Union Point Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Museum & Mural, Union Point
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Category Archives: –GREENE COUNTY GA–
City Hall, Union Point
Union Point Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Central Hallway Farmhouse, Greene County
This is located near Bethany Presbyterian Church, in one of the earliest areas of settlement in Greene County.
Bethany Presbyterian Church, 1872, Greene County
Organized in 1786, Bethany was the first church in Greene County (Washington County at the time). This is the third permanent church home near this location. In 1886, Dr. James Woodrow, an uncle of President Woodrow Wilson, was tried for heresy here in the first of the so-called “monkey trials” regarding the teaching of evolution. He was exonerated. The community which grew around the church was the setting for Tom Watson’s popular 1904 book, Bethany: A Story of the Old South. William Henry Sparks’ popular 1870 autobiography, The Memories of Fifty Years, begins around this church, as well.
Its historic cemetery seems almost magical in the presence of a majestic old oak, which has stood here for well over a century. (Seen to the left of the church, above). Below are examples of some of the oldest headstones, dating to the early 19th century.
Shiloh Baptist Church, Greene County
Organized near Penfield and first known as Town Creek, Shiloh traces its roots to around 1795. The date when the congregation moved to this location, near Greensboro, is unclear. One of the earlier chapels was destroyed by a tornado in the 1850s. The present church likely dates to the last quarter of the 19th century.
Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, 1868, Greensboro
Among the first members of the Church of the Redeemer were women who had fled the Civil War in Savannah and Charleston. In September 1863 the Right Reverend Stephen Elliott, first Bishop of Georgia, held the first communion with members in the home of Mrs. Philip Clayton. (Mr. Clayton had the distinction of serving as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury during the administration of President Buchanan, and he held the same position in the government of the Confederate States of America. After the war, he was considered a person of great integrity and served as United States Ambassador to Peru).
J. G. Barnwell of Rome was the architect and builder of the Carpenter Gothic masterpiece and on 14 June 1868 the church was consecrated by the Right Reverend John Beckwith, Bishop of Georgia. The first rector was Father Joshua Knowles. He served for nineteen years and, at his request, was buried with his wife by the side of the church in an area now known as “The Knowles.”
National Register of Historic Places
Ripe Thing Market, Greensboro
I stayed at a cheap motel in downtown Greensboro because the chains near I-20 were way too expensive for what they were offering. I won’t sing the praises of the cheap motel, but the biggest bonus was finding Ripe Thing Market just a couple of blocks away. The gentleman who started the business was working when I went inside. He was very welcoming and knowledgeable about the myriad selection on display in the market. He explained that his son and daughter-in-law were now charged with its day-to-day operation but it was as if he never left the place. I’m amazed that a town the size of Greensboro supports a business like this; Ripe Thing has as good a selection of organic/locavore products as similar markets in much larger towns. The business is located inside an old service station which has been restored in an environmentally friendly, utilitarian style.
The stock rotates with the seasons, of course. There was a table full of moist loaves of Pumpkin Bread from Hillside Orchard Farms in Tiger when I visited. They have lots of candies and other baked goods, as well.
A growing selection of nationally known organic brands is available, as well as grass-fed beef and farm-raised pork. I didn’t have a cooler with me, so I didn’t get any of the meat, but I bought a bag of Butternut Squash Tortilla Chips that were among the best I’ve ever eaten.
If you’re a fan of organic, sustainable and locally sourced foods, you can’t miss Ripe Thing when you’re in Greensboro. It’s worth a drive of thirty minutes to an hour if you’re nearby. They also have daily menu items like homemade chili, soups, and deli sandwiches. Their fresh-baked deserts looked tempting, too.
Emily LaBorde Hines, a longtime favorite blogger of mine, has a nice write-up about Ripe Thing at Em’s On the Road: http://emsontheroad.com/tag/ripe-thing-market/
They’re open 7 days a week!
Queen Anne House, Greensboro
Greensboro Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
McCommons-Thornton House, Circa 1900, Greensboro
Terri Thornton writes: As the proprietor of this home, I was thrilled to see it posted on Facebook and your website. We just had the front porch floors and rails reinforced and replaced old rotting wood this past summer. We have found a lot of surprises when we take on a project, but the surprises only makes us love the home more. We purchased this house in 1989 from Dot McCommons. She and her husband raised 2 daughters in this home. She also was a secretary at the high school and her husband was a partner in McCommons Big Store. Miss Dot established a lovely rose garden in the side yard. Several of the rose bushes have died but we still try to maintain as much as we can. I researched the Circa date on this home several years ago and it dates back to somewhere around the late 1890’s and early 1900’s.
Greensboro Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Grand Oaks, Greensboro
It was a cold November morning when I took a walk around Greensboro, shooting places that caught my eye. This grand old home was a standout. It’s just around the corner from Holcomb’s Bar-B-Q.