This has been identified in tax records as a garage, and may have had an earlier use. Note the hearse, from the last post, parked beside the building.
Commercial Garage, Circa 1946, Dawson
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Tag Archives: Georgia Garages & Filling Stations
Smoke House Grill, Pineview
Fewer than 500 people live in the little town of Pineview, on the Wilcox-Pulaski County line, so there aren’t many places to eat. When I made this photograph a few years ago, the trailer beside this store was the only place selling food, and was going by the name “Smoke House Grill”. The store was the M & M Convenient Store, and appears to have been a service station and garage before that. I think they built a Dollar General across the road after they tore down the most important landmark building in town, the old Clements Drugstore.
Garage + Ford Dealership, Circa 1920s, Boston
When this commercial garage was built, Jefferson Street (also known as the Old Boston Road) was the first east-west paved highway in southwest Georgia. It later became US Highway 84. This was the era when automobiles were first becoming widespread and entrepreneurs were first establishing businesses to serve this new mode of transportation. It has also been suggested that this building later served as a Ford dealership.
Boston Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Montevideo, Georgia
Montevideo is another crossroads community of Elbert County, located just up the road from Rock Branch. While this old store is located in Elbert, most of the settlement is located in Hart County, which is just across the road. In fact, Montevideo Road itself makes up much of the southern border Hart County. Presumably named for the South American city, Montevideo may have originated as an earlier plantation or farm. A post office served the community from 1857-1903.
Rock Branch, Georgia
Rock Branch is a crossroads community in the eastern part of Elbert County, named for the nearby creek known as Rock Branch. There are a lot of little creeks in this area. To my knowledge, they never even had a post office but they had at least two stores, and there’s a newer store serving the community today. Until a few years ago, there was a two-story Masonic lodge that also housed a store in days gone by. The historic Rock Branch Baptist Church is located here, as well is this old general store and filling station. The store sported a Phillips 76 gasoline sign in an older photograph I saw, in an architectural survey. The pumps have probably been gone for many years.
Filling Station & Garage, Tennille
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.
Filling Station, 1920s, Culloden
An architectural survey identified this as having been an early filling station and dated it to the 1920s. It was used as a restaurant in the 1980s and now appears to be a private residence. In the 1920s and 1930s, and even as late as the 1950s, filling and service station franchises employed much more creative architecture than they do today. It has been suggested that the half-timbered details of this structure were a nod to the Scottish heritage of Culloden but there is no way to confirm that at this time.
Culloden Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Pierce Store & Garage, Appling County
I used to pass by this building often when I was driving between Surrency and New Lacy and always presumed it was a general store. I imagine it also sold gasoline. It’s in the “middle of nowhere” at the intersection of Georgia Highways 203 & 15.
Larry Dixon writes: This gas/grocery store, with a vehicle repair garage in the rear, was owned and operated by Bill & Willie Pierce. It was in operation in the 50s and 60s. They lived in a separate home, on the property just behind the store. The house has been refreshed, and has tenants still residing there. The property is still owned by the Pierce families daughter-in-law.
Filling Station, Calhoun
I photographed this store & filling station in 2017, near Calhoun*. It’s typical of the myriad franchise filling stations that were once common on roadways throughout Georgia from the 1920s through the 1950s.
*-A big thanks to Kyle for confirming the location. He also noted that the roof is deteriorating rapidly.
Sausage Factory + Ragland’s Garage, 1940s, Lyerly
Though this building is better remembered as a garage and filling station, Derek Reynolds wrote that it was originally a sausage factory. Marie Hanna wrote that it was the Ragland gas station and was used to store old cars. Billy W. Gilliland added: The building Marie referred to as the Ragland gas station is partially correct. It was a gas station, but was officially Ragland’s garage. They worked on cars, trucks and tractors, and fixed flat tires. They also did welding and anything else you needed done. Selling gas was probably just a small part of their business. You could always count on the for quality work and reasonable prices. Prior to that it was Sitton’s garage.