Victory Tabernacle takes up pretty much all of the historic center of Flovilla and their adaptive re-use of the commercial block and adjacent storefronts probably saved these places. Storefront churches are often some of the only tenants in the abandoned downtowns I’ve been documenting for years. As with businesses, I don’t endorse churches, but that doesn’t limit me from being glad they’ve kept these old buildings alive.
One of the storefronts is one of my favorites in all of Georgia. A sign on the transom reads “Gospel Singing” and that’s flanked on either side by neon versions of the words Victory Jubilee. It’s a perfect scene. When I was making these photographs, mid-day on a Friday in October 2017, the church was meeting and I could hear gospel music coming from inside, just as the sign promised. It almost felt like a movie, surreal.
Update: Kimberly Rooker recently contacted me and shared a bit of the history of this property. She wrote, in part: “My family owned and operated the General Merchandise store on that property that you photographed in Flovilla. It is still standing as of today….but the Victory Tab[ernacle] has vacated it…sadly. My great great grandfather was JT Edwards from a pioneer family of the Jasper and Butts Co. areas. I showed my daughter the store last year…..just as my dad showed me the store front in 1989. There is a ton of history on the Edwards family in Flovilla/Indian Springs that was passed down to me orally when I was a child by my grandmother...”
Brian, this particular white brick store front that “Victory Tabernacle” occupied is in my family heritage. I have seen your photos before Covid, but since 2022 I have been working on my genealogy from the town of Flovilla, GA. The Victory Tab has moved on and I have some updated photos from April of 2024. This very building was probably erected after the fire of 1907. However, the build back with bricks (now painted white) was my great great Grandfather’s store. the original store was wood and collapsed on the night of the fire.April 7th, 1907. JT Edwards and Sons General Merchandise. I have promissory notes dating back to November of 1907, so I assume the store was up and running again post fire.
The original store was built on the property in about after 1887, because in 1886 there was a saloon there. However, open saloons were barred in 1886, Butts Co was one of the first state to legislate against open saloon. I hope you get this message and I can explain further, I do love your website “vaninshinggeorgia.com”.
Interesting juxtaposition of the car, pickup truck, and the bicycle in front…. Wonder which one was the preacher’s?
🙂
Wonderful!