A simple place of worship

Southern Living, Dec 1997 by Lingo, Karen

The Church of the Holy Cross is what many might call a country church. Hugged by a cemetery with markers dating back more than two centuries, it sits beside a quiet lane in Statesburg, near Sumter, South Carolina.

But there's more to this church than first meets the eye. Its walls shelter a history as vibrant as the mosaic of colors splashed by sunlight streaming through the stained-glass windows. Among those buried in the cemetery are some of South Carolina's most distinguished sons, including Joel Roberts Poinsett, for whom the poinsettia is named.

Each year on March 2, the date of Poinsett's birth, and on December 12, the date of his death, bright poinsettias grace his tomb. The blaze of color echoes the welcoming warmth inside the church.

Completed in 1852, the Church of the Holy Cross was built by the ancient method of pise de terre (rammed earth). Parts of the Great Wall of China were built in this manner, which involves pounding earth into a wooden form to create walls. The form is raised and filled with more earth as the wall grows. When completed, the exterior is covered with a mixture of lime, sand, and clay, then covered with a cement pebble dash wash.

Dr. William Wallace Anderson, who chaired the building committee, is credited with the decision to use the method, which he used to build his own home 30 years before. This, incidentally, was where Poinsett died in 1851 while visiting with Dr. Anderson.

Walk into the church and what at first appears dim suddenly glows with a rainbow cast by the stained glass. The windows were made in Bavaria and depict Christ and his Apostles. Others, of more modern date and design, depict a variety of patterns. The organ dates to 1851 and was made by Henry Erben. It's one of the few Erben organs still in use, having been electrified. Should the electricity fail, though, the old hand pump is still there and operative.

The Church of the Holy Cross is located on State 261, west of Sumter, South Carolina. Services are held at 8 and 11 a.m. each Sunday. Visitors who wish to see the church at other times may go to the adjacent Parish House 9 a.m.-noon Tuesday-Friday, to request entry. For more information call the parish office at (803) 494-8101 or the Sumter Conventions and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-688-4748.