This home may not be as grand or ornate as the Lapham-Patterson House, but it’s certainly an eclectic Queen Anne, one of the most unusual I’ve encountered. And it’s definitely worth a drive down Clay Street to see it. The central turret, or tower, is its most prominent feature, while the unusual floor plan is also notable. I hope to update with a name at some point.
Dawson Street Residential Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Thomasville’s Old Cemetery dates to at least 1842, based on burial dates, and is a microcosm of 19th century funerary art, ranging from exceptional vernacular memorials to grand marble obelisks and monuments. It is said to be the oldest cemetery in Thomas County, incorrectly, but it may be the oldest in Thomasville proper. The deed conveying the cemetery to the city of Thomasville is dated 1858. Nearly 40 Confederate veterans, some in unmarked graves, are buried here, as well.
Isaac Mitchell was a prominent planter and large slaveholder in the area. In 1838, he sold a thousand-acre plantation with two miles of shoreline on Lake Iamonia, near Tallahassee. He died during the Civil War, and his son, who served in Co. F, 29th Georgia Regiment, died a few years later. Their monument, featuring ruined columns topped with wreaths, is one of the finest in the cemetery.
This beautiful Victorian monument is a bit of a mystery. I couldn’t find a name on it, but there’s an adjacent government-issued marker for Sgt. James A. McLendon, who served in Co. F., 50th Georgia Infantry.
The gate decoration here was a common design. There’s a very similar example at the Isaac Joseph House in Columbus. The name on that gate appears to be the name of the maker, so I wonder if this is not the maker’s name, as well. I’ve only been able to discern that it’s either Branner or Brannem, neither of which I find in the burial list for the Old Cemetery. Another mystery, at least for now.
This is one of two or three seashell graves in the Old Cemetery, this one being in the best state of preservation. In fact, it’s one of the nicest I’ve seen. There is a government-issued memorial at the foot of the grave that notes Captain Henderson served with Co. F, 29th Georgia Infantry.
This table grave is an interesting mix of vernacular and formal funerary art. The handmade bricks, likely made by enslaved laborers, are topped by a professionally made marble slab. The girls were both very young, and since they died around the same time, were likely afflicted with the same illness.
There are numerous brick crypts and slabs in the Old Cemetery.
Most of these are unidentified, and therefore I’m just showing them for the skill and craft involved in their production.
Some of the brick in the memorials appears to be handmade, and I would guess that some were made by enslaved people.
The gravestone below is made of slate, an uncommon material in Georgia. I’ve rarely found such memorials away from the coast.
The Seixas family were Thomas County pioneers. The Seixas House, circa 1835, is thought to be the oldest one-story house in Thomasville.
The gazebo is a prominent landmark in the Old Cemetery.
I don’t know if this place is still open, but it’s the kind of business every town used to have, which did automotive upholstery and custom glass work. It appears to have originated as a mid-century (1940s-circa 1960) commercial garage and possibly was also a filling station. I just like the sign and the building.
Enslaved people who had previously attended Baptist services with their White enslavers in Thomasville began holding separate services at the First Baptist Church in 1853. In 1866, they established the First African Baptist Church. The first pastor, Rev. Jacob Wade, served from the establishment until his death in 1877.
The present church building was completed in 1900. The congregation continued its association with the African Baptist Church until 1964, when they reorganized as First Missionary Baptist Church.
The church was granted $155,000 in 2024 from the National Trust for Historic Preservation for future efforts to preserve the property.
Dawson Street Residential Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This cemetery, now commonly referred to as the Flipper Cemetery, is one of the oldest municipal burial grounds for African-Americans in Thomasville. Also known as the old Magnolia Cemetery, it’s distinguished by methodical plantings of oaks and other shade trees and is a well-maintained historical resource.
Significantly, it’s the final resting place of Lt. Henry Ossian Flipper, the first Black graduate of West Point. Lt. Flipper died in Atlanta in 1940 and was buried in South View Cemetery. In February 1978, his remains were exhumed and he was re-interred in his hometown.
But it is also important for the numerous other prominent Black citizens of 19th-century Thomasville, including Rev. Jacob Wade, the first pastor of the African Baptist Church. Additionally, there are a few important vernacular monuments present, most importantly the three crosses and the Ruis obelisk. There are also quite a few typical Victorian and early-20th century memorials.
