Ruins of St. John's Biggin (Biggin Hill)
The Parish of St. John's, Berkeley is said to have taken its name from the Act of Assemly of 1704 which was superseded by the Church Act of 1706 and is described as the largest of the ten original Parishes in the Province. The Anglican Church on Biggin Hill was completed in 1712. It was burned by forest fire in 1756 and replaced in 1761. Samuel Gaillard Stoney says that the ruin we find today is of the building of 1761.
In Middle St. John's 1800 the Rev. Mr. P. M. Parker held services on the property of General William Moultrie "about a mile from Black Oak." On Jan. 19, 1808, the men of the neighborhood met at Black Oak and raised a Church Building on land given by Mr. Rene Ravenel.
This new building was consecrated in 1847 as Trinity, Black Oak. For all practical purposes Trinity (Black Oak) was
merged with Trinity (Pinopolis) and only annual services had been held at Black Oak for some time until the Santee-Cooper hydroelectric and navigation project took over the Black Oak site in 1941. (Picture on the right is Old Trinity Black Oak)
Trinity Pinopolis structure circa 1847
In 1846 a chapel was built at Pinopolis and in that same year the old Black Oak building was given to the Methodists, who moved it to Macbeth, and a new church was built at Black Oak.
Black Oak Hall Erected 1944
Trinity Black Oak was dismantled and purchased by the congregation of Trinity Pinopolis. In 1944 a parish hall was assembled from the materials from Trinity, Black Oak. It is called Black Oak Hall and is the current center of youth ministry at Trinity Pinopolis.
In 1967 the old Trinity Chapel building was declared unsafe. In 1970 a new brick structure was consecrated in it's place. (shown in the picture to the right)
Trinity Today
In 1993, after a successful "Hearthfire" campaign, a narthex and choir loft were added to the sanctuary and a large new Parish Hall was built.
** Some of the above information came from "Historic Ramblin's Through Berkeley" written by the late Mr. J Russell Cross**
