1100 Sumter Street
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
Columbia has had an Episcopal church since 1812, when eleven citizens met in the Senate Chamber of the first State House and formed the first congregation. In 1814, the congregation laid the cornerstone for a wood frame church. The Gothic Revival structure seen today was designed by Charleston architect Edward Brickell White and completed before 1852. In 1976, the Diocese of Upper South Carolina voted to recognize the church officially as a cathedral. In anticipation of its 200th anniversary, Trinity Parish embarked on a $2 million dollar capital improvement of Trinity Cathedral and Parish House. When completed in 2010, the resultant work far exceeded initial estimates in extent and cost. However, the end result, made possible through the dedication of skilled South Carolina craftsmen, led to a state-of-the-art restoration of this National Register of Historic Places-listed site.