The old Elbert County Jail. located adjacent to the courthouse, was built with funds from the Public Works Administration, a New Deal agency. Local architect Hunter J. “Chigger” Price (1896-1959) designed the building. Many such jails were built during the Great Depression, replacing older and less secure facilities. When this jail was replaced by an even newer facility, its future was uncertain. It is now home to the Jim-Ree African-American Museum.
Elberton Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Lawlessness was a concern to all communities, and perhaps even more so, in mill villages. I know the mill village in my hometown, whether deserved or not, was known as a rough and tumble place and seemed to have more crime than other neighborhoods. Of course, law and order was tantamount to productivity around the mills; disruptions could be quite costly and were not tolerated. A day or two in jail usually took care of the problem.
The small jail in Porterdale is typical of those built in the early 20th century and was restored and landscaped as the Eagle Scout project of Camden Wyman of Troop 93, in 2015.
Porterdale Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
The Welaunee Mill was built on the site of the old Phillips Mill, the oldest mill in Porterdale, and is similar to the Porterdale Mill across the Yellow River but on a smaller scale. The architecture is the same, incorporating continuous rows of segmental-arched windows and a four-story tower. Welaunee was the third and last facility built in the modern mill era that defined Porterdale.
Porterdale Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
The Osprey Mill was built on the north side of the Yellow River, west of downtown Porterdale. It was the second mill build in the modern era and with a large complex of supporting structures, was the largest mill in town. I believe it was the last of the three, still in operation, and while originally similar in appearance to the Porterdale and Welaunee Mills, was modernized at some point to accommodate changing work requirements.
Porterdale Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
The mills were the center of life in the town of Porterdale, and the Porterdale Mill, built in 1899, was the best known. It remains an engineering wonder, spanning about 800 feet of the Yellow River. A 125-foot stone dam was essential to the operation of the mill and is a landmark in its own right. During the early 20th century, the Porterdale mills manufactured more cotton rope than any other mill in the nation, and during World War II, they were the leading supplier of rope to the United States Navy.
The abandoned mill was later converted into housing, known as the Porterdale Mill Lofts, and still serves the community in this incarnation.
Porterdale Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This typical early-20th-century commercial block originally housed offices for the textile mills that dominated life in Porterdale. The executives and paymaster had offices upstairs while the mayor’s office was located downstairs. Circa 1925, according to the National Register of Historic Places, Porterdale mills were among the largest spinning mills in the nation, with over 75,000 spindles.
Since the closure of the mills, it has been home to myriad businesses, including a barber, shoe shop, doctor, dentist, drug store, funeral home, restaurant, and even the Porterdale post office. After later remodeling and an altered roofline, it has been returned to its more traditional appearance.
Porterdale Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This historic commercial block, locally known as the “Rock Store”, was constructed of local stone and was originally a combination general store and post office. More recently, it has been known as the McGiboney Building. Today it houses a private residence upstairs and retail/office space on the lower floor. As best I can tell, it’s the only surviving commercial structure from 19th-century Oxford.
Oxford Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This historic general store on the corner of Lamar and Forrest Streets has been well-maintained and is a great example of commercial architecture in late-19th-century Georgia. It is virtually unchanged from its original appearance. The sign notes that the business traded in stoves and crockery. Selling hardware, groceries, and sundries, J. W. Harris & Co. would have been the equivalent of a big box store today.
Americus Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Boston is a hidden gem, located near Thomasville and not far from Florida, with small but intact commercial and residential historic districts. It’s one of my favorite little towns in South Georgia.
According to the National Register of Historic Places nomination: The original settlement of Boston was located southeast of present day Thomasville and was little more than a stagecoach stop in 1826.In the late 1820s, the hamlet of Boston consisted of a few houses, a church, a mercantile, and a stagecoach stop. There are several differing accounts of how Boston was named. According to the Boston Edition, a 1906 article by Professor Axson Quarterman Moody, Principal of Boston Academy, the name “Boston” derives from the name “Botolph Town”, named for Saint Botolph, the noted 17th-century English educator. Other sources indicated that the town was named for Major Thomas M. Boston, a northern traveler who frequently visited Thomas County and the settlement of Boston by stagecoach in the early 1800s. A third account is that Joel Spencer and Eli Graves of Massachusetts named the town. Graves was one of the founding fathers of the Presbyterian Church at the original settlement location. The earliest settlers of Boston included the McLeods, McKinnons, McMillans, and the Mclntoshes, who reportedly came to the area in the late 1820s from South Carolina and before that, Scotland. There are three graves from the Mclntosh family located on the property that now includes Russell Dairy Farm on Sally Road (outside of district). Many believe that this is the site of the original settlement of Boston, however, maps of Thomas County from 1855 through 1865 show Boston in a different location and on an 1864 topographical map, the town is shown in two locations, neither of which appears to coincide with popular belief.
Regardless of the exact whereabouts of the original settlement, when the railroad tracks were laid in1860, city leaders made the decision to move the town. The new location was platted beginning in1860 and Boston was incorporated on October 24, 1870.
As with many historic settlements, we may never know the whole story, but Boston as it stands today has plenty of stories to tell.
Boston Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
In December 2008, a large group of concerned citizens attended a rehabilitation meeting initiated by Thomasville Landmarks and the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation with the purpose of discussing the future of Metcalfe. One of the first efforts was the restoration of this structure, built in 1916 as the Metcalfe Branch of the Commercial Bank of Thomasville and later known as the Bank of Metcalfe.
Metcalfe Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
