This structure takes the concept of the curtain wall, a popular Mid-Century commercial building style, and prefabricates it into a smaller form. Numerous companies, including Fentron and PPG, made colorful panels for use in this type of architecture, but I imagine the company that created this curiosity was just doing ready-made kits. For most of my life, this was a beauty salon and it was located just a few blocks from my grandmother’s house. It always reminded me of the Partridge Family.
It has been here since at least the early 1970s, if not earlier, and looks much as it did 50 years ago, except for the intrusive addition of the roof. The original roof was flat, which gave the building a much more modern appearance. I suspect the roof was added to protect the building. It no longer serves a commercial purpose and is now used for storage, if I understand correctly.
I don’t know what kind of preservation can be done with places like this, but it’s certainly an eye-catching relic, reminiscent of a very progressive era of American architecture.
This Craftsman townhouse was home for nearly 50 years to Foster Goolsby (1922-2016) and Frances Taylor Goolsby (1920-2011) and their family, and I had many pleasurable visits on this porch, in the shade of the two big magnolia trees that dominate the front yard.
Foster Goolsby was a B-17 pilot in World War II who had a penchant for telling amazing stories, and he didn’t mind telling anyone how much he hated Fitzgerald’s wild chickens, for their habit of destroying his wife’s flower beds. A Talbot County native, he came to Fitzgerald while serving as headmaster of Irwin Academy, after being principal of at least seven schools prior to his move. He was also superintendent of the Valdosta City Schools for 10 years. In addition to this work, he served for over 40 years as chairman of the board of the Georgia Accrediting Commission.
Frances was born in Elberton and was a genteel Southern lady of another era. A consummate hostess and homemaker, she was well known for her award winning flower arrangements and her time with the Magnolia Garden Club.
I don’t have information on who built the house at the moment, but will update at some point. I’ve identified it as the Goolsby House for their long association with the property.
I made these photographs in 2016 at the invitation of Al Johnson and the house was staged for sale at the time. The beautiful interior design work was done by Lisa Davis Eldridge. The house now has new owners.
It was amazing to see the house restored. I know the Goolsbys would be proud to see what it has become.
It’s a great example of what can be done with historic properties. The Craftsman style endures as one of the most practical and adaptable forms of American architecure.
The Victorian aesthetic of the cemetery as a public park was falling out of fashion by the time Evergreen Cemetery was established, but Fitzgerald embraced the ideal, planting trees and shrubs to enhance the landscape. Part of the park concept often included pavilions for public remembrances. Such remembrances were commonplace in the years just after World War I, when this Craftsman-inspired structure was built. At the time, Evergreen was a much smaller cemetery than it is today, and funeral services were sometimes held here, as well.
N. J. Trammell, Sexton of Evergreen Cemetery, at the new pavilion, circa 1924. Albumen print on cabinet card. Note the absence of the louvered sides. Collection of Brian Brown.
I inherited this photograph of the newly built pavilion from the daughter of the man standing beside it. They were distant cousins of mine. Needham John Trammell (1863-1938) was the sexton of Evergreen Cemetery during the 1910s and 1920s and he was charged with its upkeep and the recording of burials. I believe the photograph was made in 1924 (it’s one of several), but will have to locate more paperwork to confirm a specific date. I’ll update when I do.
Sexton’s Monthly Report of Burials in Evergreen Cemetery for the The City of Fitzgerald, 1922. Collection of Brian Brown.
I also have several volumes of his sexton’s monthly reports, covering most of the 1920s. This page indicates there were only two burials in April 1922.
As the preceding vintage photograph illustrates, the pavilion didn’t have the louvered sides when built. They were added for shade, no doubt.
The pavilion continues to be well-maintained and has become a symbol of Evergreen Cemetery over the years.
This Colonial Revival post office was always one of my favorite buildings when I was growing up. It was built in 1918 to replace the old granitoid post office that stood a block east on the corner of Central Avenue and Main Street. It was based on plans of James A. Wetmore, Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department. There were variations of Wetmore’s plans, and hundreds of similar or identical structures were built throughout the country. There’s a “twin” to the Fitzgerald post office in Barnesville, and there are likely others in Georgia. When a new post office was built on Main Street [opened in 1966], this structure became known as the Federal Building and still houses federal and county offices.
