The Legacy of The Prince of Wales

OK gang, we're gonna take a step back in time to get a 'running start' for this post.  I'll give you a sneak preview - it's about a beautiful church we visited on our last trip to beautiful Litchfield Beach.  But, it's also much more.  It's a bit about how we got to where we are today.  It begins in the early years of our state when the political subdivisions were "Parishes."  In 1721, as the population spread East and North from Charleston it became necessary to create a new parish and it was named in honor of the Prince of Wales at the time - Frederick Lewis of Hanover who would ultimately become "George II."  Thus, the birth of Prince George Parish in our state.  By 1737 the growing population created the need for additional churches and a subscription campaign was begun to establish an Episcopal congregation on the shores of Winyah Bay.  The resulting Prince George Winyah Parish is now one of the oldest churches with one of the oldest continuous congregations in our state.  Historical events that shaped the growth of the parish were enormous, including occupation by British troops during the American Revolution and occupation by Union troops during the War Between The States.

Originally built of English red brick and oyster shell mortar, the building is stately and elegant but has not remained static over the years.  There are five bays in the nave (main interior portion of the church) with side doors and fanlights in the two center ones and windows with fanlights in the others.  The architecture is impressive - and even more so when you realize that it has been severely damaged, rebuilt, renovated and expanded all without losing the original elegance.  The layout of the worship space has been subtly modified as renovations were done with the current chancel and semi-eliptical apse added around 1809 and a stunning Mohler organ added in 1850.  Seating in the church has evolved over the years as the nature of the congregation and the technology of the times have changed.  In early years the seating bays were enclosed for privacy and individual heating was brought in for comfort.  As more people came to worship - eventually including slaves from area plantations - other arrangements had to be made.  Although the style of that early seating has been preserved, it is no longer possible to "reserve" your pew!  The churchyard has been the final resting place for some of the most prominent religious, political, military, artistic, civic and business leaders in the history of our state.  The pride and love demonstrated by the members of the congregation for their state, their city and for their neighbors is inspiring.  If you have a chance to visit Prince George Winyah Parish please go.  I think you will find the beauty and serenity of this place refreshing no matter what your philosophical leanings.

As best I can figure, there have been approximately twenty two or twenty three actual "Princes of Wales" and they have been some very interesting characters.  It is fun to look back in time at the activities of those early princes and to compare them to more recent bearers of the title.  Turns out that, although they were from dramatically different times, they were a lot alike in many ways.  I suppose that's the way it is with all of us.  We tend to think that just because we live in a different time we are somehow not as susceptible to 'human shortcomings' as folks were in the past.  Naahhhhh .... people are people, folks.  Sometimes - at some times - we might act a little better than one of our neighbors but at other times we're worse.  In my view, we need to work hard to understand each other, emphasize our similarities rather than our differences and maybe, just maybe, we'll wind up with a world that gets along a little better whether we're princes or paupers.  I think ol' Prince Chuck might find that he has quite a bit in common with George II.  Maybe he and Camila (who, by the way, does not use the title "Princess of Wales") will come visit us one day.  I hope so.  See ya.