Heritage Sunday at St. George's Chapel set Nov. 20
The Episcopal Parish of All Saints' Church and St. George's Chapel will celebrate Heritage Sunday at their historic chapel at 9:30 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 20. The address is 20274 Beaver Dam Road in Harbeson, six miles south of Five Points on Route 23.
Services at St. George's Chapel date back to 1719 at this location. "We will be celebrating 297 years of worship, ministry and loving service," said Max Wolf, parish rector. "We will use our 1716 altar edition of the 1662 Church of England Book of Common Prayer in the service. Many worshippers will come dressed in colonial attire, reminiscent of colonial times when the members of the congregation were primarily farmers and merchants. We always have a sense at St. George's Chapel that we stand on the shoulders of generations who have gone before us, a continuity of that communion of saints."
The chapel was originally built for the convenience of the country families who could not easily travel into town, the nearest being Lewes, for services. It was simpler for the minister to come out to the chapel than for the country families to make it into the town. The location on a branch of Herring Creek allowed many of the families to arrive by boat.
The original St. George's Chapel was completed in 1719, and was destroyed by fire in 1792. The present chapel was completed in 1794 on the same spot. The new church is made of brick, which is unusual for this period, and the brick was fired on location. It is still referred to as The Brick Chapel by locals. The style of the interior of the building is of the early federal period. The hour-glass pulpit is in its original position, described as being as high as the gallery; it is of the single liturgical center plan, with pulpit, reading desk and altar together, which was an experimental design of the 1700s. The chapel's windows are bubbled hand-blown glass. The oldest marked grave in the churchyard is dated 1732, and many local heroes and historical figures are buried there.
St. George's Chapel is a treasure that has been lovingly maintained and restored over the years. In the 1960s, planning and research began for a complete and authentic restoration. The architect for the project was Allen Wood Fraser, A.I.A. and the contractor was Samuel C. Russell of Lewes, with All Saints' Church's rector Richard Bailey overseeing all work. The Rehoboth Beach and Harbeson congregations officially merged as one parish in 1980, and share extensive community outreach and music programs throughout the year.
The Heritage Sunday service will include music appropriate to the period as the congregation pays tribute to its long and colorful history. All are welcome and invited to receive holy communion. For more information, call 302-227-7202 or go to www.allsaintsandstgeorges.org.
