The Episcopal Church Of The Ridge-Grace Episcopal Church

by Lisa Wooten

Title

The Episcopal Church Of The Ridge-Grace Episcopal Church

Artist

Lisa Wooten

Medium

Photograph - Photographs

Description

The Episcopal Church of the Ridge was formed in 1973 through the guidance of Bishop John Pinckney and Archdeacon William Beckham (later Bishop Beckham). They encouraged the small Episcopal churches located in Edgefield, Lexington, and Saluda counties to form a cluster under one priest, one governing board, and one budget. Three churches remain active today as The Episcopal Church of the Ridge: Grace Episcopal Church in Ridge Spring, The Episcopal of Our Saviour in Trenton, and Trinity Episcopal Church in Edgefield. As a result of combining the resources, strengths, and talents of the three congregations, the long-range plan is that we will attain parish status.
We are proud to note that the churches comprising The Episcopal Church of the Ridge have been a “springboard” to the careers of some of the most distinguished clergy in South Carolina, including The Rev. Many Reid, Bishop William Beckham, and Archdeacon Fred Byrd.
The congregation worships every Sunday on a rotating basis at one of the churches. This schedule has been successful for over fifteen years. An adult class begins at 9:00 am in the parish hall to discus the lessons of the day. For middle and high school worshippers, class is also offered at 9:00 am. And for our younger worshippers, class is offered at 10:00 am on Edgefield and Trenton Sundays. The service of Holy Eucharist begins at 10:00 am in the sanctuary.
The Episcopal Church of Our Saviour
The Episcopal Church of the Ridge is one congregation with three houses of worship. The three entities are Grace Episcopal Church in Ridge Spring, The Episcopal Church of Our Saviour in Trenton, and Trinity Episcopal Church in Edgefield. The story of Our Saviour is below:
Our Saviour owes its beginnings to the efforts and love of Miss Lizzie Day and Miss Sue Hatcher (Mrs R. P. Henry). These young ladies became familiar with the Episcopal service while they were attending school in Athens, GA. The first organized services were officiated by the Rev. Edward T. Walker in the old Henry schoolhouse just west of Trenton. Unfortunately, this building is no longer standing but is remembered by the older generations of Trenton. Mrs. S. T. Hughes gave the land for the building site. Successful fundraising through donations and entertainment resulted in the building now in use.
The building was consecrated on June 30, 1882 by Bishop William B. W. Howe, assisted by five ministers from several Episcopal parishes in South Carolina. The wooden church does not conform to any clearly defined type of architecture; however, the interior has a Gothic feel with pointed window openings and an open timber ceiling. The bell tower was a later addition to the structure. The parish hall was added in the 1950s. It is of interest to note that because of the custom of marriages being held in home of the bride, the first wedding at Our Saviour was not performed until 1904.
The J. M. Vann family gave the beautiful stained glass windows behind the altar in 1960.
Grace Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church of the Ridge is one congregation with three houses of worship. The three entities are Grace Episcopal Church in Ridge Spring, The Episcopal Church of Our Saviour in Trenton, and Trinity Episcopal Church in Edgefield. The story of Grace Church is below:
Grace Church had its beginnings in 1872 when a group of Christians met to explore the idea of forming an Episcopal Church in the small town of Ridge Spring. Much of the leadership of the group came from the local families and, in particular, from the women in the community. Grace was recognized as a congregation in 1873, with the Rev. C. Bruce Walker conducting services for an initial period in the local Baptist Church.
With a generous gift of land from the B. T. Boatwright family, the congregation soon erected the church structure in the Carpenter Gothic style with board and batten siding. The church building was consecrated on November 20, 1874 under the leadership of Bishop William B. W. Howe. In addition to local gifts, the church received generous support from several families in New York and Philadelphia who had ties with local families through schoolgirl relationships in Charleston.
The stained glass windows behind the altar are original to the church. Those on the south wall of the sanctuary date from the early 1980s. The church bell is one of the oldest in the state, having been cast in England with an inscription that reads “James Kinloch of South Carolina, 1750.” This bell was originally in Prince George, Winyah, Georgetown, SC and came to Grace Church through the efforts of Bishop Howe when the church was built.
The parish hall was built and dedicated in 1954 on land donated by the Gregory and Barnwell families of Ridge Spring. Wikipedia

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July 10th, 2017

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