The town of Ebenezer in South Georgia was once such a thriving populace that it was named the county seat of Effingham County. The industrious city produced silk and was an important stopover point for soldiers in the Revolutionary War. Within just a few years, however, the city became virtually abandoned. Today, only one building remains from the town of Ebenezer. Most people don’t even remember that it ever existed!
Ebenezer (also known as New Ebenezer) is now a ghost town along Ebenezer Creek in Effingham County. It was established in 1734 by immigrants from Salzburg (in what is today Austria).
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Within just a couple of years, the town was moved to be a little closer to the Savannah River.
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Several silk mills were constructed in Ebenezer. They were quite successful, and the things seemed to be going well for the little town.
Picryl (Creative Commons)
In 1769, Jerusalem Lutheran Church was built. It’s the oldest church in Georgia and is still standing today. The town’s pastor hoped that Ebenezer would become a sort of utopian religious community that would attract religious immigrants from all over.
Justin Slaughter/Google Maps It’s actually the oldest continuously operating Lutheran church in the country.
Ebenezer was badly damaged during the American Revolutionary War and had difficulty recovering.
Effingham Chamber/Facebook The town was very briefly named the county seat of Effingham County, but when that was changed to Springfield after just a few years, much of Ebenezer’s business dried up.
The town of Ebenezer was abandoned in 1855 and by that point, it was only about 0.25 square miles in size. The Jerusalem Lutheran Church is the last building that remains standing in what was once Ebenezer.
Judson McCranie/Wikimedia Commons
Were you familiar with this fascinating “lost town” of Georgia? The land that was once Ebenezer is now largely in the town of Rincon. You can visit the Jerusalem Lutheran Church at 2966 Ebenezer Rd, Rincon, GA 31326.
Bubba73/Wikimedia Commons
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Picryl (Creative Commons)
Justin Slaughter/Google Maps
It’s actually the oldest continuously operating Lutheran church in the country.
Effingham Chamber/Facebook
The town was very briefly named the county seat of Effingham County, but when that was changed to Springfield after just a few years, much of Ebenezer’s business dried up.
Judson McCranie/Wikimedia Commons
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Address: Effingham County, GA, USA
