Top 10 Best Features of Second Presbyterian

At Second Presbyterian Church there are so many great features, it was hard to narrow it down to 10 but we did. This is the last group post for our Beyond the Grave class, Jeffery Jones, Graham Herndon and I put together our top 10 favorite features this church and graveyard gave to offer.

Starting with number 10, we have.....

10. The Layout

This angle is on the walkway that runs
parallel to the church just after walking in

This graveyard is on the smaller side, however, there are so many people buried here. They are nice walkways to walk on, but get a closer look at someone's marker you may have to walk over someone else. Most of the grave sties are to the left, when facing the front of the church, as well as behind it. There are not many on the right side due to the sidewalk and road. There are several sections where multiple grave sites are fenced together, these are some of the family plots. Overall, the layout has a nice flow to it and when you get to the back of the church it seems to open up and feel bigger.

This section is to the left side when
facing the church

This section is also on the left side
of the church

As you can see from these pictures, the grave sites are pretty close together. This does not necessarily mean they are related, as more people are buried there becomes less room for everyone to be spread out.

This section is also on the left side
of the church, looking toward the back
portion of the graveyard

This section is on the back side
of the church

Gobble Gobble Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving!

We usually have a big get together with family, however, this year we kept it small.

My brother spent Thanksgiving with his girlfriend and her family and my sister spent it with her husband and his family. All of our extended family went elsewhere this year so it was just my parents and I.

I usually like to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade before I get ready for Thanksgiving food, however, today my dad and I worked on my race car for the race this weekend. When we were done I caught part of The National Dog Show, which I thought was interesting because they judge the dogs very fast.

When it was finally time to eat, everything was yummy thanks to my mom's cooking. We had green beans, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, mac-n-cheese, turkey, ham and rolls.

This time of year is dangerous because everything is so delicious and makes me want more but then I get so stuffed. For desert we had pumpkin pie and fruit salad, which is one of my absolute favorite deserts.

I always like to decorate our house, sometimes it is just a few yard decorations like thins year. We had a Thanksgiving Mickey and Minnie along with a big turkey. My sister really liked the turkey so she made me take a picture of her......

I am really thankful for my family, including my cats and dogs :) I have had so many great opportunities and couldn't be more thankful for everything I have. 

Dancer, Racer and Now a Skater

 Freshman Fun!

I have only skated a few times before and I have thought about taking figure skating lessons but I didn't. When I was signing up for classes at the College of Charleston I saw the beginner figure skating class and decided to take it and I am really glad I did because I've had so much fun.

I had so much fun and was able to learn so much from Coach Debbie. Every Wednesday from 1 to 3:30 I went to the Carolina Ice Palace in North Charleston from August 21 to November 20.

For the 14 weeks we had class we learned so many skills and during the second half of the semester we had to create a skating program. We were able to get into groups, however I decided to go solo. I was worried we wouldn't have enough time to get together to complete it and I already had a vision in my head before we started the programs.

The first two videos were from my 4th class on the ice and the following video is from my 5th class.

Old Charlestonian from Ireland

Photo from
The Southern Presbyterian Review 

The Charleston pastor from Ireland.

Reverend Thomas Smyth was born June 14, 1808 in Belfast, Ireland. He was the sixth child and graduated from Belfast College in 1829. His father was an English grocer and an elder in the local Presbyterian Church, his father changed the spelling of their last name to "Smith" and later in 1837 Thomas changed it back to the original spelling of "Smyth" due to confusion with another Thomas Smith.

At the age of 21 he decided to make his profession of faith in Christ, he moved to London where his education continued at Highbury College. He was unable to finish at Highbury College because his family moved to the United States in 1830. He enrolled in the senior class at Princeton Theological Seminary and finished his studied in 1831.





When he was ordained by the Presbytery, he was intended to go to Florida to be a missionary but was then requested to be the supply pastor at Second Presbyterian Church in Charleston, SC in 1832. His professors from Princeton encouraged him to go to Charleston.

