The old Hart County jail. This was the fourth jail for the county and it was built in the mid 1890s. It continued to be used as a jail through the 1980s. #hartcountyga #oldjail #jailhouse #hartwellga
New Harmony Methodist. Hart County. Circa 1890. This is of the first old churches I remember visiting, years ago. We stopped by for a visit recently. There used to be a hand painted sign above the door but it’s gone now.
The 1914 Colbert School. Madison County. I’m not sure how long the school was in use. By the mid 1920s another brick school was built nearby and that school was in use until the 1960s. Today the brick school is used for city offices and this 1914 one seems to used for storage.
Doorway in Royston. This is actually the back of some storefronts along Main St. The color caught my eye. #roystonga #smalltowngeorgia #archeddoorway
Threlkeld Grocery in Paoli. Madison County. Ran by longtime proprietors Louise and Sut Threlkeld. The store was open until 1976. This building is circa 1910.
Ruins of the old Harrison School. Madison County. This was a school for white children built circa 1932 in the Harrison community outside of Royston. I’m not sure when the school closed, but there is a Harrison Community Facebook page where former students share memories and photos of the school.
Tammy’s Biscuit Barn in Hartwell. You need to get here early if you want some biscuits. They are only open 5:30am until 11am, Monday through Saturday.
The former Elbert County Health Center in Elberton. I’m used to seeing buildings in various states of deterioration, but this one really makes me sad. It was built in 1950. Designed by architect James M. Hunt (1915-1993). Mr.
The Vanna School lunchroom. Hart County. The school is no longer, but the lunchroom remains. It’s located in what seems to be the backyard of an occupied house, so this photo from a distance was the best I could do without creeping into someone’s yard. I’m not sure when the school opened.
The Elberton 12 County Fair. The fair has been in existence for 92 years. This year’s fair will be October 16 thru the 26th. It’s called the 12 county fair because it serves 10 Georgia counties plus two counties in South Carolina. #elbertonga #countyfair #fairgrounds
Rock Branch Baptist. Elbert County. This is one of the older church buildings. There is still an active Rock Branch congregation in a new building about a mile away.
Another DeKalb County treasure: the Starlight Drive-In. Despite the forlorn appearance of the sign, it’s open and shows first run films every night. It opened in 1949 as a single screen drive-in. In 1956 a second screen was added and it became the Starlight Twin.
Hattie L. Parks. 1933-1993. Chestnut Hill Cemetery, DeKalb County. A beautiful marker in a very historic cemetery. Chestnut Hill was founded in 1906 by David Howard (who was born enslaved in 1849), and Lucious Lee, born in 1854.
Grain elevator. Pike County. Definitely pulled over to admire this. It reminded us of our trips across Kansas and Nebraska. In Kansas we stayed in an old storefront building right across the street from a magnificent grain elevator. I probably took 100 photos of it.
Gregg’s Peaches. Pike County. John and Patsy Gregg started Gregg Farms in the early 1970s. They began as a peach stand but soon were selling blackberries, watermelon, and corn. The farm no longer uses this old barn since they built a larger market. They are open every summer.
The old school building in Molena. Pike County. Built circa 1926. This was the fifth school for the town. Molena was founded in 1888. I’m not sure when the school closed, but in 1967 the Molena Nursing Home opened here. The nursing home was in operation until 2009.
Ms. Mamie Loveless. 1916-1991. Bush Chapel Cemetery. Pike County. #restinpeace #georgiacemeteries #gravestones #ruralgeorgia
Bush Chapel A.M.E. Pike County. The church was founded in 1867. This building is from 1978, with an addition in 1999. There is a cemetery behind the church. The oldest marked grave I saw was from 1891. #georgiachurch #amechurch #pikecountyga #ruralgeorgia
The Zebulon depot. Built in 1888. In the 1970s the depot was purchased by the local Lions Club. The club moved it to its current location and renovated it. In 2020 it caught fire and it’s only due to the fast response of the Pike County Fire Department that the depot is still around today.
My favorite find from Saturday’s trip to Pike County - the gravehouse of Elizabeth Mangham Thomas. It’s in a small family cemetery in the Lifsey community. The plaque on the front of the gravehouse lists her name and her birth date in 1838. There is no death date and there is no stone inside.
The gymnasium at the former Pike County Consolidated High School. Located in the Hilltop Community of Pike County. It was the high school for Pike County’s Black students from the 1950s until 1969. The school closed in 1969 and the students then attended the all white Pike County High School.
Another entry in the tour of midcentury DeKalb County churches. This was originally Ousley Methodist Church. It was founded in 1858, one of the oldest congregations in DeKalb. This building was completed in 1961. It is another one of Barker & Cunningham’s designs.
Brothers & Sisters Benevolence Society. Putnam County. The building is circa 1920. The cultural resources survey states (in all caps, no less), that the past and current use of the building is undetermined.
Another high priority stop on our trip to Fayette County- the former Jordan Sales & Salvage. You can see the fence up around the building, the sign is gone, and the entire lot around the building has been cleared. So maybe not around much longer?
The Congregation Beth Jacob synagogue. DeKalb County. Beth Jacob in an Orthodox Jewish congregation organized in Atlanta in 1943. They moved to this location in Toco Hills in 1962 when the synagogue was completed. The building was designed by Barker & Cunningham Architects and the WK Design Group.
Lighthouse Full Gospel Church. Douglas County. Before that it was home to The House of Prayer of Jesus Christ. And probably a few more congregations before that since the building is circa 1925. #georgiachurch #douglascountyga #fullgospelchurch
