extensive preservation work.

Many downtown historic churches are suffering from deferred

maintenance as congregations dwindle in size and financial

resources for repairs become scarce.

1-Survey needs of historic downtown churches

2-Host a workshop to discuss church

preservation issues

3-Adaptive use plans for 22 Elizabeth Street

2013 Preservation Society of Charleston









The Ethical Gothic fervor inevitably faded, but interest in the Gothic continued. The later Gothic Revival drew inspiration from periods other than the "Middle Pointed" promoted by Pugin and the Ecclesiologists as the ideal. When Francis D. Lee Gothicized the late 18th century structure of the Unitarian Church in 1852-54, he employed the late Gothic of the Tudor period, which the Ethicists had considered debased. Lee gave the church a handsome perpendicular tower, and a magnificent fan-vaulted ceiling, the latter inspired perhaps by ceilings of the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster and the cloisters at Gloucester. Lee designed a similar ceiling for St. Luke's Church (now the Fourth Tabernacle Baptist Church), ca. 1859.

http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/charleston/architecture.htm

About

...the fourth church of the Baptist denomination to be founded in Charleston, SC. We have served the Lowcountry and surrounding areas since 1875. Mission

Our mission is to promote a holistic ministry to people throughout the world by providing spiritual, educational, financial, physical and emotional support by spreading the Gospel of Christ through proclamation and precepts.

General InformationReverend Dr. Francis Covington, Pastor

Schedule of Services:

Church School - Sundays at 9:30 a.m.Worship Service - Sundays at 11:00 a.m.... Bible Study - Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.Baptism - First Sundays at 8:30 a.m.The Lord's Supper - First Sundays at 11:00 a.m.

Auxiliaries/Ministries/Committees:Deacon MinsitryTrustee MinistryDeaconess MinistrySenior Missionary MinistryPastor's Aide MinistryPulpit Aide MinistryYoung Women's Auxiliary (YWA)F.C. Praise Dance MinistryBrotherhood AssociationUshers' MinistryTransportantion MinistryHealth and Wellness MinistryEducation CommitteeChristian Women in Service and Unity Committee

Choirs:Mass ChoirYoung AdultIntergenerational Male ChoirYoung People Choir

Annual Events:Pastor's Anniversary - Second Sunday in JanuaryFamily Day - Fourth Sunday in AprilMen's Day - Third Sunday in JuneWomen's Day - Third Sunday in AugustChurch Anniversary - Third Sunday in SeptemberYouth Day - Fourth Sunday in OctoberTea - First Sunday in November

https://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Tabernacle-Fourth-Baptist-Church/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Tabernacle-Fourth-Baptist-Church/

Unable to maintain building, church puts it on market as single-family home

At Elizabeth and Charlotte streets on the peninsula, a historic house of worship that can seat 1,200 people is on the block as an ordinary house.

The New Tabernacle Fourth Baptist Church is up for sale as a $3.9 million single-family home, a last-ditch move by its dwindling congregation to sell the downtown property.

The listing comes nearly 18 months after a city board voted against a proposal that would have converted the 19th-century church into a theater, a controversial idea that still evokes strong feelings in the surrounding Mazyck-Wraggborough neighborhood.

Yet almost no one wants the church property to be turned into a home — not the congregation, not historic preservationists, not nearby residents. Not even real estate agent Chad Drayton, who was hired to market the property to prospective buyers. "It's blasphemy to think of this as a residence," Drayton said.

But the cost of maintaining the aging church, where worship services are held on Wednesdays and Sundays, is too much for the shrinking congregation of about 300, said the Rev. Francis Covington, pastor of New Tabernacle.

"The structure itself is just a mammoth responsibility, and with our small membership, it's very difficult to keep it up in the condition that the building deserves," he said.Selling an old church for use as another church is not easy, especially in a place like downtown Charleston, where land for expansion is limited. For example, most congregations want spacious parking lots, large kitchens and lots of extra rooms where youth groups and bible study groups can gather. In fact, Covington said he wants to move New Tabernacle to West Ashley for those very reasons.

The current property offers no room to grow."It's just obsolete as a church," Drayton said.

Faced with similar challenges, other local churches have been sold and adapted for other uses over the years. The trend has diminished some of the Holy City's charm and character, said

Cynthia Jenkins, executive director of the Preservation Society."To lose the churches within the neighborhoods is a tragic loss

to the way of life that existed in Charleston for centuries," Jenkins said. "The impact of losing a corner building and a use

like that would be pretty significant."The New Tabernacle congregation thought it found a solution to

its dilemma last year, when a local company offered to buy its building and convert it into a 400-seat theater for the

Charleston Stage Co. The proposal was opposed by some nearby residents who said a theater would disrupt the quiet

neighborhood.Vangie Rainsford, president of the Mazyck-Wraggborough

Garden District Neighborhood Association, cited a traffic study that found theater-related traffic would clog the streets before

and after performances. Buses trying to navigate the narrow streets were another concern, she said.

"There's very little area for school buses to maneuver," Rainsford said.

