I am unsure of the early history of this house, built circa 1870, but it is best remembered today as the home of the late Jake Godfrey, who served for a time as the mayor of Ludowici. It predates the establishment of the town by at least 30 years and was built when the community was known as Johnston Station.
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I lived upstairs in this house when I was 19 years old. “Pa” Godfrey was still alive and well. The year was 1980 and I was stationed at Ft. Stewart at the time.
J. W. Jake Godfrey passed away in 1987. His widow, Rubye Godfrey lived in the home until 2010 when the eldest daughter, Betty Godfrey, became a resident. Betty passed away in 2017 and had maintained the home in honor of her family. Jake was mayor of Ludowici for 40 years. He received $1 a year until the last years when he received $50 a year. The home had much of it’s original wood frame and in those early years of Ludowici’s history, the upstairs was home for soldiers who were stationed at Ft. Stewart. The home was surrounded by pecan trees and faced the Railroad – which at the time was Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Railways. Great controversy occurred when the train derailed and the engine stopped on the Godfrey front lawn. Railroad authorities immediately were dispatched to obtain the photos that were taken but the mayor refused to hand over – as he said it was Ludowici’s history. The photo of the Godfrey home used on this site was after the Betty Godfrey Estate sold the home in 2018.
A bit of irony. Obviously not a porte cochere. Carports have ungly-fied many a historic house.
On Mon, Jun 7, 2021 at 11:51 AM Vanishing South Georgia Photographs by Brian Brown wrote:
> Brian Brown posted: ” I am unsure of the early history of this house, > built circa 1870, but it is best remembered today as the home of the late > Jake Godfrey, who served for a time as the mayor of Ludowici. ” >
I used to live in Ludowici. I knew a family that lived there about 15-20 years ago. I’ve often wondered what it looks like on the inside. Such history is so interesting and glad to see it still standing.
Unusual thing about this house is that it DOES NOT HAVE a Ludowici tile roof.
On Mon, Jun 7, 2021 at 11:51 AM Vanishing South Georgia Photographs by Brian Brown wrote:
> Brian Brown posted: ” I am unsure of the early history of this house, > built circa 1870, but it is best remembered today as the home of the late > Jake Godfrey, who served for a time as the mayor of Ludowici. ” >