If the Sheldon Church in rural South Carolina were a human being, it would be considered history's most unfortunate person. Devastated twice in a relatively short time span, the church, or what’s left of it, is still a remarkable landmark to behold, despite being in ruins for over 150 years
By: Omri Westmark
Date: 19:14 02.06.22
Last Update: 12:52 31.01.25
Ensconced in a forested area, 2 miles from South Carolina’s Highway 17, the Old Sheldon Church was built in the mid-18th century, between 1745 and 1753. The Prince William Parish Church, as it was known upon completion, was the first architectural attempt in the U.S. to revive the ancient Greek style. It is believed that the original building featured a triangular pediment, supported by four massive Tuscan columns. The pinkish brick walls, featuring a Flemish bond pattern, were punctuated by multiple arched windows.
Unfortunately, the church’s days as a regional icon were cut short when, during the Revolutionary War, the British suspected it of being an ammunition shelter and burned it down in 1779. More than 45 years later, the church was rebuilt using some of its remaining ruins. Merely four decades after its miraculous rebirth, the church faced its grim fate once again.
In 1865, amid the country’s bloody Civil War, Union forces led by General Sherman destroyed the religiously significant building for the second time. There are, however, conflicting theories about how the church met its demise. Some claim that the edifice fully survived the intense battle, only to be gutted and looted by locals who were in desperate need of building materials to reconstruct their homes, which had been heavily damaged during the war.
The site's entrance
photography by: Omri Westmark
A fountain located in front of the ruins
photography by: Omri Westmark
The church, partly obscured by the live oak trees
photography by: Omri Westmark
The building's entryway, once home to a massive portico
photography by: Omri Westmark
Several tombstones amid the site's verdant lawn
photography by: Omri Westmark
The church is fenced off to protect what remains of it
photography by: Omri Westmark
While the church was never rebuilt, its remnants, several columns and some of its outer walls, were reincarnated as an unusual tourist attraction and a hotspot for pre-wedding photos. The ruins are immersed in a verdant woodland, where tombstones of the parish’s past members are scattered among old live oak trees draped in Spanish moss. The grave inside the dilapidated church belongs to Colonel William Bull, who was involved in the planning of Savannah’s famous urban layout.
According to ghost hunters and ordinary visitors alike, the site is said to be haunted. In addition to a series of unexplained occurrences where eerie sounds of footsteps have been recorded, some people have reported seeing actual ghosts. In one particular case, one of the graveyard’s residents, Ann Bull Heyward, has been spotted mourning over a child’s tomb. Whether these supernatural activities are a fable is for you to decide, but one thing is certain: the church’s dreadful past is offset by its current status as a true hidden gem.”
The original building was supported by a row of seven Tuscan columns on each side
photography by: Omri Westmark
The edifice's original Tuscan columns
photography by: Omri Westmark
The Sheldon Old Church Ruins, surrounded by a wooded area
photography by: Omri Westmark
The site is home to dozens of oak trees draped in Spanish moss
photography by: Omri Westmark
