Circular Congregational Church

The Circular Congregational Church features a massive, rounded sanctuary wall that distinguishes it from every other steeple in the Charleston skyline. Built in eighteen ninety-two, the structure replaced a former meeting house destroyed by fire. Architect John Henry Devereux chose this unusual shape to evoke the early gathering spaces of independent congregations. When the heavy masonry walls went up, the church became a local landmark, known for a radical, open floor plan that invited congregants to sit in a literal circle.