Category Archives: –CLARKE COUNTY GA–

Farewell to the Mayflower: The Last Call at the Oldest Restaurant in Athens

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James Horton and Jamie Holland bid farewell to the Mayflower Restaurant, 12 November 2023. Photo courtesy James Horton.

When James Horton and Jamie Holland visited the Mayflower Restaurant on 12 November 2023, it would be their last visit, as this Athens landmark, the oldest restaurant in town in its original location, closed on that day. James wrote: “[We were] trying very hard to produce a smile on such a sad occasion as the last time this will ever be. Many other people were taking their last photographs that day, as well, and there was much talk inside the restaurant about memories of past times there. Rick and Lisa put out an empty notebook for customers to write their memories and thank-yous and to provide a way for customers to express their sadness about the loss.  Special places like this disappearing leave a gaping hole in the lives of those who loved and appreciated them so much.“

A typical scene at the Mayflower

The Mayflower Restaurant opened in 1941, “across from the arch”, and survived for 81 years. The Vaughn family purchased the business in 1963 and Rick and Lisa Vaughn operated the place for over 30 years after Rick’s parents turned over the business to him. Rick did the cooking and Lisa managed the dining room.

The Mayflower’s breakfast menu

The Mayflower breakfast was an Athens tradition for many and the restaurant attracted people from all walks of life, students to lawyers and bankers. Tourists were always as welcome as regulars and Lisa Vaughn made sure no one felt like a stranger.

The stainless steel workspace at the Mayflower

James and Jamie owned and operated the Wiregrass Restaurant in Quitman for 13 years, so James was amazed by the workspace in the Mayflower. He noted that the stainless steel food preparation counter equipped with refrigeration, a flat grill, fry station, sandwich board, coffee station, cold drink station, and soda fountain with ice cream freezer was a rare set up to still be in existence and fully functional in 2023.

Mayflower customers pose in front of the Athens landmark on its last day in business

A Chipotle restaurant now occupies the location. I’m sure Rick and Lisa wish them well, but it’s a bit sad to see a place like the Mayflower fade into history.

Rick and Lisa Vaughn, owners of the Mayflower Restaurant. That’s Tammy, who bussed tables and did light serving and drink refills, in the background.

Memory:  On one visit to the Mayflower, James Horton saw a lady come out from the back kitchen with flour all over her apron and he knew she was the biscuit lady – he stood up from his table and announced “Hey everybody, it’s the biscuit lady” and the whole restaurant cheered and clapped for her – she loved it.  That lady could make some big, fluffy, hot, steamy biscuits that couldn’t be found anywhere else – this is the real Georgia way.

Though it isn’t a new story, I’m so grateful to James for sharing these photos and memories. I, too, was a big fan of the Mayflower and am sad to see it gone.

Vince Dooley, 1932-2022

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Vince Dooley at the 2015 Georgia Writers Hall of Fame Ceremony, Athens

News of the death of Vince Dooley came at particularly tough time, as fans were beginning preparations for the big Georgia-Florida game weekend. Coach Dooley was revered for leading the Bulldogs to their legendary National Championship season in 1980 and transforming the program into a powerhouse, and there is plenty of information to be found about that online and in print. But he was much more than a sports personality and this a personal appreciation.

When I met him, by chance, at the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame ceremony in Athens in 2015, he was talking with some of that year’s inductees about their work. His genuine interest in arts and culture came as somewhat of a surprise to me but it was easy to see that this was just a part of who he was. Though he was often the center of attention when on the UGA campus, he came to events like this to celebrate others. He had no air of self-importance about him whatsoever. I was honored to be able to meet and photograph him.

After a tour in the Marines, while coaching at his alma mater, Auburn, Dooley obtained a master’s degree in history. This all happened before he began his storied career at Georgia, in 1964. His interest in history never wavered and in 2011 he was named a Trustee of the Georgia Historical Society, serving as chairman of the board from 2016-2018. In addition to this work, and tireless fundraising for a wide variety of causes, he found the time to be a master gardener.

