Georgetown in Georgetown County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Elisha Screven
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William Screven
Elisha Screven. Elisha Screven, founder of Georgetown, was a younger son of William, who owned and lived his final years on these Wynyah lands. To promote settlement here, Elisha planned a town, to be called Georgetown, which reserved lots for Anglican, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches, as well as for a school and other public buildings. Retained in the plan was this Screven family Cemetery. The town had been laid out by 1730.
William Screven. In this cemetery is buried William Screven, first pastor of the earliest Baptist church in the South. A native of England, he ministered to the Baptists there before migrating to Maine, establishing a Baptist church in Kettery, Maine, in 1682. By 1698, he had led his church to Charleston, S.C. He later moved to Georgetown exerting his Christian influence until his death in 1713.
Erected 1980 by the First Baptist Church, the City of Georgetown, the Georgetown County Council, and the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce. (Marker Number 22-28.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Colonial Era • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1730.
Location. 33° 21.978′ N, 79° 16.842′ W.
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Regionally, this marker is in South Carolina’s Pee Dee and on Waccamaw Neck. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Ward-Bull House (a few steps from this marker); Screven Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); Only Colonial Banking House in America (within shouting distance of this marker); Georgetown County Courthouse (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Georgetown County World War I Memorial (about 300 feet away); South Carolina Champion Oak (about 500 feet away); 632 Front Street (about 500 feet away); The Water Trough (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Georgetown.
Photographed by J. J. Prats, January 20, 2008
3. Elisha Screven Side of Marker
This is a photo of the marker before it was repainted.
Photographed by J. J. Prats, January 20, 2008
4. William Screven Side of Marker
This is a photo of the marker before it was repainted.
Photographed by J. J. Prats, January 20, 2008
6. Elisha Screven / William Screven Marker
The walkway to the right of the marker leads to the Screven Family Cemetery, a tiny plot at the edge of the parking lot.
Photographed by J. J. Prats, January 20, 2008
7. Screven Cemetery
Also see a separate marker page for the tablet that can be seen below the tree trunk in this picture.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 4, 2008, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 3,952 times since then and 95 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 28, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3, 4. submitted on May 4, 2008, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 5. submitted on May 28, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 6, 7. submitted on May 4, 2008, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
