Strawberry Chapel and its surrounding area has a rich history dating back to the early 1700s when the Carolina Assembly, the legislative body responsible for governing the colony, established St. John's Parish Berkeley—an Anglican parish that served both religious and civil roles in the region. The town of Childsbury, later dissolved into Strawberry Plantation, was founded by James Child in 1707. Child was a planter in the parish, who laid out the new settlement along the Cooper River. The first church in the area was Biggin Church, built in 1711, but as Childsbury grew, the need for a closer place of worship arose. In 1725, the Carolina Assembly passed an act to construct a Parochial Chapel of Ease at Childsbury, which became known as Strawberry Chapel. The act noted that a Chapel had already been built by local parishioners at Childsbury. This wooden church later collapsed, and the chapel was rebuilt in brick in 1739.

It is an architectural marvel, featuring a classic colonial church design with symmetrical doors and fanlight-topped windows. It is rectangular in plan, with an anteroom at the rear allowing the minister to prepare for services. The ceiling is domed, and the floor is paved in original tiles. Entrance doors exist on three of the four walls, aligning with each other for proper ventilation in the Lowcountry's heat and humidity. Placed on the altar wall in 1854, under a circular window above the pulpit, are the words "Glory to God in the Highest," crafted using pine cone scales hand-sewn on thick paper. The receiving vault, used to temporarily store bodies before burial, was built circa 1750 by the first Edward Harleston of Fishpond Plantation.

The anteroom was added to the north of the chapel in the early 1800s, serving various purposes including Vestry meetings and priest rest areas. In the 1850s a balcony was built at the rear of the chapel, though it collapsed during the 1886 Charleston earthquake and was donated to the nearby Taveau Methodist Church. The chapel held historic silver including the Miles Brewton chalice and paten. This silver was buried at Comingtee Plantation during the Civil War by Keating “Kate-ing” Ball, and the location was forgotten until it was rediscovered in 1946, under a barn, with the help of a metal detector. The silver is now on permanent loan to the Charleston Museum.

Since 1725 the chapel has played a significant role in the community, hosting services, baptisms, and funerals, and serving as a gathering place for local residents. However, over the years, the chapel and grounds have suffered from severe vandalism. Despite its challenges, it has remained a symbol of the area's history with efforts made by the Wardens, Vestry, Friends of Strawberry, and other local organizations to preserve and restore it. A complete exterior and interior restoration was completed in 2025. A new book about Strawberry Chapel's history written by Grey Edens will be published around Fall 2025. 

Contributions and support from the community to aid in Strawberry Chapel’s preservation are encouraged and welcomed as it helps to ensure future generations enjoy it.

Have a question or want to make a contribution? Please contact Friends of Strawberry: info@friendsofstrawberry.org / friendsofstrawberry.org