Tag Archives: Georgia Black History

Solomon Hall House, Tattnall County

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An old, dilapidated wooden house with a rusty metal roof, surrounded by tall grass and trees.

I was recently invited by Laura Potts-Wirth to photograph an old sharecropper’s house on her property near Glennville.

An abandoned wooden house with a red metal roof, showing signs of decay and overgrowth, surrounded by tall grass and trees in the background.

Though there are no plans to restore the house, it is an important example of vernacular architecture and I’m honored to have been given access.

An abandoned, dilapidated wooden house with a rusted metal roof, showing signs of wear and neglect, surrounded by overgrown grass and trees.

It is a simple gabled-ell cottage, likely built between the 1910s-1930s.

Abandoned wooden house wall with a dirty window frame, showing cobwebs and peeling paint.

The owner was Solomon R. Hall, Sr., (1902-1988). He and his wife Mollie Bee E. Hall (1905-1970) raised thirteen children and three grandchildren here, while sharecropping on the Old Anderson Place, to which this property was once attached. Records indicate that ownership passed back and forth between Mr. Hall and the Andersons over the years.

An old blue cabinet with a wooden door, standing next to a rustic table in an abandoned building, with overgrown grass visible outside.

Solomon Hall was also a turpentine laborer and would have known the woods and fields around his home as well as anyone else.

Interior view of a weathered wooden door frame with a partially open door and a wooden wall, showcasing rustic materials and textures.

Just across US 301 from the property there was once a community of African-Americans known as Hall Town. The only remaining public landmark of the community is the Old Hall Town Cemetery, which I also documented.

An abandoned interior of a room with wooden walls, a partially open door, a window showing greenery outside, and debris scattered on the floor.

The interior rooms are spare, which was characteristic of this type of housing.

Interior of an abandoned room with wooden floors, a round table, and a window showing trees outside. The walls are brown with peeling paint, and there are dust and leaves scattered on the floor.

I think it is hard for most people to imagine a dozen or more people living in such spaces, but it was much more common than one might realize.

An empty, weathered room with blue wooden walls featuring an old rocking chair and a partially open door, showcasing rustic and worn textures.

Gary Mobley, in a March 2020 oral history interview with Laura Potts-Wirth, noted, “Here, Solomon Hall and his wife, Mrs. Bea (sic)…, raised 13 children, and three grandchildren. They did work for part of the harvest. They hunted the land and also got a portion of the hog meat. The small building in the back of their house was either a smokehouse or a summer kitchen. One of the jobs the Sharecroppers had was keeping the farm rows cleared of weeds and clearing volunteer trees for three feet on either side of the fence rows. Up near the pond, there was another sharecropper’s house, where Choice Coley lived...”

An old, weathered wooden shed with missing planks and a rusted metal roof, surrounded by tall grass and trees under a cloudy sky.

Kelly and Fran Folsom spoke very highly of both Solomon Hall and Choice Coley and recalled to Laura Potts-Wirth: “…Mr.Solomon was really responsible for overseeing the farm, especially as Mr. Anderson was getting older, and also when the Dents owned the farm. Solomon Hall really had a lot to do with supervising and managing the farm, overseeing the work being done, and just being a caretaker of the farm.“

An outdoor rustic privy, or outhouse, with a corrugated metal roof, situated among trees and grass, showing signs of weathering and age.

The survival of the outbuildings adds importance to the property as a representative example of its type. Even the old privy, re-sided, is a reminder of the times.

Close-up of a vibrant red flower with long, slender petals and multiple stamens, surrounded by green grass.

Plantings by Mrs. Hall are still blooming, like this hurricane (or spider) lily.

A vibrant field of lush green plants with pink and yellow flowers under a partly cloudy sky.

There are clumps of another old favorite, lantana, in several spots around the house.

A dilapidated wooden house with a rusted metal roof, surrounded by tall grass and trees in a rural landscape.

Beach Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Liberty County

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After the Civil War, the enslaved people of nearby Midway Congregational Church formed their own congregations throughout the county. The African-American community chose names based on the South Carolina locations where they came from, including Dorchester and Beech Hill. At some point, the spelling of Beech Hill was changed to Beach Hill. I haven’t been able to find a date for the organization of this congregation, but it would likely be circa 1865-1870, a common establishment date for the Freedmen churches of the area. In fact, Beach Hill is very close to the historic Freedman Grove community. The present church, originally a wood-framed structure, features the iconic “wedding cake” steeple often found in historic Black churches.

St. James AME Church, Liberty County

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A small, white church building with a red metal roof, surrounded by green grass and trees.

As best I can determine, St. James AME Church is a historic Freedmen’s congregation. While the present-day address is Fleming, it is primarily associated with the nearby Freedman’s Grove community.

