Our History
We are very proud of our longstanding parish history and the impact we have had on our communities. Both All Saints' Church & St. George's Chapel have been a part of the fabric of this area for generations. We have started ministries that have transcended the parish and become community and Diocesan institutions, including Camp Arrowhead, the Community Resource Center, the Lewes-Rehoboth Area Council of Churches, and our two Thrift Shops.
Both houses of worship are on the National Register of Historic Places. With such a rich history, both church and chapel are available for guided tours upon request. Contact the church offices for more information.
St. George’s Chapel
Established 1719
St. George’s Chapel is a testament to the stalwart faith of Eastern Sussex Counties' earliest inhabitants. Long before the founding of the nation and the Episcopal Church, the people living in the Indian River Hundred – then mostly a farming community – felt the need for a place of worship. They came together to establish St. George’s Chapel in Harbeson in 1719.
The original chapel was constructed of wood and was a gathering place for 73 years until it was destroyed in a fire in 1792. The current brick chapel was constructed in 1794. The chapel was redesigned in 1850 and remodeled again in 1882 in a Victorian Gothic style. In 1966, an extensive restoration brought the building back to its original design and appearance.
The parish community still proudly preserves the old parish register and original Book of Common Prayer, and these are brought out for special services such as Heritage Sunday when parishioners attend in period costume.
In the 1990s, the parish purchased additional farmland across from the chapel in order to build a parish hall with a full-size kitchen, offices, and classrooms, as well as a parking lot. Recently, a beautiful meditative prayer garden and outdoor labyrinth was added to the wooded area of this parcel. Many locals stop by to pray and meditate in this dedicated area.
All Saints' Church
Established 1893
All Saints’ Church is the oldest house of worship in continuous use in Rehoboth Beach, and it is one of just two buildings in Rehoboth on the National Register of Historic Places.
All Saints' Church was built as a summer chapel in 1893, just two years after the City of Rehoboth was organized in 1891. By the early 1900s it became apparent that Rehoboth Beach residents and visitors needed a year-round parish. It is the only church in Rehoboth Beach on its original site and maintaining its original design. It was constructed to meet the needs of a growing number of Episcopalians migrating to the area. Initially, Rehoboth was one of many seaside campgrounds established by Methodists on the Delmarva Peninsula. (The home of Methodism is located about 30 miles north of Rehoboth at Barratt’s Chapel.)
The building was not without changes. Because of fires in 1938 and 1943 repairs were made to the original structure. The belfry and All Souls’ Chapel were added in 1943. The Parish Hall and connecting office corridor were added in 1947 and recently enlarged and updated in 2001.
During the early years, services were held during the summer months, and clergy were supplied through a variety of arrangements, often in combination with St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lewes, five miles to the north. It was not until 1945 that All Saints’ Church became a year-round parish recognized by the Diocese of Delaware. At first full-time rectors only stayed for short periods of time. Then from 1951 through August of 2001, All Saints’ Church was served by only two rectors, Richard Bailey and James Manion.
How we became one parish
By the 1920s, one clergy person was serving St. George’s Chapel and All Saints’ Church, plus a third Church in Lewes. Additional clergy were brought in to assist with the larger number of the faithful who vacationed in the Delaware beaches during the summertime.
As the area continued to grow, and more people settled in the area, these three missions became formalized into parishes. All Saints' became a stand-alone parish in 1945, and in 1949, the bishop of Delaware requested that the newly formed parish take on the added responsibility of overseeing and ministering to the folks at St. George's.
This affiliate relationship continued until both church and chapel were merged into one parish in 1980, when we officially became The Episcopal Parish of All Saints' Church & St. George's Chapel. Both church and chapel have vibrant, growing, active congregations with many parishioners, visitors and vacationers who enjoy attending both churches.
