Truck crashes into historic South Carolina church, causing structural damage

By ENS staff
Posted Dec 7, 2023

[Episcopal News Service] A historic Episcopal church in rural South Carolina was damaged on Dec. 5 when a truck hit the colonial-era building.

No one suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, which is under investigation by police, according to the Diocese of South Carolina. The cause of the crash wasn’t immediately known, and the driver’s condition wasn’t released.

The building sustained structural and cosmetic damage to its interior and exterior, which is being assessed by a structural engineer, the diocese said in a statement released to Episcopal News Service. The congregation’s leaders are working with diocesan staff to file insurance claims on the damage.

“At this time, please pray for those involved in the accident and their healing,” the diocese said. “Please also keep this congregation in your prayers and pray that the building can be fully restored as soon as possible.”

The church is located in its namesake town, St. Stephen, in Berkeley County, about an hour north of Charleston. The parish formed in 1754, and the current building was completed in 1769. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark in 1970.