Mt. Pisgah Primitive Baptist Church, Bulloch County

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Exterior view of a white wooden building with a metal roof, featuring steps and a porch, surrounded by grass and trees.

Also known as Fish Trap Primitive Baptist, Mt. Pisgah Primitive Baptist Church is a Freedmen’s congregation established by Elder Aaron Munlin in 1883. It’s one of the oldest Black congregations in Bulloch County. Elder Munlin was born into slavery in South Carolina in 1843 and was sold to an enslaver in Bulloch County in 1856. After the Civil War, he helped establish other congregations of Black Primtive Baptists in Bulloch County, including Banks Creek and Bethel.

According to Alvin D. Jackson of the Willow Hill Heritage and Renaissance Center: “Mt. Pisgah Primitive Baptist Church is located in Bulloch County, Georgia. It was organized on November 21, 1883. There were only 5 people present at the time of the organization. Brother Howard and Sister Martha Kirkland, Brother Cain Parrish, Elder Aaron Munlin and a white Brother, Elder J. L. Smith, who acted as clerk during the organizational. These few met on Thursday, before the 4th Sunday in November and constituted the church (Mt. Pisgah). The door of the church was open to accept members. On came – Brother Andy Donaldson. They chose Elder Aaron Munlin to be their pastor. These few began doing work for the master in their own way and God blessed them.”


“Elder Aaron Munlin served as pastor 18 years. He was a great man, sold as a slave, the founder of Sister, Bank Creek Primitive Baptist Church and Moderator of the Mt. Pleasant Association. He departed from this life April 11, 1911. The 2nd pastor was Elder Washington Hodges. He served 20 years. The 3rd pastor was Elder Hershel Smith who served 12 years.”

Hay Barn, Candler County

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A weathered wooden barn with a rusty metal roof, partially collapsed and situated near a dirt road, surrounded by trees and open land under a blue sky.

I believe this barn may have been associated with this historic farmhouse. It’s a classic hay barn with a tractor shed on one side and stock stalls on the other. The photograph dates to 2013.

Gabled-Ell Farmhouse, Candler County

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An old, weathered farmhouse with a rusty metal roof, surrounded by lush green grass and trees under a partly cloudy sky.

I originally published this photograph on 17 July 2012, but the file was temporarily lost. I’m glad to have relocated it. Allison Charles wrote that her mother owned the land and she lived here as a young child. She said she called it “the old white house”.

Hall-and-Parlor Tenant House, Candler County

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An abandoned wooden house with a rusted metal roof, surrounded by dense vegetation and trees.

I photographed this house in July 2012. It’s a typical two-room form, most often used as tenant housing. Since it wasn’t near a farm, it may have been related to turpentining.

Metter Manufacturing Company

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Abandoned industrial building with a 'Metter Manufacturing Company' sign surrounded by ivy and vegetation.

The Mid-Century font on this abandoned factory suggest it dates to the 1950s or 1960s. I believe Metter Manufacturing Company was still in business at another location recently, but may be closed now. This photograph was made in 2020 and I’m not sure if the building is still standing.

While not very aesthetically appealing, buildings like this had great importance in our small towns, often employing hundreds of people. As industrial agriculture began to displace many farm workers, industrial work often took up the slack.

Eclectic Cottage, 1910, Metter

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Front view of a white house with a black roof, surrounded by overgrown plants and grass.

Here’s another one of the Eclectic Cottages, located just north of the historic district. Like most examples in Metter, it has strong Victorian influences.

Garage Apartment, Metter

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A weathered two-story garage apartment with a yellow house in the background.

Garage apartments were a phenomenon linked to the growing importance of automobiles in the 20th century, and an example of innovation in utilitarian architecture. From what I can tell, they were most popular from the 1930s to the 1960s. They are still being built today in more modern forms.

South Metter Residential Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Eclectic Cottage, 1910, Metter

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A front view of a house with a large porch, featuring white columns and a red front door, surrounded by low shrubs and a well-kept lawn under a partly cloudy sky.

This is another example of the Victorian-inspired eclectic architecture found throughout Metter’s historic residential district.

South Metter Residential Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Folk Victorian Cottage, Circa 1911, Metter

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A Victorian era house with a pink porch and green trim, featuring a peaked roof and large front steps.

I made these photographs in 2020. I believe the house has been painted brown since that time, but retains the bright pink trim. As with other unidentified homes in Metter, I will update if I learn more.

A colorful house featuring a white exterior with bright pink accents, including the porch and chimney. The house has a peaked roof and is situated on a grassy lot alongside a road.

South Metter Residential Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Queen Anne Cottage, Circa 1900, Metter

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A white, Queen Anne cottage with a gabled roof and a front porch, surrounded by green shrubs and trees. The house has large windows and decorative details.

This Queen Anne cottage is just north of the South Metter Historic District but is perhaps the finest example of the form in town. I’m not sure if the design is from a pattern book or is just the work of a local carpenter, but it’s a great little house.