French Huguenot Church, Charleston

In 1681, a group of persecuted French Huguenots left France and established a community in Charleston, but a series of fires burned the churches they built. The 1845 Gothic Revival structure that exists today is the only independent Huguenot church in America. It features an original Baroque tone pipe organ used during services. The organ was rescued from being shipped to New York in 1865 by Confederate soldiers who had dismantled it. Today it welcomes visitors of all faiths to tour the church, the grounds and its historic cemetery. In the spring, the church holds an annual mass in French. - Natasha Lawrence