South Carolina Department of Archives and History
National Register Properties in South Carolina

Ruff's Chapel, Fairfield County (U.S. Hwy. 21 & S.C. Hwy. 34, Ridgeway)
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Facade Right Rear Elevation Window Detail Grave Marker

Ruff’s Chapel was the first Methodist Church built in Ridgeway. It was built by a prominent Ridgeway merchant, David H. Ruff, who is buried in the small cemetery surrounding the church. Built about 1870, Ruff’s Chapel is a single-story, rectangular frame building, sheathed in weatherboard, with a front gabled roof. There are two sets of double doors on the façade, topped by four-light transoms and simple entablatures supported on scroll brackets. The roof is covered with embossed metal shingles. The square open belfry has a metal covered bellcast hip roof with a ball finial. According to tradition, Mr. Ruff threw sixty silver dollars into the metal when the bell was cast, to give it a silvery tone. The bell was removed for safekeeping after an attempt was made to steal it. Listed in the National Register November 26, 1980.

View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property. In addition, the Historic Resources of Ridgeway includes historical background information for this and other related National Register properties.

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