Meansville is purportedly named for John William Means (20 June 1812-28 February 1896), who migrated to the area from the Carolinas. I’m not sure when he arrived in Pike County, but he married Nancy B. McGinty here on 26 September 1833. Interestingly, his obituary does not make note of his being the namesake of the community; it does state that he was one of Pike County’s oldest and most respected citizens.
The town was not incorporated until 1913.
Houses of this type were among the most abundant in Georgia in the early part of the 20th century.
I haven’t been able to locate a history of Nebo Cemetery, located on a steep hillside near Meansville, but it features several notable vernacular headstones and many unmarked graves. The earliest known burials date to the 1930s.
This is an interesting memorial, which incorporates a plastic cross into a simple concrete stone.
This unknown burial is marked with a repurposed section of architectural concrete. It’s an interesting usage and the first I’ve seen of this type.
This is a style of headstone I’ve encountered in several rural cemeteries. Some have flowers in the tympanum [like this one] and others have had doves.
This was the old location of the Meansville Baptist Church. It’s on the edge of town and was apparently last used as a private residence.
Railroad service was discontinued in Meansville in 1977. Today, this restored Victorian depot serves as Meansville City Hall.
Meansville’s old jail is located next to the fire station. These small “holding jails”, or calabooses as they are properly known, are increasingly uncommon today.
Built as a bank, this abandoned structure was more recently home to Cochran’s Grocery. The officers of the bank, when it was established in August 1911, were: President, U. L. Taylor; Vice-President, J. W. Holloway; Cashier, Grady Langford; and Bookkeeper, George Smith.
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 