After the American Revolution, a Protestant religious movement known as the Second Great Awakening—or the Great Revival—swept across the young nation, taking especially deep root in the South. It fueled rapid growth among Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian congregations across Georgia, with Methodists leading the way. One of the most enduring legacies of this revival was the rise of camp meetings. These gatherings became central to religious and social life, and many of the original campgrounds still thrive today. Among them is Flat Rock Campground, established in 1879 and still active more than 140 years later.

Minutes of the North Georgia Methodist Conference from 1879 record: “Four campgrounds were erected: One at Flat Rock, built this year, a large well-built, comfortably seated arbor with five tents furnished and fifteen projected.” For two years before the arbor was built, meetings were held under a brush arbor. According to tradition, A.B. Lashley erected the first arbor in 1878. Families arrived by mule wagons, buggies, and oxcarts, often bringing milk cows along. Early lighting was provided by kerosene lamps, and water came from a spring that sometimes ran dry. Once electricity was available, a deep well was drilled and a pump installed. A hotel offered lodging, and before refrigeration, blocks of ice were kept in a dug pit covered with sawdust to preserve food.

Campgrounds like Flat Rock soon developed a distinctive design: a large open tabernacle or arbor at the center, surrounded by permanent “tents” owned by families and handed down through generations. Today, most are overseen by boards of trustees who own the land, while families continue to maintain their tents. The setting of each campground was carefully chosen for shade, water, and topography. Flat Rock earned its name from the vast granite outcropping—stretching across more than 100 acres—nearby.

Flat Rock Campground remains a remarkable testament to the power of the Great Revival, a place where faith and tradition continue to be renewed generation after generation.