The central hallway form is one of the most common house types in rural Georgia; this is a particularly fine example, with a shed room at the rear. It’s located just outside Brinson.
Central Hallway Farmhouse, Decatur County
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Category Archives: –DECATUR COUNTY GA–
Neoclassical Revival House, Circa 1914, Decatur County
This is as fine a country house of the Neoclassical Revival style as I’ve seen anywhere. It is surrounded by well-landscaped grounds and is beautifully maintained.
Cyrene, Georgia
The Cyrene Commissary, built in 1904, served farm workers and railroad traffic in this rural community near Bainbridge, named for the ancient Greek city of Cyrenaica. It was located along the Atlantic Coast Line railroad. A post office at Cyrene was open from 1894-1938.
Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Cyrene
This historic African-American church dates to the early 20th century. I’m unsure when the congregation was established.
Central Hallway Cottage, Climax
This may be one of the oldest houses in Climax but I cannot confirm at this time. The information I’ve found in architectural surveys gives a wide variety of dates, from 1860-1935. The sidelights lead me to believe it probably dates to the late 19th century, at the latest. One survey notes that the windows were originally taller, another indication of an earlier date.
Colonial Revival House, 1935, Climax
This is a nice example of the Colonial Revival style, quite formal for a town the size of Climax.
Mary Lizzie Harrell Boarding House, 1914, Climax
Built as a residence by a Mr. Allen, this house was located along the railroad tracks when this section of Southwest Georgia was experiencing its first major agribusiness and timber boom. It was sold to Mary Lizzie Harrell [Mrs. T. J. Harrell] in the 1920s and would have been the de facto hotel in Climax. Women, who were limited in employment opportunities at the time, often operated such establishments, as was the case with this property.
It was also identified as the Harrell House and the Wingback Hotel. Mrs. Harrell was known for her home-cooked meals, much appreciated by the railroaders passing through Climax. Most of the structure is original, but the front porch is a replacement.
Hall and Parlor Farmhouse, Decatur County
Willis Park, 1904, Bainbridge
Willis Park is one of the nicest city parks in South Georgia, and is a beautifully maintained green space in the middle of town. It has been the center of life in Decatur County ever since it opened to the public in 1904.
Bainbridge Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Bon Air Hotel, 1901, Bainbridge
This historic property faces Willis Park and at its core is the footprint of The Sharon House, a hotel built in the 1860s. Significant remodeling and expansion took place in 1901 and it became the Bon Air Hotel. Originally, a full-height porch ran the length of the facade, with balconies on the upper floors, but this feature was removed in the 1950s. As cities built strip malls and activity moved away from historic downtown areas, grand old hotels were seen as too expensive to maintain.The Bon Air wasn’t immune to this fate and closed in the 1960s, falling into serious disrepair. By the 1990s, communities like Bainbridge began to recognize the importance of landmarks to revitalizing their historic identities, and thankfully, the Bon Air was renovated between 1999-2001, with apartments and storefronts. It has retaken its place as the anchor of the commercial historic district.
Bainbridge Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 