This has been a landmark of Tennille for well over a century, and in its present derelict state, has been a source of intrigue for many visitors and photographers over the years. The roof has been gone for a long time but the building appears to be relatively stable. I hope it isn’t left too much longer to the elements. It’s a great resource.
Other marble- or granite-front banks that I’ve photographed have generally dated to circa 1900-1920. I believe this example is granite and dates to the early 1900s; it may have only existed as a bank for a few years, as panics and mismanagement spelled doom for many Georgia financial institutions in the years before the Great Depression.
The two main streets that run through Tennille are separated by, and run parallel to, the railroad tracks. The historic storefronts on the north side, known as North Central Avenue, are pictured above. Just know if you visit Tennille, and you should, that there’s an underpass that will get you around the often-stalled trains of the busy Sandersville Railroad, aka the Kaolin Road. Tax records suggest these structures date to circa 1920, but I wonder if they could be a little older than that.
The old filling stations and garages that helped define America’s evolution into an automobile-centered culture, built from the 1920s-1950s, are getting quite scarce, though many have been repurposed in recent years. This one, with Mission Revival style details, is located right in the middle of downtown Tennille. There’s another historic station adjacent to it, but I was unable to get a photograph. I’m not sure if this was affiliated with a national franchise or just a local business.
There are few historic commercial structures remaining in Leesburg. This commercial block, which appears to have contained three storefronts at one time, is the most significant, and is used today as city offices.
Leesburg was first known as Wooten Station, in 1870, for the railroad stop established here and renamed Wooten in 1872. It was renamed again, as Leesburg, in 1898.
This photograph also dates to 2010. The building is gone now, and I just call it “Chicken Dinner” because that’s what the sign says. It probably had another name. There’s a Carter’s Fried Chicken on this site now. I mostly liked the Mid-Century architectural vibe of this little restaurant, and the globe lamps inside. I don’t know if you could eat inside or if it was simply a walk-up-and-order kind of place. I do recall the place being open in the late 2000s. It was located across the street from the Piget, another local landmark that is also gone.
This abandoned commercial block is located at the main crossroads of what was once “downtown” Sale City. Though it’s been derelict for many years, it’s still standing as far as I can tell. The storefront on the left side of the block was a pharmacy, and it’s hard to imagine Sale City ever being large enough to support such a business. But as with many historic towns, not everyone had their own transportation in the early 20th century, especially in rural areas, and all the business that is done at box stores today was done locally back then. I’m unsure as to what was located in the other two storefronts.
Its proximity to the railroad tracks would suggest this freight warehouse benefited from a railroad connection. In the smallest towns, businesses that took advantage of this connection were often among the most profitable in their communities and employed quite a few people. A barely visible Coca-Cola mural survives on the left side of the freight door. This photo dates to 2017.
Baconton Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Like so many other towns that thrived in the railroad era, Baconton has seen its historic commercial area deteriorate over the years. A few still seem to be in use, including those shown here, and it’s always hopeful when people try to keep them viable.
Railroad Avenue at Walton Street
The commercial historic district is centered around Railroad Avenue and Walton Street and features buildings typical of small towns in the early 20th century.
Walton Street
I made these photographs in 2017 and I believe several of these buildings have been restored or at least repainted since that time. I hope to get back to Baconton soon and rephotograph them.
Baconton Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This was the first major commercial structure built on East Walton Street and is in need of immediate preservation, if it’s even salvageable at this point. Grantham Harrell writes: My great grandfather built this and grandfather worked here for years living a few hundred yards away. Robert Dickens recalls: My dad worked here when it was Baconton Hardware.
Baconton Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Homerville is located midway between Waycross and Valdosta at the crossroads of two US Highways, 84 and 441. Some may be surprised to learn that it’s a nationally known hub of genealogical research. The Huxford Genealogical Society was established in 1972, long before the rise of internet-based search options, but quickly became a major resource. It initially focused on South Georgia and North Florida but as the years went by, it expanded its database. Its founder Folks Huxford (1893-1981) was a lawyer, judge, and Baptist preacher, who spent much of his life compiling the landmark multi-volume genealogical work, Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia. In 2009, the society merged with Elmer Spear’s Genealogy Library of Madison, Florida, and today is one of the largest privately-owned libraries in the United States, now known as the Huxford-Spear Genealogical Library.
As to Homerville proper, its small downtown is anchored by an historic railroad depot. Its namesake, Dr. John Homer Mattox (1827-1895), came to the frontier area in 1853. By 1859, a small settlement which would eventually bear his name had grown up around his property. After the Civil War, Dr. Mattox gave six acres to the Atlantic & Gulf Railroad, who built a depot known as Station No. 11. On 15 February 1869, it was officially named Homerville and chartered by the state legislature.
Homerville was long a center of the turpentine industry, appropriate for a town in the third largest county in Georgia with far more pine trees than people. Sawmills and lumber have also been important to the community for decades, and now, honey is a big business in the area, thanks to the abundance of native plants that thrive in the nearby Okefenokee Swamp.
