'Dirt church' cleaned up in restoration

From South Carolina-

The Rev. Tom Allen might want to cringe when he hears some people describe his Episcopal Church building.

"A lot of people, they call our church 'the dirt church,' " he says. "Well, it's not really the dirt church. It's the brick church."

Forgive people if they don't get it just right. The Church of the Holy Cross is one of a kind among South Carolina churches.

That's because it's made of Pise de Terre, a fancy term for Its 2-foot-thick walls were erected in 1852 by using wooden forms to hold local clay as laborers, probably slaves, tamped it down with a special tool, forcing out the water.

Dr. W.W. Alexander, head of the church's 19th century building committee at the time, had been experimenting successfully with this construction method at his plantation home just across the highway.

He convinced his other committee members that using Pise de Terre would give them more church for the money.

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/dec/27/dirt-church-cleaned-up-in-restoration/