I believe this was a Lummus Gin.
Cotton Gin, Taylorsville
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Tag Archives: Georgia Cotton
Brown Farm Tenant House, Owensboro
Matt Brown writes: That’s what we call the dynamite house; they used to store dynamite in it. Before that various tenants lived in it. The house and barns by the road was where my dad’s farming operation was. My sister owns the land and plans to restore the house.
Bryant’s Gin & Warehouses, Bartow
Still going strong after a century, Bryant’s Gin was running full steam when I stopped in Bartow recently. Cotton remains one of Georgia’s most important crops.
The present gin in Bartow dates to the 1950s, replacing an earlier facility.
A number of related buildings also remain on the property, which is bisected by the Central of Georgia railroad tracks.
Several old warehouses remain.
Bartow Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Bashinski-Claxton House, Circa 1907, Dublin
Isadore “Izzie” Bashinski (1875-1934), who was a college roommate of Carl Vinson, moved to Dublin in 1906 and formed the Yellow Pine Lumber Company and the Oconee Navigation Company. By the end of the year he married Helen McCall, a native of Buena Vista and cousin of future Georgia governor Eugene Talmadge. Soon thereafter, they hired architect Charles Choate to build this home, one of the most unique in Dublin. It was the scene of many important social functions, including a gala with Governor Joseph M. Brown in 1908. Bashinski served on the staff of Governor Brown. Cotton was king in the South during this time, of course, and Bashinski and his brother Sam made a fortune as cotton factors, or brokers. Their Dixie Cotton Company was the largest in the south, with 25 branches throughout Georgia. Bashinski was an early proponent of business diversity and over the years formed the Consolidated Phosphate Company, Dublin Peanut Company, Citizens Loan & Guaranty Company, and the Oconee Guano Company. He was also a partner in the 12th District Fair Association, was a member of the first board of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, the school board, and the city council. He also served as mayor during World War I. The Great Depression hit Bashinski’s multitude of businesses hard and in 1932 the family lost the home. It was purchased by Dr. E. B. Claxton, whose family remained in it for many years. Scott Thompson covers much more ground at his excellent local history page, Pieces of Our Past.
Stubbs Park-Stonewall Street Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Pritchett-Orr-Clark House, 1900, Dublin
Built by Thomas J. Pritchett, president of the Georgia Warehouse & Compress Company and a director of the Dublin Cotton Mill, this home was later sold to popular Dublin mayor Edwin R. Orr. Orr’s daughter Sarah, who was a good friend of Margaret Mitchell, was married to Gladstone Williams, said to be the inspiration for Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind. Sarah lived in the house for a time and it was eventually sold to her niece, Katharine Clark. She and her husband, George, did extensive renovations while living here. They sold it to the Laurens Historical Society in 2014 and it now serves as the Dublin-Laurens County Museum & Cultural Center.
Stubbs Park-Stonewall Street Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Cotton Gin, Patterson
Carol Harper writes: My Grandaddy, John Henry Harris, built this cotton gin along with gins in Jesup, Cordele, and Sylvester. My father, William H. (Bill) Cooper, managed the Patterson Gin and was chief ginner there for many years. After my Grandaddy’s death and the devastation of cotton crops by the boll weevil, the gin was dismantled, my parents purchased the business, and what was once a cotton gin became a farm supply and custom fertilizer spreading operation. My two younger brothers, Bill Jr. and Charlie, and I considered ourselves very fortunate to have grown up surrounded by the sight and smell of King Cotton. Our Mother, Jean Harris Cooper, managed the gin office while Daddy ginned the cotton. Today, once again, I am proud to write cotton grows on my farm in Pierce County.
Georgia State Cotton Museum, Vienna
Just off I-75 at the Vienna exit you’ll notice this structure, which now serves as the Georgia State Cotton Museum. It’s a really small museum, but provides a great link between the historical importance and continued prominence of cotton in Georgia. The building originally served as the rural Smyrna Schoolhouse (Circa 1890) and was moved here and renovated.
Cotton Gin, Harrison
It’s quite unusual to find cotton beside an old gin.
Cotton Gin, Bostwick
This is one of a few working Lummus gins in Georgia. It’s such an integral part of life in this community that it’s the namesake of the annual Cotton Gin Festival, held the first Saturday in November. Bostwick is a fascinating place that I’d recommend anyone visiting when they’re in the area
One of the best descriptions and general histories of Bostwick can be found at my friend Dagmar Nelson’s Southern Exposure blog.
Bostwick Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
UPDATE: Part of the Bostwick Gin was badly damaged by fire on 18 May 2022. I’m not sure how extensive it was, but apparently this section was spared.
Augusta Cotton Exchange, Circa 1885
Designed by Enoch William Brown and built during a cotton boom in the mid-1880s, the Augusta Cotton Exchange is one of the most beautiful buildings in the downtown historic district. After restoration in 1988, it served as a welcome center for the Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau and is now a branch of the Georgia Bank & Trust.
National Register of Historic Places