An aside: Alvin G. Brown (1876-1955) was the face of the post office for many years, an ambassador if you will, serving as a mail carrier from 1909-1941 and known in earlier years for using a horse and canopied mail wagon. His father was an original Fitzgerald colonist from Iowa. Brown also served a brief term as Fitzgerald mayor, if I recall correctly. I know he ran for mayor because somewhere I have a card from the campaign, showing him on his mail wagon.
Swan Postmasters, 1888-1895: Benjamin Drew, 1888-1891; William O. McKeithen, 1891-1892; Missouri A. Ford,1892; Kate Drew, 1892-1893; and David Drew, 1893-1895.
Fitzgerald Postmasters 1895-1978: David Drew, 1895-1897; David E. Peiper, 1897-1900; James William Huggins, 1900-1901; William H. Marston, 1901-1911; Eleanor M. Marston, (Acting Postmaster), 1911; George E. Ricker, 1911-1915; William A. Adams, 1915-1940; James Jarratt Pryor, 1940-1964; Clifford A. Pickens, 1964-1973; Baney R. Adams, 1973-1978; Idaleen C. Callis, 1978; John J. Wiggins, 1978-
Fitzgerald Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This rather plain mid-century gymnasium stands behind the site of the old Fitzgerald High School, whose loss is still a great pain to the community. After World War II, when the high school outgrew its original building, newer structures were added to the campus, including the gymnasium*. It replaced the much older wooden gym at Blue & Gray Park, known far and wide as “The Shell”. Basketball was at peak popularity in Fitzgerald in the 1950s, so this was a regular gathering place not just for students but for the community as a whole. The amateur wrestling circuit made many stops here over the decades, as well.
I began high school in the 8th grade and well remember Coach Gibbs’s p.e. classes meeting here, playing dodge ball and other intramural sports. I also remember the wooden bleachers that could be pushed in accordion fashion to the walls. The building seemed ancient and derelict to me then, but it was so well-built that it’s still around. I’m unsure of its present use but am hopeful it is protected.
*- I haven’t tracked down a specific date for construction of the gymnasium, but my best guess is between 1949-1958. My father graduated in 1959 and recalls attending basketball games at the old shell and in the new gym. I’ll update when I learn more.
Built in 1950, the Virginia Apartments are a Colonial Revival multi-unit complex made up of two identical buildings, located side by side. Many of the original elements survive in the apartments, but doors, shutters and windows have been replaced. This was the first place my parents lived after they got married in 1967. My mother said that many newlyweds lived here at the time.
The apartments were owned by John Henry “Jack” Mayes, Jr., (1914-1989), the son of British immigrant “Captain Jack” Mayes (1881-1960), who ran the Fitzgerald Cotton Mills. Jack, Jr.’s brother, Garbert (1906-1954), who was also involved in the mills, was the father of author Frances Mayes.
This is the last surviving of several massive industrial shop buildings which served the Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic and its successors in its Fitzgerald hub. Their presence speaks not only to the vast expansion of the railroad industry at the turn of the century, but as well to the rapid growth of Fitzgerald, scarcely 10 years old when this heavy industry brought large-scale employment to the town.
Larry Goolsby, who has done more research on the history of the Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic and its successor than anyone I know, wrote in his excellent history Atlanta, Birmingham & Coast, ACL & SCL Historical Society, Valrico, Florida, 2000: “The Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic was…busy…during 1906. Construction was proceeding on a large yard and permanent shop complex at Fitzgerald, including a 75×300-foot machine shop with and 85-ton traveling crane, blacksmith and boiler shops, engine house, coach shop, planing mill, foundry, and a power house among other buildings. These facilities, called Shops at first and renamed Westwood in 1922, would replace AB&A’s small shops at Brunswick and Waycross as the system’s major site for rebuilding, repairs, and painting. They also superseded the wooden shop buildings originally built at Fitzgerald. The scope of the undertaking could be gauged by Master Mechanic J. E. Cameron’s concern over housing for the new shops’ employees: “In 60 days from now we will bring in the neighborhood of 300 men and their families, and not a house for their accommodation.“
A majority of the railroad laborers were African-Americans, and houses were soon constructed in Westwood, an historically African-American community about a mile from the Fitzgerald yard. I had always presumed that Westwood existed because of the railroad, and it certainly grew with their presence, but at least one church in the village predates the railroad’s presence by nearly 30 years.
