This is a nice example of the saddlebag form, with a slightly taller chimney than most I’ve documented. It also features board-and-batten siding, another common feature of many utilitarian dwellings.
This tenant house was probably one of several on what was once a larger farm, later converted to a pine plantation. The photo dates to 2011 but the house was still standing about a year ago. Housing like this was very common in rural counties, well into the 20th century.
As I continue to edit many of my older posts on Vanishing Georgia, I keep finding surprises in my archive. This was a window shot of a barber shop in Tennille, one of my favorite towns to photograph once I learned I didn’t have to wait for the train all day. This was made in 2010 so I’m not sure the barber shop is still there but I’m sure it’s a well-remembered local landmark.
Sue Burnham writes: Mr Bennie cut my boy’s hair for years. He was even known to walk up the block to our house to get them. He would say he knew those boys needed a haircut. You sure can’t find them like that nowadays. L. Vick remembers: Mr. Bennie Horton cut my hair in that shop for years. It was a one-of-a-kind place that I never left without a smile on my face.
This is one of two historic African Methodist Episcopal congregations near Davisboro. I am unsure of the date, but I believe it’s a fairly early church.
This is an expanded central hallway form, likely added to as the family grew over time. It was a fairly common practice among rural homeowners at one time.
Though I cannot locate a specific history, a state historical survey notes that this rural African-American schoolhouse near Warthen was built and administered by the adjacent Middle Hill Missionary Baptist Church. The church was operating a school as early as the 1870s though this structure dates to the early 20th century.
The inward triangular entryway is a fascinating feature.
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 