Saint George's Chapel, Indian River Hundred : Its history and its restoration : typescript

Summary

Creator: Episcopal Church. Diocese of Delaware
Date(s): circa 1967
Call Number: MSS 0098, F0188
Language: English
Abstract: One mimeographed typescript of a paper titled, "Saint George's Chapel, Indian River Hundred: Its history and Its restoration," detailing the various construction episodes of Saint George's Chapel in Harbeson, Delaware, dating back to the eighteenth-century, with particular emphasis on the church's construction and its restoration in 1966.
Physical Description: 1 item (9 pages)
Immediate Source of Acquisition: Gift of Paul Ellis, August 2007.
Processing Information: Processed and encoded by Anita Wellner, November 2011. Further encoded by George Apodaca, 2015. Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Biographical and Historical Notes

Saint George's Chapel was built in 1719 to accommodate the needs of farmers and plantation owners who lived on the outskirts of the town of Lewes, Delaware.

Saint George's Chapel was destroyed by fire in 1792, but rebuilt in 1794 in the early Federal style. After the fire, the new structure was built of bricks, unusual for the period, and the bricks were fired on the spot. The chapel was redesigned in 1850 and remodeled again in 1882 in a Victorian Gothic style. An extensive restoration in 1966 returned the building to its original design and appearance.

Today the chapel is a part of the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware and The Episcopal Parish of All Saints' Church and St. George's Chapel, with regular services and activities.

Sources

"1794 - St. George’s Chapel - Harbeson, Delaware," Dated Buildings and Cornerstones on Waymarking.com. http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMB35C (accessed November 2011). The Episcopal Parish of All Saints' Church and St. George's Chapel. http://www.allsaintsparish-rehoboth.org/ (accessed November 2011). Information derived from the collection.

Content Description

One mimeographed typescript of a paper titled, "Saint George's Chapel, Indian River Hundred: Its history and Its restoration," detailing the various construction episodes of Saint George's Chapel in Harbeson, Delaware, dating back to the eighteenth-century, with particular emphasis on the church's construction and its restoration in 1966.

Following a brief discussion of the settlement of the Lewes area, this history chronicles the building and maintenance of St. George's Chapel, with the attention given to the physical structure. Information on each rebuilding, renovation, and restoration is very detailed, with an occasional reference to a "spirit of competition" with St. Peter's Church in Lewes, a sister Episcopal church in the same parish.

Although the document is not dated, it includes a discussion of the church restoration which was begun in June 1966. The document concludes: "During its long history, St. George's Chapel has never been closed except for brief intervals, and now, newly restored, it looks forward to many more centuries as 'an abode of ancient peace.'" A cornerstone on St. George's Chapel dates the restoration as 1967.

Using these materials

Shelving Summary

Box 7, F0188: Shelved in SPEC MSS 0098 manuscript boxes

Access Information

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

MSS 0098, F0188, Saint George's Chapel, Indian River Hundred : Its history and its restoration : typescript, Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, Newark, Delaware.

Related Materials

This item forms part of MSS 0098 Miscellaneous Literary and Historical Manuscripts

Conditions Governing Use

Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, http://library.udel.edu/spec/askspec/

Container List

Saint George's Chapel, Indian River Hundred : Its history and its restoration : typescript, circa 1967 Box 7, F0188

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