Category Archives: Dublin GA

Bashinski-Claxton House, Circa 1907, Dublin

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Isadore “Izzie” Bashinski (1875-1934), who was a college roommate of Carl Vinson, moved to Dublin in 1906 and formed the Yellow Pine Lumber Company and the Oconee Navigation Company. By the end of the year he married Helen McCall, a native of Buena Vista and cousin of future Georgia governor Eugene Talmadge. Soon thereafter, they hired architect Charles Choate to build this home, one of the most unique in Dublin. It was the scene of many important social functions, including a gala with Governor Joseph M. Brown in 1908. Bashinski served on the staff of Governor Brown. Cotton was king in the South during this time, of course, and Bashinski and his brother Sam made a fortune as cotton factors, or brokers. Their Dixie Cotton Company was the largest in the south, with 25 branches throughout Georgia. Bashinski was an early proponent of business diversity and over the years formed the Consolidated Phosphate Company, Dublin Peanut Company, Citizens Loan & Guaranty Company, and the Oconee Guano Company. He was also a partner in the 12th District Fair Association, was a member of the first board of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, the school board, and the city council. He also served as mayor during World War I. The Great Depression hit Bashinski’s multitude of businesses hard and in 1932 the family lost the home. It was purchased by Dr. E. B. Claxton, whose family remained in it for many years. Scott Thompson covers much more ground at his excellent local history page, Pieces of Our Past.

Stubbs Park-Stonewall Street Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Page House, 1903, Dublin

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This grand home was built by T. L. Griner in 1903, sold to J. D. Smith in 1904, and sold again in 1905 to Dr. J. M. Page, whose family owned it until 1965. In the years that followed it served as a church, residential property, funeral home, and corporate office. It was purchased and expertly restored by Kelly and Janice Canady in 1998; innkeepers today are Monolito Cruz and JoAnn Simms. The history can be found on the Page House Bed & Breakfast website. Oh, and check out the breakfast menu while you’re there; it has to be one of the best in Georgia.

Stubbs Park-Stonewall Street Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Smith House, 1902, Dublin

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I’ve been unable to locate much information about this magnificent house but I’ve learned that after the Smith family, it was owned by the Rentz, Corker, Curry and Lovett families.

Stubbs Park-Stonewall Street Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Eclectic Victorian Cottage, Dublin

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I’m identifying this is “Eclectic Victorian” because it’s mostly a Queen Anne, with the exception of the porch posts, which don’t fit that style. They’re likely replacements of the originals, which would have been much narrower and more decorative.

Stubbs Park-Stonewall Street Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Pritchett-Orr-Clark House, 1900, Dublin

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Built by Thomas J. Pritchett, president of the Georgia Warehouse & Compress Company and a director of the Dublin Cotton Mill, this home was later sold to popular Dublin mayor Edwin R. Orr. Orr’s daughter Sarah, who was a good friend of Margaret Mitchell, was married to Gladstone Williams, said to be the inspiration for Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind. Sarah lived in the house for a time and it was eventually sold to her niece, Katharine Clark. She and her husband, George, did extensive renovations while living here. They sold it to the Laurens Historical Society in 2014 and it now serves as the Dublin-Laurens County Museum & Cultural Center.

Stubbs Park-Stonewall Street Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

J. M. Finn House, Circa 1904, Dublin

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This Queen Anne cottage is presently for sale.

Stubbs Park-Stonewall Street Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Fred Roberts Hotel, 1926, Dublin

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Though Dublin’s economy was hit hard by the boll weevil and numerous bank closures in the 1920s [as was the whole country], the Chamber of Commerce sponsored the construction of this hotel in an attempt at recovery. Designed by architect C. W. Shieverton, it was known as one of the finest hotels in the region until its closure in the 1950s; by the 1980s its upper floors were abandoned and its future didn’t look good. In 2011 with the assistance of Dublin’s Downtown Development Authority, the Fred Roberts became the first mixed-used development in the city, with office, retail and residential facilities.

Dublin Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Dublin Theatre, 1934, Dublin

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Dublin’s Martin Theatre has recently been restored and is part of the wonderful historic promenade that includes the Carnegie Library, Christ Episcopal Church, and the Fred Roberts Hotel. A community performance and event space now known as Theatre Dublin, it hosts numerous concerts and events throughout the year.

Dublin Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Carnegie Library, 1904, Dublin

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At the turn of the 20th century, Dr. J. B. Duggan, Hal M. Stanley, and J. C. Wardlow worked to secure assistance from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie for the construction of a library in Dublin. With Carnegie’s gift of $10,000, the dream became a reality in 1904. Thomas H. Morgan, known as the “dean” of Atlanta architects, along with partner John Robert Dillon, was responsible for the design. The library served the community until a larger facility was constructed in 1964. The Laurens County Historical Society lead an effort to restore the library in the mid-1970s, one of the first such efforts in Dublin.

National Register of Historic Places

Georgian Cottage, Dublin

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This is now a  law office.