History was made here: Prince George’s Chapel
A spotlight on one of the more than 40 historic properties owned by the State of Delaware and administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs.
Prince George’s Chapel, one of Delaware’s most historic places, will hold free open houses from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the following Sundays during 2019: July 21, Aug. 18, Sept. 15 and Oct. 20. The chapel is located at 32040 Chapel Lane in Dagsboro, Del. For additional information, call 302-732-3324.
About Prince George’s Chapel
Built in 1755, Prince George’s Chapel had its beginnings as an Anglican chapel-of-ease, serving the northern outlying area of Worcester Parish, Maryland. The chapel was named in honor of the English prince who would later become King George III. During the reorganization of the Episcopal Church following the American Revolution, the chapel became an independent parish church in the Diocese of Delaware. Acquired by the State of Delaware in 1967, it was restored and reopened as a historic site in 1974.
The chapel is a superb example of 18th-century church architecture in the English tradition conceived for masonry but here executed in wood in an area where no other medium was readily available. Its most striking feature is the graceful barrel-vaulted ceiling of natural, unadorned heart-pine planks. The nave section remains as the original 18th century portion, while the east transept-end, with its great window and octagonal high-pulpit, has been reconstructed.
The most prominent individual associated with the congregation is Gen. John Dagworthy (1721-1784), a large landowner of the area and an officer in King George’s War, the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. A strong supporter of the church in his lifetime, he was at death, interred under its chancel. The town of Dagsboro is named for him.
The Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs leases the site to the Town of Dagsboro which, in turn, subleases it to the Friends of Prince George’s Chapel.