Tag Archives: Georgia Gymnasiums

Porter Memorial Gym, 1938, Porterdale

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Built as a gift to the people of Porterdale by James H. Porter in memory of his father and Porterdale founder Oliver Saffold Porter (1836-1914), the Porter Memorial Gym was one of the main gathering places in the community until the decline of the mills. It was designed by one of Georgia’s first female architects, Ellamae Ellis League.

Though a 2005 fire destroyed much of the structure and collapsed the roof, the foundation and walls remain were re-enforced and the site is occasionally used for gatherings and community events.


Porterdale Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

High School Gymnasium, 1936, Buena Vista

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As the date plate indicates, this gymnasium was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. Numerous structures of this type were constructed by the New Deal agency to not only provide jobs but to improve the cultural and recreational opportunities for communities all over the nation. In small towns like Buena Vista, such facilities often served a broader purpose, hosting musical acts, dances, dramatic endeavors, and charity events. Basketball was the central focus, however, and it was more popular than football in most communities until at least the 1960s.

The building is in a state of serious disrepair and has likely been unused for many years.

Hubbard Elementary and High School, 1955, Forsyth

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The campus of the old Hubbard Elementary and High School, with modern structures built during the era of Equalization Schools, is now a public facility and park known as the W. M. Hubbard Complex. After desegregation, the school became Hubbard Middle School, but like most mid-century school buildings, mold, asbestos, and related issues likely led to its eventual abandonment.


Some buildings have been razed and those remaining, including the gymnasium, have been restored and are now used by groups such as the Boys and Girls Clubs.

Patterson Gymnasium, Pierce County

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This is the old Patterson High School gymnasium. It’s in better shape than most of the surviving wooden gymnasiums built before World War II. Basketball was usually the biggest sport in rural communities in the first half of the 20th century and this was the home of the Patterson High Eagles. I believe it was built in the 1930s [early 1940s at the latest].

Danburg School Gymnasium, Circa 1920s

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The old Danburg School is standing, but not accessible as its on private property. The gymnasium is visible from the road. The school was built in 1926 and this structure is typical of gymnasiums built between circa 1920s-1940s. Football wasn’t nearly as dominant in the first half of the 20th century as it is today and basketball reigned supreme in smaller communities. This would have been a busy place in its day, though by 1944 the school was consolidated with Tignall.

Warwick Gymnasium, Worth County

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This gymnasium [photographed in 2010] was part of the Warwick Consolidated School, which was built in 1923.

Oconee High School, 1952, Dublin

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Oconee High School Gymnasium, Circa 1952

Oconee High School was the black high school in Dublin from 1952 until its closure in 1972. Like most equalization schools, it had a relatively short history, but an active national alumni association keeps its memory alive. The gymnasium, football field, and one other building [which I haven’t identified] survive, but the school itself is long gone.

Oconee High School, Unidentified Building

A marker placed by the alumni association gives a brief overview of the school’s history: In 1952, land was purchased from W. H. Lovett to build a new high school for African “colored” American students replacing Washington Street High. The school was named by Marine C. Bacote after the Oconee River nearby. It was the home of the “Mighty Trojans”, the “Blue and Gold” our sons shall ever defend. Lucius T. Bacote served as the first principal (1952-1959); he was succeeded by Charles W. Manning, Sr. (1959-1970). The school’s spirit of excellence, pride, and philosophy were the foundation for the success of African-American students during segregation.

The gymnasium and football field are still used as community resources today, as the Oconee Community Center, administrated by the Dublin-Laurens County Recreation Authority.

Pike County Consolidated School Gymnasium, Hilltop

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Pike County Consolidated High School, in the Hilltop community of Concord, was the school for all Black students in the county from the 1950s until its closure in 1969. The Pike County superintendent decided not to renew contracts for any teachers or administrators of Pike Consolidated, including the principal, D. F. Glover. In protest, the students led a demonstration. They marched from Hilltop to Pike County High School in Zebulon, followed by state troopers, helicopters, and the Atlanta news media. As punishment, the students were denied their graduation ceremony and were refused diplomas. Though Mr. Glover was given a job in the newly desegregated Pike County High School, the episode was not forgotten by the students. In 2018, they received their diplomas, and an apology by way of resolution, from the Board of Education.

Glenwood High School, 1920, 1933 & 1950, Wheeler County

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The original building is a one-story Spanish Mission Revival structure [not pictured due to inability to access] built in 1920; the two-story annex (above) was added, in sections between 1930-1933 and 1948-1950. Gary McDaniel writes: The front 1/3 of the two story annex was added sometimes after WW II, about 1948-50. My Dad, Willard McDaniel, was a carpenter on the add-on. In recent years, it has served as the campus for the Transitional Alternative Prep School.

In addition to an annex behind the original schoolhouse, the campus of the old Glenwood High School has a slightly more modern auditorium built in 1951.

National Register of Historic Places

Sautee-Nacoochee School Gymnasium, 1930s

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This recently restored gymnasium was built in the late 1930s for use by the school and the community.

Sautee Valley Historic District, National Register of Historic Places