South Carolina Travel Guides

About half-an-hour north of Beaufort, there’s a place in the woods which has become one of the low country’s favorite secrets. The ruins of the Old Sheldon Church are found down a tiny road, in a forest of towering oaks draped in Spanish moss.

The Prince William’s Parish Church was originally built around 1750, but was burnt down by the British during the Revolution. It was rebuilt in in 1826, and once again met a violent death during the Civil War, finding itself in the thoughtlessly destructive path of General Sherman. Since then, it’s been left to ruin.

But what ruins they are! Somehow, huge bricked walls with intact archways have defied gravity and stand up tall, while a number of columns sprout from the ground as though in competition with the oaks. Scattered around the site are a number of graves, some too worn to read, some mostly sunk into the ground. Within the church sits the tombstone of William Bull, who was of great assistance to Oglethorpe in the layout and development of Savannah, and is whom Bull Street is named after.

For immediately apparent reasons, Old Sheldon Church is a popular place for wedding portraits. If you find yourself anywhere in the area, and it’s a sunny day, make the trip over. It’s an unforgettable scene.

Location on our Day Trip Map

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All for Jesus The Story of a Faithful Woman Who for Jesus’ Sake Followed the Salzburgers to Ebenezer Georgia

A striking whethered gray memorial stone in Emmet Park pays tribute to a group of Lutherans from Salzburg who came to Georgia to escape religious persecution. Oglethorpe welcomed them with open arms, and suggested they settle a town along a river, about 25 miles north of the new colony’s capital. And Ebenzer was born.

Although we knew nothing about Ebenezer other than the text on the memorial, we decided to stop there during a recent day trip. Ebenezer is difficult to find, barely on the map, and we kind of doubted we’d find anything there. A “Dead End” sign greeted us as we turned onto Ebenezer Road; not very encouraging, but we discovered some signs of life at its end.

Stepping out of the car, we were swept into the arms of Ebenezer’s welcoming committee. An older man greeted us and led us around what’s left: a museum dedicated to the Salzburg Lutherans, the Jerusalem Salzburg Church built in 1769 and still in remarkable condition, and an original cabin filled with colonial artifacts of German and Austrian design.

Ebenezer doesn’t really exist anymore. But at its inception, the Lutheran community had been immediately successful. The town served briefly as the capital of Georgia, and was the home of a state governor. But the war with the British devastated Ebenezer, and it never recovered. In 1855, it was abandoned for good and the remaining residents were incorporated into the nearby city of Rincon.

This history was fascinating, as was seeing the original cabin and stepping inside the ancient church. We had a great time talking to our guide, his son, and another man who’s lived and worshiped there his whole life. Before Juergen had said more than two words, they had him pegged as German, making him flush and me laugh. We spent probably an hour chatting with them, and only reluctantly said goodbye to get back on the road home.

Super nice people, and our visit to Ebenezer was a lot more fun than we had figured it would be. On the way back into Savannah, I reflected on how diverse and interesting our country really is. An abandoned, historic town in the middle of the Georgia backwoods, founded by persecuted Austrians. Crazy.

Official Website: Georgia Salzburger Society

Location on our Day Trip Map

- Most Insane Festival we went (do check out the links – it’s incredible)

Get your own Armillary Sphere

“What the heck is that thing?!” This might be the phrase most commonly heard in Troup Square, on Habersham Street.

It’s an Armillary Sphere: a model used to track celestial orbits, invented by the Greeks and in use up until the invention of the telescope in the 17th century. The sphere an odd choice for the middle of a square in Savannah, a city which wasn’t even founded until such celestial instruments were obsolete, but it’s pretty cool. Hey, you know where else you can find an Armillary Sphere? Portugal’s flag. No lie.

“What the heck is that thing?!” Of course, other people who utter this phrase in Troup Square might be referring to the doggie drinking fountain, which was moved here from its original location in Forsyth Park. It doesn’t even bother to have spouts for humans, and is the reason some residents refer to this area as “Dog Bone Square”.

Yet another oddity about Troup Square is that it’s the birthplace of Jingle Bells. You know that song, the one that goes, “Dashing through mildly pleasant winters, in a picturesque Victorian district, round the squares we go, drinking from plastic cups all the way”. The Unitarian Universalist Church, on the square’s west side is where James Pierpoint, the brother of the church’s reverend, wrote the famous song. Why he was inspired to write a sleighing song as he gazed out onto snow-less Troup Square is anyone’s guess.

Troup Square is one of Savannah‘s smaller squares, and one of the more recently built, in 1851. It was named after George Troup, the Georgian governor, who received the honor while he was still alive.

Location on our Savannah Map

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