The birth and death dates are unknown, and with Dall Mitchell and Benetta Lowry, the names are not certain. Those two crosses have been repaired and it’s possible that information was lost. They are quite unusual and vernacular landmarks.
This shows the loss of part of the letters from the original monument, which was obviously taller than it is in its present configuration, and the challenge of identification.
The Ruis-Wiggs obelisk is a concrete vernacular copy of other monuments common at the time, usually accomplished in marble or granite.
Margaret and Mattie Ruis (1859 or 1869-1911) are memorialized on the obelisk, as well as Shep W. Wiggs (birth and death dates indiscernible).
There are numerous brick grave markers like the one seen above. Most do not identify the decedent and therefore present a great challenge for identification.
This is one of several damaged memorials in Flipper Cemetery that have been repaired.
The presence of so many manufactured headstones in a Black cemetery of this era is an indication of a thriving and growing Black middle class.
It appears, considering all the broken memorials, that the cemetery was once very poorly maintained, but thankfully, someone took the time and care to repair nearly all of the damaged stones.
Also buried within the family plot, along with Lt. Henry O. Flipper, are his parents, J. Festus Flipper (1832-12 December 1918) and Isabella Buckhalter Flipper (1837-21 August 1887).
This Craftsman cottage was the home of J. Festus Flipper, Jr. (1872-1943). Festus was the brother of 2nd Lt. Henry Ossian Flipper, who was the first Black graduate of West Point. Like his father, J. Festus Flipper, the junior Flipper was a shoemaker. He and his wife, Mary Frances Davies Flipper (b. 1871-death date unknown at this time), were married in 1891. They had three children, and shared the house with several of Mrs. Flipper’s relatives.
The Church of the Good Shepherd was established in 1894 by 27 men and women familiar with the services of the Episcopal church and who wanted a congregation of their own. Members of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, with the full support of Rev. Charles LeRoche, assisted in construction of Good Shepherd. It’s one of just a few Black Episcopal congregations formed by African-Americans in Georgia, although it was always welcoming of all races. The vernacular Victorian sanctuary was built in 1894, and the parish hall (seen right, above) was built circa 1896 and expanded circa 1923. The parish hall served as a parochial school from 1894,-1964. John W. ‘Jack’ Carter, a prominent member of the Black community, was instrumental in establishing the school. [The vicarage, not pictured, is also included in the National Register, and was built in 1908.]
National Register of Historic Places
When built, this vernacular Neoclassical Revival house was among the finest Black-owned residential properties in Thomasville. It originally featured a stuccoed facade and a cement fence along the street. W. E. Gibson, the builder, was an expert brick mason, and he and his wife raised two children here. When their age made the stairs an issue, they sold it in 1949. It remains a neighborhood landmark.
Stevens Street Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Jack Hadley writes that the Recreation Center “was built by Mr. W. E. Gibson in the 1920’s. The purpose of the house was to furnish a place where young black people could get together to socialize and have fun. The center consisted of three rooms and a large room where the youth could dance. In this room were a piano and chairs around the walls. The next room was the game room, containing a pool table and chairs. There was a kitchen where refreshments were served. Local clubs and industries often had social affairs in this building. In the back yard was a swimming pool where many children were taught to swim. The center served the community for about ten years. The owner tried to operate a community store but failed. Mr. Gibson deeded the building to his son Carlton for $1.80. Carlton Gibson raised the flat roof and added four rooms. He also filled the pool to make room for parking cars. In 1938, Carlton Gibson and his family moved into the house as it stands today [first photograph], and it became the first brick house for an African-American in Thomasville.“
Stevens Street Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
I believe this may be the earliest surviving structure of the Douglass School. The original school, with five classrooms, stood at this same intersection, but I’m not sure at which corner. Jack Hadley notes that this fine building served as “Douglass High School’s extended classroom.” It probably dates to circa 1910, or even a bit earlier.
When W. J. Varner served as principal at Douglass, he also served as secretary of the YMCA, and this structure became home to the first “Colored YMCA” in Thomasville. It appears to be in wonderful condition, and is now home to the True Vine Church of Deliverance.
Stevens Street Historic District, National Register of Historic Places