He will be greatly missed but he leaves an amazing legacy.

Wilkins House, 1860s, Athens

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Alfred Dearing began construction on this house around 1860, and after work was interrupted by the Civil War, completed it in the late 1860s or early 1870s. It was sold in 1878 and after passing through several owners, became the home of leading Athens banker John Julian Wilkins in 1905. The Classical Revival landmark is among the grandest homes on South Milledge Avenue.

National Register of Historic Places

Queen Anne House, Athens

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Thomas Puryear Mims’s “Morning, Noon, and Evening of Life”, 1950s, Athens

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Central Panel

This bas-relief triptych is located on the Athens-Clarke County Information Technology office at 596 Prince Avenue. It’s titled Morning, Noon, and Evening of Life and was created by Nashville sculptor Thomas Puryear Mims. There were at least three of these works, including the Athens example: one was located in Jackson, Mississippi, and has since been removed, and another is still extant, in Chattanooga. They were commissioned by Interstate Life and Accident Company in the 1950s, so my presumption is that this building was originally home to a branch of Interstate Life and Accident Company.

Left Panel

This sort of work was commonly found on structures built a bit earlier, during the New Deal, and later was common on Medical Arts buildings and doctor’s offices.

Right Panel

This is an important Mid-Century sculpture and should be preserved.

Georgia Theatre, Athens

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My daytime shot doesn’t really do this Athens icon justice, but when I was hanging out with my favorite local photographer at the Globe the night before, it never crossed my mind. [I’ll see if I can find some other, older shots]. But I digress.

Located on North Lumpkin Street in the heart of downtown, the Georgia Theatre has been, along with the 40 Watt Club, one of the centers of the thriving Athens music scene for many years. “Athens music scene” means different things to different people, but the Georgia Theatre has covered all the bases, hosting local favorites, as well as nationally known acts of all genres.

Opened in the late 1930s* the Georgia Theatre has had a varied history, both as a movie and live music venue. Various owners and even name changes have been a part of the chronology. After being gutted by fire on 19 June 2009, it was rebuilt using the original walls and remains a beloved landmark.

*- A comment by Joe Vogel on Cinema Treasures incorporates an interesting primary source: An article in the October 13, 1936 issue of Film Daily listed 22 theaters either recently opened or under construction in Georgia, and the Georgia Theatre at Athens was among them. It was opened by Lucas & Jenkins, who already had the Palace Theatre in Athens. The article didn’t specify which houses had already opened, so the Georgia might not have opened until early 1937.

Fuller’s Grocery Building, Circa 1906, Athens

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Now home to Daily Groceries Co-Op, this was originally known as Fuller’s Grocery. The proprietors lived upstairs in the early years of the business.

Cobbham Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

The President’s House, Circa 1856, Athens

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This landmark of the Greek Revival was built by John Thomas Grant, who later sold it to Benjamin Harvey Hill. In 1883 it was sold to James White, whose daughter W. F. Bradshaw inherited it upon his death. It was acquired by the Bradley Foundation in Columbus from the Bradshaw estate in the 1940s and in 1949, it was given to the University of Georgia to be used as the president’s house.

National Register of Historic Places

Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 1899, Athens

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Emmanuel is the oldest Episcopal congregation in Athens, dating to 1842. When Dr. Richard Dudley Moore brought his new wife, Elizabeth Stockton, to Athens in 1835 she was concerned that there was no Episcopal church in the city. The daughter of the governor of Delaware and a granddaughter of a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Elizabeth had been a member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in her native state. When the congregation was organized by Dr. William Bacon Stevens, the name was chosen to honor her. A New England-style structure was built in 1843 but by the 1890s the congregation had outgrown it. The cornerstone was laid in 1895 and this Gothic chapel, sided in Georgia granite, was completed in 1899.

Cobbham Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Corner of Hill & Pope Streets, Athens

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North Pope Street crosses Hill Street near the triangle formed by their intersection with Prince Avenue. Several historic commercial structures, as well as an early fire station, are located in this area.

Cobbham Historic District, National Register of Historic Places