When General James Oglethorpe arrived to found Frederica settlement in 1736, his chaplain was the Anglican Rev. Charles Wesley. For the next thirty years he, his brother John, and other clergymen conducted services, at times outdoors under a sheltering Live Oak tree. In 1758, Frederica became an official Anglican parish, and subsequent to the American War of Independence the parish was incorporated by the State of Georgia in 1808 as Christ Church Episcopal. A church was built in 1820, and used until it was trashed by Union soldiers during the Civil War.

In 1883 its then rector, Rev. Anson Green Phelps Dodge, Jr., rebuilt it as a memorial to his late wife, who had died on their honeymoon. It is built in cruciform shape, with windows and other memorials commemorating Jesus’ life and the early history of the parish. The peaceful churchyard, where the oldest tomb dates back to 1803, contains those of former rectors, early settlers, and the first historian of the State of Georgia.

Today this is an active Episcopalian (Anglican) church which attracts many visitors for its history, its setting, and above all for its stained glass windows. It is open daily from 2 to 5 pm, except on Christmas Day, and very knowledgeable parish volunteers can answer any and all questions. Its web-site is www.christchurchfrederica.org .