After the American Revolution, a Protestant revival known as the Second Great Awakening swept across the nation, especially in the South. It fueled the growth of Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian congregations across Georgia. One outgrowth of this movement was the camp meeting—a cornerstone of revival culture. These special meeting grounds were established all over the state, and many remain active today. Lumpkin Camp Ground in Dawson County, established in 1830, is one of them. It began when forty men from the community each donated a dollar to purchase forty acres of land.

The first gatherings were held under a simple “brush arbor”—a shelter made from saplings and branches. The original arbor still stands today, its carved timbers and packed red clay floor sprinkled with sweet-smelling hay during meetings. Electricity is the only modern concession. In the early days, families arrived in covered wagons that doubled as their homes for the week. They brought cows for milk, coops of chickens for fresh meat, and packed hams, eggs, pies, cakes, and enough hay for the animals. August meant “lay time,” when farm chores eased and neighbors prepared for the big gathering—loading wagons with vegetables, canned goods, watermelons, bedding, and Sunday clothes.

Over time, rustic cabins called “tents” sprang up around the arbor, many still bearing the names of families who have passed them down through generations. Between the tents and the arbor is a shady grove where the trees are painted with whitewash—a tradition from the days of kerosene lanterns, when the glowing white trunks kept visitors from walking into trees at night and protected them from pests. The trees are still whitewashed each year before the meeting begins.

Worship takes place three times a day—morning, afternoon, and evening—announced by the blowing of a conch shell brought from Alabama in 1910. Between services, families share meals, visit, and reconnect. Some members have attended every year of their lives, and while younger generations may move away or join other denominations, the tradition remains strong. Today, Methodist and Baptist ministers share the pulpit, keeping the spirit of unity alive at this historic gathering place.