Introduction
In the spirit of the Presbyterian Historical Society, we are most honored by the opportunity to collect, preserve, and share the history of Fort Hill Presbyterian Church in Clemson, South Carolina. Ultimately, the goal is to follow, maintain, and record the ongoing growth and development of Fort Hill Presbyterian Church. As part of our effort, this website serves as a digital archive of Fort Hill, beginning from its foundation in 1895 to the present day.
Our History
On July 21, 1895, Fort Hill Presbyterian Church, the first church to serve the communities of Calhoun and Clemson College, was organized by the Presbytery of South Carolina, Presbyterian Church in the United States. The organizational meeting was held in Doyle’s Hall, the second floor of Bogg’s Store (now Calhoun Corners Restaurant). The thirty-three charter members elected three elders and two deacons. Worship services were conducted there regularly by their first minister, the Rev. Mr. Benjamin Palmer Ried, until April 1896, when the congregation occupied their newly constructed building at the Church’s present site.
Prior to that organizational meeting, Presbyterians and other early members of the faculty, along with their families, met in one of the partially completed buildings of the newly organized (1893) Clemson College.
Expansion of the building and mission of Fort Hill Church was continuous until a fire on December 4, 1932, completely destroyed the building. Since Clemson students had been worshiping in local churches instead of the college chapel from 1913 on, it was urgent that the building be completely restored as quickly as possible. The local congregation and Presbyterians throughout the Synod of South Carolina responded generously and accomplished this within six months! In the early 1960s, a new education building was constructed on the site of the old manse. Presently, the buildings house not only the ongoing program of the local congregation but also the program of Foothills Presbytery’s Ministry to Clemson University.
