Old Sheldon Church Road Scenic Highway
Old Sheldon Church Road Scenic Highway is a State Scenic Byway in South Carolina. Within South Carolina it covers roughly 5 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Old Sheldon Church Road Scenic Highway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
Old Sheldon Church Road Scenic Byway runs through rural Beaufort County, South Carolina, between Gardens Corner and Yemassee, past 18th-century ruins. The road, also known as State Road S-7-21, connects the junction of US 21/17 to SC 21 near Le Creuset Road, running beneath oak canopy through low-country farmland and forest. Its namesake, the ruins of old Sheldon Church, was built between 1745 and 1753 and is considered one of the first deliberate attempts in America to imitate Greek temple architecture, with tall brick columns still standing open to the sky. During the Revolutionary War, the church building served the Patriot cause by concealing arms and ammunition in the vault of the Bull family and by hosting Continental troops for drilling. The ruins, among the most photographed historic sites in the Beaufort area, were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. South Carolina bans off-premises advertising along the designated stretch, keeping the drive free of billboards as it approaches the brick ruins.
- Beaufort County
- Gardens Corner to Yemassee
- Sheldon Church ruins (1745-1753)
- Greek temple-style architecture
- National Register since 1970
- Revolutionary War history
Plan a drive on Old Sheldon Church Road Scenic Highway →
What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.
Where to Stay along Old Sheldon Church Road Scenic Highway
No campgrounds are listed close to Old Sheldon Church Road Scenic Highway yet, but there are rooms near the route.
Campsite and lodging links are affiliate links — booking through them may earn Road Sorties a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Recreation.gov links are not affiliate links.