Category Archives: –WARE COUNTY GA–

Carver Theater, 1946, Waycross

Before desegregation in the 1950s and 1960s, Black citizens of the Jim Crow South were resigned to sitting in the balconies of public theatres, if they were allowed to attend them at all. In response to this, Black entrepreneurs in larger towns built their own theatres and public event spaces to provide an alternative for their communities. Waycross had at least two such theatres.

The first, known as the Rainbow Theatre, opened in 1939 and was described by an industry journal as a “colored house, seating 400”. I have been unable to determine where it was located. Perhaps it was a forerunner to the Carver. If anyone knows more, please share.

The second Black movie house, the Carver, was located on Oak Street, and opened in 1946. It remained in business until the early 1970s. It was primarily a movie house, but may have also hosted occasional live performances. A rare example of Streamline Moderne Art Deco architecture, it has been empty for years, but appears to be in good condition overall. It would certainly be an interesting candidate for restoration and adaptive re-use.

Waycross City Auditorium, 1937: Elvis Was Here

4 Replies

Now known as the C. C. McCray City Auditorium, the Waycross Municipal Auditorium opened in 1937. It was a project of the Lions Club and the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal Agency during the Great Depression. After years of decline, it was restored in 2014 and renamed in honor of C. C. McCray (1925-2019), the first Black mayor of Waycross.

Over the years, it hosted numerous luminaries, including Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Cash, Louis Armstrong, Otis Redding, James Brown, and Billy Eckstine. But Elvis Presley might be the most famous.

To my knowledge this is the only surviving location in Georgia, besides Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, where Elvis performed in the 1950s. On 2 December 1955, he played his first date in Georgia at the old Atlanta Sports Arena. That building was demolished in the mid-1980s. Elvis performed two shows here, at the Waycross City Auditorium, at 7PM and 9PM on 22 February 1956, sharing the bill with the Louvin Brothers, Justin Tubb, Benny Martin, and Mother Maybelle Carter. To my knowledge, no photographs of the concert have been located. Just a few weeks after his Waycross appearance, Elvis had his first number one hit, “Heartbreak Hotel”.

An interesting bit of trivia: Waycross resident Gram Parsons (Ingram Cecil Connor III), who was nine years old in 1956, attended the Elvis concert in Waycross, with twins Daphne and Diane Delano, and got the rising star’s autograph after the show. Parsons would go on to be one of the most legendary and enigmatic figures in the music industry, playing briefly with the Byrds and influencing everyone from the Rolling Stones to the Eagles. He is widely regarded as one of the architects of the country/Southern rock genre.

Downtown Waycross Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 1898, Waycross

2 Replies

The first St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Waycross was dedicated on 12 May 1889. On 3 October 1896 it was destroyed by a hurricane. Father P. J. Luckie, who had come to Waycross in 1897, led the effort to construct the church seen here. It was built by local contractor T. J. Darling and the work was completed in October 1898. Unbelievably, another hurricane ravaged Southeast Georgia soon after the church was finished and during the storms, it was lifted off its foundation and badly damaged. Father Luckie had it repaired in short order.

It was moved just a short distance from another position on this lot in the 1920s and served the congregation until 1981, when a larger modern structure was built on Darling Avenue. In recent years, the old St. Joseph’s was used by the Lutherans but it may be empty at the present time.

Jason Canon recently reached out to share a bit of the history of St. Joseph Academy, a school established by the church. “The Order of the Sisters of St. Francis of Allegany opened the Academy in September 1948. It served both Catholic and non-Catholic students until its closure in 1976.

Downtown Waycross Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Elk’s Lodge, Circa 1907, Waycross

6 Replies

When built in 1907, this downtown Waycross landmark at the corner of Mary and Tebeau Streets was originally the lodge of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elk (B.P.O.E). After the Elks relocated to another facility on Plant Avenue in 1962, it served several tenants but most notably has been home to several popular restaurants over the past 50 years or so. To me, the most memorable was the Carter House, where my family would occasionally eat when we visited my father when he was in town overnight with the railroad. It was just down the street from the railroad men’s home at the time, the then-derelict Ware Hotel, and featured homestyle Southern cooking. Besides the old Green Frog, the Carter House was perhaps the most beloved Waycross restaurant of its day. Whitfield’s and the Crab Trap have also been located here.

Downtown Waycross Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Ritz Theatre, 1913 + 1935, Waycross

4 Replies

The Ritz Theatre originally opened as the Grand Theatre in 1913. It was initially a vaudeville and live performance space but was screening silent movies by 1914. In 1917, it was renamed the Orpheum Theatre. By 1935, it was acquired by a Paramount Pictures subsidiary and a significant renovation and redesign was completed. It’s name was changed to the Ritz. The fine Art Deco work is credited to prominent Jacksonville architect Roy A. Benjamin, one of the architects of the iconic Florida Theatre. The Ritz showed its last regular run movies in 1977, with some features still playing until 1984. It became the home of the Waycross Area Community Theatre in 1986 and still serves that purpose today.

Downtown Waycross Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Mud Bogging, Ware County

Georgia Cigar & Soda Company Ruins, Waycross

1 Reply

Waycross native Ben Hagen recently reached out to let me know about this structure in the process of being razed, in downtown Waycross. He noted: …The siding which had covered it for decades had been removed, and a number of great old ads were visible, including Coca-Cola, Chero Cola, a Nash/Oakland auto dealership, and more that I can’t make out...

It was located beside the US Highway 84 overpass at Francis Street and was originally two stories.

The primary signage on the front of the building, as seen in the first image, and below, indicate it may have been home to the Georgia Cigar & Soda Company.

As Ben noted, there were quite a few ads for other business on the side of the building, including Coca-Cola. My guess is that the proximity to the busy highway may have made the location a perfect spot for advertising, before the proliferation of stand-alone billboards.

‘

I’m hoping some of my Waycross friends will know.

Telmore, Georgia

2 Replies

This abandoned “county line”* package store and a nearby church are all that remain of this crossroads community located between Dixie-Union and Millwood. Telmore never had a post office, so the name may have just been a local designation. Thanks to James Kennedy for the identification.

*-So-called “county line” liquor stores weren’t always on the county line, but were very near it; this was a business model that took advantage of its location in a “wet” county, reaping the benefits of the citizenship of a bordering “dry” county.

Log Corn Crib, Ware County

Spreading Pogonia, Ware County

Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown

Since 2008. A visual survey of Georgia's historic architecture and culture. 9,000 locations. 30,000 images.

Category Archives: –WARE COUNTY GA–

Carver Theater, 1946, Waycross

Like this:

Waycross City Auditorium, 1937: Elvis Was Here

Like this:

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 1898, Waycross

Like this:

Elk’s Lodge, Circa 1907, Waycross

Like this:

Ritz Theatre, 1913 + 1935, Waycross

Like this:

Mud Bogging, Ware County

Like this:

Georgia Cigar & Soda Company Ruins, Waycross

Like this:

Telmore, Georgia

Like this:

Log Corn Crib, Ware County

Like this:

Spreading Pogonia, Ware County

Like this:

Share This:

Like this:

Share This:

Like this:

Share This:

Like this:

Share This:

Like this:

Share This:

Like this:

Share This:

Like this:

Share This:

Like this:

Share This:

Like this:

Share This:

Like this:

Share This:

Like this: