Many small Georgia towns have areas like this one on South Washington Street that were once vibrant commercial areas, now abandoned to the elements. Most of these buildings are just shells, with the roofs long gone.
One can only imagine what businesses were located here at this point. They’re located on South Washington Street near the railroad tracks. Some may have been businesses related to the railroad, and there was probably a grocery or general store, as well.
Beulah Baptist, like Bethel A. M. E. Church, is a Freedmen congregation, established in 1869. The cornerstone for this structure, placed in 1916, identifies it simply as Beulah Baptist Church. I’m not sure when the congregation became affiliated with the Missionary Baptists.
This was one of the most common house types in working class neighborhoods at the turn of the last century.
Real estate records date this house to 1900 but I believe that has been confused with the house next door. It’s located in Quitman’s historic South Washington Street African-American neighborhood and is an important example of the architecture of an emerging middle class at the height of the Jim Crow era.
This gymnasium, built as a part of the Washington Street High School in 1954 during the era of Equalization Schools, is all that remains of Quitman’s Black high school from the last years of segregation. Washington Street, which also included an elementary school, was open from 1955-1970 and replaced Brooks High School, which was deemed substandard. According to the Georgia High School Football Association, the Washington Street football team held the Georgia Interscholastic Association record for most points scored in a game, defeating Washington High School of Blakely 126-14 on 10 October 1969. After integration, the school became Brooks County Middle School.
There is now an effort to save the gymnasium. One of its big backers is Brooks County commissioner James Maxwell, a Washington Street alumnus, who over thirty years ago was the first Black man elected to the county commission. Other alumni, including Dr. Rose Marie Horne, the first female physician in Brooks County, are passionate about preserving the gymnasium and assigning it landmark status.
This historic African Methodist Episcopal church traces its origins to a group of Freedmen in 1866. The present structure, an amazing example of the uneven-tower type church, was dedicated in August 1903, during the pastorate of I. S. Hamilton. The stucco siding was added during a renovation in 2016. It’s one of the oldest Black congregations in Brooks County, if not the oldest.
Peggy Bramblette recently reached out to let us know that the historic New Perry Hotel, perhaps the best-known symbol of this Middle Georgia town, was facing possible demolition. A week passed and I was not surprised to learn that the demolition is imminent. I’ve witnessed a long history of developers convincing local politicians to agree to the erasure of local landmarks without much oversight. When places like the New Perry Hotel are lost, communities almost always regret it; numerous people in Perry have spoken out against the demolition and it has received a fair amount of local news coverage. You can sign a petition here, though it may ultimately have little impact.
The owners, Triple P Holdings, have applied for a demolition permit, and it seems, the City of Perry is poised to endorse what would be a horrible end for one of their most important historic landmarks. Their boilerplate statement suggests the demolition is all but a done deal. [Note the words in bold font, which echo numerous statements I’ve read before similar properties were destroyed]: “As we celebrate Perry’s 200th Birthday, we reflect on our rich heritage and cherished memories of Perry’s past. The New Perry Hotel serves as a nostalgic reminder of bygone eras while holding a special place in the hearts of Perry’s past and present residents. Regrettably, the New Perry Hotel has remained vacant for many years and is in a state of disrepair. We are confident the current property owners have a vision for redevelopment which respects Perry’s legacy and meets the quality standards expected by the Perry community. Just as we honor the visionaries who laid the foundation for Perry’s success, we must also embrace the responsibility of ensuring that Perry remains a dynamic and thriving community for future generations.”
The New Perry Hotel is not only important for its cultural prominence in the community, but as a woman-owned business from a time when that was uncommon. The 1925 redesign of the structure, incorporating earlier structures, was overseen by owner Rochelle Cheeves Skellie.
Update: This property was demolished in July 2024.
National Register of Historic Places
Friends from Darien have just called to tell me that the historic Huston House, built on Butler Island in 1927, is engulfed in flames. The Huston House is a landmark of McIntosh County and Highway 17, the Georgia home of Col. Tillinghast L’Hommedieu (T.L.) Huston, a part owner of the New York Yankees. Babe Ruth spent time at this house during that era.
Before Huston’s association, the Butler family owned this land from at least 1790 until 1923. Their rice plantation was dependent on the labor of as many as 500 enslaved people at its peak. Multiple generations of families were chained to this land and many were buried here, as well. As the plantation declined, most of the Butler enslaved were sold at a Savannah racetrack between 2-3 March 1859, in what came to be known as the Weeping Time. Their sale to disparate buyers ensured that most would never see each other again.
In recent years, ownership has shifted between state and local sources and its future has been uncertain.
Update: A visit to the site this morning (27 June 2024) confirms that the house is a complete loss. A news story from WSAV states that a person of interest (not a suspect) is in custody. I also hoped it was a lightning strike and am really sad to hear arson is suspected.
Boston Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Boston Historic District, National Register of Historic Places