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While it's a ways from Charleston and far closer to Columbia, the Church of the Holy Cross in Stateburg is still quite interesting and, in many ways, bests even the churches of Charleston. 

It is the only the church in South Carolina that can carry the term "pisé de terre" -- rammed earth.

The structure was built in the 1850s by workers who used wood forms and rammed clay into the shape of walls. In a way the church is one large brick and its survived rather well. 

Well, except for a nasty case of termites that caused the church to undergo a ten year rennovation it has just reopened from. 

And that's where I'll hand you off to The Post and Courier's Robert Behre that has a more complete tale of the church's history and restoration efforts; take a read here and see a photo gallery here.

Get more background on Wikipedia. Get more area architecture stories on our topic page.