Lost and NOT Found
by Debbie Rice-Marko
It is believed that in 1813, a metal box containing historic records of the First Presbyterian Church of Charleston (First Scots) was sealed inside a cornerstone, intended to be opened at a later date. Because church records prior to the Civil War were destroyed in Sherman’s march on Columbia, these records are the only known records of First (Scots) to exists.
In 1965, Clifford Legerton—a devoted member of First Scots who made significant contributions to its archives—stood by anxiously as a team of two U.S. Navy boatswains and their lieutenant commander searched the churchyard and building structure for the “lost” cornerstone.
Using a Mark 9 metal detector, the team detected “indications of either ore in the surrounding garden area or reinforcement within the building structure.” However, the results were inconclusive and did not reliably indicate the location of the cornerstone. Legerton remarked, “We think the cornerstone was covered with a layer of cement in 1887,” during repairs following the 1886 earthquake. The curator of the Charleston Museum in
1965 noted that, according to custom, the cornerstone was most likely placed in the northeast corner of the church.
If you or someone you know may be able to assist in the search for the “lost” cornerstone, please contact Debbie Rice-Marko at 843-367-8089