Category Archives: Albany GA

Maryland Fried Chicken, 1968, Albany

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I’m featuring this location primarily for its quirky modernist architecture and sign, and also, since it’s been open for nearly 60 years, it’s a true landmark.

Charlie and Vera King moved from Macon to Albany in 1968 and opened this Maryland Fried Chicken franchise on North Slappey Boulevard. According to the Albany Herald, Charlie had spent 20 years as an accountant for Sears and was ready to make a change. The owners’ grandsons now run the business, so it’s been in the same family throughout its history.

Maryland Fried Chicken was a chain of fried chicken restaurants founded by Al Constantine in Orlando in 1961. It had no association with Maryland other than the fact that a large number of Marylanders had recently moved to Orlando to work at the Glenn L. Martin Company aircraft plant and Constantine felt it would be good for business at his eponymous restaurant. The chain eventually had locations in 20 states and the Bahamas but went bankrupt in the late 1970s. Many of the franchise locations were successful and kept the name, as was the case in Albany, and a few are still open throughout the Southeast.

Lustron Houses of Albany

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The Lustron houses that can be found on the tree-lined avenues off Dawson Road [specifically on 2nd, 7th, and 9th Avenues] are a significant modernist architectural resource, hiding in plain sight, and are little known outside a small circle of architectural historians. There are 8 Lustrons in Albany, and while at least three have been significantly altered from their original appearance, the group represents the most concentrated collection of these mid-century marvels in one area in the state of Georgia. There’s also one in nearby Americus. All the Albany houses, and the Americus example, were built by the Hav-A-Home Lustron franchise which was open in Albany circa 1948-1956. While there are also 8 Lustrons in Atlanta, those examples are much more widely scattered than in Albany.

Lustron, which was patented by Roy Strandlund, was the name for the enameled steel panels used in the construction of these houses, which were some of the earliest prefabricated homes available to American consumers after World War II. The material was promoted for durability and ease of maintenance, though it never quite caught on. The prototype for the houses was known as the “Esquire” model and designed by architects Roy Blass and Morris Beckman for the Chicago Vitreous Corporation.

I photographed three of the least altered Albany examples, but will add the others when road work is completed in some of the neighborhoods. I spoke with a nice young man at one of the houses and he noted that others had documented it in the past and he didn’t mind me photographing.

Only two of the Lustrons in Albany in are presently listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but they should all be further documented.

National Register of Historic Places

Bartow F. Powell House, Circa 1890, Albany

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This historic Queen Anne home (circa 1890-1910) is located near historic Mt. Zion Baptist Church and has been in this condition for quite some time. It appears to be in worse condition than when I first documented it five years ago. It may have a connection to the church. Much of the neighborhood in which it is located was once part of, or adjacent to, the South Albany Historic District, which has been de-listed from the National Register of Historic Places. This was traditionally one of the most historic Black neighborhoods in Albany.

St. Mark House of Prayer, Albany

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An architectural survey dates this church to 1944, but I believe it more likely dates to circa 1900-1910, give or take a few years. I think the St. Mark name is a later association, though I haven’t been able to pinpoint a specific history. The survey also suggested the steeple has been altered by the removal of a roof. This is somewhat obvious, but not confirmed. Like other structures in this area, it was once listed on the National Register of Historic Places but for some reason has been de-listed.

Camyljah Rose Mural, Albany

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This mural is located at the corner of South Jackson Street and West Whitney Avenue, just down from historic Mt. Zion Baptist Church and the Albany Civil Rights Institute. [311 South Jackson Street is the physical address]. It was created by local artist and gardener Camyljah Rose (Giddens), and the empty lot beside it has been turned into a small neighborhood garden. She titled the work “Muddy Waters” to show “resilience and the beauty of celebration, much like lotus flowers in muddy water.”

Jimmie’s Hot Dogs, 1947, Albany

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Jimmie Baltas (1889-1972) was a Greek immigrant who came to Albany by way of Lowell, Massachusetts. In 1947, he opened Jimmie’s Hot Dog right in the heart of the Harlem neighborhood. The sign proclaims it “The King of the Hot Dog” and it’s one of the oldest restaurants in town. According to the Albany Herald, Jimmie Baltas eventually sold the business to Phillip Poulos, who later sold it to one of his relatives, Sam Poulos. Sam had a falling out with his brother-in-law and business partner, which led to the brother-in-law opening a rival business, Hot Dog King. The Mathes family bought Jimmie’s from Sam Poulos in 1992 and continues to operate it today. It’s not a sit-down restaurant but is known for its quick service.

Al’s Barber Shop, Albany

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Al’s Barber Shop is just up the street from the old Harlem Barber Shop and is still a busy location. It has great window signs.

Harlem Barber Shop and Beauty Salon, Albany

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The Harlem Barber and Beauty Salon was a well-loved anchor of the historic Harlem community but has been closed for quite a few years. Mr. Eugene Bailey was the longtime proprietor and a living witness to the Civil Rights efforts of the Albany Movement. He told WALB News 10 in a 2011 feature that he was a shoe shine boy when the first activists began marching through the neighborhood and that he proudly joined them, even getting arrested on one occasion. But he was proud of being part of such a positive change and said being in the barber shop kept the memories alive. He passed away in 2012.

Harlem Cab Company, Albany

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Harlem Cab Company and its neighbor, Harlem Barber Shop, was, along with Carter’s Grill, among the last remaining historic businesses in Albany’s Harlem neighborhood.

Ritz Theater, 1930, Albany

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When it opened in 1930, the Ritz Theater was the premier venue for the performing arts in Albany’s historic Harlem neighborhood. Harlem was centered around the intersection of South Jackson Street and West Highland Avenue and was home to numerous Black-owned businesses. The 500-seat venue was considered the crown jewel of the neighborhood, and hosted numerous performers, including Ray Charles. It also served as a movie theatre during the Jim Crow era, when such spaces were segregated. It closed as a first-run venue in 1969 but continued to show older movies in the 1970s. It was partially restored circa 1991 and served as the Ritz Cultural Center until 2011. It has been closed since, and is beginning to show serious signs of deterioration. An effort to revitalize the Harlem neighborhood is underway, but there is little specific information about the Ritz. A plaque outside notes that it was once on the National Register of Historic Places, but it is not presently listed, presumably because non-historic changes were made to the interior at some point.