Category Archives: –MONROE COUNTY GA–

Wrights Grove Baptist Church & Cemetery, Collier

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This historic African-American congregation is located west of Forsyth in the Collier community. I haven’t been able to track down any history, but the cemetery has some wonderful vernacular headstones by the prolific but little-known sculptor Eldren Bailey (1903-1987). A few of Mr. Bailey’s sculptures are in museums, but many are long lost. His cemetery memorials represent the breadth of his work and they are quite fragile. Collectively, from the coast to the mountains, they are an important resource which should be better known.

Memorials by Eldren Bailey in Wrights Grove Cemetery

These historic memorials are in varying states of condition and are presented in no particular order.

Coleman Brown (28 August 1900-30 June 1965)

Banks Funeral Home handled the arrangements for Mr. Brown. This memorial features a flower in the tympanum.

Emma Brown (13 July 1905-8 August 1961)

Banks Funeral Home also handled Mrs. Brown’s funeral. Her memorial features a garland of flowers, still in good condition.

Earlie L. Jones, Sr. (Birthdate unknown-1 January 1956)

Earlie Jones’s memorial was handled by Haugabrooks Funeral Home and the memorial also features a garland of flowers.

Freeman Fambro (Birthdate unknown-23 May 1963)

Mr. Fambro’s arrangements were handled by Walker’s Funeral Home. The memorial features a garland, placed slightly differently than the others.

Jessie Lee Benjamin (Birthdate unknown-4 July 1963)

Seller’s Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements for Jessie Lee and Jerry Lee Benjamin.

Jerry Lee Benjamin (Birthdate unknown-death date unknown)

Harden Lumber Company Store & Office, Circa 1914, Forsyth

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I photographed this interesting structure in 2018 and it has since been demolished. It has been identified as the company store and office of the Harden Lumber Company, which became the Vaughn Lumber Company in 1947. But Brenda Banks recalls: It was a store owned by a lady we called Mrs. Mitchell. I used to live near the store on Railroad Ave. Later I moved to Brooklyn Ave and patronized the store everyday until I moved to another location across town. It was a store on one side and and Mrs. Mitchell and her sister/daughter lived on the other side of the house. This was back in the 50s and 60s.

I believe it was originally just a commissary and was later expanded to include offices. lt was part of a group of buildings near the railroad tracks related to the lumber business. Some of the lumber sheds remain, as does the more modern office building of the Vaughn Lumber Company, across the road from this building. This is part of a larger neighborhood known as Trippton.

Dan Green House, Circa 1879, Forsyth

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Architecturally, this is one of the most outstanding homes in Forsyth. The main massing of the house is in the Georgian Cottage style, but the overall effect is that of an “eccentric” Queen Anne. It is a real wonder and has been maintained with the highest integrity.

Dan Green bought the property from Rhonda C. Dewberry in 1869 and the house was built circa 1879-1880. The tower is thought to have been added in the 1890s.

Vineberg-Fletcher-Hollis House, Circa 1884, Forsyth

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Isaac Vineberg built this home circa 1884, presumably in the Queen Anne style. The property was sold to R. H. Fletcher in the late 19th century. Charles Hollis purchased it in 1922 and remodeled it t its present Neoclassical Revival appearance.

Georgian Cottage, Circa 1904, Forsyth

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This classic Georgian Cottage features an unusual elliptical window in the front gable.

Judge Alexander Speer House, Circa 1841, Forsyth

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This home, one of the oldest in Forsyth, was built as a Greek Revival cottage by Judge Alexander Speer in 1841 [per 1990 Georgia Historic Resources Survey]. A.D. Hammond owned the house from 1857-1897. It was then sold to Judge H. L. Carson, who owned it until its purchase by Dr. John Oscar in 1906. It is believed that the Neoclassical porch and columns were added during Oscar’s ownership, circa 1910.

Fletcher House, 1904, Forsyth

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The Neoclassical Revival house has come to symbolize small-town wealth in early 20th century Georgia, and elsewhere. Almost every Georgia town of a certain size has at least one. This well-maintained example features Tuscan columns and a somewhat uncommon Palladian treatment over the central second-story windows.

Georgian Cottage, 1909, Forsyth

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This is a nice example of the Georgian Cottage style, one of several in Forsyth, and a very practical form that has been popular, in varying forms, since at least the 1870s.

Banks-Chapman House, Circa 1904, Forsyth

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A 1990 Georgia Historic Resources survey notes: Local accounts maintain that a one story house was built on the property during the 1870s. The property was sold by Banks Stephens to B.O. Chapman in 1903. It would appear that Chapman built the present house shortly after, possibly incorporating the earlier house into the design (perhaps adding a second floor – different window glazing on each floor).

Pye-Persons House, 1919, Forsyth

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Local sources suggest that William Pye bought this lot and built a much simpler house here in 1876. It is believed that the original house was incorporated into this structure, which was remodeled in the Colonial Revival style in the early 20th century. It is perhaps the grandest Colonial Revival in Forsyth. A brick carriage house behind the residence dates to the 1910s and has been used as a dental office in recent years.