This well-maintained home on US Highway 301/Georgia Highway 57 appears to have originated as a central hallway form. Like so many others of this type, it was later expanded to accommodate a growing family. Tax records date it to 1930, but I believe the front (original) section is older.
This house, which has been identified as the Allen Johnston House, was razed in the past few days. Debate continues as to the date and early ownership of the house, which local sources cite as circa 1858. While a few hand-hewn beams were visible in the ruins, most of the carpentry appears to be later than 1858. Even if the house as it appeared before demolition dated to the 1890s, as some have suggested, it would be one of the oldest in Ludowici.
The chimneys are all that remain.
In 1855, Sheldon Madison Chapman, Sr. (1829-1911), gave four acres of land for a burying ground for the enslaved members of Jones Creek Baptist Church, and a section along the creek for use as a baptistry for all members. Chapman was one of the most prominent citizens of Jones Creek, having served, like his father, as postmaster of the community. Though originally located in Liberty County, Jones Creek was the earliest and largest settlement in present-day Long County.
There are many unmarked burials in the Jones Creek Black Cemetery, most of them likely dating to the days of slavery, but in contrast, the existing monuments and memorials are of commercial manufacture, indicating a prosperous congregation at a time when that would have been unusual.
One can deduce that the site it is known as Jones Creek Black Cemetery because its earliest burials were the enslaved people who attended Jones Creek Baptist Church with their White enslavers. Since circa 1878, however, it has been the de facto burying ground for St. Thomas Missionary Baptist Church.
March Hughes was granted a letter that he may minister to a flock of his choice in the 1870s, when many Black congregations were forming their own churches. He preached his own ordination service on 24 August 1878 and established St. Thomas Baptist Church (now known as St. Thomas Missionary Baptist Church) for the freedmen of Jones Creek Baptist Church. He was licensed as a preacher on 26 January 1884. When he died in 1903, Rev. Hughes was the most influential Black man in the Jones Creek community. Those who maintain this cemetery have proposed renaming it the March Hughes Cemetery in his honor. [This history comes from plaques at the site and from Mike McCall via the late Christine Welcome, a longtime member of St. Thomas.]
Mr. Baker was a member of the the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. The W. W. V. initials at the bottom of the headstone stand for “World War Veteran”, World War I in this case.
Little is known of Martha Snider, but she was 96 years old when she died.
Mr. Baker was a World War I Veteran and Mason.
Watkins was a Mason.
The memorials for the two young children of Mr. and Mrs. G. H. Stokes are vernacular in design, unlike most of the other memorials in the Jones Creek Black Cemetery.
It’s unusual that the Stokes children are not named, but simply listed as “daughter” and “son”.
Jasper Baggs was a laborer, according to his death certificate.
Patsy Baggs’s death certificate listed her occupation as “house work” and “keeping house”. This was a common form of employment for Black women in the Jim Crow era.
The Baggs family was quite prolific and many members are buried in this enclosure near the back of the cemetery.
The initials F.L.T. (Friendship, Truth, and Love) at the top of the marker indicate that Mr. Baggs was a member of the Odd Fellows.
Mr. Baggs was one of several members of St. Thomas who served in World War I. He was a corporal in the Army. I hope to learn more about his service.
I presume the name to be Coda.
Fraulein is an unusual name. It’s my favorite in this cemetery.
This open lane follows the bank of Jones Creek and is adjacent to the traditional site of baptisms for Black congregants. A reconstruction of the old dressing room for baptisms is visible at right. In the distance is the White cemetery and the historic Jones Creek Baptist Church.
Immersion baptism was common among churches of both races in the rural South well into the 20th century, and is still practiced by some.
According to church records, “the last time we used the water of Jones Creek was April 23, 1995…”
The lower Atlamaha River is home to numerous Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), and Long County is no exception, with Townsend, Morgan Lake, and Griffin Ridge. I spent a couple of days exploring the snowy landscape at Griffin Ridge, which I think is one of the most amazing hidden gems in the area.
Griffin Ridge is characterized by Atlantic coastal plain floodplain forests, oak hammocks, and river dunes. Scrubby would be a good word to describe it, especially the uplands. Palmettos are the dominant shrub of the under story and are often so thick as to be impenetrable.
