Category Archives: Statesboro GA

Meat Packing House, 1917, Statesboro

An old, abandoned building with empty windows and overgrown vines, situated on a grassy field under a blue sky.

Known simply as the “Packinghouse”, the Bulloch Packing Company facility that opened here in 1917 was only in business for three years before a fire took out the boiler room on an upper floor in 1920. It’s considered one of Statesboro’s most ‘haunted’ places, but  all of the lore is based on complete fiction. Brooks Simmons, who inherited the Bank of Statesboro from his father, was the president and a chief investor in the business. He lost his investment with the fire but more importantly, during the Crash of 1929, the Bank of Statesboro failed and Simmons lost what remained of his fortune. He committed suicide in 1931, and over time that somehow morphed into the legend that he killed his employees and then himself. But the stories persisted and the structure became a favorite with ghost hunters, urbexers, and squatters alike. In 2015, former Georgia Southern student Scott Taylor bought the packinghouse with the intention of rehabilitating it for use as apartments. It’s actually much more structurally sound than it appears and hopefully, it will soon have a new lease on life.

Barney Averitt House, 1890, Statesboro

A brick two-story house with a front porch, surrounded by greenery and trees.

Built by Barney Averitt using lumber from his sawmill, this home features a variety of pine, oak, and maple floors. The brick was likely added in the early 20th century, when it was remodeled to its present Colonial Revival appearance. It’s now owned by Helen Cannon and home to Georgia’s Bed and Breakfast, a popular Statesboro inn.

Georgian Cottage, 1900, Statesboro

A charming southern-style house with a bright red metal roof, surrounded by green foliage and shrubs, featuring a front porch with steps leading up to the entrance.

This is a modified example of the Georgian Cottage style common throughout the state.

Eclectic Cottage, 1915, Statesboro

A charming blue Victorian-style house with a wraparound porch, white trim, and a symmetrical design, surrounded by greenery.

This is one of many homes of this era that feature multiple architectural influences. The overall “feel” is Queen Anne cottage, but there are other elements present.

Folk Victorian Cottage, 1920, Statesboro

Front view of a two-story white house with a steeply pitched yellow metal roof, surrounded by greenery and a clear blue sky.

The date for this house comes from a real estate archive and is likely a bit late.

Simmons-Tucker-Marsh House, 1915, Statesboro

A two-story white house with a red tiled roof, featuring a turret and surrounded by lush greenery and hedges.

Architecturally, this Spanish Colonial Revival is one of the most  impressive houses in Statesboro.  As is the case with several structures in the city’s historic districts, there is a bit of conflict regarding the date of construction; the National Register nomination dates it to 1915 while real estate archives put it at 1917. I generally defer to the National Register until I learn otherwise.

Savannah Avenue Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Horace Smith House, 1920, Statesboro

A large, two-story brick house with white shutters and red awnings, featuring a central front entrance and a landscaped yard. In the foreground, there is a decorative fountain surrounded by a circular hedge.

Savannah Avenue Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Colonial Revival Cottage, 1908, Statesboro

A large, two-story gray house with a front porch, white columns, and a steeply pitched roof, surrounded by greenery and trees under a clear blue sky.

This is said to be the oldest house in the Savannah Avenue Historic District.

Savannah Avenue Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

John W. Wilcox House, 1912, Statesboro

A charming white house with a front porch, a steeply pitched roof, and large windows, surrounded by green lawns and shrubs under a clear blue sky.

Savannah Avenue Historic District, National Register of Historic Places