Category Archives: Exley GA

Emanuel House, Circa 1904, Exley

1 Reply

Exley is another railroad village in south Effingham County. Now part of Rincon, it had its own post office from 1895-1907, suggesting it was a busy shipping point at the time. I know of no commercial structures from that era which are extant, but this house, and the American Foursquare featured in the previous post, are examples of the area’s prosperity during that time.

Information on the community has been difficult to locate, but the Exley family has been in Effingham County for many years, with ancestors in the area dating to at least the 1790s. I realize that most people would consider this part of Rincon today, and it is technically, but I try to give a presence to these forgotten communities. I’m amazed when people reach out with comments like “I’ve lived in this county for years and didn’t even know that place existed.” I hope it makes more people curious about local history.

I got the identification for this house from a 1990 Georgia Historic Resources survey, but know nothing else about it. It’s a later example of the popular I-house form.

American Foursquare House, Circa 1904, Exley

4 Replies

This is an outstanding example of the transitional house type known as American Foursquare. Popular from the 1890s to the 1930s, it was quite basic, with a square design, two or two-and-a-half stories high, with four large rooms to a floor. Examples range from plain vernacular to the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired Prairie School to Craftsman, with some even incorporating Folk Victorian elements.

The Foursquare style was also a popular mail-order style, especially common in neighborhoods located near rail lines, as was the case in the Exley community. Sears and Aladdin were the two leading companies doing mail-order houses. I don’t know if this is a mail-order example, or if it was built by a local carpenter.