The early settlers of Southeast Georgia, and specifically the Wiregrass Region, forged a living out of this wild landscape, and Griffin Ridge has always been wild. Within its boundaries today are landmarks once known (and sometimes still known) as Fountain Hole, Back Swamp, Griffin Lake, and Patterson Swamp.
This place is beautiful year round, especially if you grew up in Southern woods and wetlands like I did, but the snow transformed it into something otherworldly. As of this writing, much of the snow in town has melted, but there are still quite a few patches glowing through the trees at Griffin Ridge.
Lichen is abundant here but most was hidden by the snow.
Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica), also known as Black Gum and Sour Gum, and Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) can be found in natural ponds and wet spots throughout Griffin Ridge.
As flat as this part of the world is, some might be surprised by the hilly terrain. The flow of the mighty Altamaha cuts into the surrounding earth and creates changes in the elevation. The very name of this place is an acknowledgement of the topography.
I’ve always liked this oak, which sits downhill from the road near the entrance.
This small creek near the eastern entrance was almost completely frozen. I didn’t test it to find out.
The bridge in the western section of Griffin Ridge is perhaps the property’s most recognizable man-made landmark. It crosses a particularly large wetland area that is usually not very inviting to anyone not wearing waders.
This cypress pond was transformed by a thin sheet of ice, and many of the trees were surrounded by a collar of snow.
Just uphill from the pond was an apiary. It’s near an off-limits hunting cabin that is also a Griffin Ridge landmark.
Since most of my visits are photography related, I usually avoid this WMA during deer season, and archery is all that’s still open. Nonetheless, I was surprised to encounter someone on Saturday. He was a hunter but on this trip was just admiring the snow with his grandchildren.
Most of the boundaries of Griffin Ridge are clearly marked, and some roads are open only to foot traffic. It’s easy to wander off course if you aren’t paying attention.
No one had been down this road on foot or by vehicle, and it was particularly nice.
On my drive out of the western section, I stopped at the bridge and wandered around the low wetlands that are normally too muddy to navigate.
I’ve photographed this tree, another favorite, many times, but it has never looked better than it did in the snow. I usually just shoot it from the bridge.
I took over 600 photographs during my two “snow trips” last week, so this is but a small representation of what I saw. I hope some of you will have the opportunity to visit on your own.
These cypress knees may have been my favorites.
Like all of South Georgia, Long County saw what was likely record snowfall from Winter Storm Enzo. Amazingly, similar snowfall occurred in the area in 2018. Some random landmarks from throughout the week are shared below, most of which are in Ludowici. I’ll also be sharing some nature-based images from Griffin Ridge.
Ludowici Well Pavilion, Ludowici
Speed Trap Shake Shop, Ludowici
Ludowici Depot
Box cars crossing Main Street, Ludowici
Royal Inn, Ludowici
Long County Public Library, Ludowici
Oak Street, Ludowici
Johnston House, Ludowici
Godfrey House, Ludowici
Gerald Nobles House, Ludowici
Shopping Center, Ludowici
Storm Responders on US 84, Ludowici
The First Bank, Ludowici
3rd Street, Ludowici
McClelland House, Ludowici
Parker’s, Ludowici
Circle K, Ludowici
Ludowici Drugs
Howard Funeral Home, Ludowici
Bullard House, Ludowici
Lloyd Chapman House, Ludowici
Tobacco Barn, Long County
Jones Creek, Long County
Jones Creek Baptist Church Cemetery, Long County
Jones Creek Baptist Church, Long County
This historic farmstead is located near the Broad Level community of northern Long County, an area that was once a center of turpentine production and timber cultivation. There are several surviving barns and outbuildings, including one roofed with Ludowici Tile. I’m not sure about its history, but chances are it was connected in some way to the turpentine industry. It has been relatively well preserved, a great example of a “middle class” working farm from the early years of the 20th century.
This home is obviously still well-loved by the family who call it home. It’s a central hallway with Queen Anne porch posts and a half story above the main floor. A shed room at the rear of the house and an attached kitchen complete the scene, a classic of vernacular architecture and rural Georgia.
It’s sad to see an old house like this barely standing but I hope the beautiful grove of oaks which surround it can be saved.