He was offered the chance to be the pastor but was unsure about staying in Charleston, however, after much consideration, he was installed in December of 1834. He was unsure of staying due to his health problems, but the church made modifications by lowering the ceiling to decrease the volume in the room so Rev. Smyth did not have to have to project his voice as much. He remained the pastor at Second Presbyterian until he passed.

Shortly after he moved to Charleston, Rev. Smyth married Margret Milligan Adger on July 9, 1832. Margret is the daughter of one of the most prosperous merchants, James Adger. They had nine children together, of which, only six survived.

Second Pres is First Best

Second Pres is first best!

Back at Second Presbyterian Church again. Click here to view more history of the church.

For our Beyond the Grave class, our group, Graham Herndon, Jeffery Jones and I, went back to Second Presbyterian, this time to get more information about the grave sites.. Click their names to view their blogs.








We were able to find 15 different types of grave markers. For more information on different types of grave markers click here.

Box Tomb

Information on the person resting here could not be found.

Lawn Marker/Military Issue

This lawn marker is also a military issued marker, this marks the site of  Lieutenant Colonel Charles Irvin Green. Her served in the US Air Force in World War II. He was born October 11, 1922 and died April 14, 1992.

Die on Base

 This die on base also marks Lt Col Charles Irvin Green as well as Rose Azalea Hughes Green. Rose was born November 24, 1923 and died June 13, 2010. According to findagrave.com, Rose was a Charleston native and retired cosmetologist. She was also a life long member of Second Presbyterian. 

Good Ol' Magnolia

Good ol' Magnolia has been around for 170 years!

Beautiful iron work!

Being from Charleston I don't do very many of the "touristy" things, like the graveyard tours and the horse and carriage tours. Last Friday I went to Magnolia Cemetery with my Beyond the Grave class.

Bulldog Tours have a tour at Magnolia called, The Spirits of Magnolia Cemetery Tour, which happens everyday at 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm. Use the link to view this tour and other Charleston area tours.

We walked around for about an hour and I got to see some beautiful views and amazing art work on the grave markers.

The overall size and layout of the cemetery is outstanding, many of the grave markers are big very elaborate and others are more simplistic. I did not get to see the entire cemetery, however, from what I got to see is breathtaking. It is hard to imagine how long it would have taken for many of the markers to be made with just a chisel and hammer.




Originally in the 1790s it was a rice plantation, then in 1849 the Magnolia Cemetery was founded and opened in 1850. This is a beautiful piece of land and the layout takes after the Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The idea was to have a park feel for many people to enjoy nature while also being able to honor a loved one. Mount Auburn was the first of this kind and soon after many popped up resembling it, as did Magnolia Cemetery.

There are many winding pathways that can be driven or walked, these wind around the two lagoons within the cemetery and it sits next to a salt marsh. The smell of the marsh is never really that pleasant, however, I grew up living on the marsh so I am kind of used to the smell.





When you first walk in the gates there is a building off to the right. This used to be the bell tower and where the grounds keeper lived. The grounds keeper would welcome everyone who came to visit. Many years ago the bell tower came down, today the original bell sits to the left of the building and can still ring. Thanks to a classmate who rang it.

















This sign list what is acceptable and what is not on the grounds and at the grave sites. Even dogs are welcome as long as they are kept on a leash, I did not know this and would not have thought about bringing my dog to a cemetery.

The Mysterious Monument in Cougar Mall

Interesting fact I learned today! 

The mysterious monument in Cougar Mall belongs to the mother of a United States President.

Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson is the mother of President Andrew Jackson, our seventh President, and she has a memorial marker on the College of Charleston campus. 

According to The Post and Courier, she is not buried in this spot but some wanted to move the marker from its original location to "rescue" it from "unkempt roadside surroundings". It was moved in 1967 to the Cougar Mall thanks to Ted Stern, College of Charleston President at the time.

This is the monument in Cougar Mall

This is not the only memorial for her, in 1954 the Daughters of the American Revolution donated a monument which stands in Washington Park located near Charleston City Hall.

