Located in southeast Georgia, sleepy St Marys is best known for their waterfront and being the ‘gateway’ to Cumberland Island.
However, this picturesque Navy town has a gorgeous Historic District as well. Nestled on palm-tree lined Conyers Street are two historic churches.
St Marys Methodist Church was established around 1799, making it St Marys oldest congregation. John Garvin was the church’s first pastor; however, missionary George Clark shared the gospel with residents starting in 1792. The present building, which has been renovated several times, was built before the Civil War. During the war, the building was utilized by northern troops as a Quartermaster’s Department. The church was given a deed to the land in 1878. Since it was founded, over 105 pastors have led services at this historic church; Roy White is the current pastor.
Located a block away from the Methodist Church is the stunning First Presbyterian Church. Build in 1808, it served as a meeting place for those in St Marys and the surrounding area. In 1822, Horace Southworth Pratt became the church’s first ordained pastor. In 1828, the church was known as the Independent Methodist Church, but it was changed to the current name in 1832. The church is currently headed by Pastor Rick Douylliez.
Both churches still have services every week, and welcome visitors. If you’re ever in my coastal town, be sure and check out the churches and the other beautiful buildings in the Historic District.
TammysTravelTales 
Love small towns with a lot of history 🙂 will definitely look into stopping here on our next road trip down to Florida!
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Great post, I had fun reading about St. Mary, it looks like a beautiful little town. Would love to visit, sadly live in Europe. But thanks to your post I visited in a way. 🙂
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Lovely old fashioned area
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The place is very soothing and peaceful. I love such places.
Xoxo,
Style weds Fashion
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I really like the environment the church is in, so peaceful and quiet.
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It looks so quaint. I was meant to be going to Georgia in May but unlikely the trip will go ahead. Hopefully I’ll get to reschedule for later in the year.
https://serialjetsetter.com/
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The church looks so quaint and just like something you’d see in the movies!
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I love this! Makes me miss Georgia so much! ❤️
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How fascinating! What a great little history story. After all everything in the world is history! Lovely read and educational. Thank you.
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Looks lovely, not unlike some of the towns and churches we have in NZ 🙂
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So pretty. What is funny I lived in Georgia for 3 years and never made it past Atlanta. Wish we could have explored more while we were there.
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I love all of the great architecture in Georgia. Your photos bring back memories of strolling through similar streets. Really pretty.
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Sounds like such a lovely little town!!
Linda || http://www.linda-roche.com
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Great pictures! I love Coastal Georgia!
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Sounds like a lovely small town with a lot of history!
-Hillary
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Small towns communities always have so much to offer! St. Mary looks absolutely breathtaking. Thanks for sharing!
With love,
Ashley | Girl Way Up North
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Beautiful! It looks like something from Little House On The Prairie!
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I love the small town churches. They have so much history and are simply beautiful.
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It’s always fun to get a glimpse back in time and imagine how people used to live. It’s amazing that this church is still in use!
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Wow, it looks so pretty! The church looks beautiful – thanks for sharing 🙂
Stay safe,
Sophie | Love and Literature
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So beautiful, would love to visit!
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Hi Tammy! I love Georgia! We were stationed in GA when my kids were little. My oldest is actually relocating to Georgia this summer for his job. I’m not familiar with Saint Marys so I really enjoyed reading about it!
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I love beautiful towns. I met several friends who are from Georgia. So beautiful with rich history and pretty southern architecture. I hope i can visit someday.
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Thanks for sharing, looks a lovely place to visit 🙂
Nic | Nic’s Adventures & Bakes
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