Image credit: David Seibert
This week’s #MarkerMonday highlights the Old Stone Presbyterian Church: War Time Hospital Marker in Catoosa County. Many of Georgia’s first settlers were Presbyterians, like the Scottish Highlanders, and many Presbyterian churches were established. One such church is the Chickamauga Presbyterian Church (c.1837), in present-day Ringgold in Catoosa County.
The Chickamauga Presbyterian Church was one of the first churches organized by White settlers in present-day Catoosa County. Founded by Scotch-Irish Presbyterians from Tennessee and the Carolinas in 1837, Chickamauga Presbyterian Church’s first permanent building was constructed in 1850 from sandstone from a nearby quarry at White Oak Mountain. Charter church member Robert Magi and his two brothers hauled the sandstone miles from the quarry to the present structure.
During the Civil War, Chickamauga Presbyterian Church served as a hospital for both Confederate and United States soldiers. On November 27, 1863, the Battle of Ringgold Gap occurred, when Confederates retreating from Chattanooga, Tennessee, fought against US soldiers. The US Army eventually forced the Confederates out of Ringgold to Tunnel Hill. Prior to and during the Battle of Ringgold Gap, the church served as a Civil War hospital for Confederate soldiers under the control of General Samuel H. Stout (Army of Tennessee). Following the battle, the US Army occupied Ringgold and continued to use the church as a hospital and stable.
In 1912, Chickamauga Presbyterian Church’s name was changed to Old Stone Presbyterian Church, reflecting the materials used in the church’s construction. It remained a Presbyterian church until its purchase by a Methodist congregation in 1921. Between 1921 and 1937, the church was used by Methodists and then was privately-owned for a brief time before it shifted from private hands to the descendants of the early charter members. Currently, the Old Stone Church is managed by the Catoosa Historical Society, which restored the church and established it as a Civil War Museum.
Explore the links below to learn more:
New Georgia Encyclopedia – Presbyterian Church
New Georgia Encyclopedia - Ringgold
New Georgia Encyclopedia – Confederate Hospitals
Explore Georgia – Old Stone Church Museum
GHS houses several collections related to Old Stone Presbyterian Church.
Historic Rural Churches of Georgia by Sonny Seals and George S. Hart
The Georgia Historical Quarterly has published a article relating to the Old Stone Presbyterian Church which can be accessed on JSTOR. If your library does not have access to JSTOR, you can go to www.jstor.org and create a free MyJSTOR Account.
Groce, W. Todd. “Annual Report of the Georgia Historical Society for the Year 2017.” The Georgia Historical Quarterly 102, no. 1 (2018): 83–115. http://www.jstor.org/stable/45174995.