Category Archives: Milledgeville GA

Major Edward White House, Circa 1806, Milledgeville

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This house is believed to be the oldest in Milledgeville. It was built circa 1806 for Major Edward White (1758-9 January 1812), a Massachusetts native who served as Adjutant to the Marquis de Lafayette during the Yorktown campaign. Major White’s wife, Mildred Scott Stubbs (28 September 1775-23 July 1825), was the niece of General John Scott, who built the state capitol in the newly established seat of state government. Upon the death of Major White, his son, Dr. Benjamin Aspinwall White (2 January 1793-11 April 1866), inherited the home. Dr. White served as mayor of Milledgeville in 1840 and Surgeon General of the Georgia State Troops during the Civil War. He was also a founding member of the board of the Georgia Lunatic Asylum.

The house was originally located on West Greene Street and was moved in the late 19th century to its present location. It maintains much of its historic integrity.

Milledgeville Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Blount-Parks-Mara-Williams House, 1818, Milledgeville

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This landmark example of the Milledgeville Federal Style was completed circa 1818 and has been moved four times throughout its history. It originally stood at the northeast corner of Clarke and Greene Streets, was then moved to the northwest corner, then turned to face Greene Street again in 1901. In 1991, it was moved to its present location facing South Clarke Street.

Milledgeville Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Patterson’s Grocery, Milledgeville

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This historic grocery store, across Greene Street from the old depot in Milledgeville, is adjacent to property once owned by the O’Connor family. It appears to date from the late 19th or early 20th century.

DeLauney House, Circa 1825, Milledgeville

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Thanks to the good folks at the Milledgville-Baldwin County Convention & Visitors Bureau for finally filling in some of the blanks on this house. They note that it originally faced Jefferson Street. Though it isn’t quite as “refined” as other examples of the Milledgeville-Federal Style houses for which the city is known, likely due to alterations after it was moved, it definitely falls into that category. Hollye Hodges McDonel notes that her grandparents, the Robersons, lived here for many years. Other earlier owners were the Scott, Joseph, Malpass, Simmerson, and Hobbs families.

Milledgeville Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Roberson Store, Circa 1925, Milledgeville

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This is best remembered as James Roberson’s store, but it was owned by the Ennis family before that. Thanks to Sara Smith Brantley for sharing it with the Milledgeville Memories Facebook group; folks there quickly identified it. Kim Roberson Hornsby writes: This was my uncle’s store…He sold general supplies mostly groceries with those ladders that slid along the shelves. We loved going there as children and playing on those ladders. He had an ice cream box inside and candy treats he would give us when we visited. My grandmother lived across the street in the house with the brick steps. She had six children all born and raised in a two story house that is gone now that was up the little lane beside the house with the steps.

Stanford-Griffin House, 1810, Milledgeville

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According to Dr. Bob Wilson: The builder of the house was James Stanford who opened up a dry goods store there in 1810. Five years later it became a residence and was a home for the next 150 years…It was scheduled for demolition in 1979 but was saved by Allied Arts, who moved it across the street from its original location. Thanks to Bud Merritt and Sara Smith Brantley for sharing this history.

Milledgeville Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Stephens Grocery, Milledgeville

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Magnolia Manor, Circa 1859, Milledgeville

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Built for Lewis Kenan, Magnolia Manor was the longtime home of Dr. Gustav Lawrence and later, the maiden sisters Lucetta and Roberta Lawrence.

Rockwell, Circa 1838, Milledgeville

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This house is perhaps the most enigmatic in Milledgeville, due largely to its present derelict appearance. [It’s apparently more stable than the grounds would suggest]. Built by Joseph Lane for Samuel Rockwell (1788-1842), the house has also been known over time as Beauvoir and the Governor Johnson House. Rockwell, a native of Albany, New York, first practiced law in Savannah before establishing a practice in Milledgeville around 1828. He served as Inspector of the 3rd Division during the Creek Indian War of 1836.

Closely related, stylistically, to the Milledgeville Federal houses, Rockwell is more highly realized in form.

Among numerous owners throughout the history of the property, Governor Herschel Vespasian Johnson was perhaps its best known resident. As the commemorative slab of Georgia granite placed by the WPA and the UDC in 1936 notes, it was his summer home. Governor Johnson was notably the state’s most vocal opponent to secession but eventually came around, as borne out by the acquiescent quote, no doubt chosen by the UDC: “To Georgia, in my judgement, I owe primary allegiance.”

The house was documented by photographer L. D. Andrew for the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in 1936, owned by the Ennis family at the time. Photo courtesy Library of Congress.

The house has been restored and painted in its original yellow.

Thanks to Michael Massey for bringing Rockwell to my attention.

National Register of Historic Places