Ruhamah Church

Front inscription

Ruhamah Methodist Church organized in 1822 and initially worshipped under a brush arbor. The first church, known as the Ruhamah Meeting House, was built at this site which congregants acquired in 1836. Soon after organizing, members founded a cemetery to the south. Among those buried there is Rev. William Glenn, the church’s founding minister. For a number of years this site also frequently hosted camp meetings. The original church was replaced in 1852 and again in 1874.

Reverse inscription

In Ruhamah’s early years, a nearby road connected the church and cemetery to the Savannah River at what was later known as Brown’s Ferry. The nearest S.C. town was Andersonville, located a few miles up the river. Members worshipped in the wooden 1874 structure until 1977, when it was replaced by Ruhamah’s first brick church building. Ruhamah is sited on elevated land that was spared when Lake Hartwell was built in 1961-62, inundating much of the surrounding area.