These detail shots of the old First National Bank of Sparta illustrate the pride small towns took in their commercial architecture at the turn of the last century. First National Bank was established in late 1903 and dissolved by 1923.
Sparta Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Webster’s Pharmacy, with its distinct facade, is a community landmark in downtown Sparta and a favorite with photographers.
Sparta Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This imposing Neoclassical Revival mansion was built for William H. Burwell, the first man to live here. Burwell served as a mayor of Sparta and a state representative.It has recently been purchased after years of limbo, and will soon be restored.
Sparta Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
It’s no longer red, but to my understanding, this has always been known as “The Little Red House”. One section of the house is an early log cabin, purportedly dating to circa 1797. The addition was made later, probably before the Civil War, and may have been done to accommodate an office. Sistie Hudson notes that it will soon be home to a museum of local history.
Sparta Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This house is a longtime Sparta landmark, located on Monument Square. Mr. Smith was the builder of the courthouse in Sparta.
Sparta Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This is located near Old St. Galilee Church.
According to Harrell Lawson, St. Paul CME traces its origins to a group of enslaved men and women from David Dickson’s nearby plantation who began holding informal services in a brush arbor in 1857. In 1870, the members purchased land on which today’s church stands in order to have a permanent meeting place but due to confusion over two different deeds (1870, 1877), Lawson doesn’t note exactly when the first church was built. Since the CME church was not founded as a national entity until 1870, it is thought that that association came later. Resource surveys date the present structure to 1890, though I have been unable to confirm the date.
Harrell Lawson’s History of St. Paul CME Church [2005] describes the two-story meetinghouse adjacent to the church as “…a building previously used as a school for the secular education of the youth of the community and as a meeting place for Masons and a burial society founded by St. Paul members in the early 1900’s.“
A resource survey conducted in 2001 dates the structure to circa 1870. It was built in the school/lodge combination common among African-American congregations in this part of Georgia in the late 19th century. These structures inevitably served as de facto community centers, as well. No matter when they were built, they are important resources.
This is the original home of Saint (St.) Galilee Baptist Church, which has a newer facility in Sparta today. I’m not sure when the church was established , nor when this structure was built. It was sided with false brick siding (tar paper) before it was bricked. A very large and well-maintained cemetery is adjacent to the property.
Sparta Historic District, National Register of Historic Places