The Lincolnton Presbyterian Church, originally known as Union Presbyterian Church, was built circa 1823. The front of the building was extended to incorporate a foyer in the 20th century, and the steeple is also a later addition.
Colonel Peter Lamar gave a three acre tract to commissioners Rem Remson and John M. Dooly to be used for a public or private school, a church, or other public use. A cemetery, dating to at least 1834, is located on the site of the original Lincolnton Academy next door to the church.
The church was originally a union church, meaning it served different faiths. In addition to the Union Presbyterian congregation, the Baptists and Methodists met here until 1876 and 1915 respectively, when they built their own houses of worship.
Pleasant Primitive Baptist Church [originally known simply as Pleasant Church] is the oldest congregation in present-day Berrien County. It was constituted on 27 June 1835 with charter members James Connell, Sarah Connell, Jeremiah Shaw, James Price, Resby Wilson, George Harnage, Anna Harnage, and Logan Sanders. E. J. Williams served as the first clerk and Elder Nelson Thigpen was the first pastor. The name “Pleasant” seems most appropriate as it’s located in one of the most scenic and beautiful areas of the county. Though the present structure is not original, some of the original timbers remain inside the framework.
Rules of Decorum for the church were fairly typical of the era. Some might seem unusual today: Rule 1: Church meeting or conferences shall be constantly and duly attended by every member, more especially the males to whom government more particularly belongs...Rule 10: No member shall whisper, talk or read in the time of a public speaking, but give due attention. John P. Webb, Sr., who compiled a historical sketch of the congregation in 1956, noted: This church carries on the customs of old with footwashing and communion once a year with wine from the vineyard prepared by the deacons and using unleavened bread prepared by the wives of the deacons…At Pleasant Church, the pastor sometimes lines out the songs, a practice that started when there were not enough song books. A member still will heist a tune to which the song is to be sung (books do not have musical notes)…
This historic church, once known as Evergreen, is located at the Wilkinson-Laurens County line. According to Victor Davidson’s History of Wilkinson County, Mt. Olive Primitive Baptist Church was organized May 25, 1837, by William Payne, a minister, and his wife Sarah, Benjamin Fordham, Nathaniel Cannon, Miles Cannon and his wife Nancy Isler Cannon, John Holliman and his wife Prudence Hooks Holliman, Anna Burkhalts and Martha Payne, all former members of Big Sandy Church. The land was given to the church by Nathaniel Cannon, Revolutionary War veteran.
The Vilulah Cemetery has a nice selection of Victorian monuments. I’m sharing a few random examples.
James N. Bigbie (17 October 1826-25 June 1905)
James Bigbie was one of the founders of Vilulah, and served on the committee which chose the community’s unusual name. He lost an arm during service in the Mexican-American War.
J. E. Bigbie (4 February 1852-31 January 1891)
J. E. was the son of James N. and Louisa Jane Grant Bigbie. This stone was broken at one point and repaired with different material. The open hymnal is a variation on the more commonly seen open or closed Bible.
Ara Adna J. McClendon Bigbie (5 August 1860-27 November 1889)
The weeping willow is a well-loved Victorian cemetery icon, usually signifying sorrow and sadness.
Lilla Bigbie (9 December 1886-9 December 1886)
A lamb symbolizes the purity and innocence of youth and is pervasive in Victorian cemeteries, as infant and childhood deaths were quite common.
Elsie Lee Dawson (2 April 1891-15 April 1891)
The dove is among the most enduring Victorian cemetery symbols, and is said to be carrying the soul of the departed to Heaven when flying. In this case, it marks the passing of the infant daughter of J. J. and M. L. Dawson.
Frances S. Fuller (6 May 1807-19 March 1901)
I’ve not been able to identify this symbol. Dan Fogelson suggests…it might be peacock feathers…used to symbolize the resurrection and eternal life (male peacock grows new and more beautiful feathers year after year).
Mrs. E. R. S. Gilmer (7 August 1816-21 July 1916)
Mrs. Gilmer died just a few weeks before her 100th birthday. I’ve been unable to locate a first name for her but she was undoubtedly a beloved member of the Vilulah community.
Robert Edward Lee Ingram (birth and death dates unknown)
I believe this grave marking to be a memorial for the infant son of Robert Edward Lee Ingram (19 October 1865-22 September 1891), whose more formal headstone is located adjacent to this plot. The field stones were likely gathered nearby. The elder Ingram himself died at the age of 25, so I would guess this child was born and died sometime between 1885-1890.
Narcissus Elizabeth Dixon Spooner (4 March 1828-6 August 1911), Primitive Union Cemetery
These austere Victorian memorials stand in stark contrast to the whimsical memorial for Kenn Blankenship, located a few lots away in Primitive Union Cemetery. They’re among the finest of their type in South Georgia. They sit atop pedestals and are life size; with the pedestals, they’re at least 8 feet in height. Mrs. Spooner holds her Bible, and Mr. Spooner wears a Masonic symbol near his waist.
Stephen Morrow Spooner (1 May 1823-14 October 1901), Primitive Union Cemetery
The Spooners were pioneers of the area and, obviously, very prominent citizens. The memorial for their son, Joseph James Spooner, at Olive Grove Cemetery in nearby Seminole County, is also among the finest in the region. [I’ll update with a view of Mr. and Mrs. Spooner in perspective as soon as possible].
