The Basilica of St. Peter, also known as St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, is located at 1529 Assembly St. in Columbia, South Carolina.[2][3] This is the second building of the oldest Catholic parish in Columbia and the Midlands of South Carolina. On June 24, 2018, it was announced that the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issued a decree granting Saint Peter's Catholic Church in Columbia the title ‘Minor Basilica.’ This makes the church the first basilica in South Carolina.[4]
| Basilica of St. Peter | |
|---|---|
 The Basilica of St. Peter in 2009 | |
 | |
| Location | 1529 Assembly Street Columbia, South Carolina |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Status | Basilica |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | NRHP |
| Designated | 1989 |
| Architect(s) | Frank Pierce Milburn |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | July 19, 1874 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 131 ft (40 m) |
| Width | 79 ft (24.1 m) |
| Nave width | 64 ft (19.5 m) |
| Spire height | 163 ft (49.7 m) |
| Materials | Dark red brick with Bedford stone and terra cotta trim |
| Tenor bell weight | 3,500 lb (1,591 kg) |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Diocese of Charleston |
| Clergy | |
| Rector | The Very Rev'd Canon Gary S. Linsky |
| Assistant | Fr. Gustavo Corredor |
| Deacon(s) | Deacon Brian Durocher Deacon David Thompson |
| Laity | |
| Organist/Director of music | Jordan DeRouen |
| Director of music | Matthew DeGuire |
Saint Peter's Roman Catholic Church | |
| Location | 1529 Assembly Street Columbia, South Carolina |
| Built | 1908 |
| Architect | Frank Pierce Milburn |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001610 [1] |
| Added to NRHP | September 28, 1989 |
The St. Peter's Church was listed the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.[1]
The first resident Catholic priest came to Columbia in 1820. St. Peter's first church, designed by the South Carolina architect Robert Mills, was completed in 1824. This church was demolished in the early 1900s to build the new sanctuary.
The new church was designed by Frank Pierce Milburn, a Southern architect. The planning and fundraising was done largely by Father Thomas J. Hegarty. Construction started in 1906 and was completed in 1908. The dedication was in January 1909.
The Gothic Revival church was built with dark red brick with Bedford limestone and dull glazed terra cotta trim. The roof was Buckingham Slate. The spire is topped with a cross and is 163 ft (49.7 m) above grade.
The church has a cruciform plan with a high nave. It is 131 ft (40 m) long and 79 ft (24.1 m) wide. The nave is 64 ft (19.5 m) long and 51 ft (15.6 m) tall. The 3,500 lb (1,591 kg), 55 in (1.4 m) diameter bell was cast in 1911 by McShane Bell Foundry in Baltimore, Maryland.
The church graveyard is to the rear of the church.
References
edit- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- ^ Boudreux, John A.; Sue Hagood; Catherine R. Saleeby (April 19, 1989). "Saint Peter's Roman Catholic Church" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ "Saint Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Richland County (1529 Assembly St., Columbia)". National Register Properties in South Carolina. South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ "Catholic Church | Midtown - Downtown | Saint Peter's Catholic Church". Catholic Church | Midtown - Downtown | Saint Peter's Catholic Church. 24 June 2018. Retrieved 2018-06-25.