Atop King Street, a beacon of faith reaches for the heavens. This is Saint Matthews Lutheran Church. Its towering spire, a proud 255 feet, once held the title of South Carolina’s tallest structure. Saint Matthews Lutheran Church has witnessed Charleston’s history unfold since 1840. It began with a group of German-speaking Lutherans yearning to worship in their native tongue. They first gathered at various locations, including the Second Presbyterian Church and the German Fire Company. Their first dedicated sanctuary, a Greek Revival structure, was built in 1842 on Hasell and Anson streets.
The burgeoning German community in Charleston quickly outgrew the original church. In 1867, construction began on the current Gothic Revival masterpiece. Saint Matthews Lutheran Church, designed by Irish-born architect John Henry Devereux, was dedicated in 1872. The ceremony drew a crowd of 3,000 people. Inside, the stained glass windows in the apse, survivors of a later fire, glowed with biblical scenes. The “wine glass” pulpit, also original, stood ready to share the Word. The soaring steeple, topped by a wrought iron finial crafted by Christopher Werner, dominated the Charleston skyline. Sadly, the finial was lost in the 1885 cyclone.
Tragedy struck in 1965 when a fire ravaged the church, sending the steeple crashing onto King Street. The congregation, determined to preserve their history, rebuilt. The damaged sections were meticulously restored, save for the costly finial. The replacement stained-glass windows in the gallery, created by Franz Mayer & Co. of Munich, Germany, blended seamlessly with the surviving originals. Another challenge came in 1989 with Hurricane Hugo. The storm tore at the steeple’s copper sheathing, ripped off sections of the slate roof, and stripped stucco from the exterior walls. Two years and $1.6 million later, Saint Matthews Lutheran Church stood restored.
Today, Saint Matthews Lutheran Church stands as a symbol of resilience. Its story echoes the spirit of Charleston itself, a city that has weathered storms and fires, both literal and figurative. The church continues to serve its community, hosting cultural events and offering a spiritual haven in the heart of the city. Come, step inside and feel the weight of history within these hallowed walls. The towering spire of Saint Matthews Lutheran Church beckons, inviting all to find solace and inspiration within.