Lexington yesterday

Iam speaking of the House of God called St. Michael’s Lutheran Church. It’s on River Road just across Dreher Shoals Dam in Irmo.

At midway-mark of the 18th Century, 3 churches had been formed to minister to early settlers. They were making this part of South Carolina their new home. This is 1 of the 1st generation Lutheran churches that split off from Zion Lutheran Church. Zion Lutheran was a few miles further up the Saluda River at its juncture with the Twelve Mile Creek. St. Jacobs Lutheran church to the north, and St. John’s Lutheran to the south had also formed congregations.

These settlers were mostly Germans, Austrians, and Swiss. They were eager to start a church of their own under the new rules of the Reformation. In the beginning, these congregations spoke the German language. They were coming over to English.

St. Michael’s and surrounding communities spoke both German and English. This was especially true for worship services. It is speculated that parishioners of Bethel Lutheran wanted an English speaking church. St. Michael’s was completed in 1814. A school was built that same year where English would likely have been taught.

John and Maria Dreher gave 6 acres for the church to be built. Godfrey who lived at the Twelve Mile Creek was its 1st minister. John was a founder and an original elder of St. Michael’s.

When war approached Switzer’s Neck in 1775 the Drehers came to the aid of their new county. That is why a crowd of descendants, patriots, historians, and well-wishers gathered at St. Michael’s church cemetery in 2020 where a strong contingency of Dre-her family members are interred.

On a cold January afternoon (1/25/20) low lying clouds gave way to warming rays of sun. Buntings snapped in the wind carrying prayers beseeched in English heavenward. A lone musket rang out across the tombstones. It paid homage to Lexington Patriots at the invitation of the Godfrey Dre-her Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and the Granby Chapter of the South Carolina Society of Daughters of the American Revolution.