Parish Church of St. Helena

The Parish Church of St. Helena, located in the heart of historic Beaufort on Port Royal Island, is one of the oldest active colonial churches in the United States. Established by an act of the South Carolina Colonial Assembly in 1712, the church has served as the spiritual and social center of the Beaufort District for over three centuries. During the Revolutionary War, its high brick walls and hallowed yard became a silent witness to the fractured loyalties of the Lowcountry.

A Sanctuary in a Time of War

As the primary Anglican (and later Episcopal) church for the region’s elite, St. Helena’s congregation included many of the leading figures of the Revolution. Men who would go on to sign the Declaration of Independence or lead local militia units, such as Thomas Heyward Jr. and Edward Rutledge, were deeply connected to the parish.

The church building itself reflects the history of the era:

• Construction: The current structure includes portions of the original 1724 building, which was significantly expanded in 1770 just as the fires of rebellion were beginning to stir.
• Wartime Use: During the British occupations of Beaufort, the church was used as a stable for British cavalry horses, a common practice intended to disrespect the local Patriot population.

The Churchyard: A Field of Fallen Foes

The churchyard of St. Helena is perhaps the most significant Revolutionary War burial site in the district. It serves as a rare place of “reconciliation in death,” housing the remains of combatants from both sides of the conflict:

• Patriot Grave Sites: Numerous members of the Beaufort Volunteer Artillery and the local militia are buried here, including Major William Hazzard Wigg, the man who saved John Laurens at Coosawhatchie.
• British Officers: Following the Battle of Port Royal Island (Gray’s Hill) in February 1779, two British officers who died in the engagement were brought to the churchyard. They were buried with full military honors by the very Patriots they had been fighting—a gesture of 18th-century “officer’s chivalry” that remains a famous part of the church’s lore.

Legacy of the “Signers’ Church”

Today, the Parish Church of St. Helena remains an active congregation and a cornerstone of Beaufort’s National Historic Landmark District. Its interior contains numerous tablets and memorials to the soldiers and statesmen who founded the republic, making it an essential stop for any study of the Revolution in the South.