Our HistorY

St. Mary's began with half dozen or so families and no resident priest nor Church building. A priest from our neighbor, St Anthony Parish in Florence, came twice a month to say Mass in Mrs. Perkins home.

September 1940 saw the arrival of Father Louis Williamson as the first pastor. Under his leadership, the first Catholic Church in Hartsville was built. The plans and building materials for the original church were purchased from a Sears Roebuck catalog.

In 1944 a house on Pinewood Drive was purchased for the rectory. In 1945 The Holy Ghost Father opened St. Joseph Mission on Washington Street to service our black community. The next year a school was opened with a kindergarten. Each year another grade was added. Sister Adorers of the Most Precious Blood were the teachers. Our first graduates in 1955 were five girls and one boy. Sadly, the school was closed in 1967 and the building was used by Darlington Community Action Agency. The convent area housed the Head Start Program. Our last pastor, Fr. Joseph Lucey continued his ministry until he retired in 1980. A priest from St. Mary would say Mass in our chapel until 1988.

St. Mary's school was opened in 1950 with a kindergarten, first and second grades. The rectory was converted into a convent on the second floor to accommodate the teachers, the Notre Dame Sisters, while the first floor became classrooms. In 1952 a new school building was erected along Church Avenue.

For many years, St. Mary's met the educational needs of both the Catholic and Protestant sectors of the community. The children of many distinguished families attended St. Mary School, fostering ecumenism even before it became fashionable.

Fr. Williamson was given a piece of property on Main Street in Darlington and built a Mission Church in 1959--St. Joseph the Worker. This was Fr. Williamson’s last year as our pastor. Fr. Francis Murphy and Fr. Thomas Timlin succeeded him in the next year. Fr. John Adair was appointed in 1960.

In an article published in the 1963 Hartsville Challenge, a biannual publication written and published by Fr. Adair recalls that when he was appointed to Hartsville the Bishop told him that Hartsville was a “virtual gold mine”. Fr Adair used the Hartsville Challenge to let his “outside Angels” know what was going on in his little Church.

In the mid-1970s, a major renovation was done on our Church. The Church had faced 5^th Street but the new entrance was on Church Avenue. Also, the Little Franciscans of Mary took up residence in the convent. The side porch of their house was converted into another bedroom and bath. 

During this time the parish was served by a succession of Pastors, Frs. Condon. Mullen and Massad. The following pastor, Fr. Michael D’Antonio, was forced by the current financial demands to close the school.

In the early 1990s, the Parish Council conducted a needs analysis. Parishioners were asked to determine specific areas for improvement. A list of suggestions was accepted: 1) improve parking 2) increase the size of the parish hall and modernize the kitchen, 3) increase the sanctuary and worship area and 4) modernize the offices and classrooms.

The school building was used for Masses until it, too, was demolished. Masses were then moved to the chapel of the Brown-Pennington- Atkins funeral home until construction was completed. The small stained glass windows which now adorn the 5^th Street side of the church were salvaged from the original church and refurbished by the Trappist Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers Georgia.

Additionally, St. Mary's neighbors offered to sell us their house--this house is now used as the rectory.