Ebenezer, Georgia, Effingham County
Ebenezer, located in Effingham County, Georgia, is a fascinating ghost town that once thrived as a settlement of Protestant Salzburgers in the 18th century. Below is detailed information about the town.
County: Effingham
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 32.3840° N, 81.2526° W
Elevation: Approximately 69 feet (21 meters)
Time Zone: Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Established: 1734
Disestablished: Gradually abandoned by the Civil War era
Comments: Ebenezer was initially settled by Protestant Salzburgers fleeing religious persecution in Europe. The British colonial government of Georgia granted them land. The town became notable for its successful agriculture, particularly rice cultivation, and its cultural contributions, including establishing the first orphanage in Georgia.
Ebenezer, also known as New Ebenezer, is a ghost town in Effingham County, Georgia, United States, along the banks of Ebenezer Creek. In 1974, it was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as Ebenezer Townsite and Jerusalem Lutheran Church.
Remains: The most significant remains include the Jerusalem Lutheran Church, one of the oldest churches in Georgia, which is still in use. Additionally, there are remnants of the original town layout and some archaeological sites that have been studied to understand the early settler lifestyle.
The town was established in 1734 by about 150 Salzburger emigrants, Protestant refugees who had been expelled from the Catholic Archbishopric of Salzburg (in present-day Austria) by a 1731 edict of Prince-archbishop Count Leopold Anton von Firmian. With the consent of Governor James Oglethorpe, New Ebenezer was moved closer to the Savannah River in 1736, and at its new location, many silk mills were opened.
The Salzburgers’ pastor, the Reverend Johann Martin Boltzius, sought to build “a religious utopia on the Georgia frontier.” That idea was very successful for a time, and the economy thrived. Jerusalem Lutheran Church, completed in 1769, is the fourth-oldest building in Georgia.
Current Status: Ebenezer is considered a historic site, with several markers and preserved areas maintained for educational and heritage purposes. The town itself no longer exists as a functioning community.
The Ebenezer Townsite and Jerusalem Lutheran Church were listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 4, 1974. The New Ebenezer Camp, established in 1977, is located in former Ebenezer. In 1987, the LAMAR Institute began an archaeological study of Ebenezer. Several reports from its researchers are available online at the institute’s website.
Remarks: Ebenezer’s history provides a unique glimpse into the lives of early European settlers in America. It is a tribute to the resilience and faith of the Salzburgers, whose legacy continues through the historic preservation of their church and the stories passed down through generations.
The site attracts historians and visitors interested in Georgia’s colonial past and the cultural impact of its early settlers. The town was severely damaged after the British invasion of 1778 during the American Revolutionary War.
It never fully recovered, although it briefly served as the capital of Georgia in 1782. It was made the county seat of Effingham County in 1797, but two years later, the seat was transferred to Springfield, taking much county business with it.
When Ebenezer was abandoned in 1855, the town covered only 1/4 square miles. The Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church is one of the few buildings that has survived in Ebenezer and is believed to have the oldest continuing congregation in the state.
