Dating this house near Toomsboro, one of the most iconic in Wilkinson County, has proven to be quite difficult. In Architecture of Middle Georgia: The Oconee Area, John Linley opines that the original section of the house likely dates to the early 19th century. He adds: The Jackson family moved to the area in the early 1700s…[the] house has been in their possession continually since it was built. The Jackson house is more indigenous than Greek Revival and it could be that the central hall was once an open dogtrot... Local records also add the date 1885, perhaps when renovations of some sort were undertaken.
As much as I’d like to know when it was built, I’m just grateful that the family has protected and maintained the house over the better part of two centuries.
The only information I’ve been able to locate regarding this amazing house dates it to 1849; I believe it may have been built a bit earlier. Like similar historic homes in Wilkinson County, it may have originally been a “dogtrot” with an open hallway at the center.
Hinesville was established in 1837 to replace Riceboro as the seat of Liberty County. Just two years later, on what was then a 23-acre tract, this Federally-influenced Plantation Plain townhouse was built by Mary Jane Hazzard Bacon, the widow of Major John Bacon of Riceboro.
The property was occupied by Union troops under the command of General William T. Sherman in 1864 and several outbuildings were burned. The house was saved by Mrs. Bacon, who displayed her husband’s Masonic apron for protection. Many more generations of the family owned the home until 2017, when it became the headquarters of the Liberty County Chamber of Commerce and the Liberty County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The beautifully landscaped yard is dominated by historic Live Oaks, some of the largest to be found in inland Liberty County.
According to local sources, this was one of three dormitories of the Sparta Female Model School, built between 1831-1832. In contrast to the other existing dormitory, this one is in good condition and has been a residence for many years.
Sparta Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This raised Greek Revival cottage on Maiden Lane was the home of Dennis Ryan, the local newspaper editor who covered Aaron Burr’s presence in the area after his duel with Alexander Hamilton. I believe the house has been recently restored.
Sparta Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
The Andrew Low Carriage House*, at 330 Drayton Street, was the site of the first meeting of the troop of eighteen Girl Guides who would soon come to be known as the Girl Scouts. Juliette Magill Kinzie Gordon was born into an influential Savannah family on 31 October 1860. Her grandfather was the first president of the Central Railroad and Banking Company of Georgia, and her father, William Washington Gordon II, was a Confederate captain, brigadier-general in the Spanish-American War, and a Georgia legislator. She attended boarding schools in New Jersey and Virginia, and a French finishing school in New York City.
After completing her education, Juliette married William Mackay Low in 1886. Low was the son of Andrew Low, a wealthy cotton factor of Scottish origin who owned homes in Savannah and the United Kingdom. The young couple spent most of their time in England and Scotland. The union turned sour when Juliette discovered that William had moved his mistress into their home. In 1902 she filed for divorce, but William’s health was deteriorating and before the action could be finalized, he died in Wales, in 1905.
In 1911, Juliette Gordon Low met Sir Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, and got involved with a troop of Girl Guides in Scotland. She brought the movement to Savannah and the first troop of eighteen Girl Guides met in the carriage house of the Low family mansion on 12 March 1912. The name was changed to the Girl Scouts in 1913. Low’s association with the Girl Scouts continued in various capacities until her death in 1927. The organization has served over 50 million girls in its long history and while it may be best known for its annual cookie sales, has enriched the lives of those who have been associated with it.
The carriage house has served various purposes within the Girl Scouts organization over the years and is presently a museum. It was the first structure in Savannah to receive National Historic Landmark status.
*-Designed by architect John Norris to complement the adjacent Andrew Low House, circa 1848-1849, this structure originally served as the carriage house and living quarters for domestic slaves. Thomas “Tom” Milledge (1818-1886) was the most entrusted of the domestic slaves and after emancipation, remained in the employee of the Low family as a butler. He lived in the carriage house with his wife Mosianna (1844-1909) and their children.
Juliette Gordon Low Historic District, Savannah National Historic LandmarkDistrict
This iconic Savannah home was built for Israel Dasher (26 June 1814-3 February 1894), who came to the city from nearby Effingham County. The Dashers were a large Salzburger family connected to New Ebenezer and many of their relatives remain in the area.
These photographs, like the ones in the previous post, date to 2010. I always thought it to be of antebellum construction but have not located anything about its history. I hope it’s still standing. I only identify it as a Georgian Cottage because of its current layout. It’s possible it originated with another form.
Built in the Georgian Cottage style by John Trowbridge for J. D. Roberts, this home later housed a doctor’s office, millinery shop, and the Burke County museum.
Waynesboro Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This outstanding Greek Revival I-House [Plantation Plain] is located on the outskirts of Eatonton. Other than a name, information about the house is scarce. There are 9 /9 and 9/6 windows, an indicator of a much earlier date than 1875-1885, which is cited in real estate and survey listings. That date range may be when the rear addition was completed. I believe it to be 1830s at the latest, with a distinct possibility it may date as far back as the 1810s. Whatever the story, it’s one of the most important surviving houses in Putnam County, in my opinion.
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 