A production of Charleston is a city of churches.

Looking across the skyline, these steeples tower above the other buildings, looking skyward.

It seems every street has at least one historic church.

We are going to visit Charleston's oldest church building, Saint Michael's Episcopal Church, the church of the Archangel.

[vehicular noise] [church bells tolling] [church bells tolling] [vehicular noise] ♪ [reverent organ music] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [vehicular noise] In 1681, the first church in Charleston was built on this site and was named Saint Philip's.

Later the wooden structure was abandoned, and a new Saint Philip's was built on nearby Church Street in 1723.

In 1751, construction began on the building that we see now.

By the way, the Saint Philip's that you see today was built in 1838, because the first building was destroyed by fire.

In 1752, the cornerstone was laid in this building.

The colonial legislature had listened to the parishioners, who felt that a second Anglican church, or Church of England, was needed for them to use for their house of worship.

The old site of Saint Philip's was selected, and the name given to the new church was Saint Michael's.

After the cornerstone was laid in 1752, construction began.

Nine years later, on February 1st, the first service was held in the new Saint Michael's.

When Saint Michael's was built, it was a state church.

It was Anglican, Church of England, and more than half the funds for its construction were voted by the Commons House of Assembly.

Other money was to be raised by the sale of pews.

However, parishioners were not keeping up their agreement, and the 15,000 pounds voted for it by the Assembly were soon exhausted.

It was two years after construction before all bills were settled.

[vehicular noise] [soft acoustic guitar music] The authority of the church is symbolized as the shadow of the steeple falls across buildings of government at different times each day.

City hall, the post office, and the county courthouse seem dominated by the higher law, represented by the steeple's shadow.

This has come to be called the Four Corners of Law, representing ecclesiastical, federal, county, and municipal law.

Saint Michael's was a focal point for bringing together all this law.

It's also a center for civic activities.

During colonial times, it was a polling place for elections.

It was the site of public meetings to discuss issues of concern.

♪ The history of Charleston and, indeed, of South Carolina as a colony, a republic, and a state, is reflected in this building.

To enter the church, you go through these magnificent doors, which were carved before the church was completed in 1761 by a local, very productive, very creative cabinetmaker, Thomas Elfe.

During the two centuries following its construction, the church has lived through a division of opinion among the parishioners, two wars, an earthquake, and various tornadoes and cyclones and hurricanes.

Indeed, it was in the earthquake of 1886 that the steeple of the church settled 8 inches.

The morning after the earthquake, it was found that the steeple listed to the west 18 inches.

However, by the next day, it had settled itself.

Damage from the earthquake can be seen inside the vestibule.

The red and blue tiles are original and some replacements due to damage from the earthquake.

This was the second force of nature which affected the church within a year.

In August the preceding year, a cyclone had come through Charleston on the morning of the 25th.

This caused the ball and weather vane to fall 170 feet to the sidewalk.

Almost all slate tiles on the roof were removed by the forces of the wind.

[footsteps clicking] Parishioners had just finished paying for this when the earthquake struck and caused $23,000 worth of damage.

The repairs left a permanent change in the vestibule.

The floor was left at sidewalk level, but now one has to go up a step to enter the doors leading to the nave of the church.

[no dialogue] Here by the west door is the baptismal font, which symbolizes the entrance into the body of the church.

The font itself was brought from England in 1771 and has been used continually.

The weight, which lifts the cover, has been called a pigeon, but it's the dove of peace.

Throughout the centuries, the font has been in many places in the church, according to the desires and customs of the times.

In colonial times, it was set on wheels to facilitate movement.

At one time, it was near the altar.

[footsteps clicking] From colonial days until more recent times, the custom of selling pews for the exclusive use of the purchaser's family was one of the major sources of income for the church.

In 1818, the vestry decided to close the crosswalk here and add ten more pews.

This didn't please Thomas Hunt, because the new pews interrupted his ease in getting in and out of his pew.

He threatened to sue the church under the laws of trespass.

The church tried to explain to him that this source of income was greatly needed.

After a lot of correspondence, the issue was dropped.

Through the years, the cost of pews would go up and down.

When new ones were added in 1818, they cost $1,000, with an assessment of $28 per year.

Many parishioners decried that all that happened was that the cost of the pews went up.

♪ In colonial times, this large pew was set aside for the royal governor.

Here the governor and his council would sit and hear the services.

These chairs are half of a set which date from 1790.

It was here in this pew that President George Washington sat when he attended a service at Saint Michael's.

Later General Robert E. Lee sat here when he was stationed here in the city.

The church's senior warden had his own pew.

Number 55, in the numbering of that time, was reserved for the Solomon's Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons.

It's obvious there was little democracy in the seating of people in the church.

Obviously, the wealthy had the best advantage!

Occasionally benches would be placed in aisles and near the pulpit for--as it was recorded-- "poor white people who might wish to attend."

