Pulaski County Georgia History

Wesley Chapel was organized more than one hundred years ago (no record of exact date available). It is situated near the line of Pulaski and Dooly Counties. The first building was of logs, cut and hewn out by those and others who organized and constituted the first church. A number of years ago the old log building had served its day and generation and had to be torn down to make room for a new building. It also was built of logs. Later it, too, gave place to a new frame building which the congregation now occupies. This historic church … Read more

Until 1821 the Ocmulgee River had been the western boundary of the State of Georgia as well as the boundary of Pulaski County. There were no white settlements west of the Ocmulgee prior to this date, because the territory between the Ocmulgee and Flint Rivers belonged to the Lower Creek Indians and was used by them as hunting grounds. On January 8, 1821, a treaty was made between the whites and Indians at Indian Springs which opened this section to white settlers. The new territory attracted home seekers and enterprising planters. At once the South Carolina Conference took cognizance of … Read more

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church was erected in 1871. Before that time the church had very few members here. Dr. and Mrs. Golding came to Hawkinsville in January 1862. Mrs. Golding wrote Rev. H. K. Rees, rector of Christ Church in Macon, informing him that several young people here were interested in the church, and suggested that he come and hold services. He accepted the invitation, came and held services at the Methodist Church and baptized a class consisting of Dr. C. H. Golding, Mr. F. H. Bozeman, and Mr. Thomas Carruthers. This was the first Episcopal service ever held in … Read more

For many years Old Adam Meeting House was the only religious structure on the old River Road or in the Lampkin settlement. In fact, after leaving Hawkinsville, prior to the year 1800, and for nearly three-score years in the nineteenth century, Old Adam Meeting House was the only place of worship situated on the east side of the Ocmulgee River, south. This church was located about eleven miles from Hawkinsville on the lower River Road just below Mosquito Creek. At this time James L. Lampkin owned all the land in that vicinity, and the church site was donated by him. … Read more

Friendship Baptist Church, of Pulaski County, Georgia, was organized May 6, 1843. This church was constituted at the home of Mr. Reubin E. Reynolds I who was born in 1795 and died in 1872) and wife, Winnie Cutts Reynolds, and his daughter, Cynthia Reynolds (who later became the wife of John Wesley Turner). The ministers constituting the presbytery were: Berry Hobbs and Joseph Ross. The charter members were: Benjamin Franklin Adams, William Ridley, Jesse Grantham, Reubin E. Reynolds, Martha Adams, Nancy Ridley, and Winnie Cutts Reynolds. Services were held in the Reynolds home until the first Friendship Church was built, … Read more

Nineteen twenty-five marked the hundredth anniversary of the Methodist Church’s work in Hawkinsville. The people called Methodists are connected with the very beginning of our city. It was in 1821 that the Georgia legislature authorized two Methodist laymen to erect a ferry line across the Ocmulgee River from land they owned in Hartford to the present site of Hawkinsville. It was a Methodist merchant that opened the first store inside the present city’s incorporate limits. It was a Methodist minister that first came as a regular preacher to Hawkinsville. The First Methodist Church congregation was the first Christian church to … Read more

The First Baptist Church of Hawkinsville was organized January 3. 1830, in Old Hartford, when the present site of Hawkinsville was little, more than a wilderness. The presbytery consisted of Rev. Wilson Conner, Rev. Job Thigpen, and Rev. Levi Bush. The following were the charter members: Joseph Hough, Edward Hough, Wright Lancaster, Furney F. Gatlin, Elizabeth McCreary, Lucinda Holliman, and a slave by the name of Berryman belonging to William Jelks. For two years or more the church held its services in the Hartford courthouse, the courthouse not being moved to Hawkinsville until 1837. It is interesting to note that … Read more

While a young and small church, having been organized September 29, 1917, it has made history in its growth along all departments of its various activities. It has a membership of thirty-seven, maintains a Sunday School and Woman’s Missionary Society, each organization functioning in a fine way. The following have served as pastors since its organization : Rev. Charlie Wall, M. M. Pearce, W. B. Cheshire, W. E. Hightower, J. G. Harden, J. A. Sconyers, S. W. Sisk, C. B. G. Johnson, S. K. Chandler, T. E. Pickens, A. C. Outler, James F. Jackson, and C. B. Ware, the present … Read more

Antioch Baptist Church was organized August 10, 1893. Rev. R. Bullington preached the organization sermon. The group entered into a conference and elected A. C. Fulghum clerk. The charter members were: Sarah Foster, W. J. Pirkle and wife, J. T. Stephens, Catherine Stephens, J. L. Stephens and wife, B. F. Bracewell, H. D. Vaughn, A. C. Fulghum and wife. Fellowship was the name given the church. After a few years some became dissatisfied with the name and it was changed to Antioch. The services were held under an arbor for three or four years before a house was erected. In … Read more

Before writing anything concerning Adriel Church we will first tell the reason it came into existence. Mount Horeb Church was established October 15, 1809, by some of the earliest Baptist settlers of Pulaski County. It was on February 14, 1844, that Brother Joe Burkhalter nailed and locked up the doors of historic old Mount Horeb Church to prevent the entrance of the members of that church who adopted missionary sentiments. Mount Horeb was then located near the present site of Centenary Methodist Church. Mr. Burkhalter was perhaps a deacon of Mount Horeb. He feared the religious innovations of the times … Read more