After the Civil War, the enslaved people of nearby Midway Congregational Church formed their own congregations throughout the county. The African-American community chose names based on the South Carolina locations where they came from, including Dorchester and Beech Hill. At some point, the spelling of Beech Hill was changed to Beach Hill. I haven’t been able to find a date for the organization of this congregation, but it would likely be circa 1865-1870, a common establishment date for the Freedmen churches of the area. In fact, Beach Hill is very close to the historic Freedman Grove community. The present church, originally a wood-framed structure, features the iconic “wedding cake” steeple often found in historic Black churches.
As best I can determine, St. James AME Church is a historic Freedmen’s congregation. While the present-day address is Fleming, it is primarily associated with the nearby Freedman’s Grove community.
Dixon Branch Missionary Baptist church is a historic Black congregation near Rocky Ford, organized by freedmen on 27 June 1871. The name refers to Dixon Branch, a nearby tributary of the Ogeechee River. There were many plantations in this area, and after emancipation, formerly enslaved people who had once been forced to worship with their enslavers desired their own places of worship. They likely met in a brush arbor for their earliest services but eventually built a formal church (circa 1900), which was a typical white clapboard structure, with a “wedding cake” steeple to the left. That structure was replace by the current building, but I haven’t been able to confirm a date.
The small historic cemetery features a variety of memorials, ranging from vernacular to commercial, and many of the early families still have ties to the congregation. The examples presented here are completely random.
F. J. Nelson (birth and death dates unknown)
This simple marker memorializes someone who is now lost to history. I am always hopeful that someone will know these forgotten souls.
Maud Singleton (21 May 1888-March 1897)
This memorial is of a typical vernacular style, featuring stenciled letters with a floral design. Maud Singleton was the young daughter of M. H. and G. A. Singleton.
R. Rease (15 March 1842-22 August 1907)
This commercial monument contains the sentiment: “A kind wife mourns in thee, a husband lost. The poor, a friend who felt, what friendship cost.”
Johnson Bradley (8 February 1868-9 March 1925)
Mr. Bradley, a Prince Hall Mason, was born in South Carolina to Joe and Nancy Bradley. His wife’s name was Lydia. His memorial contains the sentiment “There is rest in heaven”.
Deacon Arthur Oldredge Burke (27 December 1889-22 July 1964)
Deacon Burke was obviously an important member of Dixon Branch Missionary Baptist Church. His memorial may be the nicest in the cemetery. It features a Sacred Heart of Jesus relief, which is most often associated with the Catholic faith, though it has been adopted by Christians of all affiliations.
Rev. James Cail (7 October 1931-30 November 2017) and Ruby Cail (28 July 1933-3 December 2015)
Rev. James and Ruby Cail led Dixon Branch Missionary Baptist Church for many years. A rosary adorns Mrs. Cail’s memorial.
Also known as Fish Trap Primitive Baptist, Mt. Pisgah Primitive Baptist Church is a Freedmen’s congregation established by Elder Aaron Munlin in 1883. It’s one of the oldest Black congregations in Bulloch County. Elder Munlin was born into slavery in South Carolina in 1843 and was sold to an enslaver in Bulloch County in 1856. After the Civil War, he helped establish other congregations of Black Primtive Baptists in Bulloch County, including Banks Creek and Bethel.
According to Alvin D. Jackson of the Willow Hill Heritage and Renaissance Center: “Mt. Pisgah Primitive Baptist Church is located in Bulloch County, Georgia. It was organized on November 21, 1883. There were only 5 people present at the time of the organization. Brother Howard and Sister Martha Kirkland, Brother Cain Parrish, Elder Aaron Munlin and a white Brother, Elder J. L. Smith, who acted as clerk during the organizational. These few met on Thursday, before the 4th Sunday in November and constituted the church (Mt. Pisgah). The door of the church was open to accept members. On came – Brother Andy Donaldson. They chose Elder Aaron Munlin to be their pastor. These few began doing work for the master in their own way and God blessed them.”
“Elder Aaron Munlin served as pastor 18 years. He was a great man, sold as a slave, the founder of Sister, Bank Creek Primitive Baptist Church and Moderator of the Mt. Pleasant Association. He departed from this life April 11, 1911. The 2nd pastor was Elder Washington Hodges. He served 20 years. The 3rd pastor was Elder Hershel Smith who served 12 years.”
Eureka Church seen from the cemetery, 18 August 2013.
The cemetery associated with historic Eureka Church is the last remaining public landmark of The Level, a Black community near Hagan. The church collapsed circa 2018. A nice collection of vernacular memorials set Eureka Cemetery apart as a historic resource for Evans County. I am sharing random shots, including commercial markers, but focusing on the vernacular pieces.
A. J. Collin(s) (1886-1952)
I believe the name was misspelled on this memorial, as there are others buried here whose name is Collins.