Black parishioners were seated on benches in the galleries or under the belfry.

The chandelier was brought from Lo ndon in 1804.

It's rather large for its day.

It consists of 3 tiers with 42 candles.

The candles have now been electrified, but time was when an extra fee was charged for night weddings because of the difficulty of lowering the chandelier and lighting all those candles.

During the War Between the States when Charleston was threatened by Sherman's army, people didn't know what to do with the chandelier to preserve its safety.

They simply painted it black.

It resembled iron and was never disturbed.

♪ During the daytime, light enters the church through beautiful stained glass windows, three of which were made by Tiffany.

The most impressive is in the chancel, a reproduction of Raphael's "Saint Michael Slaying the Dragon."

It was brought here in 1893, after being exhibited in New York the previous summer.

♪ The pulpit stands to the right of the church, an elegant example of craftsmanship.

Its height is necessary so the minister could be seen and heard clearly by the congregation.

Here, at its base, is a mark made by a bullet during the War Between the States.

From 1862 until 1865, Charleston was under heavy bombardment from Union troops.

In 1863 during a Thanksgiving service for celebration of victory of the Confederate troops in the Battle of Chickamauga, the service was interrupted by shelling.

The minister did away with the sermon.

As the congregation was leaving, a shell exploded in front of the church from the Union bombardment from Morris Island.

After that, Saint Michael's was closed until the end of the war.

During those two years, the church was under heavy bombardment by Union forces.

The pulpit was badly damaged.

The panels were blown away, and delicate carvings were ruined.

After the war, the pulpit had to be restored, so not all of this is completely original.

This inlaid panel on the front of the pulpit is made of pine, oak, walnut, and mahogany.

After it was dislodged during shelling, it was taken by souvenir hunters.

It ended in the possession of Mrs. Henry Ward Beecher, who gave it to a church in Ohio.

Years later, the pastor of that church returned it to St. Michaels, saying he had no room for it in hi s church.

The pineapple on the sounding board was also taken as a souvenir, and a reproduction of the original was placed there again in 1912.

In 1795, John Rutledge made a speech, either from this pulpit or the reader's stand below, which cost him his appointment as chief justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Rutledge had served as president of the Republic of South Carolina during the American Revolution and had signed the United States Constitution.

He'd received this appointment to the Supreme Court as chief justice from President Washington.

However, from this pulpit he made an impassioned speech against the Jay Treaty, proving many parts of it were detrimental to the interests of the South.

This didn't please adherents of the treaty within the Senate, because they were for passing it in its entirety.

So consequently, because of the speech made here, Rutledge never received his appointment as chief justice of the United States.

[no audio] [footsteps clicking] A sermon preached from this pulpit proved to be the undoing of one of the priests.

In the turbulent years before the American Revolution, an assistant rector, John Bullman, in August of 1774 preached a sermon on the Christian duty of peaceableness.

In it, he urged everyone not to support the Patriot cause and to encourage complete cooperation with the British.

This was not what his parishioners wanted to hear.

The next morning the vestry met and chastised Mr. Bullman for his rash, precipitant remarks.

And the next morning, he was relieved of his position.

Mr. Bullman remained in Charleston for several months hoping to be reinstated, but he finally went back to England.

♪ One of the finishing touches to Saint Michael's was the beautiful Communion rail.

The original was carved by the same firm which built the beautiful double doors at the entrance... Elfe and Hutchinson.

Ten years later, this iron Communion rail was imported from England, and it's been in constant use ever since.

Because of its simplicity, it's much different from those similar to it made at the time in England.

Its dignity and simplicity has been an inspiration to ironworkers throughout Charleston.

Within the chancel, we find the graves of two men, Nathaniel Bowen and Theodore Dehon.

Both of these gentlemen were rectors of Saint Michael's and bishops of South Carolina.

♪ Only two pieces remain of five parts of the Communion service given to Saint Michael's by the royal governor in 1762.

They survived the American Revolution but didn't survive the War Between the States.

During the American Revolution, they were sent into the country for safekeeping.

During the War Between the States, they were stolen.

Other silver was sent to Columbia for safekeeping, but when the city was burned by troops under Sherman, that silver was lost.

It was felt the original silver would never be found, in spite of large rewards for its return.

But in 1867, a gentleman found two pieces in a pawnbroker shop in New York City and returned them to Saint Michael's.

They still bear the inscription they had originally, "The Gift of His Excellency Thomas Boone, Esquire, "Governor of this Province, "to the Church of Saint Michael, Charles Town, South Carolina, 1762."

♪ [no audio] ♪ [organ music] ♪ It has been said that services in 18th-century churches were very dignified and dull.

But not so at Saint Michael's!

Music became an integral part of the service.

For the first few years, two simple organs were used.

Then in 1768, this Snetzler organ was imported from England.

