South Carolina Department of Archives and History
National Register Properties in South Carolina

Prince Frederick's Chapel Ruins, Georgetown County (S.C. Sec. Rd. 52, Plantersville vicinity)
S1081772200801 S1081772200802 S1081772200803 S1081772200804
Tower Facade Right Elevation Right Rear Oblique Cemetery

(Prince Frederick’s Episcopal Church) Begun in 1859 and completed in 1876, Prince Frederick’s Chapel played a vital role in the religious life of the Pee Dee settlers in the latter half of the 19th century. With the decline of the rice economy, parishioners migrated to the more densely populated urban areas and the church suffered from lack of maintenance. The ruins of the chapel are all that remain of what once was a striking example of Gothic Revival architecture in South Carolina. Although the buttresses and pinnacles place it in the mainstream of Gothic architecture, the rounded arches, purity of design, and understated decorative elements exhibit a feeling for classical forms. The body of the church, declared unsafe and destroyed in 1966, was originally rectangular in plan and had four narrow arched windows on the side elevations. The only portion which remains today is the west façade with the steeple tower. The tower is divided into three sections. Adjacent to the church grounds is a cemetery which includes numerous examples of 19th century grave markers. Listed in the National Register August 28, 1974.

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