
Benson Street-Forest Avenue Residential Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Benson Street-Forest Avenue Residential Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Built in the Georgian Revival style popular with public schoolhouses in the 1930s, the Hartwell Elementary School, as it’s now known, is still in use. It originally served grades 1-11. Atlanta architects Sidney S. Daniell and Russell Lee Beutell were responsible for the design. A WPA gymnasium (not pictured) was constructed in 1939.
National Register of Historic Places


This gin was owned by George Dean and C. E. Williams.

The space at the left of this block was once a bank; it’s now the post office.
Bowersville Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Thanks to Ken Little for the identification.
Bowersville Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Bowersville saw its commercial peak between the 1880s and 1910s and S. T. Fleming’s was likely the busiest store in town. The second floor of the mercantile was the Masonic Lodge. The smaller building to the right was built by Fleming in 1907 for use by another business.
Bowersville Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Most people bypass Vanna as they’re traveling on Georgia Highway 17, but the remains of the old town are centered around the railroad tracks just east of the highway. It appears to have been a busy place in the early 20th century.

Lynn Hall writes: As a child we lived in the house pictured with the railroad track in the 1950’s. At the time the house was a beautiful large white farm house with a wrap around front porch. I walked many times to Mr. Denny’s store (the abandoned store picture) and to the post office which was next door to the store. The tin building next door to where we lived was always a mystery to me. At the time it was used as a warehouse for the Prather Family Farms. In the 1950’s Vanna was an active community with the school as the center of the community activities. It was a wonderful place to live. Donna Rogers adds: Loved my years living between Vanna and Royston, but was considered a Vanna teenager. Traveled those back roads of Vanna many times both on my bicycle and in my dad’s ole fishing car. Lifetime friendships made there. I knew the Dennys and the Vanna store well. Great memories!!
Mathew Thornton notes: My grandfather, Lonnie Denney, owned the general store, gas station, post office and cotton gin in Vanna. His father, David Denney, was the first mayor of Vanna.

Thanks to Lynn Hall for the identification.

This is one of several old structures around Vanna whose use I can’t quite determine. With the door and windows, it could have been an office or commissary.