Strawberry Chapel, old Childsbury Towne Colony, SC

(I'm out of town this week, so I'm posting a short blurb that doesn't do justice to this area. But I'd rather post than let it go by the wayside like my Topsail Beach report has!)

I'm a fan of South Carolina history. Lowcountry resident and aspiring author, Shannon McNear, knows this, so she invited me to detour to the Charleston area during a recent trip for a quick stop at a little place I'd never heard of: Strawberry Chapel near Moncks Corner.

Situated up the road from the Cooper River, Strawberry Chapel served what once was Childsbury Towne. The area is now a heritage preserve, but like Diamond City on Shackleford Banks, some of the residents remain in the grounds surrounding the chapel.

Despite heat and humidity that could suffocate a mosquito (come to think of it, we didn't encounter any on this trip), we strolled under the shade of large, mossy oak trees, talking about the history of the South Carolina colony and of the prominent citizens who lived there. We then took a walk down to the river near what once was Strawberry Landing. The Cooper stretches wide at this point, and the blues and greens almost took my breath away. To our surprise, large elephant ears rustled in the breeze along the bank near the dock. Planted by one of the residents of Childsbury Towne? We hoped so.

We stayed there for awhile, chatting, sometimes waving at the numerous boaters traveling upriver until the heat got the best of us. I must say, beyond the tranquility we experienced, this is one of the prettiest places I've seen in the Carolinas. See for yourself!

Strawberry Chapel and Cemetery

For more information on Childsbury Towne, go to www.nationalregister.sc.gov/berkeley/S10817708023/