The saddlebag house is an enduring vernacular form and was common throughout the state in the first half of the 20th century. A practical utilitarian design, it is often associated with tenant properties.
I couldn’t find a name for this business, but they obviously bought, sold, and stored farm seed, in addition to growing and processing.
Donalsonville Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
The large red building has served as the Donalsonville fire station for many years, but I believe it will soon be relocated. The structure was built for the Chero-Cola Bottling Works and also housed City Hall for a time.
Donalsonville Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
The Dunn family originally owned a silent movie house, on Second Street; the Olive Theatre’s namesake, Olive Dunn, played the piano that accompanied the silent films. The Olive was restored by the Arts Council and is now used for live performances. The theatre closed in 1949 when the Dunn Theatre, a more modern facility, was opened nearby. Over the years it housed numerous businesses. Broome Furniture Company was the last and upon closing the owner donated the building to the Arts Council.
Donalsonville Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Prolific architect William J. J. Chase designed this Beaux Arts courthouse for the newly-formed (1920) Seminole County in 1922. The inscription on the frieze reads: A Populo Seminoli Iudicium Ad Causam Iustitiae Humanae Aedifactum Est – Anno Domini Mille Nongenti Viginti Duo. Though I took two years of Latin in high school, my translating skills are rusty at best. My guess is that this means, loosely, To the People of Seminole (County), This is Built for the Cause of Human Justice. The second part is: In the Year of Our Lord 1922.
National Register of Historic Places
This was built around 1910 as a bank but has served as City Hall for many years.
Donalsonville Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Like many small Georgia towns, Donalsonville still has a lot of commercial storefronts remaining from a time when rural communities were busy centers of trade and commerce.
2nd Street was the busiest part of town and still has a large number of storefronts, though many are now empty.
This was the City Motor Company’s Marine Division. Boating and fishing are still quite important to the local economy, thanks to the proximity of Lake Seminole.
These examples on East 2nd Street are particularly nice.
Donalsonville Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This was originally the Donalsonville Tastee Freez.
Gayle Sheffield Floyd writes: Just a few facts about THE Tastee Freez by the daughter of the builder and owner, for many years. Trivia if you will…The Tastee Freez was built in the late 50’s when times were a little slower. Rupert Sheffield built and named D’ville’s “varsity”…the parking lot was a dusty place for all the kids to pull up and have a tray hooked to the window. Great burgers etc! My aunt, Mercedes was a friend to all of us kids, she would even fill the old juke box and blare out of the outside speakers for us on the ball field across the street! The coaches didn’t care to hear Lil Richard right on to The Beatles and Conway Twitty . It was great after my teen years as well. The carhop was my cousin who would name the parts of the atom for a tip!
When I photographed this, it was known as Fain’s. I believe it’s most recently been Hew’s. Either way, it’s Tastee.
As of 2020, I’m not sure if the building is still standing.
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 