Leasan Ray (1850?-29 June 1915)
Like many in this Freedmen’s congregation, Leasan Ray was likely born enslaved.
Mary Wright (1858?-25 March 1911)
The fallen marker notes that Mary Wright was aged 59 years at the time of her death.
Mary Rease (10 March 1868-27 June 1926)
This is one of the earlier commercially made memorials in the cemetery, featuring a dove.
Unfinished
This marker has no information, but was likely meant for a family.
Sarah Davis (Birth and death dates unknown)
The only information, other than the decedent’s name, notes that she was Bob Small’s sister.
Venus Bacon (2 January 1820-9 October 1889)
Venus Bacon’s marker is an early commercial form with stenciled lettering.
O. F. Kennedy (19 July 1877-15 September 1892)
The hearts were a nice addition on this handmade memorial.
Sammie Wright (23 May 1895-15 August 1958)
Mr. Wright was a Private, 52 Co, 157 Depot Brigade, World War I.
Illegible
I have tried to interpret the words on this memorial to no avail.
Unidentified
The red star likely denotes a Masonic affiliation.
York Jones (Birth date unknown-1935?)
All the Jones family memorials have a similar shape and were likely the work of the same maker. This small stone has faded badly.
Jim Jones (dates illegible)
I will try to add birth and death dates if I am able to interpret them. I believe they all may be children.
Mary Jones (1937-1938)
Like the memorial for Jim Jones, Mary Jones’s features the name in cursive.
The memorial for D. V. Richardson is perhaps the most notable work in the cemetery. It features hand lettering and an unusual symbol, seen in detail above. It appears to have something to do with carpentry or, perhaps, Masonry.
Greater Saint Mark was organized in as Saint Mark AME Church in 1886 and the present sanctuary was built in 1961, during the pastorate of Rev. W. L. Brown. An old cornerstone saved by the congregation indicates an earlier church was built in 1889, during the pastorate of Rev. M. R. Wilson.
The oldest features of Saint James are the ornate hand-carved front doors, which came from the Asbury M. E. Church. They were made by enslaved men at the Dudley Sash and Door Company.
Saint James is one of the most beautiful historic churches in Columbus. The following history (abridged), is from the church website: Saint James African Methodist Episcopal Church of Columbus, Georgia was organized in November 1863. [It is the second oldest AME church in Georgia.] In 1864, the Reverend William Gaines, an ordained Deacon and brother of Bishop J. Gaines of Charleston, SC, became the first pastor of Saint James. The property on which Saint James AME Church stands was given to the African Methodist Episcopal Church by an act of the Georgia Legislature in 1873. The present edifice, a cathedral in structure and design, was erected during the pastorate of the Reverend Wesley J. Gaines at a cost of $20,000.00. It was completed in 1876. The bell tower was built while the Reverend Larry Thomas was pastor (1886-1887). The most interesting features of the building are the center spire and twin turrets on each side of the tower built in 1886. The twin turrets are stone trimmed and have brick details on the exterior. The interior spiral stairs lead from the narthex to the balcony. A semicircular apse containing an altar and choir loft was added at a later date.
First African Baptist Church is the oldest Black congregation in Columbus. In 1840, after 11 years of worshiping with White congregants of Ephesus Baptist Church, enslaved members, along with free people of color, formed the African Baptist Church.
They first met in the former home of Ephesus Baptist, built in 1830 and vacated for a larger sanctuary. White ministers would serve the African Baptist Church until the early 1860s. In 1862, a gift to the African Baptist Church from Ephesus allowed construction of a new chapel. The first Black minister was Rev. Harry Watson.
A fire claimed the new church in the 1870s and a brick structure replaced it in 1881. The new church was located at 6th Avenue and 11th Street and the name was changed to Sixth Avenue Baptist Church. In the 1880s and 1890s, discord among members led to the formation of Metropolitan Baptist Church and Friendship Baptist Church.
The present church was built in 1915, during the pastorate of Rev. J. H. Carter. It grew from the membership of earlier and disparate congregations and was christened First African Baptist Church. In one form or another, it has served the Black community of Columbus for the better part of two centuries. The “Mother of the Blues”, Gertrude Pridgett (later known as Ma Rainey) was baptized at First African Baptist.
Union Baptist Church is a historic congregation in northeastern Ben Hill County, near the Ocmulgee River. I believe it to be a Freedmen’s church, after documenting its nearby cemetery and considering the birth dates of some of its earliest burials. Also, the association with the Dorminy’s Mill Love of Honor Lodge, which is connected to other nearby Freedmen’s congregations, is an indication of its age.
Note: This replaces a post first published in 2008.
Elim and Jones Creek are the two oldest churches in Long County, and after the Civil War, freedmen from both congregations formed their own churches. St. Thomas Missionary Baptist grew out of Jones Creek and I understand that the Greater Elem Historical Missionary Baptist Church was connected to Elim Baptist. It was established in 1873.
