Tag Archives: Georgia Ghost Towns

Morris, Georgia

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The remaining buildings of Morris, Georgia, with abandoned stores and a church in the background.

This history of Morris is a bit difficult to track down, but before it was known as Morris, it was Morris Station, a railroad whistle stop. A post office at Morris Station existed from 1860-1950, at which time the name was changed to Morris. There is no consensus as to the hamlet’s namesake, but Ken Krakow, in Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origin, suggests it was possibly James Morris, the son of an early railroad agent.

Morris is located off US Highway 82 on Morris Road. It’s southeast of Georgetown, the only incorporated settlement in Quitman County, which as of 2020 was Georgia’s second least populous with just 2235 residents.

General Store, Morris

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An abandoned, weathered store surrounded by trees and overgrown vegetation, with a small red shed nearby.

This is one of two surviving stores in Morris. It is the larger of the two and this side view (above) shows a later expansion of the structure. It originated as a shotgun form. One of the two buildings likely served as the post office before it was moved to US Highway 82.

View of an abandoned store in Morris, Georgia.

Shotgun Store Ruins, Morris

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An old, abandoned wooden store leaning to one side, surrounded by trees and overgrown vegetation.

This shotgun form store or office building is located next door to the larger general store building. One of two extant commercial structures in Morris, it is near collapse.

Morris Baptist Church, 1900, Quitman County

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Morris Baptist Church near Georgetown, Georgia, with a green metal roof and a tall, pointed steeple, surrounded by greenery and a clear blue sky.

Morris Baptist Church was established in 1900 and this structure appears to be contemporary to that date. It is the last active landmark in the hamlet of Morris, southeast of Georgetown and Lake Walter F. George (Lake Eufaula), not far from the Alabama state line off US Highway 82.

George Balian’s Findlay, Georgia, 1973

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1973 painting of a general store with Coca-Cola signs in the ghost town of Findlay, Georgia, by George Balian
Mrs. W. E. Porter, General Merchandise, George Balian, 1973, Courtesy Meg Balian

I’m grateful to Meg Balian for sharing her father’s circa 1973 painting of Mrs. W. E. Porter’s general store in the forgotten village of Findlay. I’ve been meaning to share it here for some time not only for its subtle beauty but also as a link to the history of this elusive place in Dooly County. The building was still standing a few years ago but I never knew a name for the store until Meg reached out.

Meg’s father was Kevork Misak (George) Balian (1932-2013). As a young man, George began the study of art at a French and American school in Aleppo, Syria. At 18, he immigrated to America with $250, a suitcase filled with his belongings, and a watch. He worked his way through school and received a degree in Architecture from Auburn University, where a lifelong passion for War Eagles football was born.

Mr. Balian was a member of the American Institute of Architects and completed residential, public, and commercial designs in cities as diverse as Macon, Atlanta, St. Louis and New York. He was also involved in the design of the Abuja National Mosque in Nigeria.

Odessa Church of God, Wayne County

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The Odessa Church of God is perhaps the last surviving landmark of the Odessa community, east of Jesup. Odessa was on the railroad line that ran to Brunswick/Darien and the settlement must have had ties to the timber and turpentine industries. It had a post office from 1890-1920. The church, obviously long abandoned, is located in the woods beside the Odessa Cemetery. I haven’t been able to establish a connection between the church and the cemetery, but there must be. The earliest burial is circa 1902. The Drawdy family is well-represented in the area. Other than the cemetery and the church, I haven’t been able to find anything else related to the history of Odessa. Thanks to Stephany Kurth for identifying the church via Instagram.

Oakville, Georgia

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House at Oakville, rear view facing northeast

Oakville, like many places I photograph, has been forgotten by nearly everyone. It was likely named for a plantation of farm, since there was never a post office or railroad station named Oakville in Terrell or Randolph County. The only thing I could find, besides plenty of kudzu, was this abandoned farmhouse.

George Franklin Webb House, 1901, Sumter

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Sumter was a small crossroads community in Sumter County, just north of Smithville; it had a post office from 1884-1954. [It may have also been known as Sumter City]. It could just as well have been known as Webb, as the Webb family was in the area by circa 1825 and John Ronaldson Webb (1822-1881) was farming 125 acres east of Muckaloochee Creek by the 1850s. He and Amanda Melvinia Williams Webb had at least thirteen children. They eventually owned and cultivated 900 acres. According to the National Register of Historic Places, Amanda divided the land between her seven living sons in 1900. They all built homes along Highway 19 and farmed them separately.

This is one of the numerous farmhouses built by the Webb brothers. I believe three are extant, including the William A., and Emory C. Webb houses. This eclectic Queen Anne was owned by George Franklin Webb (1861-1936) and Ida Varina Goynes Webb (1875-1956). Together, these resources make up the historic Webb Family Farms.

The houses and historic farmland, along with the adjacent Liberty Primtive Baptist Church, are also significant as surviving structures of the nearly forgotten Sumter community.

National Register of Historic Places

Huntington, Georgia

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As best I can tell, Huntington was a railroad village. Located southeast of Americus, it had a post office from 1889-1934. It was likely named for Charles Allen Huntington Sr., (1828-1896), a New York-born businessman who served in the Confederacy and became a prominent businessman in the area. He served as president of the Sheffield-Huntington Company and was active in numerous civic pursuits in late-19th-century Sumter County.

This brick shotgun form building, which appears to have had some sort of commercial use, along with a fine Victorian home next door, are the only historic buildings remaining in the area.

Mora, Georgia

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Mora has always been an out-of-the way place, but was once a busy farming community. It had a post office from 1910-1917 but I can’t locate an origin for the name, which is pronounced “more-A” (think Moray Eel). Judging by road names and comments about Vickers Store, the Nugent and Vickers family were early settlers in the area, and the old Vickers store is visible in the foreground. The white building in the distance was also a store with a built-in residence. I used to have more information about it, but have misplaced it in my archives. This photo dates to circa 2009-2010. Satellite views online show many more vehicles parked around the Vickers Store today. I haven’t been through the area in many years.