Over the years, the existing Westwood shop buildings began to deteriorate as the railroad transferred their operations elsewhere. A couple of the buildings, nearly identical to the one pictured here, were still standing as recently as 15-20 years ago. In the years since they were abandoned by the railroad, they have been used by various businesses.
Martin Gottlieb (1892-1968) was a Hungarian Jewish immigrant who came to Fitzgerald in 1918. He was a merchant and tailor and an active member of the Hebrew Commercial Alliance throughout his time in Fitzgerald. He is best remembered for leaving the city a large bequest that was to be used to purchase Christmas gifts for needy children. The fund survives to this day. He also served as president of the Fitzgerald Baseball Club, the Pioneers, which were a professional farm team. The property documented here was originally Gottlieb’s farm, located just outside Fitzgerald, but now within the city limits.
Shop barn
Gottlieb eventually went into business with Ed Castleberry (1909-2003), and their Gottlieb and Castleberry Men’s Shop, located next to the Garbutt-Donovan Building on East Pine Street, outfitted generations of men in Fitzgerald. I remember visiting the small store as a youth as it was the place to order Boy and Cub Scout uniforms.
Garage
Eventually, Ed Castleberry purchased or inherited the farm from Mr. Gottlieb. Though more a “gentleman’s farm” than a commercial enterprise, pecan trees were cultivated and harvested on the property from year to year.
Volkswagen Beetle in the garage
Ed and Minnie Castleberry’s (1915-2006) son, John Ed Castleberry (1945-2023) continued to live here until his death.
Barn
The property will likely be sold for commercial use, so I was glad to have the opportunity to photograph it.
In 1855, Sheldon Madison Chapman, Sr. (1829-1911), gave four acres of land for a burying ground for the enslaved members of Jones Creek Baptist Church, and a section along the creek for use as a baptistry for all members. Chapman was one of the most prominent citizens of Jones Creek, having served, like his father, as postmaster of the community. Though originally located in Liberty County, Jones Creek was the earliest and largest settlement in present-day Long County.
There are many unmarked burials in the Jones Creek Black Cemetery, most of them likely dating to the days of slavery, but in contrast, the existing monuments and memorials are of commercial manufacture, indicating a prosperous congregation at a time when that would have been unusual.
One can deduce that the site it is known as Jones Creek Black Cemetery because its earliest burials were the enslaved people who attended Jones Creek Baptist Church with their White enslavers. Since circa 1878, however, it has been the de facto burying ground for St. Thomas Missionary Baptist Church.
Rev. March Hughes (Circa 1829-1903) + Peggy Hughes (Circa 1820-death date unknown)
March Hughes was granted a letter that he may minister to a flock of his choice in the 1870s, when many Black congregations were forming their own churches. He preached his own ordination service on 24 August 1878 and established St. Thomas Baptist Church (now known as St. Thomas Missionary Baptist Church) for the freedmen of Jones Creek Baptist Church. He was licensed as a preacher on 26 January 1884. When he died in 1903, Rev. Hughes was the most influential Black man in the Jones Creek community. Those who maintain this cemetery have proposed renaming it the March Hughes Cemetery in his honor. [This history comes from plaques at the site and from Mike McCall via the late Christine Welcome, a longtime member of St. Thomas.]
F. Baker, Jr. (3 January 1897-6 September 1929)
Mr. Baker was a member of the the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. The W. W. V. initials at the bottom of the headstone stand for “World War Veteran”, World War I in this case.
Martha Snider (Birth and death dates unknown)
Little is known of Martha Snider, but she was 96 years old when she died.
A. L. Baker (9 June 1895-5 June 1929)
Mr. Baker was a World War I Veteran and Mason.
Alford Watkins (1861-5 February 1911)
Watkins was a Mason.
Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. G. H. Stokes (9 March-1920-26 October 1926)
The memorials for the two young children of Mr. and Mrs. G. H. Stokes are vernacular in design, unlike most of the other memorials in the Jones Creek Black Cemetery.
Son of Mr. & Mrs. G. H. Stokes (11 October 1925-27 July 1933)
It’s unusual that the Stokes children are not named, but simply listed as “daughter” and “son”.
