St. Stephens Episcopal Church - Milledgeville, Georgia

St. Stephens Episcopal Church

Built in 1843, Milledgeville's historic St. Stephens Episcopal Church is a unique landmark of General William Tecumseh Sherman's devastating March to the Sea.

A prominent feature of Statehouse Square, St. Stephens was built in the days when Milledgeville was still the capital city of Georgia. The church stands almost in the shadow of the state's beautiful Old Capitol building and its walls once sheltered the worship of some of Georgia's most prominent citizens.

Episcopal churches in the South were major centers of secession sentiment during the years leading up to the Civil War. From the highest level down to the parish churches, Episcopalians heard strong messages from their leaders urging them to support Southern independence.

A Survivor of the March to the Sea

For this reason, Northern troops often desecrated Episcopal churches as they marched through the Southern states. This was the case at St. Stephens.

As Sherman's troops marched into Milledgeville on November 11, 1864, they quickly took note of St. Stephens Church. The pews were burned for firewood. The sanctuary was used as a stable for horses. Molasses was even poured down the pipes of the organ. The greatest damage, however, came as the Federals marched out of Savannah to continue their March to the Sea. The Confederate armories were set fire and a massive explosion caused by the combination of fire and munitions rocked Statehouse Square. The roof of the church was demolished by the blast.

Like most other Southern churches, however, St. Stephens Episcopal Church survived the war, rebuilt the roof in a new style, and remains active today.

To learn more about this historic Georgia church, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ststephens.

Stone Mountain, Georgia - History Written in Granite

Stone Mountain Park on the outskirts of Atlanta is home to one of Georgia's most unique historic sites.

Once thought to be the largest such granite outcrop in the world, Stone Mountain has witnessed the passage of thousands of years of Georgia history. Ancient Native Americans, for example, built mysterious stone walls atop the mountain. The purpose of these walls, which do not seem to have been designed as fortifications, is not clear, although most researchers now speculate they were ceremonial in nature. No trace of them remains today.

During the Civil War, the mountain was a key stop on Sherman's March to the Sea. Numerous soldiers describe stopping to admire the view of the impressive mountain of stone, even as they torched local barns and took every scrap of food they could find, leaving hard-working Georgia families to starve.

In later years, the mountain provided a source for granite during the construction boom that followed the Reconstruction years. Stone Mountain granite can be found in public structures and monuments across the South. The term "As Solid as Stone Mountain" became symbolic of the spirit of the New South.

The face of the mountain now displays the world's largest bas-relief carving. The figures of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson ride on horseback across the face of the mountain, frozen in time.

Stone Mountain Park is a popular tourist destination. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/stonemountain.