We have visited several Methodist Camp Meeting grounds but I think this one is designed the closest to the biblical Israelite camp descriptions.
Tabernacle Meeting House
The Tabernacle sits in encircled by 99 tents (cabins now).
Tabernacle Meeting House
Preachers ‘riding the circuit’ would give the sermons, attendees stayed in tents as described in the bible. These were known as revival meetings, now called camp meetings.
Tabernacle Meeting House
Every year, no matter pandemic, civil war, other disasters, a week of meetings is held. This included 2020.
If you are a southern Methodist you will have at least heard of revivals still being held. If not, seeing a camp is an extraordinary piece of history. On a shoot once we actually had a private helicopter land in a nearby field when the grounds were spotted from above.
Talk about odd, this Yankee gave a small (respectful) tour of the camp explaining the history.
At the right time I find this beautiful site to be haunting. Actually there is a story that has been repeated for 200+ years of a young girl tied to a tree over night by a ‘fire and brimstone’ preacher as punishment. The preacher was run out of the area, little girl survived but still roams the churchyard at night. I didn’t see her.
Strawberry 1725
This chapel has survived the revolution and civil war.
The original family still owns and maintains the property. People from nearby plantations attended services here since the Anglican Church was too far.
Strawberry 1725
A book, ‘Slaves In The Family’, written a few years ago has been a best seller and documents the history here in a narrative. The ruins of the Ball family plantation is just down the river here in the woods. Photos of ‘Commingtee’ plantation are also published on this web site.
Strawberry 1725
There are other chapels like this around the coast, but most are ruins. I can’t help but visit here periodically for a few photos.
The first Huguenot Church, located at the site of the present church, was blown up by city authorities in an effort to stop a spreading fire. It was replaced by a simple brick church in 1800. This building was torn down in 1844 to make way for the present church, which was completed the following year. This third church sustained damage during the Civil War and the Charleston Earthquake of 1886, and was restored with funds from Huguenot descendant Charles Lanier of New York.
It’s not just me. When I walk around the old church yards here I see people from all over the world wandering around. They’re fascinating pieces of history.
Old Church Yard, Charleston
This one more than most. The Circular Church was founded in the 1680’s, was burned, blown up, and rebuilt multiple times.
Old Church Yard, Charleston
The latest rounded design above, was by Robert Mills (Washington Monument, Wash. DC) around 1818. Major repairs were again needed after the Civil War. Early photographs from the war show the roof and front in ruins from the bombardment of Charleston.
Old Church Yard, Charleston
The center of Charleston has numerous old churches and grave yards, some even hidden in plain sight. Each visit always provides something new.
These historic buildings have recently been either damaged by age, or vandalism. They are all a ‘Chapel Of Ease’, old Anglican Church buildings. When built it was to provide a church building far from the main parish church. Travel in the outer lands was difficult at best.
Having visited these in the past I thought a small article and photographs of how they were prior to any new damage might be of interest…like a snap shot of history.
Below is Strawberry Chapel, the most intact chapel. The only one I know of not being damaged during the revolution and civil war. It was completed in 1725 in Childsbury, South Carolina. The chapel is all the exists of the town.
Chapel Of EaseChapel Of Ease
Pon Pon Chapel Of Ease is shown below. In spite of on going efforts the structure continues to fall. This chapel, first wood, was also built in 1725. Previous settlements were destroyed in the Yammasee War, a Native American tribe that fought the English here and Spanish in Georgia just south.
Eventually the Yammasee, and Creek, kept going south away from the invaders to join the Seminoles in southern Florida.
The chapel has been burned numerous times and now is a ruin. What has kept it standing is the remote location. A dirt power line road is the only access. However…we found it LOL.
Pon Pon Chapel (1)Pon Pon Chapel Of Ease
Last here is St. Helena chapel on the St. Helena Barrier Island near the Georgia border.
Built in the mid 1700’s it was owner by the local planters until 1885 when the island was abandon and taken by the union army.
As expected this chapel also has been burned, a few times.
The structure was created using ‘tabby’ as concrete and this is one of the best examples in the US of the technique. Tabby is burnt oyster shells, lime, water and ash, only used in the Lowcountry and Georgia. It is an ancient Spanish concrete. Morocco is known for Spanish Tabby also. Georgia and Florida were part of the Spanish Empire when this chapel was built.
Chapel Of EaseAn Old Chapel Made With Tabby
No wildlife in the article, brief local history instead.
This small church, an Anglican chapel, is remote and the last standing piece of history in a town that hasn’t existed for several hundred years.
note; the chapel and cemetery are behind several brick walls as old as the chapel itself. Now it is monitored by CCTV, rimmed with barbed wire, all at the expense of the same family that helped build and maintain this for 300 years. The cemetery was again vandalized a day after these images were taken. One could point to the politics of our time, but this is an old very rural church. Nothing was gained by it, the few that visit here are photographers / historians. Troubling times.
Strawberry, Chapel Of Ease 1725
In 1707 the town of Childsbury was organized here, the chapel and an Inn several years later. The Cooper River, which runs to Charleston, was the source of all transportation and this ‘T’ was as far as a small cargo boat could navigate.
The Rice Hope, Comingtee, Bonneau, and Strawberry Bluff plantations were the early settlers here. They were small at this time, not what the word plantation evokes.
Strawberry, Chapel Of Ease 1725
The town did not survive due to a ferry, at Bonneau plantation, that made it faster for commerce than the river boats.
Click any image below to view a monochrome series of photographs.
Strawberry, Chapel Of Ease 1725
Strawberry, Chapel Of Ease 1725
Strawberry, Chapel Of Ease 1725
The chapel survived the Civil War. Towns and nearby plantations were burned as General Sherman moved the Union Army north towards Charleston.
Strawberry, Chapel Of Ease 1725
As the Union Army advanced Keating Ball of the Commingtee plantation removed all the French silver plates and chalices to a secret spot for safety. The silver was donated to the chapel by the Charleston Huguenot families from the towns French Quarter.
Strawberry, Chapel Of Ease 1725
The silver was saved from the invading army, but hidden in a very private location…that Keating Ball never could find again.
For years treasure hunters combed the old ruins in these woods, finally in 1947 a family that managed what was left of Commingtee pulled up a ‘bag’ from an old barn floor. The silver is now in the Charleston Museum, except on the rare occasion a service is held in the chapel.
Strawberry, Chapel Of Ease 1725
Strawberry, Chapel Of Ease 1725
Strawberry, Chapel Of Ease 1725
Strawberry, Chapel Of Ease 1725
Strawberry, Chapel Of Ease 1725
Strawberry, Chapel Of Ease 1725
Strawberry, Chapel Of Ease 1725
I was to have an opportunity to photograph inside the chapel, the Covid-19 virus lock down cancelled it. With luck it will be rescheduled some time.
I had planned to include work from the plantation mentioned here. This would have become much too large.
If you search on the tag ‘historical’ on this site multiple articles in this area will be offered.
While pulling together some of the history of this ‘chapel of ease’ I wanted to try a darker sepia developed image. It was raining with a little fog which pointed towards a different style of photograph.
Rain At Strawberry
A Chapel Of Ease was a rural Anglican chapel, not church. This allowed services, baptisms, and burying the dead in places too far from a parish church.
Several of the oldest and furthest southern plantations (1600’s) were along the Cooper River here.