According to Women History blog, Elizabeth Jackson immigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1765 with her husband, Andrew Jackson, and their two oldest children. In 1767 her husband died unexpectedly just three weeks before Andrew Jackson II was born.

When Andrew Jackson II was 14 years old both of his brothers had died and his mother went to Charleston to find and help her two nephews being held prisoners on ships in the Charleston Harbor while doing that she helped tend to soldiers also being held prisoners. Through all the hard work she got sick and died due to cholera in November 1781.

The epitaph on Elizabeth Jackson's memorial in Cougar Mall are the last words she said to Andrew Jackson.

It talks about how he needs to treasure the things she has already told him, be a good and honest friend to others and to face any problems with a calm mind set.
It can be found, in detail, on the Women History blog.

This monument is in Lancaster, SC 

The photo to the left is from RoadsideAmerica.com, this is located in Lancaster, South Carolina. This is not a statue of Elizabeth Jackson but what the Daughters of the American Revolution best guessed she may have looked like.











According to Women History blog, Andrew Jackson knew his mother died in the Charleston area, however was never able to find where she was actually buried.

World War I Survivor!

My great-great grandfather survived World War I and lived to tell about it!

Curtis Othaniel Groom, Sr. is my great-great grandfather on my mother's side. He was born December 13, 1896 in Platte, Missouri and was the third of seven children.

There were five boys and two girls and they were all over six feet tall. My great-great grandpa was 6' 4" and I did not get my height from him. Everyone else is short in my family, my great grandpa must have gotten his height from his mother and passed to me.

I used Family Search to find a lot of information on my great-great grandpa as well as the help of my mother and grandmother.

I was able to find several censuses he was a part of. In the 1900 census they were still living in Missouri and by the 1910 census they had moved in Los Angeles, California.

1900 US Census - Lines 35-40 - Photo from Family Search

1910 US Census - Lines 97-100 - Photo from Family Search

A World War I Survivor!

A World War I survivor!

I will be posting a blog, in detail, about my great-great grandfather, Curtis Othaniel Groom, Sr. on my mother's side.

He served in World War I, his son Curtis Othaniel Groom Jr. is my great-grandfather and he served in World War II at the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

So far I have been able to his death certificate, several censuses, some marriage licences for his children, and my great-grandfather's WWII registration card.

I decided to choose him because I do not know that much about him, I had never meet him. I did meet my great-grandfather but I wanted to know more about his father.

There will be many more pictures to come after I get a chance to talk to my grandmother.

The Elegance of Headstones

The meaning behind these elegant headstones. 

Last week I visited Bethel United Methodist Church with my Beyond the Grave class. Grave markers can tell stories about the departed. The beautiful art work on the markers can symbolize many different things and can be interpreted differently. 

The book, Stories Told in Stone  by Gaylord Cooper, has many different symbols listed with their meanings, such as, birds, animals, hands, geometric symbols, stars, plants, and objects.

The meaning of the symbols on the grave markers below will come from the book, Stories Told in Stone.

Each has its own meaning, some will have multiple meaning that are relatively close.
 to one another

The grave marker of Fleming, to the right, shows wreath with a ribbon tied at the bottom.

This is an ivy wreath which symbolizes conviviality, which means to be friendly and lively.

Second Trip to Second Presbyterian.

Second trip to Second Presbyterian!




Today I went back to Second Presbyterian Church of Charleston to take a closer look at the grave sites, however, the gates were locked. I was able to get some good pictures of the grave markers from the gate.













This time I was able to get a picture of the column where the plaster has come off of the brick. It is interesting that they covered over the brick to mimic a different style.

Can You Identify the Grave Markers?

Grave markers can tell a lot about the deceased. Can you identify the different grave markers?

We walked around two graveyards last Monday night in my Beyond the Grave class. We identified many different types of grave markers at Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul and St. Patrick's Catholic Church.

At Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul we were able to go inside the church. Even though the lights were not on you could tell how grand and beautiful everything is.

The organ up in the balcony.

Ruth Spills the Truth

Ruth Miller and I

Ruth spilled the truth about historic Charleston.

I had the opportunity to hear from one of Charleston's experts on the historic churches and graveyards.

