Tag Archives: Churches of Bulloch County GA

Lower Lotts Creek Primitive Baptist Church, Bulloch County

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Front view of a white church building with multiple windows and shrubs in a grassy area, under a clear blue sky.

The second oldest congregation in Bulloch County, Lower Lotts Creek was constituted in 1801. I’m not sure when the present church was constructed. Its architecture is typical of many Primitive Baptist structures in that it has side entrances, in addition to the front of the church.

Scene in Lower Lotts Creek Primitive Baptist Church cemetery, featuring several weathered gravestones surrounded by grassy areas and trees in the background.

The historic Lower Lotts Creek cemetery is the final resting place of many of the pioneers of this section of Georgia. The Hollands, whose family plot is seen above, were a prolific family in early Bulloch County.

A granite memorial marker with an engraved plaque, situated in a cemetery, surrounded by green grass and trees.

This cenotaph was placed by descendants of Bridger Jones in 1996. It reads: Bridger Jones (1759 – 1819), Son of James Jones and Mary Bridger, a daughter of Robert Bridger who was a grandson of Colonel Joseph Bridger (1628 – 1686), Councilor of State in Virginia to King Charles II of England. Jones served in the American Revolution as a seaman in the Georgia Navy, and later as a cornet in the militia of North Carolina, where his father had moved. His wife was Rachel Barry (1762 – 1830), daughter of James Barry and Mary Noble, daughter of Samuel Noble of Carteret County, N. C. Bridger and Rachel came here in 1806. He was a Justice of the Bulloch County Court (1808 – 1813). Their children were Berry, Mary Rachel, Bridger Jr., John Thomas Briant, Josiah, Bazzell, Buckner, and Ann. After his father’s death, Berry deeded to the church six acres including the graveyard where family members are buried.

Ric Stewart writes: “Another grave of note in Lotts Creek PBC cemetery is Garret Williams, who didn’t want to be buried. Instead, his family hoisted his coffin in a large oak tree when he died in 1887. A vandal stole his skull, so fifteen years later he was finally buried in the churchyard at Lotts Creek.“

Exterior view of Lower Lotts Creek Primitive Baptist Church with a stone sign displaying its name and founding date, surrounded by green grass and shrubs under a clear blue sky.

Upper Lotts Creek Primitive Baptist Church, 1881, Bulloch County

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Front view of Upper Lotts Creek Primitive Baptist Church, featuring white exterior, green shutters, and a porch with steps, surrounded by trees and a white fence.

The historic marker at the church states:  Organized circa 1829, the church was originally located at the home of Absolom Parrish and called Parrish Meeting House. Following a fire of the log structure on the Parrish farm, the congregation built a second log structure one-and-a-half miles west on the bank of Big Lotts Creek. The name was changed to Upper Lotts Creek Primitive Baptist Church. The current church building was constructed in 1881.

The cemetery contains remains of Revolutionary War Soldiers Henry Parrish, John Tillman and Civil War Soldiers Theadore H. Griffin, Zacariah Taylor Deloach and Robert William Deloach.

National Register of Historic Places

Ephesus Primitive Baptist Church, Bulloch County

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A white wooden building with a metal roof, featuring black shutters and a front porch with steps. The surrounding area is grassy and sparse.

Ephesus Primitive Baptist Church was constituted in 1888. It’s located on US Highway 301 just north of the Evans County line.

Ephesus Primitive Baptist Church near Statesboro, Georgia, surrounded by trees and a grassy area, featuring black shutters and a set of steps leading to the front entrance.

DeLoach Primitive Baptist Church, 1872, Bulloch County

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Historic DeLoach Primitive Baptist Church, framed by trees and Spanish moss.

Constituted on 9 May 1840 on land given to the the congregation by pioneer settlers William & John DeLoach, DeLoach Primitive Baptist is one of the most historic churches in Bulloch County. A 2005 Claxton Enterprise article by Al Hackle gives good insights into the history of the congregation. At the time of the article, the congregation was no longer active, but the church and grounds are very well-maintained. Its setting on a sand hill adjacent to Lotts Creek is one of the most idyllic in Bulloch County.