Ebenezer

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was established in 1734 by 150 Salzburger Protestants who had been expelled from Salzburg by edict. Ebenezer was moved closer to the Savannah River in 1736, and at its new location many silk mills were opened.

Ebenezer was a known haven for religious refugees, such as the Moravians. This came out of a dream of Reverend Johann Martin Boltzius, to build "a religious utopia on the Georgia frontier". That idea was very successful, and the economy thrived.

However, after the British Invasion of 1778, the town became mostly ruins. The county seat of Effingham County, which Ebenezer has held since 1797, was moved in 1799 to Springfield. Some hope for the town was left, however, as it served as the capital of Georgia in 1782, but the population declined. By the time Ebenezer was abandoned in 1855, the town covered only 1/4 square miles. The Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church is one of the only buildings left in Ebenezer.