Friday, December 3, 2021

A Chapel of Ease and a Receiving Tomb

  


  Strawberry Chapel is the only building remaining on the site of one of the oldest successful settlements in South Carolina, Childsbury. 


  In front of the church is a large vault that is a receiving tomb where bodies were prepared and awaited burial. 

Because of the hot and humid climate of South Carolina, a cool place was needed to store the deceased, allowing  time for the grave to be dug and families to travel for the 
burial. 

  For coolness, the vault was built partially underground, with a vaulted brick ceiling and a dirt floor. A door was located on the left end and there were several steps down into a chamber with shelves on the walls.



  Strawberry Chapel was built in 1725 by plantation owners as a “chapel of ease”, a mission church where plantation families unable to travel as far as the established church could meet on Sundays.  




Strawberry Chapel was an Anglican Church and its first minister was a French Huguenot. The church property is family owned and services are still held here twice a year.


  As you can see, we are still enjoying some beautiful fall colors and warm days here on the coast. Hard to believe Christmas is only weeks away! 

7 comments:

  1. Interesting report.
    Not so sure about the French Huguenots......they from historical records did have some questionable
    ethics etc etc.
    Cheers from a very wet Eastern (PACFIC OCEAN) side of Australia.
    Never a "DULL" moment here this year with the weather....floods, fires and mouse plagues - not sure which is
    the worst.
    Colin

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  2. Looks warm there. What an interesting place to visit! :)

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  3. I had never heard of a receiving tomb, but I can understand that in a hot climate it is necessary. I am curious about the comment above questioning the ethics of Huguenots. What is it they are alleged to have done that is more egregious than other sects?

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  4. Interesting history and pretty photos. I like the Spanish moss!

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  5. Interesting bit of history. It reminds me of the underground rooms (charnel house) we see in cemeteries around here where bodies were placed in winter because ground too hard to dig the burial plot. I think funeral homes take care of that now.

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  6. I agree with Marcia. This is very interesting information about the South. It makes me wonder how they handled everything in Hawaii where it's really hot too.

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  7. Interesting post and lovely pictures! What a beautiful name...Strawberry Chapel...
    Greeting from Titti and a snowy island.

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