St. Peter's A.M.E. Church

Front: Organized c.1867 by Rev. Caesar Smalls, St. Peter’s African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church is the oldest-known religious body in North Charleston. Tradition holds members first worshipped under a tent at Retreat Plantation, which later became the site of the Charleston Navy Yard. By 1871, they acquired a one-acre parcel at this site, where they built a wood frame church on the south side of the property. Reverse: St. Peter’s was an important early institution for Liberty Hill, a community of freed people situated north and west of the church. Brick veneer and stained glass windows were added to the church by the 1950s. An education building was built in 1971 and dedicated in 1973. A new sanctuary was built in 1981 to replace the old church, which closed due to damage. It was repaired and reopened as a family life center in 1991.