Neighbors also were worried about noise."My bedroom window is 35 feet from the church, the part where

the stage was going to be," said Judy Murphy, who lives on Charlotte Street. "With performances getting out at 11 o'clock, I

just thought it was terribly inappropriate."Murphy said she'd rather not see the church sold as a single-

family residence, but she noted that a home would be a better neighbor than a working theater.

The New Tabernacle structure dates back nearly 150 years. The Gothic building's first cornerstone was laid in 1859. Local

architect Francis D. Lee considered the church to be his masterpiece.

Inside, 55-foot columns support the sanctuary's spacious ceiling, and its walls and windows feature ornate decorations

and details.Drayton, who is marketing the property, estimates that it would cost about $2 million to transform the church into a residence. Architects who have toured the building told him that some of

its features, such as the large stained-glass windows, would make it an attractive house. The property also includes offices

in a converted Charleston single house attached to the main structure.

Drayton plans to promote New Tabernacle nationally to find a buyer. Over the years, he said he has placed dozens of calls to

local churches that might be interested in moving downtown but found little interest. Before the theater proposal was shot

down by the city in May 2006, local physician Gene Phillips announced at a public meeting that he had plans to buy New

Tabernacle, restore it and keep it as a church.Since then, Covington said Phillips "has not come through on

what he said he would do at the meeting." Phillips said Tuesday that he still would like to buy the church, a move that would be contingent on the sale of other properties. He said has not yet

found another church to lease the property."I'm still hoping to purchase it," he said. "My intentions are better than what I think a developer is going to do with it."

http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20070926/PC05/309269946

Overview

New Tabernacle Fourth Baptist Church emphasizes on the three 'W's—word, worship and works which can help the community men

face the challenges of the ever-changing world.

The church conducts regular services, services, baptism and community programs for the

benefit of the masses. Besides this, the church also is a popular venue for concerts and diverse events. Piccolo Spoleto Spotlight Concert Series

and South Carolina Jazz Diaspora are some of the memorable events held here.

All in all, a must-visit place for spiritual awareness and good entertainment.

http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states/south-carolina/charleston/new-tabernacle-fourth-baptist-church-thingstodo-detail-373403/

22 Elizabeth St. c.1862

-- New Tabernacle Fourth Baptist Church was built for St. Luke's Episcopal church. The Gothic Revival structure was begun in 1859 and was consecrated in 1862 when not fully completed, construction having been halted by the Civil War.

The original design by architect Francis D. Lee called for a steeple in the northwest corner, which was never built. It was planned to be stuccoed but patriotism intervened and the lime was donated to the confederacy. Built in the shape of a Greek cross , the building has on each side single Gothic windows 37 feet high.

The center of the vaulted ceiling is 55 feet above the floor. Patrick O'Donnell , who built his own fine residence at 21 King street, was the building contractor. St. Luke's congregation, which was organized in 1858, was united with St. Paul's (Radcliffeboro) in 1949.

New Tabernacle Fourth Baptist church, which purchased the building in 1950, was founded in 1875.

The congregation moved here from a building on the site of the Medical University Hospital.

The Rev. Daniel J. Jenkins founder of the Jenkins Orphanage, was once a pastor of New Tabernacle.

(Legerton, Historic Churches,p.6-7 ; Ravenel, Architects , p.224-227 )

http://www.ccpl.org/content.asp?id=15690&action=detail&catID=6029&parentID=5747

Rev. Daniel Joseph Jenkins

1862-1937 –

Born in Barnwell County, South Carolina; minister of the New Tabernacle Fourth Baptist Church in Charleston; founded Charleston’s Jenkins Orphanage in 1891; established the famed Jenkins Orphanage Bands in 1894

Charleston Jazz Initiativehttp://www.charlestonjazz.net/cji-history/

http://64.78.31.123/wp-content/uploads/daniel_jenkins.jpg

Throughout jazz historical commentary, writers and observers concede the pervasive influence of Louis Armstrong and the “New Orleans Clarinet Sound”…in the Jenkins Orphanage bands, there are archetypes, most notably a “Charleston Trumpet Style”…a virtuosic trumpet style that extended the range of the horn.

If the sheer number of Jenkins-spawned trumpet players whose high-note fluency brought them acclaim were tallied, the existence of a “Jenkins Orphanage School of Trumpet Playing,” must be acknowledged… the trumpet tradition attracted the attention of band leaders like Lionel Hampton and Duke Ellington, who looked to the Jenkins’ ranks for talented and professionally competent trumpeters.

Alvin Batiste, “Charleston: Another Cradle of Jazz?”

Our History:The Charleston Jazz Initiative (CJI)

was established in March 2003 by native Charlestonian Jack McCray, jazz journalist and long-time researcher of Charleston’s jazz tradition, and Dr. Karen Chandler, Associate Professor of Arts Management, School of the Arts at the College of Charleston and former director of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture.

Founded at the Avery Research Center, CJI operates out of the Arts Management Program, School of the Arts and in partnership with Avery.

CJI’s oral histories and archival collections are housed at Avery as The Charleston Jazz Initiative Collection.

http://www.charlestonjazz.net/cji-history/Charleston Jazz Initiative

Travel

New Tabernacle Fourth Baptist Church