One of my favorite structures in Effingham County doesn’t actually stand alone, but rather, is attached to the rear of the well-loved Graham Commissary building which stands along the rail line in what was once the Shawnee community .

It has been identified as a residence by a member of the Graham family, who owned the commissary. What’s curious is that most such attachments usually conform to the architecture of the host store, but this one is quite distinct. From Julie Graham Weddle’s comments, I think that some of the Graham grandchildren, the Andrew Ushers, were the later owners of the “cottage”. Apparently, long after the commissary was closed, it was rented out to numerous families.

Architecturally, it’s a saddlebag house. The old window shutters lead me to believe the cottage was there before the commissary, or was moved and attached at some point. It’s one of the nicest vernacular houses in Effingham County on its own merit. This photo dates to 2012. It’s in rapidly deteriorating condition as of this writing.