Ezekiel Congregational Methodist (Ware County, Ga.)

Located in Ware County, Ezekiel Congregational Methodist was built in 1899 by Manning Thigpen and named for his son Ezekiel who died when he was twelve. According to a 1968 newspaper article, Ezekiel is buried in Kettle Creek Cemetery and rests between his mother and father. Much information about the church came from this source as well as a more recent article about the church history written in 2003. The little church was located in a very rural area in the pre-World War I day—before US No. 1—and once had a one room schoolhouse located beside it. The little church in the wildwood, along with the school, served the community that became Pebble Hill. Before the church was built, this area was popular for caravans of wagons headed for St. Marys for salt water, which they evaporated to produce salt. The salt was essential for preserving freshly killed meats and cooking. The church here was likely the sister church of the Old Ruskin Church, which is also in Ware County. The only meaningful differences in the churches is that Old Ruskin has been well cared for and Ezekiel is just about gone. This is especially tragic when the article mentions that the church was renovated in the late 1960's "for a few hundred dollars."