St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, Charleston

The significant influx of German immigrants to Charleston during the first half of the 19th century prompted the city's second-oldest Lutheran congregation to embark on a major expansion of their place of worship. The result was this magnificent Gothic-style church, distinguished by its lofty German-crafted stained-glass windows, which was completed in 1872. Its crowning glory was the towering 297-foot spire, surpassing any other in the state in height.

However, in a dramatic incident in 1965, a fire engulfed the church, causing the spire to collapse onto the street below. Remarkably, the steeple's point pierced the sidewalk just to the left of the church's front door. To this day, that steeple point remains encased in concrete and is commemorated by a plaque, symbolizing the congregation's resilience and determination to restore the architectural treasure.