Graveyard Visits: Sunday, November 18

On Sunday, Nov. 18 at 11 a.m. we will have a class outing. We will visit two old Charleston church graveyards:  Second Presbyterian Church, 342 Meeting St. and Unitarian Church of Charleston, 4 Archdale St.

Second Presbyterian Church Graveyard

The purpose of this field trip is threefold:
1. To identify an "Old Charlestonian" to research and write about for this assignment and presentation. Unless you have already found someone from one of our previous graveyard/cemetery visits, then you must pick someone from one of these two graveyards.

2. Take photographs and document "Epic Epitaphs" for this blog post assignment. The task is to find, photograph and detail at least six graves that have, to you, interesting, touching, unusual or meaningful epitaph inscriptions. For this post, you must have some from each graveyard visited on this date. Along with photos and transcriptions of the epitaphs, include their origins (Bible, poetry, literature, songs, etc) and the name(s) of people interred and when they lived and died.  Include the type of grave marker also. 

Unitarian Church Graveyard 

 3. Extra credit opportunity! You can earn extra credit if you write a blog post on one or both of these church graveyards. Up to three points each can be added to the lower grade between your midterm and final exams. The posts would be about these old graveyards. How old are they? Famous or noteworthy people buried there? Describe the style, size, and types of grave markers. Illustrate the post with several photographs. Highlight two or three gravesites that you think are interesting, artistic and/or different and unique.  Include some history of the churches and graveyards by looking at (and linking) the church websites and check/link findagrave.com also.

At 11 a.m. on Sunday we will meet at the fountain in Marion Square at the corner of Calhoun and King streets. Second Presbyterian is on the other side of Marion Square. After touring that graveyard, will walk back to campus and follow St. Philip Street down to the Unitarian Church. 

The outing should take about 90 minutes, give or take. 

Pictured below (left): Unitarian Church of Charleston and Second Presbyterian Church