Located in Thomas County, this is another one of the Georgia Wiregrass Primitive Baptist churches, a very unusual, little-known, and fascinating part of early Georgia religious history. They are also known as Hardshell Baptists, and the architecture and design of these Wiregrass Primitive churches reflect their conservative approach to life and faith.

All of the churches were built on site from native materials with local labor, and though they vary slightly from one another, the basic design remained the same: no paint, no steeple, no window treatments, no distinct doors or entry points, and built low to the ground. The interiors are equally sparse and unadorned, as you can see in the images below. The Wiregrass Primitive Baptists did not allow musical instruments in their churches. There were to be no distractions such as pianos or organs, yet singing was a vital part of worship. According to John Crowley’s book, Primitive Baptists of the Wiregrass South, singing formed an important part of their services and, in the absence of a preacher, often served as the main act of devotion.

The exact founding date of Mt. Zion is not known, but evidence suggests it predates 1850, and possibly 1840. The oldest documented grave in the cemetery dates to 1851. Mt. Zion was part of the Ochlocknee Association of Wiregrass Primitive Baptists, along with Bethlehem Church in nearby Brooks County, which was organized in 1834. The only reference to Mt. Zion in Crowley’s book concerns an internal dispute over a doctrine considered heretical by more conservative members. Known as “Coonism,” it was based on ideas attributed to Isaac Smith Coon. The book records that in 1876 the Ochlocknee Association dropped Antioch, Mt. Zion, and Mt. Moriah from its rolls for advocating the “two-seed doctrine” associated with Brother Coon, Elder Daniel Parker, and other anti-missionary proponents. Mt. Zion was restored to the Association in 1879.

Records of Mt. Zion are incomplete or missing, but it is believed to be the oldest church in the community. The current building is not the original, though no documentation has been found to date it precisely. Early records were kept by church clerks in their homes and were often lost or carried away when families moved. The cemetery is also the oldest in the community, containing graves from the mid- to late-1800s, many of which are unmarked or unidentified.