Land surrounding Old Sheldon Church ruins to be protected from development
A land trust has secured protection for 240 acres surrounding the historic Old Sheldon Church ruins in northern Beaufort County.
The Lowcountry Land Trust announced a new conservation easement will make sure the rural, mostly forested land around the iconic church will be safe from any commercial or industrial development, according to a recent news release.
The easement also protects the land along the Old Sheldon Church Road, a scenic byway designated by Beaufort County.
The church, built in the Greek-Revival style in the 1750s, has survived being burned down by the British in 1779 during the Revolutionary War and then burned down again by General Sherman’s men in 1865 during the Civil War.
Today, the property is privately owned by the Parish Church of St. Helena.
“It is a relief to know that the church’s property is stabilized by the protection of the surrounding 240 acres,” the Rev. Shay Gaillard, rector of the Parish Church of St. Helena, said in the news release. “It is a sacred spot where parishioners and visitors come to worship, or to simply gaze at the historic ruins, and experience the beauty of this space.”
In June 2019, a fence and gate had to be installed around the church ruins because of tourist misbehavior, like having weddings without permission and a topless photo shoot, the Beaufort Gazette previously reported.
The Old Sheldon Church ruins was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 22, 1970.
This story was originally published February 12, 2022 at 12:32 PM.
