First Presbyterian Church, St. Mary's.
One of the prettiest and most historic little towns in Georgia is St. Mary's, in the extreme southeast corner of the state. It is also the oldest. Although it was officially founded in 1787, it had originally been settled by the Spanish in 1566—just one year after the founding of St. Augustine, Florida. That would make St. Mary's the second oldest continuously inhabited city in these United States.
A
picture-perfect piece of architecture dating from 1808, the St. Mary's church is one of the oldest Presbyterian church buildings in Georgia. The church was
non-denominational until a young Presbyterian missionary named Horace
Pratt came from New Jersey to St. Mary's in 1821. Through his influence,
the church was incorporated as the First Presbyterian Church of St.
Mary's in 1828 and remains in active service to this day. 
Orange Hall is now a house museum.
Across
the street from the church is Orange Hall. Built circa 1830 in the
Doric temple style of Greek Revival architecture, some consider it to be
the first, and certainly one the finest, examples of the style in
the antebellum South. It was built for Rev. Pratt by his wife's family
and named for the orange trees that grew around it. Orange Hall is now a
house museum open for tours
The General John Floyd House.
Also
built in 1830 is the General John Floyd House. A Brigadier General in
the Georgia Militia, he served in the War of 1812 and in the Creek
Indian Wars of 1813-1815. He later served in the Georgia House of
Representatives.
The Archibald
Clarke House,
1801/02.
Probably the oldest surviving house in St. Mary's. Legend has it that Aaron Burr was given refuge here by General Archibald Clarke in 1804 as he was fleeing to avoid arrest after killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel. The house has been extensively renovated by its current owner.
The Stotesbury Johnson House is now a private home.
One of the most charming old buildings in St. Mary's is the Stotesbury-Johnson House, at the corner of Osborne and Bryant Streets. Built in 1821, it was until recently the Blue Goose Wine and Coffee Shoppe.
There are many, many things to see and do in the St. Mary's area. Pick up a walking tour brochure at the Welcome Center and see for yourself. Also, the St. Mary's Riverfront is a very interesting place and is the departure point for the ferry to the Cumberland Island National Seashore.
And while you are in the area, stop at St. Mary's Seafood & More at 1837 Osborne Road/GA 40 and enjoy some great shrimp. I recommend it highly
This post was adapted from my book Backroads and Byways of Georgia.
About the photos: The Presbyterian church, Orange Hall, the General John Floyd House, and the Archibald Clarke House were photographed with a Canon EOS 6D digital camera and the Canon 28-105mm EF lens. For the Stotesbury-Johnson House, I used an Olympus E-M5 digital camera fitted with the Panasonic Lumix Vario-G 14-140mm lens.
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Photography and text copyright 2016-2025 David B.Jenkins.
I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.
Soli Gloria Deo -- For the glory of God alone.
Tags: photography digital photography Canon EOS 6D digital camera Canon 28-105mm EF lens Panasonic Lumix Vario G 14-140mm lens travel photography St. Mary's, Georgia antebellum buildings in Georgia Olympus E-M5 digital camera
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