St. Michael's white steeple has guided sailors your way since 1761, the oldest church building in South Carolina. Its white steeple has guided sailors into Charleston harbor for more than 260 years, and the eight bells in its tower — cast in England in 1764 — have marked the rhythms of city life through revolution, siege, and earthquake. George Washington worshipped here during his 1791 Southern Tour, sitting in the same pew where Robert E. Lee later worshipped when he visited Charleston in 1861, just before taking command of Confederate forces.
The steeple was used as an observation post and artillery target in multiple wars: British forces painted it black during the Revolution to make it less visible to American gunners; during the Civil War, both sides shelled it. The congregation sent the historic bells to Columbia for safekeeping during the Civil War, only to have them damaged in the burning of Columbia in 1865. They were sent to England for recasting and returned in 1867.
St. Michael's sits at the Four Corners of Law — the intersection of Broad and Meeting Streets — along with the Federal Court, the State Court, and City Hall. It is the spiritual anchor of that corner, a building that has witnessed more of American history than almost any other.