This superb Greek Revival cottage was built by James Peter Guerry (1803-1878) between 1836-1840, and is one of the oldest documented houses in Americus. Guerry was born in South Carolina and with two of his brothers came to Americus in the 1830s. They were among the earliest settlers of the city. Guerry served as a state representative and judge. After his sons returned to Americus after their service in the Civil War, Guerry turned the house over to one of them, John C. Guerry, and retired to his plantation near Plains. John C. Guerry sold the house to Beverly C. Mitchell (1818-1889) in 1878 and the Mitchell family remained there until the 1940s.
This early prefabricated cottage was one of just 22 Lustron houses built in Georgia. Lustron, which was patented by Roy Strandlund, was the name for the enameled steel panels used in the construction of these houses. It was promoted for durability and ease of maintenance, and since it was essentially a kit home, consistent pricing was an important factor, as well. 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.
The Americus Lustron was built by the Hav-A-Home Lustron franchise in nearby Albany. It’s an example of the 1085-square-foot Westchester Deluxe two-bedroom model and was designed by Roy Blass.
According to the National Register of Historic Places, “The interior of the house features a living room/dining room area, a kitchen, utility room, a bathroom, two bedrooms, and closet space…Exterior and interior wall corners are rounded and contribute to the clean, streamlined look of the Lustron home.Design features include built-in steel wall furniture and closet space with sliding doors. The built-in unit between the living room and front bedroom contains a mirrored bookcase on one side and a mirrored vanity and counter top with drawers and doors for closet space on the other side…Between the dining area and kitchen is a buffet with shelves and drawers on one side and kitchen cabinets with shelves and drawers on the other side, all finished in porcelain enameled steel. To assist in food serving, a counter pass-through is placed in this unit…The kitchen features the original enameled-steel cabinets, however, the combination dishwasher/clothes washer was removed.”
I haven’t been able to track down this house, but since it’s in my Sumter County files, I believe it to be located in the Americus Historic District. It’s a great Carpenter Gothic Victorian, with an altered porch. –Thanks to Maureen McKinney for confirming the location.
Americus Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
I made this photograph a few years ago. The house has since been repainted but is still a good example of the Queen Anne style. The only real exterior modification is the use of square porch posts, which most likely replaced spindle posts. Real estate listings date the house to circa 1920, though it appears to date to the 1870s or 1880s.
Americus Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This handsome cottage is thought to be antebellum, according to a marker on the property, though other sources, including tax digests and real estate listings, variously date it to 1880 and 1900. I agree with the mid-19th century date, focusing on the transom and sidelights, as well as the higher ceiling and 6-over-9 windows. It’s an excellent design, utilitarian and dressed up all at the same time, and has been expanded over time.
Americus Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This historic general store on the corner of Lamar and Forrest Streets has been well-maintained and is a great example of commercial architecture in late-19th-century Georgia. It is virtually unchanged from its original appearance. The sign notes that the business traded in stoves and crockery. Selling hardware, groceries, and sundries, J. W. Harris & Co. would have been the equivalent of a big box store today.
Americus Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
The Empire Bank Building is the most spectacular Neoclassical Revival structure in the vibrant commercial historic district of Americus, and a landmark of the form. It was built on the site of George Oliver’s store and completed in 1911. I’m still trying to identify the architect. From 1950-1989, it was home to the First Federal Savings and Loan Association. It is presently home to the River Valley Regional Commission and is a great adaptive re-use for an important historic building.
Americus Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Located beside the Colored Hospital, Campbell Chapel is believed to be the oldest black congregation in Americus. In 1869, it began as a part of the white Methodist church, but its members, mostly freedmen, withdrew and formed an independent Methodist congregation, originating with brush arbor meetings led by Rev. Braswell. In 1877, under the leadership of Bishop Campbell, they purchased this lot in the McCoy Hill neighborhood and built a wood frame church to house their growing membership. The congregation named themselves for Bishop Campbell. As Campbell Chapel grew, becoming the “Mother Church” of Americus, the old church was razed and this structure built in its place, in 1920.
The new church cost $20,000 to build and while the congregation counted most of the doctors and other middle class black professionals of Americus among its members and generous donors; Dr. E. J. Brinson, a black physician, successfully solicited donations from members of the white community. The church history is proud to point out that much of the money was raised from small donations by working class members such as sharecroppers and domestics, who often made less than fifty cents per day.
Significantly, it is the work of Georgia’s first registered African-American architect, Macon native Louis H. Persley (1888-1932). After studies at Lincoln University and the Carnegie Institute of Technology [now Carnegie-Mellon University] and teaching architecture for a year at Tuskegee University, Persley and fellow black architect Robert Robinson Taylor (1868-1942) formed the firm of Taylor and Persley. Taylor was America’s first formally trained black architect. Theirs was one of the earliest, if not the first, professional architectural firm of black ownership in the United States. Persley went on to design numerous structures on the campus of Tuskegee University, but also had other commissions in Georgia, including the First A. M. E. Church and Samaritan Building in Athens, and the Chambliss Hotel and Central City Funeral Home in Macon. I believe the Athens and Americus churches are his only two surviving works in Georgia.
The landmark has fallen into disrepair in recent years, but thanks to a grant from the National Park Service, will be restored, along with the Americus Colored Hospital. I had a nice encounter with Bishop Melvin McCluster, of neighboring Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, who told me he had been looking forward to it being restored to its rightful purpose for many years. He noted that the congregation was still active and presently meets in Elijah Smith, Sr., Worship Center across the street. Rev. Gloria F. Wynds is the current pastor.
The first facility in South Georgia where black doctors, nurses, and pharmacists could train, practice, and serve people of color, the Americus Colored Hospital was established by Dr. William Stuart Prather (1868-1941), a white physician who was well aware of the health care needs of this under-served community. He bought the property and built this state-of-the-art facility, with the cooperation and contributions of the Americus Negro Business League and the Americus Junior Welfare League.
According to the Americus-Sumter County Movement Remembered Committee (ASMRC), 33 doctors, 2 dentists, 2 pharmacists, 6 registered nurses, and 18 nursing professionals were associated with the hospital. The resulting black middle class that grew out of this experiment was one of the most vibrant in the state; in fact, Americus-Sumter County had more black professionals and landowners than anywhere else in Georgia from the 1920s-1942.
Though it faced numerous difficulties, it was an important resource for the African-American community until it closed in 1953. At that time, Sumter Regional Hospital opened its doors, and because it used federal funds via the Hill-Burton Act, couldn’t discriminate by race. The act didn’t mandate desegregation, however, and Sumter Regional was racially compartmentalized. Since no black doctors were hired, much of the black middle class left Americus, resulting in a negative economic impact. The Americus Chapter of the City Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, purchased the Colored Hospital building and used it as a nursery and youth center. During the Civil Rights Movement, it also served as a Freedom School and Training Center.
