Prince George Winyah Episcopal Church
| Prince George Winyah (Anglican) and Churchyard | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Basic information | |
| Location | Corner of Broad and Highmarket Sts., Georgetown, South Carolina |
| Geographic coordinates | 33°22′7.5″N 79°16′51″W / 33.368750°N 79.28083°WCoordinates: 33°22′7.5″N 79°16′51″W / 33.368750°N 79.28083°W |
| District | [Diocese of South Carolina]] |
| State | South Carolina |
| Status | Active |
| Leadership | The Very Rev. David Thurlow, Rector |
| Website | http://www.pgwinyah.org/ |
| Completed | ca. 1750 |
| Specifications | |
| Spire(s) | 1 |
| Materials | Brick with stone trim |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Added to NRHP | May 06, 1971 |
| NRHP Reference no. | 71000783 |
Prince George Winyah Church is an Anglican church in Georgetown, South Carolina. Prince George Winyah is one of the oldest continuous congregations in South Carolina, and the church building is one of the oldest churches in continuous service in South Carolina. Prince George Winyah (Anglican) and Churchyard was named to the National Register of Historic Places on May 6, 1971.
Starting in 1716, Anglican parishes were electoral and administration units in South Carolina government. Therefore, Prince George Parish and Prince George Winyah Parish can also refer to an electoral and administrative district that had the same geographic boundaries as this church.
As early colonialist spread across the South Carolina Lowcountry, there was a need of a new parish north of the existing St. James Santee Parish. Prince George Parish was established on March 10, 1721. It was named after the Prince of Wales, who became King George II. There were two potential locations for the church: an inland settlement on the Black River and Winyah on the Sampit River and Winyah Bay at the location of today's Georgetown. In 1726, a wooden church was built inland on a bend of the Black River near Brown's Ferry and twelve miles from the present Georgetown.
On April 9, 1734, the parish was divided to form St. Frederick's Parish. The wooden church was transferred to the new parish.
The earliest vestry records for Prince George Winyah are January 13, 1737. A subscription campaign for a new church at Winyah was begun in 1737. This was supplemented by an import tax at the port and £1,000 from the colonial Assembly. Starting in 1740, the bricks were collected. Land was donated by William Screven, who was the first Baptist minister in Carolina, and his son Elisha Screven. Construction was begun in the mid-1750s. The cornerstone was laid in 1745.
...
Wikipedia