Discover a Beautiful Chapel by the Sea
Long before Sanibel and Captiva became a tourist mecca and known for its beautiful beaches and abundant shelling, brave people came to Sanibel and Captiva to carve out a new life. Many of these early settlers are remembered through their resting places in Captiva’s Historic Cemetery.
Residents and visitors who want to journey back in time and learn about an earlier Captiva can visit the Chapel by the Sea and the Historic Cemetery at 11580 Chapin Lane. The Chapel is non-denominational and open for services from the second week in November through April. The cemetery, surrounded by its white picket fence, sits adjacent to the Chapel.
William Herbert Binder was the first Captiva resident, coming to the island in 1888. In 1895 the Brainerd family moved to Buck Key from Canada. Hattie Brainerd would go on to become Captiva’s postmistress from 1930 to 1940. When William Binder died in 1932, Hattie arranged to have him interred in the Brainerd family plot, since he had no known relatives.
Confederate soldiers are also buried in the historic cemetery. George Washington Carter, a Confederate veteran from Georgia, homesteaded on Captiva property that is now part of South Seas Resort. The Carters arrived in 1900, and in addition to fishing, grew crops such as sugar cane, citrus and avocados.
Visitors to Captiva’s Chapel and cemetery will gain a different perspective on early life on these beautiful islands. It is definitely worth a visit.
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