Though it wasn’t the only African-American neighborhood in Milledgeville at the turn of the last century, the Eddy community was among the most prominent. Anchored by Flagg Chapel and the Eddy School, it was a center of spiritual, cultural, and educational advancement for African-Americans in a time of segregation.
The architecture of the neighborhood is vernacular, with Folk Victorian being the most notable form.
Milledgeville Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
I’m attempting to look for a needle in a haystack so to speak. I’m looking for a house that was in an AA community in Milledgeville around 1957. I don’t have the name of the home owner or a street name. I have a description of memories of a person who was 10-13 years old at the time, making a summer visit to a distant relative.
“I asked cousin? how the postman was able to deliver mail when there were not street signs or house numbers”. The response was, “He (postman) knows everybody so it’s fine”.
My aunt/cousin had a mini 2-floor Victorian style house. There was a fenced small front yard. Had flowers lining the front of the house. It was two bedrooms upstairs. Maybe an attic but no basement. I think it would’ve been considered a middle class black neighborhood. It was neat, clean, quiet. I didn’t see children playing outside in the front yard or on the sidewalk or street riding bikes. It felt like the kind of place that if you wanted to chat with your neighbor leaning on a shared fence or you might even slightly holler over to the neighbor across the street. I don’t recall there being an outside public lighting system and the streets could accommodate two way traffic. I do not remember that there was a garage but I don’t remember a car being parked in front of each house either.
Another relatives home in the same neighborhood is described this way.
It was a house. It felt crowded. There was not a front porch to my cousins home. Walked in and felt like you were immediately in the living room and could see a corridor maybe that led to the kitchen. I think the household was summoned to the front room to meet the two of us and there wasn’t enough sitting room for everyone. Mom and dad took seats and my leftover mental picture sees a bunch of kids filling in the rest of the space in chairs from the dining room or sitting on the floor. I think maybe some grand children were a part of the crowd because they were closer to my age.
I don’t think this describes the Eddy neighborhood? I know there was another AA neighborhood around 600 Simmons and of course wherever there is an MLK Blvd there is usually an AA neighborhood.
Does anyone know of other AA communities in Milledgeville besides the ones I mentioned?
By some miracle do the house descriptions seem familiar?
Thanks for any help looking for my needle in a haystack.
This is really cool. Thanks for sharing!
Would be so nice if there were tours of these homes. Opportunity for owners to make money and tour guide. Anything like that going on?
Thanks! Judy
On Tue, Nov 2, 2021, 8:06 AM Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown wrote:
> Brian Brown posted: ” Folk Victorian Cottage, 1908 Though it wasn’t the > only African-American neighborhood in Milledgeville at the turn of the last > century, the Eddy community was among the most prominent. Anchored by Flagg > Chapel and the Eddy School, it was a center of sp” >
Except for the Sallie Ellis Davis House, all are now private residences. It’s a very small neighborhood, but I think it’s good that Milledgeville designated it an important historical area.