Dixon Branch Missionary Baptist Church, Screven County

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A white building labeled 'Dixonbranch' with a porch and surrounding greenery, set against a backdrop of trees and a grassy area with visible grave markers in the distance.

Dixon Branch Missionary Baptist church is a historic Black congregation near Rocky Ford, organized by freedmen on 27 June 1871. The name refers to Dixon Branch, a nearby tributary of the Ogeechee River. There were many plantations in this area, and after emancipation, formerly enslaved people who had once been forced to worship with their enslavers desired their own places of worship. They likely met in a brush arbor for their earliest services but eventually built a formal church (circa 1900), which was a typical white clapboard structure, with a “wedding cake” steeple to the left. That structure was replace by the current building, but I haven’t been able to confirm a date.

A peaceful cemetery scene with several gravestones and flowers, shaded by a large tree, surrounded by green grass and trees in the background.

The small historic cemetery features a variety of memorials, ranging from vernacular to commercial, and many of the early families still have ties to the congregation. The examples presented here are completely random.

A weathered gravestone partially obscured by fallen leaves and surrounding foliage, featuring the engraved name 'F.J. Nelson.'
F. J. Nelson (birth and death dates unknown)

This simple marker memorializes someone who is now lost to history. I am always hopeful that someone will know these forgotten souls.

A weathered gravestone surrounded by tall grass and small plants in a cemetery.
Maud Singleton (21 May 1888-March 1897)

This memorial is of a typical vernacular style, featuring stenciled letters with a floral design. Maud Singleton was the young daughter of M. H. and G. A. Singleton.

A cemetery with several tombstones visible in a grassy area. In the foreground, a tall gravestone for R. Rease, born August 15, 1847, and died June 22, 1917, is prominently displayed next to a smaller stone marker.
R. Rease (15 March 1842-22 August 1907)

This commercial monument contains the sentiment: “A kind wife mourns in thee, a husband lost. The poor, a friend who felt, what friendship cost.”

Close-up of a gravestone with inscriptions indicating the date of birth and death, surrounded by grass and various flowers in the background.
Johnson Bradley (8 February 1868-9 March 1925)

Mr. Bradley, a Prince Hall Mason, was born in South Carolina to Joe and Nancy Bradley. His wife’s name was Lydia. His memorial contains the sentiment “There is rest in heaven”.

A gravestone for Deacon Arthur Oldredge, featuring an engraved image of a robed figure and inscriptions with his name, birth and death dates, and a biblical quote.
Deacon Arthur Oldredge Burke (27 December 1889-22 July 1964)

Deacon Burke was obviously an important member of Dixon Branch Missionary Baptist Church. His memorial may be the nicest in the cemetery. It features a Sacred Heart of Jesus relief, which is most often associated with the Catholic faith, though it has been adopted by Christians of all affiliations.

Gravestones of Rev. James and Ruby Cail in a cemetery, decorated with flowers and a small American flag between them.
Rev. James Cail (7 October 1931-30 November 2017) and Ruby Cail (28 July 1933-3 December 2015)

Rev. James and Ruby Cail led Dixon Branch Missionary Baptist Church for many years. A rosary adorns Mrs. Cail’s memorial.

A small building with a white exterior and a sloped roof, featuring a covered porch and double doors at the front. The sign above the entrance reads 'DIXONBRANCH'. Surrounding the building is a green lawn and some shrubs, with a reserved parking sign on the right.

Gable Front Cottage, Burroughs

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A small white house with blue trim and a falling roof, surrounded by lush greenery, in Burroughs, Georgia.

Burroughs was a community of formerly enslaved people in southwestern Chatham County who, in the 1870’s and 1880’s, were given the opportunity to buy the land they were living on from their former enslavers. Today, St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church and New Ogeechee Missionary Baptist Church are the tangible links to that past. Simple vernacular housing, such as the example pictured here, were once common in the community, but are rapidly vanishing.

St. Bartholomew’s Day School, 1897, Burroughs

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St Bartholomew's Day School, a historic black school in Burroughs, near Savannah, Georgia.

The St. Barholomew’s Day School was constructed in 1897. It was operated by the St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church until 1916, at which time Chatham County rented the building and took over its operation. It was closed as a school in 1951 and has since served as the parish hall.

National Register of Historic Places

William Root House, Circa 1845, Marietta

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The historic William Root House in Marietta, Georgia, surrounded by a white picket fence and landscaped garden.

The William Root House is a typical I-House form with a shed room at the rear (Plantation Plain), enhanced by a vernacular Greek Revival portico. Built circa 1845, it is one of the oldest houses in Marietta and an inspiring preservation success story. It was facing demolition when it was saved by Cobb Landmarks and now serves as a cultural and historic focal point. It was originally located two blocks east on the northeast corner of Church and Lemon streets and has been relocated twice. In 1893, the house was repositioned on its original lot. In 1989, it was relocated two blocks to its present location and restored. It is now an award-winning house museum, operated by Cobb Landmarks.