I regret that I never got to meet Mrs. Sarah Victoria Scott Nephew (Vicky to her friends and loved ones), the longest-lived person in Long County. As someone who was raised around older people and had a great-grandmother and great-uncle who both lived over 100 years, I always loved their stories and wisdom. Centenarians have always fascinated me.
Mrs. Nephew’s great-grandmother Sarah was born enslaved in 1840 in South Carolina. She was subject to repeated assaults by her enslaver and bore him five children. She eventually married Benjamin Scott, and she named one of the children born of her enslaver Marcus Scott, Sr. His son, Marcus “Big Bubba” Scott, Jr., (1890-1977) was the father of Victoria. Her mother was Maggie Williams Scott. The Scotts moved from Spartanburg to Burke County in 1895, and to Liberty County in 1908. They owned and operated a turpentine and timber farm in the Broad Level community, in what is now Long County. Maggie died in 1926 and Bubba married Lena Rountree (1906-1972), of Savannah. I got the impression that Victoria was not very fond of Lena. Big Bubba was a member of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church and served as its clerk. He was ordained to the ministry in 1949 and was an assistant pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist Church.
Victoria attended school, through sixth grade, in Sandfly, and told Margie Love, in a 2017 interview, that her teacher at the Sandfly School, Professor Read, and her great-grandfather, were slaves together. She said through their attending the white children on the plantation, they “picked up a little education there.” [Please follow the link above, and read all of Margie’s wonderful interview. There are some great stories there.]
As a young woman, Victoria was sent to Ossabaw Island to babysit for a Mr. Strouffer, the English gardener of the Torrey Family, who owned the island. While there she married her first husband, Sandy Jackson, whose mother was from Ossabaw and father was from Liberty County. Sandy died during World War II, when a tree fell on him while cutting timber for war ships. They had no children.
Around 1947, Vicky married John Nephew, a Darien native. They lived in the Broad Level community, with John working in turpentine, and were regular members of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. They had four children. John died in a car crash in 1968.
She told Margie Love that she had been dipping Navy Snuff for about 90 years and that she didn’t take store-bought medicine, preferring local medicinal plants, especially life everlasting (Hylotelephium telephium). There must be something to it, as Mrs. Nephew lived a long and rich life, passing away just a month before her 106th birthday.
The Rev. Dr. Horace Clinton Boyd (1926-2016) was born in Long County, the son of Ernest Franklin Boyd and Eula Wright Boyd. His father was a Deacon at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. After service in World War II, Horace attended Morehouse College and earned a doctorate degree in Divinity. He began preaching at Schofield Barracks in Oahu, in 1946, but went on to pastor numerous congregations, including: Mill Creek Missionary Baptist Church of Ellabell; Baconton Missionary Baptist Church of Allenhurst; St. John Missionary Baptist Church of Waycross; St. John Missionary Baptist Church of Douglas; Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist of Ocilla; and Mother Easter Baptist Church of Moultrie. His longest association, however, was with Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Albany. He began preaching there in 1959 and actively served for 57 years, until his death at age 89 in 2016.
He was a seminal figure in the burgeoning Albany Movement, a significant Georgia branch of the larger national movement. At the time, he was the first in Albany to open his doors to outside activists, and is considered the spiritual father of the Albany Movement for his welcoming stance. Shiloh hosted mass meetings throughout the 1960s, working closely with Old Mt. Zion Baptist Church, across the street. Rev. Martin Luther King drew crowds of over 1500 to the two congregations when he spoke to their members in 1961, at the invitation of Rev. Boyd.
He received many honors for this work during his lifetime and was also involved in leadership in the Albany Ministerial Brotherhood, the General Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia, the Albany Seminary Extension, and the Hopewell Missionary Baptist Association. He also served on the board of Dougherty County Family and Children Services for 27 years.
His daughter Dolores Boyd McCrary writes: Rev. Boyd was married to Mrs. Barbara M. Riles Boyd for 60 years, ten months before her death in 2010. Mrs. Boyd was an educator in the Albany Dougherty County School System for over 30 years. She worked and walked diligently beside her husband supporting him as a faithful, stalwart, loving, and dutiful wife. Her numerous contributions to their marriage, spiritual endeavors and community helped make the path less rough than it might have been without her. She was what some call the First Lady at the churches he pastored and much beloved. Together they raised their two children to adulthood.