St. Peter Catholic Church

Front: This Greek Revival church, built in 1846, dedicated as “St. Peter the Apostle Church,” is the oldest Catholic church in Beaufort County. Michael O’Connor (1798-1850), a native of Ireland who came to Beaufort in 1822, built it and deeded the church and lot to the bishop. Its first pastor was Rev. J.J. O’Connell (1821-1894), author of Catholicity in the Carolinas and Georgia (1879). Reverse: The brick wall was built in 1857 by local craftsman Franklin Talbird Jr. During the Civil War, the church housed a school for freedmen. The Gothic trefoil window was added in 1899. Though the parish moved to Lady’s Island in 1987, this church has been used for special events since and was handsomely restored in 2012. The churchyard includes several fine examples of 19th and 20th century gravestone art.