Official Website of Historic Campbell Chapel!
Our Mission
Restoration Project Goals
To retore and renovate the Historic Chapel to a condition that facilitates it becoming a prominent tourist attraction on the Gullah Geechee Corridor and Old Town Bluffton, Hilton Head Island and other communities near and beyond Beaufort County.
Daily Tours
Rentals Facility
Once this restoration project is completed, docents will guide the public through the untold stories of Bluffton. The public will meet historic figures like “Lillie Bell” who rang the church bell to inform the community of deaths, bad weather and fires. She also rang the bell each Sunday at the time of worship.
Tourist will also discover the dual role Campbell Chapel’s Sunday School played in educating the children of the community and providing spiritual guidance for the adults.
The Historic Chapel will be able to provide an additional venue space for the city and its residents. It will be a place to host lectures, destination weddings, concerts, and other events that will bring people together to learn and experience the unique culture of the city.
The Historic Chapel is a significant part of the city’s history and restoring it to its original 1874 condition will allow it to be used as an educational and cultural hub for the community.
Community Meeting Place
Housed Festival Events
Three very different faith communities have worshipped in our historic chapel. The Historic Chapel has served as the meeting place for cultural exchange and conversation. We look forward to reopening our doors to public meetings and gatherings.
The chapel has been a place of respectful dialogue and understanding, providing an opportunity to learn from one another and build bridges between different cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds. It has been a place of acceptance and a source of community strength, and we are excited to continue this tradition.
When we are open for business, the Historic Chapel will join the Bluffton Community in celebrating our history and culture during May Fest, the Bluffton Arts and Seafood Festival and the Peanut Festival. We will open the Gullah Village and add Gullah music, food, and dance to these festive activities.
Not only will the Historic Chapel be able to offer its own unique history and culture, but it will also be able to add to the festivities already planned in the community. The Gullah Village will provide an immersive cultural experience that attendees of the festivals will love.
Construction Underway - 2024
A Unique Undertaking
Unlike designing a new building, renovation is the task of taking a long standing structure and designing and constructing in reverse. More often than not, time, weather, insects and the quality of maintenance have taken a toll on the overall condition. Often additions have altered the original structure.
2004: The current edifice for the Campbell Chapel A.M.E. Church (Campbell) was completed.2015: A 501 (c) 3 named “A Call to Action” was established to restore the Historic Chapel, estimated to be $1.5 million*2018: The outstanding mortgage balance for Campbell was retired in May by an anonymous donor.The outstanding mortgage balance for Campbell was retired in May by an anonymous donor.2019: The Historic Chapel was entered into the National Register of Historic Places on April 26th.The outstanding mortgage balance for Campbell was retired in May by an anonymous donor.2020: The SC Department of Archives and History approved final inspection for a SC Historical Marker.The outstanding mortgage balance for Campbell was retired in May by an anonymous donor.
Who will do the restoration...
James McGhee - Historic Architect
“In the case of Campbell Chapel, I have been blessed to discover layers of existing materials and construction that guide a deeper understanding of how the original Chapel was built. As each layer of investigation proceeds, more surprises of the original Chapel appear: how it was constructed, the materials utilized, the function and discovery of the uniqueness of this building. The size and location of the original bell-tower is now known. The discovery of a rare “jib door” below a window at two locations shows the extent of the original “builder’s” love of purpose and the reason to build in the first place. As the details are “filled” in, the Chapel will once again establish its impact on the Town of Bluffton and demonstrate its importance in the built fabric of the community.”
In practice since 1985, James McGhee is the creative director of a wide range of architectural building types. He seeks to maintain a personal involvement with his clients to preserve and develop the client’s interests, translating into consistent quality and character in his work.Background