Christ Church
The existing structure was
built in 1884 after the previous
sanctuary was damaged by
Union soldiers.
The existing structure was
built in 1884 after the previous
sanctuary was damaged by
Union soldiers.
Christ Church and Cemetery - St. Simons Island, Georgia
ExploreSouthernHistory.com - Christ Church, Georgia
| Christ Episcopal Church Founded in 1808, the Christ Church Parish is the second oldest in Georgia and serves as a memorial to the early labors of John and Charles Wesley. |
Christianity in Early Georgia
Just up the road from historic Fort Frederica,
beautiful Christ Church on Georgia's St.
Simons Island stands as a memorial to the
role of Christianity in the founding of the first
English settlements in Georgia.
Still an active Episcopal Church, the historic
sanctuary is the focal point of a parish that
dates back to 1808, making it the second
oldest in Georgia. Christ Church also serves
as a reminder, however, of the much earlier
labors of the noted ministers John and
Charles Wesley.
Priests of the Church of England, the Wesley
brothers came to Georgia in 1736 after John
was named the minister of the new parish of
Savannah. Charles was appointed as the
Secretary of Indian Affairs and Chaplain for
General James Oglethorpe and launched his
own American ministry in the newly founded
settlement of Frederica on St. Simons Island
during the same year.
Both Charles and John Wesley, as well as
the noted Rev. George Whitefield, preached
on St. SImons Island, ministering to the early
colonists at Fort Frederica. John become
known as the father of the modern Methodist
Church, while Charles is remembered today
for his many beautiful hymns. The Christmas
favorite "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" was
written by Rev. Charles Wesley.
The settlement at Fort Frederica had all but
faded away by the time of the American
Revolution, but settlers remained interested
in St. Simons Island and by 1808 enough
lived there to petition the Georgia legislature
for the establishment of Christ Church.
The original church building was built in
1820, but was severely damaged by Union
troops during the Civil War. The noted lumber
magnate Anson Greene Phelps Dodge took
interest in the dilapidated Christ Church
sanctuary and in 1884 oversaw its rebuilding
into the beautiful structure that stands today.
His wife had recently died and he built the
church to stand as a lasting memorial to her.
She is buried beneath the alter.
The cemetery surrounding the church is one
of the oldest in Georgia. The oldest marked
grave dates from 1803. Numerous early
political leaders and settlers of the Georgia
coast are buried there, as is the famed writer
Eugenia Price.
beautiful Christ Church on Georgia's St.
Simons Island stands as a memorial to the
role of Christianity in the founding of the first
English settlements in Georgia.
Still an active Episcopal Church, the historic
sanctuary is the focal point of a parish that
dates back to 1808, making it the second
oldest in Georgia. Christ Church also serves
as a reminder, however, of the much earlier
labors of the noted ministers John and
Charles Wesley.
Priests of the Church of England, the Wesley
brothers came to Georgia in 1736 after John
was named the minister of the new parish of
Savannah. Charles was appointed as the
Secretary of Indian Affairs and Chaplain for
General James Oglethorpe and launched his
own American ministry in the newly founded
settlement of Frederica on St. Simons Island
during the same year.
Both Charles and John Wesley, as well as
the noted Rev. George Whitefield, preached
on St. SImons Island, ministering to the early
colonists at Fort Frederica. John become
known as the father of the modern Methodist
Church, while Charles is remembered today
for his many beautiful hymns. The Christmas
favorite "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" was
written by Rev. Charles Wesley.
The settlement at Fort Frederica had all but
faded away by the time of the American
Revolution, but settlers remained interested
in St. Simons Island and by 1808 enough
lived there to petition the Georgia legislature
for the establishment of Christ Church.
The original church building was built in
1820, but was severely damaged by Union
troops during the Civil War. The noted lumber
magnate Anson Greene Phelps Dodge took
interest in the dilapidated Christ Church
sanctuary and in 1884 oversaw its rebuilding
into the beautiful structure that stands today.
His wife had recently died and he built the
church to stand as a lasting memorial to her.
She is buried beneath the alter.
The cemetery surrounding the church is one
of the oldest in Georgia. The oldest marked
grave dates from 1803. Numerous early
political leaders and settlers of the Georgia
coast are buried there, as is the famed writer
Eugenia Price.
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Christ Church is located at 6329 Frederica
Road on St. Simons Island, just south of Fort
Frederica National Monument. The church is
open to the public for tours every afternoon
(except Easter and Christmas) from 2 p.m. to
5 p.m. Evening prayer is held there daily at 5
p.m.
Just across the road from the church are the
Wesley Gardens, where beautiful native
plants frame a stunning memorial to John
and Charles Wesley for their efforts in
Georgia and on St. Simons Island. The
monument faces the entry road to Fort
Frederica National Monument, where the
Wesley brothers once ministered to the
inhabitants of St. Simons Island and where
one of them was once attacked by a woman
wielding a pair of scissors!
Please be respectful of the beautiful, historic
and sacred grounds and structure during
your visit. Christ Church is one of the great
treasures of the South. Click here to visit the
church's official website for more information
and details on service times.
Road on St. Simons Island, just south of Fort
Frederica National Monument. The church is
open to the public for tours every afternoon
(except Easter and Christmas) from 2 p.m. to
5 p.m. Evening prayer is held there daily at 5
p.m.
Just across the road from the church are the
Wesley Gardens, where beautiful native
plants frame a stunning memorial to John
and Charles Wesley for their efforts in
Georgia and on St. Simons Island. The
monument faces the entry road to Fort
Frederica National Monument, where the
Wesley brothers once ministered to the
inhabitants of St. Simons Island and where
one of them was once attacked by a woman
wielding a pair of scissors!
Please be respectful of the beautiful, historic
and sacred grounds and structure during
your visit. Christ Church is one of the great
treasures of the South. Click here to visit the
church's official website for more information
and details on service times.
| Copyright 2009 by Dale Cox All rights reserved. |
Sacred Soil in Georgia
The history of Christian efforts
on St. Simons Island dates
back to the 1736 sermons of
John and Charles Wesley.
The history of Christian efforts
on St. Simons Island dates
back to the 1736 sermons of
John and Charles Wesley.
lor.
Christ Church Cemetery
The oldest marked grave
dates to 1803. Burials in the
historic cemetery include the
noted author, Eugenia Price.
The oldest marked grave
dates to 1803. Burials in the
historic cemetery include the
noted author, Eugenia Price.
Fort Frederica National Monument
Wesley Memorial and Gardens
St. Simons Island Historic Sites
Golden Isles of Georgia
Georgia Historic Sites
Historic Sites of the South
Wesley Memorial and Gardens
St. Simons Island Historic Sites
Golden Isles of Georgia
Georgia Historic Sites
Historic Sites of the South
Southern Sacrifices
Tombstones in the cemetery
memorialize local youth who
died on battlefields of the Civil
War.
Tombstones in the cemetery
memorialize local youth who
died on battlefields of the Civil
War.