Shell’s Bonded Warehouse is one of at least two such facilities in Pitts, which isn’t surprising considering the importance of farming in the area. I’m fascinated by these old buildings; they’re not architecturally interesting, I suppose, but they represent the lifeblood of many small towns whose economies were and are based on agriculture. The old ones are getting harder to find, but many are still in use. I wouldn’t be surprised if this one is still busy in season.
Don’t be surprised to see fields full of sunflowers if you’re driving near Pitts in the summertime. Clay Oliver, of Oliver Farm, has grown a new industry in Wilcox County with his highly awarded pecan, sunflower and other cold pressed oils. He’s recently added peanut, sesame, and pumpkin oils and flours to his product line. My personal favorite, which I can’t do without, is the pecan oil, but I also use the sunflower oil. You can order from his website, but many of his products are available in specialty food stores throughout the Southeast, with new locations being added regularly.
I just like the name of this street in Pitts.
Ida Azulay writes: The house pictured was my father’s family home until his death in 1992. The house was built by Mr. Robert King’s father. My grandfather was born in the house and planted a magnolia tree in the front yard as a child. The tree has long since been taken down. My father and his brother were both born in the house and raised there. My sister and I were the 3rd generation in the house.
8th Street was Pitts’ main drag during its heyday. Many of the historic commercial storefronts have been restored or stabilized in varying degrees by Delano Braziel.
The roof of this building collapsed in 2016, but Zeke Best writes that it was saved and turned into a storefront for Oliver Farms known as “The Station”.
Finding this house reminded me of all the old houses of my childhood, where there was often an ornamental palm tree and almost always a lantana or two in the front yard. Thanks to Gary Shell for the identification.
While photographing in Pitts one day, I was told that this was the old movie theatre. Pitts was once a much busier place. Robert Jett notes that this was Jett’s Hardware, operated by his father, E. B. Jett, from about 1955 to 1960; he confirms that it was used as a theatre before then.
Sidney McWhorter writes: My mother, Mardelle Stonecypher McWhorter, used to tell me every time we went by there, that she went to school there when she was a little girl. Wayne Reed adds, via Facebook: My mother used to walk by this school on her way to school in Pitts This was a black school in the 20’s and 30’s. Mother is 98 and has a great memory. According to Shawn Rhodes, it was most recently used as Snow Hill Church (early 1980s – 2003).
