Category Archives: –LAMAR COUNTY GA–

General Store & Post Office, 1866, Goggins

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Like neighboring Johnstonville, Goggins was one of the early settlements of what was then Monroe County, dating to 1834. It was originally spelled Goggans, for its namesake, South Carolina native John F. Goggans (b. 1802), and was variously referred to as Goggins, Goggans Station, and Goggansville over the years. Somehow, “Goggins” became the default spelling.

The agricultural community thrived and prospered throughout much of the 19th century, with the exception of the Civil War years, and was buttressed by the presence of the Central of Georgia railroad.

The historic store and post office building served the community until its closure in 1958. It retains its structural integrity, but due to the compromised roof will need stabilization to ensure its survival.

Johnstonville-Goggins Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Precinct House, Goggins

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My identification of this structure as a precinct house is tentative, based on the design of numerous other rural voting precincts I’ve documented. I will update if I learn differently.

Johnstonville-Goggins Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Ethelbert Rumble House, 1886, Goggins

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Ethelbert Rumble (1849-1926), who built this grand Victorian home in 1886, owned most of the land and structures around the Goggins community at one time, operating the general store and having a host of agricultural interests. Due to health issues, he and his wife sold their holdings in the area and moved to Los Angeles circa 1920.

Johnstonville-Goggins Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Walter C. Johnston House, 1830s, Lamar County

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This circa 1834 farmhouse likely originated as a Greek Revival cottage with the mansard roof and gables added later. Walter C. Johnston (1887-1959) was a descendant of the founding family of Johnstonville.

Johnstonville-Goggins Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Marvin United Methodist Church, 1885, Johnstonville

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Reverend S. R. England was the organizing pastor of the Johnstonville Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Early meetings were held in a brush arbor and an old schoolhouse [no longer extant] until the church was constructed. Among the earliest members were Professor George W. Merritt, Mr. & Mrs. E. Rumble, Mrs. R. H. Banks, Mr. & Mrs. Will Banks, and Mr. J. W. Banks.

Johnstonville-Goggins Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Johnstonville School, 1915, Lamar County

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The Johnstonville School is a landmark of rural education and an excellent example of the use of the Craftsman style in public architecture.

The school closed in 1945 [one source dates the closure to 1939]. It serves as the Johnstonville Community Clubhouse today.

The Johnstonville Women’s Club was organized in 1924 and helped oversee the care of the school and were involved in the preservation of the historic structure for many years.

Johnstonville-Goggins Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Fleming Store, Circa 1894, Johnstonville

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The Fleming Store is one of two iconic 19th-century general stores located within a few miles of each other in an idyllic rural area of Lamar County. It appears to be an inspired copy of the nearby Goggins General Store & Post Office. Johnstonville was established in 1821 and was the first county seat of Monroe County (this section was later annexed by Lamar County). John [1790-1834] & Celia Perry Fleming [1790-1864] were among its earliest settlers and their descendants built this store.

Rural general stores built of brick are among the rarest historic commercial resources in the state and the Fleming store is a particularly important example. Its front and rear parapetted facades may be a unique feature among surviving structures in Georgia. It is in declining condition and stabilization is needed.

Update: I was in Johnstonville on 17 September 2023, and it appears that some of the bricks at the front of the Fleming store have collapsed. There’s scaffolding in place, so I hope measure to save the building are in place.

Johnstonville-Goggins Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Swint’s Pecans & Candies, 1925, Milner

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As Americana and roadside landmarks go, Swint’s Pecans & Candies fits the bill as nicely as any place in Georgia. I may be just a bit biased, having grown up in my own grandfather’s pecan orchards, but I digress. In the days before interstate highways, pecan stands were among the biggest draws for tourists traveling Georgia’s newly paved roads. Stuckey’s became the most famous, but there was also B. Lloyd’s, and scores of other smaller businesses. Georgia may be known as the Peach State, but it seems there have always been more pecans than peaches.

For me, the appeal of Swint’s lies in the fact that it’s in its original location and they’re still in business. After three generations in the Swint family, the business was sold to the Watsons in 2013. When Ida Mae Woodall Swint started the business in 1925, the family was also selling gasoline and perhaps sundries from this location, but her pecan candies quickly became the star of the show. According to the present owners, the old building is still used as a retail area. This place should be on the National Register of Historic Places.

I haven’t been fortunate enough to try their candies, but I hope to soon.

Craftsman Cottage, 1930, Milner

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This home has the layout of a “Georgian Cottage” but the Craftsman elements and purported build date suggest it may have had origins as a kit bungalow.

Carpenter Gothic Cottage, 1876, Milner

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Carpenter Gothic simply refers to a carpenter’s interpretation of the Gothic Revival, usually guided by pattern books. Whereas most Gothic Revival homes are antebellum, the Carpenter Gothic form saw its popularity peak in the late 19th century.