Myrtle Beach Leader

Georgetown County Museum History Center issued the following announcement on July 20.

The Georgetown Newspaper of Saturday, January 6, 1844   described the laying of the cornerstone for the “new” All Saints Church.

“Ceremony of laying the Corner Stone of the new Church in All Saints Parish, Waccamaw.  Wednesday, Dec. 27, having been appointed for the observance of the above mentioned ceremony, the day was fine and mild, and most of the inhabitants of the Parish assembled to witness the interesting solemnity. All things being in readiness, a procession was formed, headed by the Rector of the Parish, followed by the Vestry and Wardens, and the Building Committee; after these walked the ladies, and the other gentlemen present brought up the rear. After arriving at the N E corner of the intended building, the Rector offered up to God some prayers selected for the occasion, and laid the corner stone “in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost.” He concluded the service with an address, repeating the “Gloria in excelsis,” and pronouncing the blessing.  All present seemed much gratified and deeply interested and the hope may be expressed that this work begun with prayer, may advance the glory of God and the good of men. On the end of the Stone there is inscribed,

Corner stone of the third edifice:

Erected on this site Under the appellation of

The Parish of All Saints

Laid by the Rev. Alex. Glennie, A.M. Rector of the Parish,

Dec. 27, 1843

Glory be to God The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

 On the side of the stone there is inscribed: “The first edifice, built of wood, before the revolution was taken down about A.D. 1793. The second also of wood, was built about the A.D. 1793 by Capt. John Allston, was repaired in 1813, and was taken down in 1843. This third edifice will be erected chiefly with the funds bequeathed to this Church by Mrs. Mary Huger, daughter of the above Capt. John Allston.

 Building Committee: Edward T. Heriot, Francis M. Weston, Joshua J. Ward, T. Pinckney Alston, John H. Tucker. Architect and builder: Lewis Rebb.”

The Rector in his address mentioned the following interesting facts connected with the early history of the Parish.

 By act of Assembly passed in 1734, Prince George’s Parish was divided into Prince Frederick’s and Prince George, Winyaw. The part in which the Church then stood was to be called Prince Frederick’s and the other part, “where Georgetown lies,” Prince George, Winyaw.

By act of Assembly passed May 23, 1767, all that part of the Parish of Prince George, Winyaw known by the name of  Waccamaw, that is to say, all lands lying between the Sea and Waccamaw River as far as the boundary line of North Carolina, was laid out and established as a separate Parish; and this Parish, in the County of Craven, was to be called All Saints. A Church, Chapel, and Parsonage were directed to be built: William Allston, Charles Lewis, William Pawley, Jonas Allston, William Allston, Junr., and John Clarke were appointed commissioners for building the new Church, Chapel, Parsonage and house in the said Parish of All Saints, and were fully authorized and empowered to purchase a Glebe for said Parish, and to take subscriptions for purposes aforesaid.

 In March, 1778, after the Declaration of Independence an act was passed for the same purpose of establishing a separate Parish of All Saints. The act is almost a transcript of that of 1767, except that the commissioners appointed were Percival Pawley, Joseph Allston, and Thomas Butler.

 What was done by the above named commissions, or at what period the original building which stood upon this spot was erected, cannot now be ascertained. It is well known that the Glebe was purchased, and the Church built before the Revolutionary War.

 About the year 1793, Capt. John Allston of this Parish caused the old Church, then in a state of dilapidation, to be taken down, and had the building which lately stood here erected at the cost of L100 sterling. This was repaired, and the interior fitted up with pews in 1813. On the 19th of Nov. 1816, it was “consecrated by the name of the Parish Church of All Saints to the Christian worship of Almighty God, according to the faith and ritual of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America” by the Rt. Rev. Theodore Dehon, at that time Bishop of this Diocese.”

Original source can be found here.