“S” is for Sheldon Church

“S” is for Sheldon Church (Beaufort County). Moss-draped live oak trees shade the quiet burial ground that surrounds the ruined Sheldon Church of Prince William’s Parish. Sophisticated in its architecture and craftsmanship, Sheldon Church was among the first examples of temple design in the English-speaking world. In 1745 the Commons House created Prince William Parish. With funds supplied by the Bull family and legislative appropriations, the parish church was completed in 1757 and was “esteem’d a more beautiful Building than St. Philip’s. It is far more elegant than St. Michael’s.” In 1779, a band of Beaufort Tories burned Sheldon Church. Not until 1825 was the church repaired and consecrated in 1826. The rebuilt church was burned in 1865. Even in ruins, Sheldon Church symbolizes Beaufort County’s prosperity during South Carolina’s early years as a royal colony.