Miss Laura P. who gives the first review has stated it beautifully. I came to this area in search of family members from the 1750's. John Robert was the storyteller that showed me around the grounds. The museum is full of information about the struggle and how the people got here. The Georgia Salzburgers, a group of German-speaking Protestant colonists, founded the town of Ebenezer in what is now Effingham County. This settlement began in 1734. This area is the new settlement. The original is up creek and was not sustainable. The widows and orphans of this settlement operated the first silk filature (a facility for reeling silk from cocoons) in Georgia. During the tour I asked about the gristmills but none are left. By the fall of 1737 many farmsteads had been established on the bluff. In 1740 the Salzburgers, with funding from the Trustees, built the first water-driven gristmill in the Georgia colony, and they built a second in 1751. Stamping mills for rice and barley stood beside two sawmills, as Ebenezer's lumber became a valuable commodity for the Georgia colony. The church built in 1769 is beautiful. I was in awe that I was sitting in a building from the 1700's and that I walked on the stones of the original church. I took a tour in Savannah and they stated they have the oldest bell (located in one of the parks) in Georgia. Not true. Located at the Ebenezer Settlement are the two oldest church bells in Georgia . The bells were brought from Europe (1740 & 1752) and still ring today. The finger imprints of someone who helped make the bricks and the holes in the wall from the American Revolution and Civil War was a reminder how far our country has come and that the people remain strong and faithful. Church is the oldest continuous worshiping Lutheran Church in America. I walked down to the river and would have loved to have searched the banks for artifacts but it was a cold day and we did not have time to wander the grounds. The graveyard was destroyed during the American Revolution and Civil War so not all names are known or listed. There are some sticks in place of headstones. The town itself was also badly destroyed except for the church that was used as a hospital in both wars. What a wonderful experience. I have to thank Ms. Scott and Ms. Zeigler for all their help and research before coming to the area. John Robert was an excellent story teller and answered all my questions. I look forward to the day I can return to do research in the library of the Ebenezer Settlement. If in the area I recommend a visit. Here are two websites to begin your search. https://govisitebenezer.com/sites/jerusalem-lutheran-church/ https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/salzburgers/ read more

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The fortitude, drive and courage of the founders of Jeruselum Lutheran Church at Ebenezer is awe inspiring. Their fascinating story is one of survival and quest for freedom of religion that brought them to the British colony of Georgia at Savannah in 1734. Their story actually begins in 1731 when 20,000 Protestants were exiled from Salzburg, Austria by the Catholic Archbishop Leopold von Firmian. Many of these Protestants fled to Prussia, at the invitation of King Fredrick William I, and about 300 to the new British Colony of Georgia, by way of England, at the invitation of King George II. The last leg of their journey began In the cold of winter, 1733, when the first group of approximately 50 Salzburg, Austrians boarded the wooden ship, Purysburg. The Purysburg made landfall at Savannah, Georgia on March 12, 1734. Under the leadership and guidance of Reverend John Martin Boltzius and Reverend Israel Christian Gronau Jeruselum Lutheran Church was established in 1734. The physical church was built 1767-1769. This church continues today with an active congregation offering Sunday School at 9:45 and Sunday services at 11:00. Additionally, each year on the Saturday closest to the 12th of March the congregation celebrates Landing Day with Sunday service, a special meal and various activities. Some interesting facts: *The Salzburger colonist were led by General James Oglethorpe to their new settlement named Ebenezer, but was quickly abandoned when the soil was determined infertile and many succumbed to illness and death. *New Ebenezer, where Ebenezer Creek connects with the Savannah River, became their new homestead. *Jerusalem Lutheran Church is located near the banks of the Savannah River about 30 miles above Savannah. *Jerusalem Lutheran Church is the oldest continual worshipping Lutheran Church in America. *Salzburgers and Clergymen Johann Martin Boltzius and Israel Christian Gronau lead the settlers and congregation until his death in 1765. They are buried in the church cemetary. *The first Sunday school in Georgia was held at Jerusalem Lutheran Church in 1734. *The church's handpacked clay bricks were constructed from nearby soil 1767-1769. Fingerprints are noticeable in some of the bricks. *The walls of the church are 21 inches thick. *Some window glass panes are original. *The bells were brought from Europe, dating 1749 & 1752, and are still in use today. *The congregation of this church was originally formed at St. Anna's Lutheran Church in Augsburg, Germany, in 1733, just prior to the Salzburgers journey. read more

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