This historic lodge is among the most significant African-American resources in Jenkins County, and though it is endangered, is not too far gone for restoration. It likely served as a school, lodge, and community center for the adjacent church, which I was unable to photograph.
Saint Joseph in the Bay Branch community is a rare rural Catholic congregation which for many years was the only such church between Savannah and Augusta. In their sesquicentennial history, One Faith…One Family, the Savannah Diocese notes: Bishop Benjamin J. Keiley…dedicated Saint Joseph Catholic Church and Cemetery on May 14, 1911. For about 40 years before the Bay Branch church was built, Catholic Mass was celebrated by priests from Savannah in the homes of Slavic and German Catholic families in rural Screven County…
The simple architecture of the church is typical of rural congregations in Georgia throughout the late-19th and early-20th centuries. It is beautifully maintained.
This Queen Anne landmark is in a state of restoration. but is still a nice rural example of the form.
This house, possibly a tenant structure, includes a shed room across the rear, a typical expansion with this form.
This historic congregation was established in 1909.
At some point, the smaller church was replaced with a larger one. An historic lodge is also located on the property.
This small home is a survivor of the days when Scarboro was a prominent settlement, its economy dependent on the Ogeechee River.
Thomasboro is an historic farming community in Screven County. This was a general store and likely the location of the post office, which was in operation from 1914-1951. Like the nearby settlement of Millerville, it has been lovingly maintained as a tribute to its history and is closely watched over. Having seen so many places like this in ruins over the years, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate families and owners for maintaining these tangible links to the past.
Can’t you just see old men standing around here, drinking Co-Colas and talking about the price of cotton and comparing mules and tractors?!
Built in the typical “shotgun” style, this was a storage warehouse for feed, seed, or something agricultural. It’s a great old building, obviously well built.
This massive Folk Victorian house sits at the end of a row of majestic cedars, which appear to be well over a century old.
Cedar lanes were once a popular landscaping choice but most of the old ones are long gone, lost to disease or storms over the years. These have somehow miraculously survived.
The house appears to date to the late 19th century.
An historic commissary stands at the front of the property, confirming that this was once a very busy plantation. It is still part of a large working farm. I walked up the lane to try to find someone to tell me about the place, to no avail. I imagine they were out in the fields busy with the cotton harvest.
This is one of the most pristine historic plantation properties I’ve ever seen and the owners have done a wonderful service in their efforts to preserve it. Thanks to Dale Reddick, and other members of the Screven County history group on Facebook, for the identification.