Olive Grove is one of the oldest congregations in Seminole County, dating to 1842. It was originally known as Rock Pond. Its large cemetery is filled with a number of fine Victorian monuments, perhaps the finest in Seminole County.
The white marble angel in Olive Grove Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery marking the grave of Joseph James Spooner (19 July 1848-31 March 1929) and his first wife, Mary Jane Lane Spooner (2 March 1850-2 December 1914), is one of the finest examples of Victorian funerary art in rural Georgia. Mr. Spooner’s parents’ memorials in Union Primitive Baptist (aka Primitive Union Cemetery) in Miller County are also landmarks of statuary. [I’ll be sharing photos of them soon].
Olive Grove Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery
My presumption is that the angel was placed in 1914, after Mary Spooner’s death, to signify Mr. Spooner’s profound sadness over her loss. The monument is life-sized and makes quite the statement.
Cemeteries often hold mysteries, and there’s a good one in the Whitaker Hill-Harrison Cemetery, the final resting place of a woman who is said to have been a veteran of the Revolutionary War, Sibbiah Earl Blair. Sibbiah [also referenced as Sabbiah in some sources] Earl was the daughter of John Earl, who came to Screven County, Georgia, from North Carolina in 1760. She married William Blair (c.1740-c.1780) of Queensborough [now Louisville] at Jerusalem Church at Ebenezer, Effingham County, on 26 October 1771. Blair migrated to the Georgia colony with his father, James Blair, from Northern Ireland, circa 1770, and served with the Liberty Boys of St. George’s Parish [now Burke, Jefferson, and part of Screven County] as a Revolutionary soldier. William and Sibbiah had five children, Jane, William, Henry, Mary, and Martha. William died before the end of the war, whether in service or of other causes is not evident. He is believed to be buried at Whitaker Hill-Harrison Cemetery, but there is no marker, and considering that he died at Queensborough, he may have been moved from that location at some point.
The Whitaker Hill-Harrison Cemetery is located on the historic Post Road at the Brantley-Glynn county line, in an area identified on maps today as Popwellville. This was located in Wayne County until 1920, when Brantley County was created. There are no Whitakers to be found in this cemetery, so I’m presuming Whitaker Hill was an early plantation or place name.
The Blairs’ daughter Jane is the connection to this cemetery and to this section of Georgia, as she married Robert Stafford (1765-1829), also a Revolutionary soldier. Stafford most likely came to this area through land granted him for Revolutionary service. Birth and death dates for Jane Blair Stafford have not been confirmed, but she died after 1838. Other than the marker related to Sibbiah Blair and the Stafford markers, all other known burials date to the 20th and 21st centuries. [Note: The marker for Robert Stafford seems to be missing from the cemetery; there’s a photograph of it on Findagrave, but I couldn’t locate it].
Another mystery remains for me. The grave markers for Sibbiah Earl Blair and Jane Blair Stafford were placed by the Brunswick Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in the early 20th century. For such a memorial, the DAR would have vetted the service records and genealogy. My presumption is that they concluded that Sibbiah Earl Blair assisted in the war effort in Screven County, after William’s death in 1780. Sibbiah must have moved to Wayne County to live with or near her daughter Jane.
Thanks to Cynthia Jennings for sharing some of the background information.
Located between the Altamaha River and Mount Pleasant, Union Baptist Church is among the oldest congregations in Wayne County. The churchyard and cemetery are beautifully maintained.
I’m always looking for places associated with my Browning ancestors, and while I’m not the best genealogist, much of my family history has already been traced by others. I came across this historic cemetery by accident, but was amazed to find many of the Browning family represented here. While the majority of headstones are formal, these sandstone/limestone versions are rare and wonderful examples of vernacular funerary art. Their biggest enemy is time and weather, as the names are beginning to vanish.
Silas Browning (19 January 1819-19 December 1888)
Silas was the son of George Browning and was married to Sara Wolfe. They had six daughters and one son.
Teresa Jane Lowery Gay (25 October 1820-15 April 1885)
The headstone is unique in shape in comparison with the other examples in the cemetery.
Sallie Reddin (July 1880-?)
There are spelling errors on some of the headstones, as is common with vernacular examples, and Sallie Reddin could have been Sallie Redding. That’s just a guess. Her death date is not present, but since these stones all date to the 1880s, it’s safe to presume Sallie died as a young child.
Unknown Browning
I can read the word “Browning” on this stone, but all the other details have nearly vanished.
Caroline Vaughn Browning (13 April 1823-9 April 1887)
This stone features a primitive illustration, unique in the cemetery.
Unknown Browning, possibly Sissy (2? September 18??-?? September 188?)
This stone may be readable to some. I believe I can see the word “Sissy”, but the birth and death dates are very difficult to ascertain.
Mathew Cadwell (14 December 1858-3 August 1886)
I’ve included this stone for its curiosity. It isn’t related to the vernacular stones but tells a sad story. It states that young Mr. Cadwell was “Killed By Lighting with His Horse Under Him”.
