Though not a typical Queen Anne Cottage, this charming house was obviously inspired by the style. The decorative porch posts are very intricate. Some would argue that this is strictly Folk Victorian considering that other than the porch posts, it’s a relatively plain house, but I think they’re such a prominent feature that it deserves designation as a Queen Anne.
This is about as simple as it gets, and that’s what I like about it. The windows are a bit fancier than those you might find on a more rural version of the beloved shotgun form.
This simple cottage was probably built as a shotgun house, with the side wing being added at a later date. The saw-tooth ornamentation along the front gable is a nice element. It doesn’t appear that anyone has lived here for many years.
This is another historic African-American church for which I can find no historical background, but I’ve become fascinated with the vernacular architecture that features prominently on these buildings. The steeple, or tower, is usually the focal point, and even on a newer structure, like this cinderblock example, creativity is in the details. The use of the open sides of the cinderblocks to create a pattern and opening was a clever idea that adds great visual appeal, in my opinion.
This building has been hidden by vegetation on my previous visits to Omaha but was finally visible on my recent trip. It’s a simple vernacular warehouse-type structure. It may have been a store, a feed-and-seed, or maybe just a warehouse. The architecture is typical of agricultural facilities I’ve documented elsewhere, but I hope to learn more, because it’s right in the middle of town, by the well, and seems to be an important survivor of the town’s earlier days.
Beginning as a Methodist Episcopal (M.E.) congregation, this church was last known as Omaha United Methodist. It was a successor to the Florence M. E. Church, located nearby. It has been converted into a residence, while retaining its important architectural features. The shingle-sided tower with its louvered Gothic vents is perhaps the most striking. I think it’s wonderful that someone made this a home while respecting its historical appearance. It’s always an option with old churches and I wish more would be saved in this way.
Based solely upon early burial dates in the church cemetery, I would guess that this congregation dates to the 1920s. I can’t locate any other history at this time.
The Fitzgeralds were one of the earliest families to settle Omaha. The town was originally named Fitzgerald in their honor but upon realizing there was already a Fitzgerald, in Ben Hill County, it was randomly named for Omaha, Nebraska. Mr. Fitzgerald’s first home on this site was destroyed by the 1913 tornado that also laid ruin to Omaha Baptist Church and much of the town. This replacement, with 19 rooms, was built the following year.
Built by Seaboard Air Line, this bridge has been abandoned for years. It’s located between Omaha, Georgia, and Cottonton, Alabama, and is visible from the Georgia Highway 39 Spur. Jackie Purdy writes that there is another vertical-lift bridge operated by CSX on the Savannah River.
Located near the Chattahoochee River, Omaha is a community with lots of history. If you’re in the area, it’s worth a visit.
An interesting bit of trivia: It was mentioned as the location of a fictional lynching in James Joyce’s masterpiece, Ulysses. “Hanging over the bloody paper with Alf looking for spicy bits instead of attending to the general public. Picture of a butting match, trying to crack their bloody skulls, one chap going for the other with his head down like a bull at a gate. And another one: Black Beast Burned in Omaha, Ga. A lot of Deadwood Dicks in slouch hats and they firing at a Sambo strung up in a tree with his tongue out and a bonfire under him. Gob, they ought to drown him in the sea after and electrocute and crucify him to make sure of their job”.
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 