Sweet Rewards

One interesting story that you may not have heard before that will be discussed on Tour Day is how Christ Church once was known as the “Beehive Church.” One of our community’s own vast sources of knowledge, Susan Shipman, will be discussing beekeeping and honey production. The buzz is that she’ll even have some of these busy producers there to show off their handywork.

According to information provided by Susan, a letter to the Trustees of Georgia from a settler of the Town of Frederica mentioned “a great plenty of bees on the island.” When the original Christ Church building that was constructed in 1820 required some desperately needed repairs, it is reported that the congregants raised funds in a rather ingenious manner: by selling honey they harvested from a colony of honeybees found in the church’s belfry. Thus, the church earned the nickname “Beehive Church” and was known as such in the 1840s. The Women’s Missionary Society was known as the “Busy Bees.” Now, nearly three centuries later, we’re lucky that honeybees still thrive on the island in managed colonies. There will be some for sale at Christ Church on Tour Day. Remember that each pound of honey represents 20,000 bees flying 55,000 miles, visiting 2,000,000 flowers! Pick up some to take home and enjoy their work!

Also for sale at the church on Tour Day will be copies of the Christ Church Frederica Cookbook, last published in 1992. In addition to money raised from Tour of Homes ticket sales, proceeds from the sales of these cookbooks are an additional source of funds used for the community enrichment grants provided by the Christ Church ECW. In the spirit of celebrating the Beehive Church and this bit of sweetness from its history, we thought we’d share a recipe using honey from that cookbook. This traditional Bible verse inspired cake recipe was submitted by Tour of Homes founder Gladys Gowen Fendig (with her note that it was originally published in Chrismons and Christmas Cookery, St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Panama City, Florida).

Scripture Cake

INGREDIENTS:

3½ c. sifted all-purpose flour (I Kings 4:22)

1 Tbsp. baking powder (Galatians 5:9)

¼ tsp. salt (Leviticus 2:13)

1½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

½ tsp. ground cloves

1tsp. ground allspice (I Kings 10:2)

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened (Judges 5:25)

2 c. firmly packed brown sugar (Jeremiah 6:20)

2 Tbsp. honey (Exodus 16:31)

6 eggs (Luke 11:12)

1 pkg. (8 oz.) pitted dates, chopped (Deuteronomy 34:3)

2 c. raisins (I Samuel 30:12)

1 c. walnuts, chopped (Solomon 6:11)

1 c. milk (Judges 5:25)

PREPARATION:

Grease and flour an angel cake tube pan. Preheat oven to 325°. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice on wax paper. Beat the butter, sugar, honey, and eggs in a large bowl with an electric beater until they are light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle ¼ of the flour mixture over the fruits and nuts. Add remaining flour mixture alternately with the milk to the fluffy butter mixture, beating until smooth. Stir in fruits and nuts. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool 20 minutes.

On the 31st street cul-de-sac, this stylish one level home with louvered shutters welcomes guests through a mahogany door into a tabby-floored, doublesided great room. Symmetrical vaulted pecky cypress plank ceilings are mirrored in the dining room and living areas on either side of an open wet bar and seating area facing the central fireplace. A second wet bar is wallpapered with this classic Sea Island home’s original blueprints prior to the current renovation and additions. Two pairs of sliding doors open to a screened-in terrace with tabby fireplace and outdoor kitchen. Vibrant colors that reflect the tropical blues, greens, and golds of the seaside tie together the various entertaining areas surrounding the deep oval pool and terrace with panoramic views of the tranquil pond beyond. Flanking one side of the pool, a chef’s kitchen and butler’s pantry are well-equipped for gourmet meal preparation or enjoying a cup of coffee in the windowed breakfast area. At the front of the house, a spacious guest room with en suite is accented with chinoiserie wallpaper. An east wing addition down a short flight of steps includes a comfortable sitting room and second kitchen with two additional ensuite bedrooms – creating a private sanctuary for guests. The west wing’s primary suite features a spacious remodeled marble bath, walk-in custom closet, home gym extension with mirrored wall floating above the lush, colorful, and varied landscaping of the lawn and pond beyond.

Ashort walk across Frederica Road and along the wooded path toward the Wesley Garden will bring you to the newly constructed Christ Church Labyrinth. Here trained facilitators will be available on Tour Day to help you end your day’s discoveries with a spiritual walk. Nestled in the woods, the Christ Church, Frederica Labyrinth offers visitors a unique opportunity for respite, reflection, and rejuvenation.

Embraced by many faith traditions and cultures, a labyrinth is a walking meditation or prayer. A large circle with a single path that winds back and forth, moving alternatively toward and away from the center, labyrinths are a metaphor for life. Often thought to mirror the spirals found in nature, labyrinths of all kinds date back some 4,000 years. The Labyrinth at Christ Church is modeled on the eleven-path design at France’s Chartres Cathedral that