EDGEFIELD — The construction of the caretaker's cottage at historic Horn's Creek Church on Old Stage Road is finished. There also are new steps with handrails leading up to the former house of worship's two front doors.
"This is just the beginning," said Billy Benton, president of the Edgefield County Historical Society on Sunday afternoon during the organization's spring meeting, which was held on the church's grounds.
Bettis Rainsford, who is the society's historian, gave a short speech about the church's past, which dates back to the 1700s.
Afterward, the Rev. Tom DiMarco, who is the vicar at The Episcopal Church of the Ridge, blessed the caretaker's cottage while the Rev. Grant Wiseman, rector of St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church in Aiken, assisted.
The meeting was open to the public, and the seats at the tables set up outside were filled when a barbecue dinner was served.
Barney Lamar, a conservator of art who worked at the Biltmore House in North Carolina for 10 years, is the resident caretaker at Horn's Creek, and he recently moved into the cottage. He will be in charge of a major restoration project at the church, which will have an estimated cost of approximately $100,000.
"We have a big task in front of us," Rainsford said. "It's going to take a lot of effort, a lot of people and a lot of time. We also need to raise some money."
One of the biggest challenges will be to reconstruct the foundation and support pillars under the entire church building. New doors, windows and blinds, which will be as similar as possible to the ones that used to be there, will be installed. The roof also will be replaced.
In addition, the exterior and interior of the church will be painted, and the floors will be preserved.
The society hopes to place interpretive panels on the interior walls of the church that will describe its history.
Eventually, the building could serve as a venue for weddings and other gatherings, which would provide a source of income to maintain the property and fund the society's various activities.
Dede Biles is a general assignment reporter for the Aiken Standard since January 2013. A native of Concord, N.C., she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.