Jasper Baggs (August 1873-15 February 1925)
Jasper Baggs was a laborer, according to his death certificate.
Patsy Baggs (15 October 1947-31 May 1931)
Patsy Baggs’s death certificate listed her occupation as “house work” and “keeping house”. This was a common form of employment for Black women in the Jim Crow era.
The Baggs family was quite prolific and many members are buried in this enclosure near the back of the cemetery.
Roy E. Baggs (4 April 1888-28 April 1911)
The initials F.L.T. (Friendship, Truth, and Love) at the top of the marker indicate that Mr. Baggs was a member of the Odd Fellows.
James E. Baggs, Sr. (22 October 1892-17 November 1963)
Mr. Baggs was one of several members of St. Thomas who served in World War I. He was a corporal in the Army. I hope to learn more about his service.
Coda L. Baggs (1852-1935)
I presume the name to be Coda.
Fraulein Baggs Smith (1905-1923)
Fraulein is an unusual name. It’s my favorite in this cemetery.
This open lane follows the bank of Jones Creek and is adjacent to the traditional site of baptisms for Black congregants. A reconstruction of the old dressing room for baptisms is visible at right. In the distance is the White cemetery and the historic Jones Creek Baptist Church.
Immersion baptism was common among churches of both races in the rural South well into the 20th century, and is still practiced by some.
According to church records, “the last time we used the water of Jones Creek was April 23, 1995…”
The lower Atlamaha River is home to numerous Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), and Long County is no exception, with Townsend, Morgan Lake, and Griffin Ridge. I spent a couple of days exploring the snowy landscape at Griffin Ridge, which I think is one of the most amazing hidden gems in the area.
Griffin Ridge is characterized by Atlantic coastal plain floodplain forests, oak hammocks, and river dunes. Scrubby would be a good word to describe it, especially the uplands. Palmettos are the dominant shrub of the under story and are often so thick as to be impenetrable.
The early settlers of Southeast Georgia, and specifically the Wiregrass Region, forged a living out of this wild landscape, and Griffin Ridge has always been wild. Within its boundaries today are landmarks once known (and sometimes still known) as Fountain Hole, Back Swamp, Griffin Lake, and Patterson Swamp.
This place is beautiful year round, especially if you grew up in Southern woods and wetlands like I did, but the snow transformed it into something otherworldly. As of this writing, much of the snow in town has melted, but there are still quite a few patches glowing through the trees at Griffin Ridge.
Lichen is abundant here but most was hidden by the snow.
Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica), also known as Black Gum and Sour Gum, and Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) can be found in natural ponds and wet spots throughout Griffin Ridge.
As flat as this part of the world is, some might be surprised by the hilly terrain. The flow of the mighty Altamaha cuts into the surrounding earth and creates changes in the elevation. The very name of this place is an acknowledgement of the topography.
I’ve always liked this oak, which sits downhill from the road near the entrance.
This small creek near the eastern entrance was almost completely frozen. I didn’t test it to find out.
The bridge in the western section of Griffin Ridge is perhaps the property’s most recognizable man-made landmark. It crosses a particularly large wetland area that is usually not very inviting to anyone not wearing waders.
This cypress pond was transformed by a thin sheet of ice, and many of the trees were surrounded by a collar of snow.
Just uphill from the pond was an apiary. It’s near an off-limits hunting cabin that is also a Griffin Ridge landmark.
Since most of my visits are photography related, I usually avoid this WMA during deer season, and archery is all that’s still open. Nonetheless, I was surprised to encounter someone on Saturday. He was a hunter but on this trip was just admiring the snow with his grandchildren.
Most of the boundaries of Griffin Ridge are clearly marked, and some roads are open only to foot traffic. It’s easy to wander off course if you aren’t paying attention.
No one had been down this road on foot or by vehicle, and it was particularly nice.
On my drive out of the western section, I stopped at the bridge and wandered around the low wetlands that are normally too muddy to navigate.
I’ve photographed this tree, another favorite, many times, but it has never looked better than it did in the snow. I usually just shoot it from the bridge.
I took over 600 photographs during my two “snow trips” last week, so this is but a small representation of what I saw. I hope some of you will have the opportunity to visit on your own.