William Root (1815-1891), a native of Philadelphia, moved to Marietta in 1839, five years after the city’s founding. He began working as an assistant in William H. Kitchens’s drug store in Augusta in 1836, then relocated to Hamburg, South Carolina, in 1837. After a brief return to Philadelphia in 1838, he came back to Augusta in 1839 and then moved to Marietta to open a new drug and grocery store for Kitchens. On 15 September 1840, he married Hannah Rhemer Simpson (1807-1886).

The business grew quickly and Root became an influential pioneer citizen of Marietta. He helped establish St. James Episcopal Church. In 1844 he purchased the business from Kitchens and built this home about a year later. The Roots had five children (one son died as a toddler), and, according to the 1860 census, four enslaved people in their service. Cobb Landmarks has identified two of the enslaved by name: Lall Burge, who was likely a butler, or house servant, and Elsay Blake, also a domestic laborer.

With Atlanta and environs in the crosshairs of the Union armies, the Root family relocated to Washington, Georgia, in June 1864. They returned to a ruined Marietta on 15 July 1865, but fared better than many others, who lost everything. They were able to reoccupy their house. According to family papers, William Root noted, “Our dwelling, though damaged, was in tolerable condition.”

In 1866 William Root opened a new store on the Marietta Square, and owned the entire block bounded by Church, Ardis, Cherokee, and Lemon streets, the block on which the Root House originally stood. Marietta quickly rebuilt after the war and by the 1870s, Root’s sons joined him in business. He sold it to John R. Winters in 1884 and retired.

National Register of Historic Places

Gable Front Cottage, Liberty County

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An abandoned house surrounded by overgrown grass and trees, featuring a porch with white columns and peeling paint.

This utilitarian cottage has always been a favorite of mine. I never stopped to photograph because there was always an old car parked on the side and it wasn’t a convenient stop on the highway. I’ve passed it hundreds of times and always wanted to document it. I finally did a few weeks ago. It’s located between Flemington and McIntosh (the settlement in Liberty, not the county to the south).

Saint Paul Missionary Baptist Church, Tift County

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A white church building with a steeple, set against a clear blue sky and surrounded by trees. The entrance features a set of stairs and a ramp, with a small grassy area in front.

This church is located near the Brighton community. I haven’t been able to locate any history, but this is obviously a newer structure. The earliest burial I found in the adjacent cemetery was 1908. The Tabor brothers, who died in the tragic Tift County bus crash of 1959, are also interred here.

The Tift County School Bus Crash of 1959

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A gravestone engraved with the name 'Leroy Tabor' and the years '1953 - 1959'.
Memorial for Leroy Tabor (1953-1959), St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Tift County

The Tift County School Bus Crash of 1959 happened nearly 70 years ago, but is still remembered by many as the county’s worst tragedy. Nine children lost their lives. Becky Taylor’s 2019 Tifton Gazette article about the anniversary of the crash highlighted survivors who still had vivid memories of the day. Two siblings who died that day, Leroy and Billy Tabor, are buried at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church.

Leroy Tabor, victim of school bus crash of 1959, Tift County, Georgia.
Leroy Tabor, public domain image via Find a Grave.

On the morning of 3 March 1959, a school bus carrying Black students to the segregated Tift County Industrial (now J. T. Reddick) and Wilson High and Elementary schools, plunged into the cold waters of a farm pond on Lower Brookfield Road, which was in the process of being paved at the time. The fact that the bus was overcrowded didn’t cause the wreck, but got significant attention in the press. Estimates ranged from 60-100 students on the bus. No one knows for sure, but it was definitely overcrowded, according to survivors. Driver Doyle Jones, “who had been making the bus route rounds for 23 years, said his bus hit two bumps in succession on the dirt road, causing him to lose control. The bus turned over on its right side and plunged into the water The vehicle was about two-thirds submerged.”

Per the Associated Press: “Fortunately, the bus was not alone on the road. Carl Lowry and Charles Ahrens were in a car behind the vehicle. Jack Withers saw the accident as he drove by. Ambulances and authorities were telephoned…” The driver had kicked out the windshield and with the help of students began pulling people out of the wreckage.

Gravestone of Billy Tabor, engraved with his name and dates 1950 - 1959, situated on grassy ground.
Memorial for Billy Tabor (1950-1959), St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Tift County

Those whose lives were lost were: Gloria Jean Davis, Age 7; Leroy Tabor, Age 7; Rufus Harrell Greene, Age 8; Henry Edward Johnson, Age 8; Bobby King, Age 8; Billy Tabor, Age 9; Bernice Henderson, Age 14; Artie Lee Simmons, Age 14; and Erlene Wilcox, Age 14.

Billy Tabor, victim of school bus crash of 1959, Tift County, Georgia.
Billy Tabor, public domain image via Find a Grave .