Architecture

The 1858 sanctuary of Greenwich Presbyterian Church is seen from the road nestled in the church yard cemetery shaded by centuries old oak trees. The first thing that you come to from the parking lot is a covered gate at the beginning of the walk leading to the sanctuary. It is a small open structure with a shingled and gabled roof supported by two rough hewn cedar logs. There is scroll work along the edges of the roof, and the whole is painted white except the wooden shingles on the roof. This is a more recent structure made to resemble the original stiles, replacing a previous gate in the fence, first of wood and then iron. Look around and at the end of the walk to the Fellowship Hall you’ll see a similar structure that was originally a stile, now with the platform and steps removed to accommodate the sidewalk. Opposite this stile, on the other side of the cemetery is another stile, retaining the steps and platform. Originally these were incorporated in a fence that surrounded the cemetery, and served the dual purpose of keeping livestock out and permitting ladies to dismount from horses or carriages. The two entries into the sanctuary have the rough hewn cedar supports and porch roofs quite similar to the stiles.

Next turn your attention to the brick sanctuary itself. It is American Gothic Revival in style, a form that was popular in America from about 1830 to 1860. Note the pointed gothic windows, the brick buttresses at intervals on all sides, and the tall steeple or spire atop a cupola. The scroll work on the wooden gates and porches is suggestive of the carpenter gothic style that eventually led into Victorian, but the characteristics of the brick structure itself is decidedly gothic revival.

Each of the two entrances leads into a small entryway with a tight spiral staircase on the left side leading to the balcony. Small country churches in the south prior to the civil war often had such balconies where servants could be seated for the service. The interior of the sanctuary is quite plain. There are several marble plaques on the walls honoring early contributors to the facility, one with a list of the pastors with years they served, and two marble plaques behind the communion table listing the Ten Commandments. The plain pews have been enhanced by cushions and hymnal racks added in addition to the pew Bible racks. There is a large clock on the front of the balcony that is readably visible to the pastor as he delivers his sermon. Notice above and behind it is an even larger clock in the top of the window. It was the original clock on the balcony, but was recently replaced because of the quite readily heard audible sound as the hands advanced second by second.

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