This old farmhouse appears to be undergoing renovation. I believe it was originally more Queen Anne in appearance but the present porch configuration hides some of those elements. It’s also one of the things I really like about Cochran: there are old farmhouses and farmhouses right at the edge of town.
This Queen Anne Georgian Cottage is one of my favorite houses in the Cochran vicinity. Russell Davidson writes: This is the “home place” of John & Leo Phillips, two of Cochran’s most successful businessmen and lawyers. They have let some of their farm operations take over the house.
This is one of the largest homes of its type I’ve found in South Georgia. Known as Colonial Plantation, it was built to replace an earlier home, built by Peter Lewis Peacock, that was destroyed by fire in 1905. His daughter, Kemper Peacock Thompson and grandson, Andrew Lewis Thompson were the next residents. It was later purchased by James Dykes.
Celebrating its centennial this year, the Bleckley County Courthouse was designed by the firm of Sayre & Baldwin. Historic markers on the front lawn memorialize well-known local citizens, including this one, dedicated to Sergeant John F. Conner, Sr., a policeman killed in the line of duty.
National Register of Historic Places
The historic marker reads: Longstreet Methodist Church was organized around 1812 and the original building is still in use. Land for the church was given by Charles Walker, one of the five sons of George Walker, Revolutionary soldier and early settler. The sons built on a three and a half mile stretch of the “Federal Stage and Post Road” that became known as “Longstreet.” Two acres of land were given by Mr. Walker, one for a church and one for a school. The school was abandoned and its land reverted to the church. There is an old cemetery in the rear of the church.
Like nearby Evergreen Baptist, this church deserves listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The construction date is contemporary with the founding of the congregation.
There is a small cemetery behind the church, but few grave markers remain.
With over 8500 different locations, I’ve said it many times, but I consider houses like this as important in telling the story of Georgia as any of the big mansions.
An historic marker placed in 1955 is located at the entrance to this vernacular Greek Revival church off U.S. Highway 23 north of Cochran. It reads: Evergreen Baptist Church, built in 1844, was split off from old Mt. Horeb Baptist Church, constituted October 15, 1809, which stood at or near the site of the Centenary Methodist Church. On February 14, 1844, the congregation and pastor found themselves locked out of the church by a Brother Burkhalter. Most of the congregation, considered “Mission-minded,” formed a new church, called it Evergreen and constructed this building in 1844. In slavery days Negroes walked for miles to attend its services. In 1864 Negro members outnumbered White, 130 to 86.
The slave gallery is still intact, evidence of a large planter class in the area. And considering the large number of enslaved people in the area, they were undoubtedly involved in the construction of the church, from timber harvesting and milling to framing and finishing. Hopefully, the congregation will work to have the church listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the future.