Ruth Miller came to Charleston with a background in world history and world geography, before coming to Charleston she was a school teacher, she worked with a touring company in Charleston, and she has been involved with Charleston history for over 40 years.

She has written many books on Charleston history and graveyards, which can be found here.

Miller said, "Winners write history books." By this she meant that when someone wins a war, they will write the history in favor of themselves. They want to make themselves look good. After the Civil War many of the American history books changed.

In many history classes, we learned that the great colonial cities were Boston for the dumping of the tea, New York for being the richest and largest city and Philadelphia where the founding fathers met in the third city. However, not a whole lot is mentioned about Charleston.

200 Year Old Charleston Church!

A Charleston church with over 200 years of history.

In my Beyond the Grave class we did a first impressions of Charleston churches as a group project.

What a beautiful entrance!

My group chose the Second Presbyterian Church of Charleston. We chose this church because it was closer to campus and the views of the church are very elegant. The church offers something different at every angle.

Second Presbyterian Church of Charleston is located at 342 Meeting Street Charleston, SC 29403.

Front door to the church.

The community of Presbyterians were dissenters from the Church of England who worshiped together in the White Meeting House on Meeting St. The congregation included English, Irish, Scottish, French Huguenots and Independent Presbyterians. Twelve families withdrew from the White Meeting House and established the First (Scots) Presbyterian Church, which was modeled after the Church of Scotland.





This church grew quickly and there was a need for a second Presbyterian church. In 1809 planning for Second Presbyterian Church began. On April 3, 1811 it was dedicated with the corporate name of "Second Presbyterian Church of Charleston and Its Suburbs".

Charleston Graveyards: At Night

Be careful walking the graveyards at night, you don't know who or what may be lurking behind the tombstones. Tuesday night I visited 11 Charleston churches and graveyards in my Beyond the Grave class. They may all seem nice and quite, but watch your step, it will most likely be a grave. If you trip, I bet it is a spirit telling you to get off their grave.

Churches have their own beautiful architecture and unique layout of grave sites. At St. Mary's church on Hasell St. the graveyard wraps around the church and is very small, many of the grave sites were back to back to one another.

While the people were shorter back then, they also were known to dig up old caskets and replace them with new people. They would even dig a deeper hole for older caskets and have people stacked on top of one another. 



To the right is a very unique tomb, it is very grand and has different art work than normally seen.

Hurricane Dorian Took Everything but the Lovebugs

Hurricane Dorian took everything but decided to leave us with the lovebugs! Dorian is even canceling schools just barely into the semester, but it won't take the lovebugs back home.

Hurricane Dorian formed August 24, 2019, hit the Bahamas and is now off the coast of Florida. This storm is one of the most powerful systems ever observed in the Atlantic Ocean.











Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas as a Category 5, moving ever so slowly. The damage it has already made in the Bahamas is breath taking. Homes destroyed, lives lost, and fear in everyone. They will remember the time before Dorian and a time after.

Extra! Extra! Read All About Me!

Hi I am Maddie Robertson and this is me!

I have done many things over the years. I played on a tee ball team when I was little, I swam on a swim team for a few years, I started dancing when I was 3, I started drag racing in 2014, and I have taken aerial classes.

I am 3rd from top.

In 2013 my dance team had the opportunity to be a part of the Team USA dance team. We traveled to Germany to compete in the International Dance Organization dance competition against other countries such as, Germany, Russia, South Africa and many others. The trip cost was pretty expensive so while we worked very hard on our routine and made some changes, we also had some fundraisers. We had a car wash, doughnut sale, a hunted house, pizza night and dinner with the Goose Creek mayor.

All ready in our costumes! I am center
back, with white hat.  

When Thanksgiving came along, we were ready to go to Germany. We were in Riesa, which is in East Germany. The culture was very different from the Untied States. Many people kept to themselves and things were very quiet. At night very few people were out and not many things were open. Overall, the culture was very different and the people were much more reserved. The trip was such a great opportunity, we got to see many great historic sites and meet some nice people.