This Greek Revival landmark was originally the home of General Elias H. Beall (c.1783-1866), who helped established a trading post that became the city of Columbus for Governor John Forsyth. Beall, a native of Guilford County, North Carolina, migrated to Georgia with his parents in the 1790s. He and his first wife, Mary “Polly” Beall, moved to Oglethorpe County in 1808 and by 1824 were residing in Monroe County, where Beall was a Presidential Elector. In the 1830s, they were living in Macon. At some point Beall moved to present-day Hamilton, Georgia, where he built this house circa 1847. He moved to Texas within just a few years of building this house.
After the Civil War, the house was purchased by James Monroe Mobley. It is also known as the Beall-Mobley-Williams House.
Curiously, a portion of the house is used today as a Subway restaurant. An architect was used to do the modification and I presume he was sensitive to preserving the historical importance of the house.
This is the first photo that Anne Chamlee shared with me from her personal archive of backroad photographs from Middle Georgia, and it’s still my favorite. It really is it, perfectly representative of the all the forgotten places I’ve spent nearly 15 years documenting.
It has been a real honor to get to know Anne and to share her passion for rural architecture and history with all of you. I hope you have enjoyed her photographs as much as I have.
These grave houses, located at Salem Baptist Church Cemetery, mark the final resting places of Clemons* Mercer (1832-1881) and Jane Elizabeth “Janie” Johnson Mercer (1835-1880). Clemons Mercer served in the Third Seminole War in Florida and contracted malaria there in 1856, which he never completely recovered from. He was later a lieutenant in the Emanuel County Militia (Captain Moring’s Company) during the Atlanta Campaign in the Civil War. Janie Mercer bore him 11 children, all of whom lived to adulthood.
Gary Lee writes: Local lore is that it was raining the day of her burial and her husband promised that another raindrop would never touch her grave. Her family actually rebuilt these a few years ago. Also near her are two of her sisters, Hattie and Adeline who were married to twin brothers, George Washington Lee and Henry Clay Lee who gave the land and the materials for the church.
Roscoe Peoples built this Sinclair Gas station in 1935, in the Mediterranean Revival style often associated with the roadside architecture of the time. In recent years it was home to John Lindsey’s service station and the Snake Hunters Club. John Lindsey was a well-known snake collector who milked venomous species for the manufacture of antivenom. The structure has been restored and now serves as the Oak Park City Hall.
Today, Helen is known for its kitschy Alpine/Bavrian appearance and for the numerous outdoor recreation opportunities at its doorstep. But the village didn’t start out this way. The area was long occupied by Native Americans and in the 19th century became a hub for gold mining. It was a transient community during this time.
It was incorporated in 1913, due to the presence of the large Byrd-Matthews sawmill and named for a daughter of one of the timer company’s partners. It was successful until the Great Depression but after its closure the town fell into decline.
In 1968, Pete Hodkison, a local business owner, approached renowned Clarkesville artist John Kollock about suggestions for improving the appearance of his business. Kollock had been stationed in Bavaria while in the military and had long fostered an idea of bringing the look of the region to Northeast Georgia. Work began January 1969, after other local business owners warmed to Kollock’s idea to reimagine the entire town as an Alpine village. The Orbit Manufacturing Company was the first to be transformed. At the outset, there were just nine businesses in Helen but today there are nearly 30. All of the ornamental trim and details were originally done by Ray L. Sims and J. S. Chastain, local builders.
Helen has fewer than 500 permanent residents but at any given time is filled with tourists. It’s among the most popular tourist destinations in Georgia with up to 1.5 million visitors annually. The river attracts thrill-seekers and ecotourists and the shops and restaurants are a popular draw. Some have called it a tourist trap, and while it may have that feel, many visitors soon realize that the appearance of the place is but a small part of its appeal. Perhaps it took the Alpine look to bring people to the area in the 1960s but Helen’s perfect location and natural beauty are as big a draw today as its aesthetic. I prefer to think of it as a base of operations for great adventures to be found all around.
While it may not be the smallest police station in America, Bowman’s s “Famous Little Police Station” is certainly on the list. It’s located adjacent to the town well, which you can’t miss.
This tongue-in-cheek sign for an antique store greets you just as you cross the Satilla River bridge into Woodbine on US 17. It may be odd but it definitely gets your attention. It has become somewhat of a landmark itself. (This is an older photo, but I believe the sign is still there).
This is well-known around Gainesville as a rental sign. Gainesville High School’s sports teams are known as the Red Elephants, a moniker they’ve had since the 1920s. They are the only high school in the country with this mascot.
Located near the summit of Fort Mountain, the rock wall which gives the mountain its name remains a mystery. Its origin has been attributed to everyone from Hernando de Soto to the Cherokee. The de Soto connection has long been disproved but the specific use by the Cherokee is still being researched. Some believe it was ceremonial while others consider it territorial.
A marker here reads: This ancient stone fortification, 885 feet in length, and the land on the crest of this mountain, 2832 feet above sea level, was given to the State of Georgia for the establishment of Fort Mountain State Park by Ivan Allen, Public Spirited Citizen of Georgia in the year 1934.
