A lot of us know that Beaufort, pound for pound, is one of the most historical little towns in America. I mean, where do you start?We were occupied by the Union very early in the Civil War. From our deep natural harbor, the Union Navy ran conducted much of its blockading efforts of Confederate ports; In the Parish Church of St. Helena, we have one of the oldest churches in America; and so on and so on.

The photo above is Old Sheldon Church is a historical gem in its own right. It was victimized by two wars, no less. Old Sheldon Church -- I don't suppose they called it "Old" Sheldon Church when they built it -- was burned twice in time of war, first by British troops during the American Revolution, and then again by Union troops during the Civil War. After the Civil War burning, the church was never rebuilt.

I took this photo just the other day, while returning from Columbia, our lovely state capital. I'm not going to say I take any of Beaufort's history for granted, but I wasn't necessarily thinking, "Hey, I'm about to pass the ruins of 200-plus year old church in a moment," as I cruised down the sun-dappled Old Sheldon Church Road earlier in the week. But there she was, to my left, and I couldn't resist pulling off to the side of the road to walk the grounds for a moment.

The church is only about 20 minutes from downtown Beaufort, so if you are in town, it's worth the effort. The setting is lovely and peaceful.

Thanks for checking in.