Refrigerated Trailer for Rent in St. Stephen, SC

Hundreds of church steeples grace the Holy City’s landscape, some hidden in corners of historic neighborhoods, while others dominate the city’s skyline. Representing various denominations, most are adorned with a cross.

However, there’s one cross that sits slightly askew — battered by a storm, but still standing.

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church is in the midst of a $2.1 million capital campaign for building renovations and campus expansion. Part of the renovations include small projects, such as fixing windows and repainting. However, there’s one aspect that will not change: the crooked cross that sits atop the historic church building on Anson Street.

When Hurricane Hugo brought catastrophic destruction to the Lowcountry in September 1989, St. Stephen’s cross was spared. However, the strong winds tilted the cross slightly to the right. And that’s how the cross remained over the last three decades.

Straightening the cross wasn’t on the table when planning the renovations, said the Rev. Adam J. Shoemaker of St. Stephen’s, as the crooked cross has become a defining symbol of the church.

“We have used it to symbolize the way in which God and God’s love remains with us. Even amid the storms of life,” said Shoemaker, who became the church’s rector seven years ago.

Leaving the cross untouched has fared well over the years, but church leaders were concerned the next big storm might destroy the relic. The original crooked cross was taken down this year and replaced with one that is slanted at the exact same angle.

Herbert L. Drayton III, 59, who has attended the church his whole life, said the cross serves as a reminder of what the city endured.

“It marks an inflection point in the church and in the community with Hugo, so it became part of our character,” said Drayton, who serves as the campaign manager for the church’s capital campaign.

Drayton added that St. Stephen’s has gone through various “inflection points” in its 200-year history. When Drayton first started attending the church as a child with his parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, St. Stephen’s was a Black Episcopal church. The church integrated in the 1980s after nearly 40 years as a Black church, and Drayton said that inclusivity extended to the LGBTQ community, too. Shoemaker estimates that now 35 percent of the church congregation identifies with the LGBTQ community.

“Each time that we’ve hit one of those inflection points, we’ve figured out a way to make the church more inclusive to those in the community,” said Drayton. He noted that as the Ansonborough area gentrified, many Black congregation members moved to different neighborhoods and churches. Now, the church congregation is about 10 percent Black, said Shoemaker.

Following the church’s mission to be a “house of prayer for all people,” quoted from Isaiah 56:7, the capital campaign seeks to fund several initiatives: improve accessibility, accommodate congregation growth and increase outreach efforts to college students in partnership with St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church on King Street. The church plans to update and expand buildings on the campus to create more fellowship and ministry space for the congregation that’s grown from 150 to 450 people over the last 30 years.

Church leaders want to make sure the campus grounds are easily accessible for people with mobility issues, so adding exterior ramps and ADA compliant facilities is part of the capital campaign plan.

Inclusivity was the cornerstone of the church’s foundation when three women started the church in 1822. St. Stephen’s was the first church in South Carolina considered a “free church,” which meant there was no pew rental fee that was customary during the time. This removed any economic barriers to worshipping, said Shoemaker. The church welcomed single pregnant women, according to the original charter, which was not conventional at the time either.

In an effort to promote religious peace and harmony, Charleston-area faith leaders gathered to kick off Interfaith Harmony Month on Jan. 3.

The series of events throughout January, hosted by the Charleston Interreligious Council, aims to educate the community about various faith traditions and provide spaces for meaningful dialogue.

“What we will do during Interfaith Harmony Month is to remind people of our shared humanity that religion is a force for love and good and not division nor hate. In these especially trying times, this message needs to ring loud and clear,” said Dena Fokas Moses, president of Charleston Interreligious Council.

Additionally, Mayor John Tecklenburg proclaimed January as Interfaith Harmony Month in Charleston alongside a group of young adult leaders from various faith traditions who each read a line of the proclamation.

Tecklenburg said it was uplifting to see young adults sharing the message of understanding and respect toward all faith practices. He added that the last eight years as mayor have been a personal spiritual journey where he took the opportunity to visit various houses of worship and learn from Charleston’s diverse religious community.

“The thing that comes home to me is the commonality of God’s love amongst all our traditions. We really have this unifying force among us as human beings,” Tecklenburg said.

The Charleston Interreligious Council started in 1979 as the Christian Jewish Council of Greater Charleston with the goal to build bridges between the Christian and Jewish communities, especially during times of growing antisemitism, Moses said. The organization has grown to represent various faith traditions in the Charleston community by promoting sensitivity, tolerance and respect.

Since 2020, the city has dedicated January as Interfaith Harmony Month.

Events planned by the Charleston Interreligious Council range from tours of places of worship to discussions about faith traditions. One five-week series dives into the faith traditions of Islam and Judaism with lectures by local scholars, including College of Charleston professor Ezra Cappell and Dr. Reshma Khan of the Shifa Clinic.

A Feb. 9 house inspection by the Berkeley County Animal Control uncovered a total of 72 living and deceased cats inside what was described as a “cat sanctuary” near Harristown Road in St. Stephen.

