The Brick ruins of Old Sheldon church stand among lush trees, sunlight filtering through the canopy. Large archways and stone remnants suggest a once-grand structure.


The church “Prince William Parish Church” was originally funded in the 1740’s and 1750’s by William Bull, whose plantation bordered the church grounds. It was named Sheldon in honor of the Bull family’s ancestral home in England. The church was set on fire in 1779 by British troops led by General Augustine Prevost during the Revolutionary War. The church was rebuilt in 1825 and 1826 just to have it burnt down once again on January 14, 1865 near the end of the Civil War by General Sherman’s troops.

The Old Sheldon Church is located in Beaufort County, South Carolina, USA on Old Sheldon Church Road between the towns of Gardens Corner and Yemassee. It is on private property but open to visitors, situated under moss-draped oaks