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Christ Church Frederica
Annual Tour of Homes


Tour Stops on the 2019 Tour of Homes
 All Open 10AM until 5 PM     

Private Homes Historic Buildings- Grounds
Sea Island - 4 Homes Christ Church Frederica
St. Simons - 3 Homes Wesley Gardens
  St. Ignatius Church
  Christ Church Cemetery
  Musgrove Retreat & Conference Center

 

Tour Stop # 1 --- St. Simons
Tour Stop reached by car and accessible 10-5

Tour Stop # 2 --- St. Simons
 Tour Stop reached by car and accessible 10-5

Tour Stop # 3 --- St. Simons
 Tour Stop reached by car and accessible 10-5

Tour Stop # 4 --- ST. IGNATIUS CHURCH
Tour Stop reached by car and accessible 10-5
2906 Demere Road

Morning Prayer is held daily at 8:00 am (except Sundays) and Holy Eucharist is celebrated at 5:30 pm on Saturday and 5:00 pm on Sunday. 

 


SAINT IGNATIUS CHURCH was built in 1886, as a Mission of Christ Church, Frederica, for the African-Americans living on Saint Simons Island. Anson Dodge had Saint Ignatius and three other mission churches built on the island and, under his direction other Episcopal missions were built on the mainland. The hurricane of 1897 – recorded at the time as a cyclone – almost destroyed the little church, and it was rebuilt. Originally located off a little lane leading to Union Memorial (aka Stranger’s) Cemetery and facing East, St. Ignatius was rebuilt in 1898 on Demere Road, facing South. It is built in the traditional cruciform, of heart pine, which inside naturally aged to its present color, the same as Christ Church, Frederica.
The Altar rail is hand-carved.  The Lectern, Bishop’s chair, Priest’s chair, and Baptismal font were all donated by Lovely Lane Chapel. They were placed here when that church was de-consecrated and used as a recreation center. That building has been re-consecrated and is now Lovely Lane Chapel at Epworth-by-the Sea Conference Center. The stained glass windows behind the Altar were made in Philadelphia by the Willet Company. The hand depicts God the Father, the lamb depicts God the Son, and the dove depicts the Holy Spirit. The candlesticks on the Altar were brought from England in 1858. The bell was installed in the 1980's and is from the WWII Liberty Ship Henry Wynkoop. The reed organ was built circa 1900 and installed at Christ Church, Frederica in 1933. The original hand pump is still intact and the pipes are merely decorative.   For years, the windows in the Church were translucent, jalousie-panel glass.  Ten new stained glass windows were designed in 2000 by M.B. Keys, a parishioner of Christ Church Frederica, and made by the Wippell Company of Exeter, England. The Rt. Rev. Henry I. Louttit, Bishop of Georgia, blessed the new windows April 29, 2001.
THE ORGAN was originally in Christ Church, Frederica; a gift of the Berolzheimer family of Little Saint Simons Island and Stockton, California. It is a reed action pump organ. The original pump handle can still be seen on its side. When electricity came to the north end of the island the organ was electrified. It was placed in Saint Ignatius in 1959.

Tour Stop # 5 --- Gascoigne Bluff
 Tour Stop reached by car and accessible 10-5
LOCATION OF BUS TO SEA ISLAND HOMES

Tour Stop # 6 --- Sea Island
Tour Stop reached by bus from Gascoigne Bluff parking lot

Tour Stop # 7 --- Sea Island
Tour Stop reached by bus from Gascoigne Bluff parking lot

Tour Stop # 8 --- Sea Island
Tour Stop reached by bus from Gascoigne Bluff parking lot

Tour Stop # 9 --- Sea Island
Tour Stop reached by bus from Gascoigne Bluff parking lot

Tour Stop # 10 --- Musgrove Retreat and Conference Center
Tour Stop reached by car and accessible 10-5
 

The Musgrove Retreat and Conference Center, under the stewardship of The Brenn Foundation, is a beautiful picturesque hidden sanctuary on the banks of Village Creek that takes you back in time. Musgrove is rich with history from its construction in 1938 by Nancy Reynolds Bagley, daughter and heiress to the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco fortune to President Carter’s first pre-inaugural cabinet meeting.
Musgrove was named after Mary Musgrove, a pioneer acclaimed as the Pocahontas and Sacagawea of the South and known as a cultural liaison between colonial Georgia and Native American societies for her peace keeping efforts and entrepreneurship. “Musgroves” – so-called by returning conference participants – have become synonymous with thoughtful gatherings that discuss political, environmental and social issues of great local, domestic and global importance. Musgrove primarily focuses on hosting non-profit events including retreats, conferences and fundraisers with an emphasis on giving back to our local community. However, the property is also a picturesque and charming backdrop for select weddings and family reunions throughout the year.

Musgrove boasts nearly 300 acres of primarily preserved natural splendor including marshland between Sea Island and St. Simons Island. Its six residences were designed in the old "Low-Country" style with heavy use of tabby and cypress along with old Savannah gray brick that emphasize the under-stated rustic elegance of the property.

Today, the grandchildren of philanthropist Nancy Susan Reynolds continue to lovingly maintain their grandmother's home and vision with purpose. Recently, portions of the property were sold to the St. Simons Land Trust to create more community park and recreational space for the public.

Tour Stop 11  --- Christ Church & Parish House
 Tour Stop reached by car and accessible 10-5
Tour Headquarters
 6329 Frederica Road

       The parish house of historic Christ Church serves as tour headquarters for the Annual Tour of Homes and Gardens. 
        Tea sandwiches, cookies and drinks are offered to our guests by the gracious ladies of the church.  We invite you to purchase one of our fabulous cookbooks.  As a remembrance of the tour, a token of friendship, or simply an addition to a growing cookbook collection, the Christ Church, Frederica Cookbook encompasses quality, beauty and history visible in its namesake. 
         The tour headquarters will make a comfortable stopping place during the day and restroom facilities are available.    

 

 

Christ Church
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Christ Church had its beginning when General Oglethorpe came to St. Simons Island in 1736 to build the fort and town of Frederica.  He brought with the soldiers and settlers, an ordained clergyman of the Church of England, the Reverend Charles Wesley, in order that the colony might have the services of the church from its start.  The Board of Trustees ordered a chapel to be built and had three hundred acres of land set aside for the support of the minister and the church.  It is on some of that land that Christ Church stands today.  In 1884, the remains of the old church were torn down, and the present building was erected on this site in 1886 by the Reverend Anson Green Phelps Dodge, Jr., in memory of his first wife, Ellen Ada Phelps Dodge. 

Sunday services are held at Christ Church, Frederica, at 8 am, 9:15 am, and 11:15 am.  Weekday evening prayer is held at 5:00 pm daily and Holy Eucharist is celebrated at 11:30 am on Friday. Consult the church website at www.christchurchfrederica.org for more details. 

Wesley Memorial Gardens

           
Established in 1986 to commemorate the ministries of John and Charles Wesley, the Wesley Memorial Gardens offer a calm retreat on Tour Day.  Dedicated in 1988, the two acre garden has as its focal point an 18-foot high Celtic Cross, sculpted from Georgia granite.  Gravel paths wind throughout the natural setting, which has been impeccably landscaped to showcase some 60 varieties of 4,000 azaleas and other native shrubs. 

Directions:  Take Frederica Road north towards the round-about with Lawrence Road. Travel north on Frederica Road from the round-about.  The Church will be on your left in approximately one mile.  The Gardens are across the street from the Church.