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This appears to be the oldest structure among those that survived the Flood of ’94. It may already have been abandoned when the Flint River covered the town.
Tonya Mathis writes: This was my great grandfather’s store, if it’s the one across the street from courthouse. The house beside it on Water St still stands. My grandmother who grew up in that house died two months before the flood and left the house to my uncle who got a grant to have the house restored for historical significance. The store was torn down a few years ago. There is a playground there now. On the other side of the house was another small brick structure where Grandma ran a thrift type shop called Emily’s Attic Shop. Before that, it was a dance hall. It’s been torn down too
E. Craig Player writes: I am not sure what this building was built for prior to the 1960’s, but I remember it being used as the US Department of Agriculture office up until the downtown moved due to frequent floods along the Flint River.
Candi Bush adds: That particular building once held a small Sewing Plant. Unfortunately, that building has been torn down.
Local “truck farmers” are usually the best place in rural areas to buy produce. Julius Williams, Jr. identifies this gentleman as Willie C. Williams. Cal Coker remembers: I use to buy cantaloupes from him when I was a kid, and he would say they were “Sweeter than sugar candy”.
This is one of just two or three surviving historic commercial structures still standing in Newton after the Flint River Flood of 1994. I believe this one is in the best condition of the survivors.
Designed by J. W. Golucke in 1900, this courthouse survived the Flint River floods of 1924, 1929, and the historic flood of 1994, during which waters nearly reached the second floor. Golucke was Georgia’s most prolific courthouse architect, but ironically died in prison in Newton in 1907, having been convicted of misappropriating funds in the construction of the very courthouse seen here. Though no longer used as a courthouse, it is now utilized by a variety of public service entities.
National Register of Historic Places