HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — One of the oldest congregations on Hilton Head Island will turn the first shovels of dirt on its new home this weekend, as St. James Baptist Church holds a public groundbreaking at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at 9 Union Cemetery Road.
The ceremony comes as the church marks 140 years. St. James was founded in 1886 and is a cornerstone of Gullah heritage on Hilton Head.
The move grows out of a deal among town leaders, Beaufort County and church members to move both the sanctuary and the old Cherry Hill School off Dillon Road. Their current site sits inside the runway protection zone at Hilton Head Island Airport, where federal aviation guidance discourages churches, schools and other gathering places.
The new campus covers 4.67 acres in the Grassland Historic Neighborhood, next to Union Cemetery. The schoolhouse, which holds a spot on the federal list of historic places, will move along with the church. Town Council approved key steps in June, including buying about 1.70 acres from the church.
Mayor Alan Perry has described the project as proof that safety near the airport and protecting island history can go hand in hand.
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