The Chero-Cola mural, as well as the Dutch Boy Paints and store murals have been nicely restored on this commercial block in downtown Hawkinsville. It is presently home to Batts Drug Company.
Demolition of several storefronts on Broad Street uncovered this historic mural around 2018. A ghost sign for Tanner Hardware is located above the mural, which reads: Benson’s Bread Is Good Bread. Benson’s Bakery was founded in nearby Athens in 1918 by Howard Benson, who quickly gained a reputation for excellent products and became the leading commercial baker in the area. He delivered to Winder and other communities outside Athens and his business grew rapidly. Restoration of the mural is a current project of the Barrow Preservation Society.
Broad Street Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This was first home to Cunningham’s Furniture and became Carter’s Hardware in 1930. It’s presently the home of the Old Corner Hardware Store Sandwich Shop.
Royston Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
J. A. & B. F. Cheek owned this large storefront on Depot Street. The facade on the left has been altered but the larger section on the right retains recessed entryways and imprinted marble kickplates identifying the Cheeks and the year of construction.
Canon Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
C. D. Bolton was a prominent entrepreneur and landowner in Wilkes County. This general store was the busiest in Tignall in its heyday.
I haven’t been able to locate a construction date but I would guess 1910s. It’s an important surviving commercial structure and should be preserved.
This marble-front commercial block is one of the nicest historic retail buildings remaining in downtown Cordele. Its condition is probably not good, but hopefully, it can be saved. Watt and Holmes was one of the most successful businesses in early-20th-century Cordele. It was last home to an Allied Department Store.
Cordele Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This was most recently home to Lott’s True Value Hardware. I imagine it was a hardware or department store prior o that.
This structure had a long history as a hardware and furniture store and after sitting empty for a long time was recently purchased by Moultrie native Sam Null. I had a nice conversation with Sam about his decision to move his business, Heritage Embroidery, from Moultrie to Doerun. The company does custom promotional items for customers throughout the Southeast and plans to expand.
West Broad Avenue is the main commercial area of Doerun.
Typical early 20th-century storefronts, including banks, general and grocery stores, and hardware stores, survive in varying states of repair. Locals are optimistic that some of the unoccupied examples will be saved and repurposed.
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 