Prince George Winyah Parish Church
The Parish of Prince George, Winyah, was formed in 1721. Prince George is one of the few
original church buildings in the United States dating to the colonial period that has served
continuously through the centuries for the worship of Almighty God.
The Parish of Prince George was formed in 1721 from St. James, Santee, Parish. It was named
for George, Prince of Wales, who later became King George II of England. The first building
was on a bend in the Black River about twelve miles north of present-day Georgetown.
An international port of entry was opened in 1732 in the new town of Georgetown to handle
the shipping of the growing indigo industry and other products. The parish was divided in
1734, with the original church on Black River falling into the newly established bounds of
Prince Frederick’s Parish. Commissioners were appointed to build a new church for Prince
George, Winyah, Parish in Georgetown. Bricks and materials were ordered from England, and
slowly, the building commenced. The first rector, sent by the English Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts held the first service in the church on August 16,
1747.
The church was finally completed in 1755 and was incorporated in 1788. It was desecrated
during both the Revolutionary War and the War Between the States. In 1803, a chancel was
added, and in 1819 a gallery was built. The steeple and narthex were added in 1824.
The box pews in the church were customary in colonial times. With no heating system, pew
owners frequently brought charcoal burners into their pews in cold weather, and the
enclosures retained the heat.
The stained glass windows behind the altar and over the side doors were originally made for
St. Mary’s Chapel for Slaves on Hagley Plantation in 1857. The memorial windows on either
side of the church were installed in the early 20th century. Still remaining in the back of the
church are four old hand-blown glass windows with some of the original panes intact.
Prince George, Winyah, celebrated its 300th Anniversary in 2021. Since its founding, this
Church has never closed its doors to its congregations for their faithful worship of Almighty
God.