The Holy City's Holy Sites

The Holy City's Holy Sites Article

Charleston’s streets are lined high and low with historic homes and buildings. But don’t miss the structures that give the Holy City its nickname — its historic Houses of Worship.

Perhaps one of the most influential churches in Charleston is the Circular Church. With a history dating back to at least 1681, the church is sure to have some important moments. Highlights include housing the city’s oldest burial grounds and giving Meeting Street its name. One church, the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal, stood as a beacon for African Americans before and during the Civil War. Denmark Vesey, one of the church’s founders, was tried as a member of a slave revolt plot and later executed alongside other organizers. But the church still stands as a symbol of freedom with leaders like Booker T. Washington, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King visiting. For more of Charleston’s holy sites, visit Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim and Grace Church Cathedral.