Bethesda Presbyterian Church, in Camden, South Carolina

Camden, South Carolina

Camden is the fourth oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and is also the county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States. The population was an estimated 7,103 in 2009...

, was built in 1822 and is one of few surviving churches designed by Robert Mills

Robert Mills (architect)

Robert Mills , most famously known for designing the Washington Monument, is sometimes called the first native born American to become a professional architect, though Charles Bulfinch perhaps has a clearer claim to this honor...

.

It was declared a National Historic Landmark

National Historic Landmark

A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...

 in 1985.

According to the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, "Mills displayed in Bethesda the work of a maturing architect strongly influenced by Jeffersonian classicism. Bethesda, with its neo-classical temple form, represents an important stage in Mills’ creation of a distinctly American classical style."

It is a contributing property

Contributing property

In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...

 within the City of Camden Historic District.

External links

• Bethesda Presbyterian Church, Kershaw County (502 Dekalb St., Camden), with 11 photos, at South Carolina Department of Archives and History
• Bethesda Presbyterian Church, Dekalb & Market Streets, Camden, Kershaw County, SC: 5 photos and 2 data pages, at Historic American Building Survey