A Berkeley County press release states that 49 living — but sickly — felines and 23 dead ones were located in and around a rundown trailer.

The living animals were transported to the Berkeley Animal Center where 10 of the ailing cats were euthanized. The remaining group are being cared for at the center and are in stable condition.

Donations of cat food are needed, as well as monetary assistance for medical costs and emergency care needs. Cat food can be dropped off at 131 Central Berkeley Drive in Moncks Corner.

These cats will be made available for adoption once they’re nursed back to optimal health.

It was also noted that 15 of the cats were relocated to two Massachusetts-based rescue organizations MSPCA-Angell and Northeast Animal Shelter. A Charleston Animal Society veterinarian is also offering their services in rehabilitating the animals in question.

The owner of the cat sanctuary, Suzanne Marie Melton, has been cited by the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office with 20 counts of inhumane treatment of animals.

“Berkeley Animal Center staff is committed to conducting the proper care necessary to ensure these sickly cats are restored to good health and receive the medical attention and affection they so desperately demand at this critical time in their lives. We know this is a dire situation and that unfortunately, not all the cats rescued from these deplorable conditions could be saved. We cannot change these cats’ past circumstances and lack of quality care, but we can do our best to provide them all they need to survive and thrive going forward. We thank our fellow rescue groups for partnering with us and sharing this same mission,” Berkeley Animal Center Director Heather McDowell.

2/15- UPDATE: Berkeley Animal Center Shelter Manager Tiffany Hoffman reports that the roughly two dozen cats being cared for present a variety of upper respiratory illness and ringworm. Some it was noted are FIV positive.

“We’re expecting more cats to come in with trapping going on around the property,” said Hoffman. “We have a small staff. We need medical fosters in homes with no other cats.”

This informational meeting will provide more details on the $500,000 EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant Berkeley County Council accepted in September 2022. Economic Development officials and representatives with Terracon Consulting Engineers and Scientists, SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be on hand to answer questions.

This grant is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfield Assessment Grant Program and will help fund the first steps in a large-scale revitalization initiative to improve quality of life opportunities in the St. Stephen/Russellville area. Specifically, the grant will allow the Town of St. Stephen, Berkeley County Economic Development, and the EPA to work together to determine brownfield sites in the St. Stephen area that could be redeveloped to provide more job opportunities and other quality of life resources for the community.

Brownfield sites are properties that are or may be contaminated with hazardous substances, pollutants, petroleum, or other contaminants that pose a barrier to productive reuse. Such sites are often are in struggling neighborhoods and areas with blight, deteriorated infrastructure, or other challenges. A brownfield site may include public or private properties, green spaces, or parks in need of preservation. The grant has already identified two such sites: the former St. Stephen High School, which closed in 1996, and the area’s former Lumber Mill, which operated as a steam-powered lumber mill from the 1930s to mid-1960s and closed around 1970.

Members of the public are encouraged to submit information HERE if they own a property or know of a property in the St. Stephen area that could be considered for an assessment as a brownfield site. Landowners may be asked to participate in an assessment by providing information on the site’s history.

This EPA program also provides funding for these assessments—which are critical for determining real estate values—and will help identify and/or alleviate any potential environmental concerns at a site.

This revitalization initiative, which will be conducted in multiple phases, will include community input and engagement throughout the entirety of the process. For more information on the EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant Program, go HERE.

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-Prepared by the Berkeley County Public Information Office-

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – (Tuesday, April 11, 2023) – Berkeley County has awarded approximately $1.2 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to nine different local nonprofits and municipalities. County Council approved the recommended funding allocations at its meeting on Monday, April 10, 2023. Watch the full meeting HERE.

Berkeley County opened an application period from February 17 to March 17 for interested organizations to apply for funding. In partnership with Civitas LLC, the County established a CDBG Advisory Committee to review applicants and determine eligible groups before making a recommendation to Council. The money stems from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and will provide Berkeley County communities with resources to address unique community development needs. Funding has been awarded to the following local organizations for costs associated with public facilities and demolition:

*The approximately $1.28 million approved also includes $256,910 for administration and CDBG Program-related costs.

Through the CDBG program, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved $1,284,550 for Berkeley County to use to address community development needs. The County is also set to receive $552,117 in HOME funding from HUD for Program Year (PY) 2023, which begins July 1, 2023 and ends June 30, 2024. The above requests will be funded beginning July 1.

The CDBG Program provides annual grants on a formula basis to states, cities, and counties to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons.

“We are excited to award this funding to help better serve a diverse set of support services throughout the County. Special thanks to the CDBG Advisory Committee and to each applicant for playing an important role in helping to meet the needs of our community.” -Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb

For more information on the CDBG Program, visit the County website or the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Program website.

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – (Thursday, September 15, 2022) – At its meeting on Monday, September 12, 2022, Berkeley County Council approved a $500,000 EPA Brownfields Assessment grant to help fund a large-scale revitalization initiative to greatly improve quality of life opportunities in the St. Stephen/Russellville area. Watch the full Council meeting HERE.

