The historic district around Shotwell Street is one of the most beautiful in South Georgia. And this house, like many others in the district, features a variety of architectural influences. It was built by Mart Harrell and was the first house in Bainbridge to be built of concrete blocks. The concrete was made by the local express agent in his back yard.
Bainbridge Residential Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Henry Bartow Ehrlich (1849-1929) came to Bainbridge from Germany in 1871, to take over the business of his brother, Abraham, who had been wounded in the Civil War and later died as a result of those wounds. In addition to a booming merchandising business, Mr. Ehrlich was a founder and first president of the Citizens Bank & Trust Company. This was the first home in Decatur County with electricity and one of the finest surviving Queen Annes in South Georgia. Thanks to Sarah Gail Ehrlich Hytowitz, the great-granddaughter of the builder, for the identification.
Evan Thibeault shared this: According to a front page article in the March 31, 1898 Bainbridge Democrat, the superintendent of construction of this house was W. H. Carr, who was, at the time of the article, handling the design and construction of the “Belcher Block” on the northwest corner of Broad and Water Streets. The article mentions the Ehrlich house being under construction and was to cost $5000! It was to be “two stories, with all modern improvements and conveniences, steel ceilings, plate glass windows, etc. and will be the finest in the city.”
Bainbridge Residential Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This home [possibly a George Barber pattern book design] was built by George O. Smith and was purchased in 1918 by Robert C. Coleman. The Coleman’s daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Vickers, lived here until their deaths. Mrs. Vickers’ sister-in-law, Ingrid Coleman, inherited the house, but she lived in New York City and never even saw the house. She left it to the Decatur County Historical Society in 1975. The Newton family purchased it in 1986.
Bainbridge Residential Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
First Presbyterian Church of Bainbridge dates to 1852, with official founding members coming from the Quincy, Florida, congregation. The first church building was built in 1854; it burned in 1874 with much of the business district; a replacement was built in 1877. The third and present structure was built in 1900 and dedicated in 1910.
Bainbridge Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
The green brick building is the King Building.
Bainbridge Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Bainbridge Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
I believe this was originally a hotel, but it was home to the Nelson Piano Company for many years.
Bainbridge Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This building served several purposes. According to Susan Weathersby Mann it was originally a tobacco warehouse, then Jesse Gunn’s automobile dealership, then Willis Motors, and finally Bainbridge Hardware. Gary Hodges Sullivan writes [2019]: This great building was leveled and a Dollar General built. Sad.
The clean and simple look of this storefront make it one of my favorite in South Georgia.
This was once the busiest store in Attapulgus. It’s well-maintained, and the Coca-Cola mural is one of the earliest and nicest I’ve seen in South Georgia.
