Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance - Karpeles Manuscript Museum

Karpeles Manuscript Museum, Charleston, SC    

I love to hear about wealthy people who do incredibly cool things with their resources. I bought a power ball ticket myself fifteen minutes before the drawing last night since it is currently over $300 million. I promise I would do something cool with the money but apparently that isn't the case, yet. This former church is now the Karpeles Manuscript Library and is the world’s largest private collection of original manuscripts and documents. The library was founded in 1983 by real estate magnates David and Marsha Karpeles, with the goal of stimulating interest in learning, especially in children. All of the Karpeles Manuscript Library services are free. Thank you Mr. & Mrs. Karpeles and thanks for selecting Charleston for one of your museums!

The Karpeles Manuscript Museum in Charleston, South Carolina, is housed in a grand and bold Greek Revival structure of the Corinthian order after the Temple of Jupiter in Rome. The history of the building dates back to 1791 when William Hammet and a group of Methodist dissenters decided to form their own Methodist congregation. The new congregation grew over the period of 65 years until 1856 when a larger sanctuary was needed. Property was purchased and the cornerstone was laid on June 24, 1856. The church was called St. James¹ Chapel, "as he was the great Apostle of practical piety". During the Civil War the Confederate forces in Charleston used the building as a medical storehouse and hospital until the Union Army attacked and Charleston was evacuated. The building was one of the first attacked in an effort to capture the water supply held in the large cisterns on the ground floor. On the night of September 21, 1989, Hurricane Hugo passed through Charleston leaving the building severely damaged. The roof was torn off and the interior was destroyed. After a major renovation, the building was again opened on November 11, 1990. 

Now, I believe I will go to Home Depot and treat my yard to a couple bales of pine straw for the new year.