Baptist church in Beaufort has ‘incredible story.’ Its plans for a $87,500 windfall
This story has been updated to include the correct grant amount of $87,500.
The congregation of a 158-year-old Beaufort church with an important history has landed a $87,500 grant through a national program aimed at preserving “sacred” churches.
Its pastor says the money will be used to fix up the aging building as part of campus improvements that one day will be a “tremendous draw” for the region.
Tabernacle Baptist Church, 901 Craven St., was among 15 churches that together secured more than $2 million through The National Fund for Sacred Places. The money, Sacred Places says, will help the churches renovate buildings to grow ministries.
Tabernacle Baptist was officially organized in 1863 as the first Baptist church for African Americans in Beaufort, but the building actually dates to 1811.
It’s a downtown Beaufort landmark and a cornerstone of Reconstruction Era history in South Carolina.
On Jan. 1, 1863, for example, the day the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, its members met to draft a resolution of appreciation to President Abraham Lincoln. That resolution, including signatures and an accompanying letter signed by the Rev. Solomon Peck, is part of the Lincoln papers.
The Sacred Places program, managed by Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, supports congregations with older properties that have historical and architectural significance and meet larger social, economic and spiritual needs of communities.
“The story is just so incredible,” Allison King, a spokesperson for Partners for Sacred Places, said of Tabernacle Baptist’s history.
The church also is the burial place of Robert Smalls, who was born a slave and became a Civil War hero and congressman. A bust of Smalls is located on the church grounds. The church is also in the process of raising $500,000 for a Harriet Tubman sculpture to recognize the abolitionist’s role during an 1863 raid along the Combahee River that freed hundreds of slaves. Some historians, according to the church, believe the freed slaves assembled at Tabernacle after the raid.
Tabernacle will use the $87,500 to replace the metal roof and steeple shingles; repair damaged duct work in a crawl space and siding, molding and trim; re-point foundation brick piers; update the electrical system; and paint the exterior.
The improvements are separate from the Harriet Tubman sculpture project but will compliment it, the Rev. Kenneth Hodges said.
“That whole campus is going to be a tremendous draw for the state of South Carolina and Beaufort,” Hodges said. “So certainly, we wanted to have the building totally restored by the time we completed the Harriet Tubman monument. But also to make it a space that’s worthy of our worship as well.”
Churches with histories that carry national significance in the telling of the story of religion in America are prioritized for funding, King noted. The goal of the 6-year-old fund, made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc., is to increase country’s awareness of the vital contributions of the nation’s congregations.
Partners for Sacred Places says urban historic churches such as Tabernacle Baptist in Beaufort continue to make a big difference in people and communities today. In a study it conducted, it says the average urban “sacred place” generates $1.7 million in economic impact. Two reasons: they are magnets for visitors, and more than half of the beneficiaries of their community programs and events are not members of the congregation.
“The 15 sacred places selected to join our Fund this year are more than beautiful houses of worship,” Bob Jaeger, president of Partners for Sacred Places, said in a statement. “They are irreplaceable civic assets that provide invaluable resources to their communities, sharing space for everything from COVID-19 vaccinations to nutritional food programs and child care programs.”
Other grant winners:
- Amana Church Society, Middle Amana, Iowa
- Arch Street United Methodist Church, Philadelphia
Calvary United Methodist Church, Philadelphia
- First Christian Church, Columbus, Ind.
- First Indian Presbyterian Church, Kamiah, Idaho
- First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
- Grace Episcopal Church, Newton Corner, Mass.
- Let Freedom Ring Foundation/First Baptist Church, Williamsburg, Va.
- Mount Zion United Methodist Church, Washington, D.C.
- St. John’s Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C.
- Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.
- Sacred Heart Parish, El Paso, Texas
- St. Stephen United Methodist Church, Mesquite, Texas
- St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, Brooklyn
This story was originally published October 24, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
