In April of 1706, St. James-Santee was made a parish of the  Church of England.  This was the first parish to be created outside the City of Charleston.

The Parish extended from Awendaw Creek on the south to roughly the present northern boundary of Horry County.  In 1721, Prince George Winyaw Parish was carved from the eastern portion of St. James-Santee Parish and St. Stephen Parish was made from the northwestern portion of St. James-Santee Parish in 1754.

There have been five church buildings in the parish since 1706.  The first structure was located in Jamestown on the Santee River and existed before 1706.  The second, a Chapel of Ease, was constructed in 1714 at Echaw.  The third was built at Echaw Creek in 1748.  The fourth was built near Wambaw, and is still standing as originally constructed in 1768.  The church is locally known as Brick Church (located on the Old King's Highway - Old Georgetown Road, between SC Highway 45 and Hampton Road).  The fifth, constructed in McClellanville was built as a "Chapel of Ease" to the old parish of St. James-Santee (Brick Church) .  The church locations followed the moving population centers.

The Chapel was conceived in the winter of 1888.  At a meeting of the congregation in the spring of 1889, Dr. W.T. Baker, Mr. Alexander Hume. Lucas and Col. H.M. Rutledge were appointed to the building committee and Dr. Baker was elected treasurer of the building fund.  Mr. Lucas described in detail the style of the building he thought would be suitable and best meet the needs of the congregation.  The Vestry minutes indicate that the congregation voted to adopt it as presented.  Mr. Lucas offered his services as architect and supervisor and served until the building was completed.

The land was given by Mrs. Charlotte A. Doar (mother of Mrs. William Lucas of Hopsewee), a devoted parishioner.  A contract to build was given to Paul B. Drayton, the "village carpenter" in mid 1889.

The bui8lding dimensions approximate those of Brick Church, about 40' x 60', including the chancel.  The building has a very steep roof with a cupola topped with a cross.  All materials are native long-leaf pine and cypress.  Work was done by hand and the framework was mortised and pinned together as was the custom.  The roof and exterior were covered with diamond shaped, hand drawn and cut black cypress shingles.  The interior furnishings and carvings were the creation of Mr. Lucas, who drew the designs on selected wide long-leaf pine boards.  The were hand sawn with key-hole saws.

The Chapel was consecrated on November 2, 1890 by Bishop B.W. Howe, but the finishing touches inside the church were not completed until after 1900.  (Taken from a description by Mr. A.H. Lucas)