This grant, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Community Wide Assessment Grant Program, will help fund environmental assessments on properties located within a certain designated Census Tract in the St. Stephen area. With the help of community and residential input, the Town of St. Stephen—together with the EPA and Berkeley County Economic Development—will conduct up to 15 site inventories of brownfield sites, in the St. Stephen area, that could be redeveloped to provide more job opportunities and other quality of life resources for the community.

The grant has already identified two such sites: the former St. Stephen High School, which closed in 1996, and the area’s former Lumber Mill, which operated as a steam-powered lumber mill from the 1930s to mid-1960s and closed around 1970. Another goal of this large-scale initiative will be to develop a complete revitalization plan unique to St. Stephen.

Public meetings and community engagement will be critical throughout this process. More information on public meetings will be forthcoming.

“County Council is committed to improving access to resources and employment opportunities for people throughout Berkeley County. This grant will not only help fund these initiatives, but also ensure the St. Stephen community is involved in the process. Berkeley County’s success is directly related to the success of its citizens; inviting the public to the table on critical decision-making efforts like this one are what makes us #OneBerkeley.” -Johnny Cribb, Berkeley County Supervisor

“The town of St. Stephen is grateful that the EPA selected us to receive one of the 2022 Brownfields Program Grants for $500,000. We were the only municipality in Berkeley County to receive this. In countless other communities around the United States, the EPA’s Brownfield Program has had a proven track record of leveraging private sector investment, creating jobs, and protecting the environment. St. Stephen will use this Brownfields Grant to spur our town with redevelopment and cleanup projects and bring sustained economic growth. We are thankful for the support of the Berkeley County Economic Development Office and their ability to work with myself, Town Council, and the Town’s administration to write the grant proposal. We are ready to collaborate with the various committees that will be comprised of St. Stephen residents and business owners to help us continue to grow and revitalize our town. It has been well worth the wait. This is the first of many blessings in store for our great town.” -John Rivers, St. Stephen Mayor

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-Prepared by the Berkeley County Public Information Office-

ST. STEPHEN, S.C. (WCSC) - Berkeley County says a new grant aims to possibly start redeveloping parts of St. Stephen, a rural town about 15 miles north of Moncks Corner.

Berkeley County Council voted to accept a $500,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday.

“It could be something like asbestos or lead-based paint, something in the soil,” Economic Development Director Kristen Lanier said. “Something that might be a risk for redevelopment, so this grant is going to allow us to do an assessment to identify any potential risks for redevelopment.”

The grant targets two primary sites, the old St. Stephen High School, which closed in 1996, and an 85-acre area that used to be a lumber mill just off Highway 52, which closed around 1970. Up to 15 sites around the area could be looked at for revitalization as part of the grant.

“All I want is for something good to happen in St. Stephen, you know, because it seems like everything that comes to St. Stephen stays for a little while, and then, it’s gone,” St. Stephen resident Ann Judge said.

St. Stephen Mayor John Rivers said the grant will allow the town to start redeveloping and bring economic growth to the area. The county said the town could turn the old high school into a community center while the old lumber mill would be repurposed for some type of industrial use.

“The goal there, again with community input, would be that we start putting together a plan of revitalization for both those sites and others,” Lanier said.

Lanier also said they want to see if there is anything in these sites that might prevent that development.

However, some said they do not want to repurpose the old high school and keep it the way it is.

“My children came to school here too, so and I can remember all of my old high school teachers. I love it,” St. Stephen resident Julie Jenkins said.

The county said the money will be available starting Oct. 1 and will go on for the next four years. They also said the grant is the first step in a long-term process.

“This is that motion,” Lanier said. “This is that start of something, so we’re excited to see some movement in that area and to see what we can do and how we can leverage this.”

County officials said after those four years, they will have a plan developed for the sites.

The county will hold public meetings as part of the grant, but they have not announced when the meetings will be held.

Below is the full statement from St. Stephen Mayor John Rivers:

The town of St. Stephen is grateful that the EPA selected us to receive one of the 2022 Brownfield Program Grants for $500,000. We were the only municipality in Berkeley County to receive this. In countless other communities around the United States the EPA’s Brownfield program has had a proven track record of leveraging private sector investment, creating jobs and protecting the environment. St. Stephen will use this Brownfield Grant to spur our town with redevelopment and cleanup projects and bring sustained economic growth. We are thankful for the support of the Berkeley County Economic Development Office and their ability to work with myself, town council, and the town’s administration to write the grant proposal. We are ready to collaborate with the various committees that will be comprised of St. Stephen residents and business owners to help us continue to grow and revitalize our town. Receiving this prestigious award is a fantastic achievement for the Town of St. Stephen and I give credit to all involved in the initiative. We have been waiting for the results of the EPA Brownfield Grant Application for quite some time. “It has been well worth the wait.” This is the first of many blessings in store for our great town.

For more information about the Brownfields Assessment Grant, click here.

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