First Baptist Church, 1918, Rochelle

From their website (abridged): The First Baptist Church of Rochelle was organized in 1888 with the Rev. T. B. Fuller and the Rev. J. C. Andrews constituting the Presbytery. There were 14 charter members.

The first place of meeting was in a wooden store house located on the southeastern corner of First Avenue and Gordon Street. Services were later held in a school building on the corner of Lee Street and Sixth Avenue and for some months in the Methodist Church. In 1892, the membership began worshiping in their partially completed building which was located on the corner of Gordon Street and Third Avenue. The same wooden building was being used twenty years later when the membership had increased to 158 and classrooms were needed. Plans were formulated for a new building to be built on the same site where the old building stood. That necessitated moving the old building and making arrangements with Masons for the use of their building as a place for worship. Finally, in April 1917, the new brick building was begun and was completed May, 1918 The total cost of the church without furnishings was $23,047.00 On April 27, 1919, Dr. Walter M. Lee preached the dedication sermon. The building was designed by J. J. Baldwin, Architect of Anderson, South Carolina, who made a specialty of designing church buildings.

This is actually a perspective view of the church, as I was unable to make a photograph of the front, but I think it illustrates the architecture well. J. J. Baldwin and other architects of the era must have really liked this style, as there are scores of similar churches throughout the country.

Folk Victorian Cottage, Rochelle

I’ve documented thousands of Folk Victorian houses over the years. Like Eclectic styles of the early 20th century, the Folk Victorian style was usually the marriage of different sensibilities. This house, ostensibly Queen Anne, and well executed to that end, is actually a central hallway cottage with applied Victorian details. They may be original to the house, or may have been added later, but the overall effect is achieved.

Colonial Revival Cottage, Rochelle

Rochelle’s historic residential neighborhood is small but I think there are enough notable properties to warrant inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. This fine home is a nice example of the Eclecticism popular in the early 20th century. It has the form of a Georgian Cottage, with Neoclassical elements and Colonial Revival decorative accents.

Hillbilly Produce, Rochelle

This mural is a landmark in Rochelle. It’s been here for at least 15 years. It’s one of those, “you know you’re in Rochelle when…” kinds of places. I made the photo in 2010 and thought I had lost it, only recently realizing I had shared it on another platform at that time. Problem solved. Hillbilly Produce raises fresh vegetables and sells them here and in Pitts during the summer months. As the mural suggests, you can expect watermelons, corn, onions, and peas, for starters. They also sell seasonal items in the fall.

Reeves-Huguley Home Place, 1905, Wilcox County

Kara Kidder wrote, in 2023, that this house had been in her family for over 100 years and that they were still researching its origins. A sign outside indicates it was built in 1905. It’s a perfect example of a Folk Victorian farmhouse and is well-maintained. It is located among fields that go on for miles in all directions.

Satilla United Methodist Church, Wayne County

This historic church is located in the Empire community, west of Jesup. It’s of a style typical among churches in rural Georgia for nearly 200 years. The pressed tin roof is still protecting it, if taking on a bit of rust. The building looks stable overall. My best guess as to a date would tend toward the early 1910s-1920s.

Morgan Bailey, whose father was a pastor at Satilla in the 1970s, shared the following on Facebook: “From my mother–Only 7 members when we got there (1971?) and 9 when we left. All of the members were quite old, but loved their church. They yearned to have a dinner on the ground, but the church had no bathroom. We solved that problem by hiring someone to build an outhouse. Happy group of people to get to have dinner on the ground. There was an old hand pump for water. They heated the church with fire wood. When one of the sister churches offered to give them an oil/kerosene heater, the old gentleman who always chopped the firewood said. “If you take that heater, you’ll take my job away from me”. So we turned the offer down. On Sundays he would fire up that old wood stove and the wasps would start swarming. Great group of people at that little church!

I hope it can survive. It does seem to be watched over by neighbors and was well built, probably by men of the church.

Odessa Church of God, Wayne County

The Odessa Church of God is perhaps the last surviving landmark of the Odessa community, east of Jesup. Odessa was on the railroad line that ran to Brunswick/Darien and the settlement must have had ties to the timber and turpentine industries. It had a post office from 1890-1920. The church, obviously long abandoned, is located in the woods beside the Odessa Cemetery. I haven’t been able to establish a connection between the church and the cemetery, but there must be. The earliest burial is circa 1902. The Drawdy family is well-represented in the area. Other than the cemetery and the church, I haven’t been able to find anything else related to the history of Odessa. Thanks to Stephany Kurth for identifying the church via Instagram.

Hay Barn, Irwin County

I identified this as the “Mixon-Daniels Barn” in my notes, as it was located on Mixon-Daniels Lane, near the Riverbend community. I think they sold sweet potatoes at this farm years ago. The photograph dates to 2014.

Empowerment Temple Church of God by Faith, Ocilla

The Church of God by Faith is described as “a Methodist denomination aligned with the Holiness movement”. It was founded by John “Daddy” Bright in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1914, and has over 200 congregations today. Along with the A.M.E., C.M.E., Missionary Baptists, and Church of God in Christ, it’s one of the leading Black denominations in Georgia.

Eclectic Craftsman Bungalow, Irwin County

This small Craftsman-influenced cottage has eclectic features, such as the high-pitched flying porticoes over the side doors. There are no exposed rafters as you’d expect in a Craftsman, either, but I think it’s still strongly influenced by the style. It’s reminiscent of the old travel courts that were popular in the 1930s-1940s. It has always been one of my favorite houses in the area.