First Presbyterian Ordination In Georgia

First Presbyterian Ordination In Georgia is a Georgia historical marker in Wilkes County, dedicated 1958.

Located on Poplar Drive (Georgia Route 17) in Washington.

Get directions ↗Start a road trip Historical trails

In the shade of a giant poplar tree which stood 200 feet East of this spot, on the 22nd of July, 1790, the Rev. John Springer was ordained to the Presbyterian ministry and installed Pastor of Smyrna, Providence and Washington churches. This was the first Presbyterian ordination held in Georgia. A Commission from the Presbytery of South Carolina conducted the service, with the Rev. Robert Hall preaching the ordination sermon and the Rev. Francis Cummins presiding and giving the charge. The tree, always afterward known as The Presbyterian Poplar, stood for more than 150 years after the ordination.

Maps this old were drawn largely by eye, so places on them can sit miles from where they really are. The pin is ours and marks the marker's location today.

TodayHistorical map

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Historical maps covering this location

1794 · Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1795 · State of South Carolina. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1816 · Georgia. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1816 · Georgia (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1824 · Georgia. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, 1794, covering the location of First Presbyterian Ordination In Georgia, with a pin at the marker's coordinates — Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, 1794, covering this location. David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries. The pin is ours, placed from the marker's coordinates.

Example

For example, one family's tree showed the Articles of Confederation marker in Pennsylvania standing under a mile from where William Gabby lived in the 1760s.

What that marker records spans 1777 to 1789, overlapping William Gabby's years there.

From one family's 77-marker roster

Upload your family tree and TreeAlive finds the markers near where your own ancestors lived.

See your family's markers

Start with a tree file, a FamilySearch sign in, or a WikiTree ID.

Report a problem with this page

The marker isn't at this spotOur pin may be off. If you know where it stands, tell us.I couldn't find the markerWe record what the source recorded. We have not been to look.The sign reads differentlyThat would be an error, and we can pass it to the program.The historical map looks wrongThe period map behind the pin, not the marker itself.Something else

We may pass what you report to the state's marker program. Please don't include personal details.

This historical marker is part of the Georgia Historical Marker Program and was erected by the Georgia Historical Commission. Marker texts and locations come from the Society's own marker database.

More markers nearby

Gilbert-Alexander Houseunder 1 mi
Home of Robert Toombsunder 1 mi
Historic Dugas Homeunder 1 mi
Washington-Wilkes Historical Museumunder 1 mi