Ramah Primitive Baptist Church, located on the South Fork of Commissioner’s Creek near Gordon, is one of Georgia’s oldest rural congregations. It was constituted on June 10, 1809, by Brethren Gaylord and McGinty with just ten members. In its early years, the church was the center of community life—educational, social, and cultural activities all revolved around this sanctuary long before the town of Gordon was established.

The present building, completed in 1861, has borne witness to some of Georgia’s most turbulent times. Construction was overseen by John McArthur, Thomas R. Whitaker, William Ryle, W. M. Whitehurst, and J. W. Branan. During Sherman’s March in 1864, Union troops encamped at Ramah, breaking the locks and using the sanctuary as officers’ headquarters. Much of the church’s equipment was taken, and legend holds that Sherman himself fired a shot through the front door before leaving. That scarred door was carefully preserved during later renovations.

The grounds also tell stories of war and memory. From here, the Ramah Guards—a Confederate volunteer infantry company—departed for Virginia after an emotional ceremony and flag presentation. In the cemetery, newer graves lie to the left of the church, including that of Jim Williams (of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil fame), while older burials to the right include many Sanders family members and ancestors of current congregants. At the rear, unmarked graves are believed to hold enslaved people tied to local plantations.

Generations of the Sanders family shaped Ramah’s history. Rev. Robert Thomas Sanders served as pastor until his death in 1974, and his daughter Alma Jean Sanders Hubbard recalled childhood memories of walking wooded paths to the old outhouse before modern restrooms were finally installed.

In 1955, the Georgia Historical Commission placed a marker in front of the church, recognizing Ramah as a spiritual, cultural, and historic landmark. More than two centuries since its founding, Ramah Primitive Baptist continues to stand as a testament to faith, resilience, and community memory in rural Georgia.