The exterior casing is the same and the only original part of the organ.

The interior was replaced in 1910.

But as we see it today, its appearance is quite like it has been for the past 2 1/4 centuries.

The rectors and organists enjoyed music so much they would frequently compose music to be used by the congregation during the service.

In the mid-1780s, together with Saint Philip's, a Psalter and hymnal were published here in the city for the use of congregations during the services.

But they weren't allowed to go too far.

Once, a very interesting band was employed to play sacred music during a service.

Because of this, the vestry gave them a very strong slap on the wrist!

They said it was extremely uncustomary and was not acceptable to a great many people of the congregation.

Because soprano voices were needed in the choir, a rector recruited boys from a nearby orphanage to sing.

They became so very good that their fame spread to other places, and managers of a local theater begged the orphanage to let the choirboys of Saint Michael's sing at the local opera house.

♪ At the side of the choir is the keyboard, which controls the famous bells of Saint Michael's.

Although the automatic chiming of the bells on the hour, half hour, and each quarter hour is now done mechanically, a musician can control them from here on Sundays and special occasions.

♪ [acoustic guitar music] The bells first rang in 1764 for the baptism of Betsy Bramfield.

The next year, muffled, they rang all day as part of a demonstration against the Stamp Act.

At one time, they rang in solemn knell as below Patriots buried a coffin marked "American Liberty."

During the American Revolution, when Charleston was conquered by the British, the bells were considered spoils of war, and they were taken down and sent back to England.

Two of the bells were recast while there.

Finally, they were bought by a London businessman and returned to Saint Michael's.

But they didn't fare so well during the War Between the States.

For safekeeping, they were sent to Columbia, but when the fires of that city consumed everything, the bells, like the Communion silver, were reduced to simply a mass of metal.

The metal was returned to England to the foundry which had cast them originally, and they were recast in the original molds.

In 1867, they were returned to Saint Michael's, and no mishap has occurred to them ever since.

On Independence Day in 1976, these bells, which are older than the independence of our country, rang joyfully for three hours.

[bells chiming] ding dong, ding dong... ding dong, ding dong... ding dong, ding dong... dong...dong... Saint Michael's steeple, a landmark on the Charleston skyline, has an interesting history.

During the American Revolution, it was painted black to camouflage it.

British gunners claimed that made it a better target.

Patriots used it, also, as an observation post.

During the War Between the States, it was used as a signal tower.

On the arcade level in the 1880s, a young man set up a thriving business.

He installed a telescope where he could watch incoming shipping.

The first to observe it, he was able to sell information to tug owners.

But the vestry soon discovered this and put an end to his enterprise.

The entrance to the churchyard is from Meeting Street through these wrought iron gates, set in place in 1840 and signed by their maker's name... J.

A. W. Justi of Charleston.

There's another of his work which encloses the Hayne grave plot.

This is a very old cemetery.

Walkways are named for the archangels, and it's possible it was in use even before the first Saint Philip's was placed here in the 1680s.

After the earthquake of 1886, a coffin was found under the south vestibule bearing the legend "J. O.

B.

1678."

This has been hallowed ground for a very long time.

[vehicular noise] The tombstones in this cemetery read like a who's who of our state's history.

Two signers of the Constitution lie here, John Rutledge and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney.

A third signer, Pierce Butler, was a parishioner here, and his wife is buried here.

There is a memorial plaque to him in the vestibule of Saint Michael's.

Here is a monument to James Louis Petigru, a man who was staunchly for the Union during the War Between the States.

There is a story still repeated about him.

He was in Columbia passing by the church where the Secession Convention was being held.

A stranger asked him, "Where is the insane asylum?"

He pointed to the church and said, "There it is!"

In his epitaph is a tribute to his courage in taking a very unpopular stand in the South.

"In the great Civil War, "he withstood his people for his country, "but his people did homage to the man who held his conscience higher than their praise."

♪ [acoustic guitar music] This grave marker is unusual because there are few of them left.

It's carved of wood in the shape of a bedstead.

But it was not uncommon when Mary Ann Collins Luyten was laid to rest in 1770.

Wooden markers were often used because stone markers were very expensive.

At one time, this had a footboard.

That has long since disappeared, around the turn of the century.

It's tempting to speculate that this marker was carved by the bereaved husband of Mary, because William Luyten was a cabinetmaker by trade.

[footsteps clicking] ♪ The street in front of Saint Michael's returns us to the present.

A visit to this historic church puts today in perspective with history.

You can't help but being affected by the church, indeed perhaps changed by it.

Saint Michael's has been called the Church of the City, and you leave with the same sense.

It has been strongly affected by history, and its history has strongly affected us.

It has been a constant in a time of many changes.

As one former rector said, "It has kept watch and ward over the city and helped its people look to the skies."

[vehicular noise] [bells chiming] ding dong, ding dong... [up-tempo contemporary music] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