The footprint of this Queen Anne cottage has been slightly expanded by the addition of porches during its history but is largely original.
Fort Gaines Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This shotgun house was transformed at some point by the addition of the columns, tempting me to call it a “Neoclassical Shotgun”.
This Queen Anne-style jail is somewhat typical of other such facilities built in the 1890s and early 1900s around Georgia. It would have housed inmates, as well as the jailer’s family. It’s now home to the Clay County Sheriff’s office.
Fort Gaines Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This landmark Queen Anne has also been identified as the Johnson-Weston House and the Hattaway House.
Considering the date of the home’s construction, it’s possible that the shake dormers were later additions, perhaps during the 1870s or 1880s.
Though it’s hard to see through the bamboo, this small house is a nice example of the hall and parlor form in the tenant context. When I stopped to make the photograph, its current residents, a wake of buzzards, was perched all along the rooftop. They flew away as soon as I opened the car door.
Set among vast open fields, this house is a landmark of of Clay County. Also known as the Hammock-Gay House, it once had a store next door.
Clay County may be named for politician Henry Clay, but driving around the countryside you’d be hard-pressed not to wonder if it has something to do with the earth around here. The red clay is most evident in winter, when fields are fallow and awaiting the next planting. It’s a beauty all its own.
I believe this congregation dates to the early 20th century. They discontinued services in 2015.
Ebenezer Cemetery
The historic cemetery at Ebenezer is typical of small rural congregations. A mix of vernacular and commercial stones are present. The disproportionate number of veterans buried here is notable, proof that this isolated community believed in service, even in an era when its members did not have equal rights. I think it speaks volumes to their character.
I’m sharing a few random examples in no particular order.
Aunt Honey & Jesus Had a Good Thing Going- According to her obituary, Aunt Honey was a beloved member of Ebenezer from her youth until the church disbanded.
This historic store was built in the 1840s and after a renovation, is now home to the White Oak Pastures General Store. Its last owner, Herman Bass, ceased operations in the 1960s. It’s at the forefront of the Harris family’s efforts to bring Bluffton back to life. They eventually plan to move their wonderful farm-to-table restaurant from the farm, just over the line in Early County, to downtown Bluffton.
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 