Built in 1950, the Virginia Apartments are a Colonial Revival multi-unit complex made up of two identical buildings, located side by side. Many of the original elements survive in the apartments, but doors, shutters and windows have been replaced. This was the first place my parents lived after they got married in 1967. My mother said that many newlyweds lived here at the time.
The apartments were owned by John Henry “Jack” Mayes, Jr., (1914-1989), the son of British immigrant “Captain Jack” Mayes (1881-1960), who ran the Fitzgerald Cotton Mills. Jack, Jr.’s brother, Garbert (1906-1954), who was also involved in the mills, was the father of author Frances Mayes.
This is the last surviving of several massive industrial shop buildings which served the Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic and its successors in its Fitzgerald hub. Their presence speaks not only to the vast expansion of the railroad industry at the turn of the century, but as well to the rapid growth of Fitzgerald, scarcely 10 years old when this heavy industry brought large-scale employment to the town.
Larry Goolsby, who has done more research on the history of the Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic and its successor than anyone I know, wrote in his excellent history Atlanta, Birmingham & Coast, ACL & SCL Historical Society, Valrico, Florida, 2000: “The Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic was…busy…during 1906. Construction was proceeding on a large yard and permanent shop complex at Fitzgerald, including a 75×300-foot machine shop with and 85-ton traveling crane, blacksmith and boiler shops, engine house, coach shop, planing mill, foundry, and a power house among other buildings. These facilities, called Shops at first and renamed Westwood in 1922, would replace AB&A’s small shops at Brunswick and Waycross as the system’s major site for rebuilding, repairs, and painting. They also superseded the wooden shop buildings originally built at Fitzgerald. The scope of the undertaking could be gauged by Master Mechanic J. E. Cameron’s concern over housing for the new shops’ employees: “In 60 days from now we will bring in the neighborhood of 300 men and their families, and not a house for their accommodation.“
A majority of the railroad laborers were African-Americans, and houses were soon constructed in Westwood, an historically African-American community about a mile from the Fitzgerald yard. I had always presumed that Westwood existed because of the railroad, and it certainly grew with their presence, but at least one church in the village predates the railroad’s presence by nearly 30 years.
Over the years, the existing Westwood shop buildings began to deteriorate as the railroad transferred their operations elsewhere. A couple of the buildings, nearly identical to the one pictured here, were still standing as recently as 15-20 years ago. In the years since they were abandoned by the railroad, they have been used by various businesses.
In 1855, Sheldon Madison Chapman, Sr. (1829-1911), gave four acres of land for a burying ground for the enslaved members of Jones Creek Baptist Church, and a section along the creek for use as a baptistry for all members. Chapman was one of the most prominent citizens of Jones Creek, having served, like his father, as postmaster of the community. Though originally located in Liberty County, Jones Creek was the earliest and largest settlement in present-day Long County.
There are many unmarked burials in the Jones Creek Black Cemetery, most of them likely dating to the days of slavery, but in contrast, the existing monuments and memorials are of commercial manufacture, indicating a prosperous congregation at a time when that would have been unusual.
One can deduce that the site it is known as Jones Creek Black Cemetery because its earliest burials were the enslaved people who attended Jones Creek Baptist Church with their White enslavers. Since circa 1878, however, it has been the de facto burying ground for St. Thomas Missionary Baptist Church.
Rev. March Hughes (Circa 1829-1903) + Peggy Hughes (Circa 1820-death date unknown)
March Hughes was granted a letter that he may minister to a flock of his choice in the 1870s, when many Black congregations were forming their own churches. He preached his own ordination service on 24 August 1878 and established St. Thomas Baptist Church (now known as St. Thomas Missionary Baptist Church) for the freedmen of Jones Creek Baptist Church. He was licensed as a preacher on 26 January 1884. When he died in 1903, Rev. Hughes was the most influential Black man in the Jones Creek community. Those who maintain this cemetery have proposed renaming it the March Hughes Cemetery in his honor. [This history comes from plaques at the site and from Mike McCall via the late Christine Welcome, a longtime member of St. Thomas.]
F. Baker, Jr. (3 January 1897-6 September 1929)
Mr. Baker was a member of the the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. The W. W. V. initials at the bottom of the headstone stand for “World War Veteran”, World War I in this case.
Martha Snider (Birth and death dates unknown)
Little is known of Martha Snider, but she was 96 years old when she died.
A. L. Baker (9 June 1895-5 June 1929)
Mr. Baker was a World War I Veteran and Mason.
Alford Watkins (1861-5 February 1911)
Watkins was a Mason.
Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. G. H. Stokes (9 March-1920-26 October 1926)
The memorials for the two young children of Mr. and Mrs. G. H. Stokes are vernacular in design, unlike most of the other memorials in the Jones Creek Black Cemetery.
Son of Mr. & Mrs. G. H. Stokes (11 October 1925-27 July 1933)
It’s unusual that the Stokes children are not named, but simply listed as “daughter” and “son”.
Jasper Baggs (August 1873-15 February 1925)
Jasper Baggs was a laborer, according to his death certificate.
Patsy Baggs (15 October 1947-31 May 1931)
Patsy Baggs’s death certificate listed her occupation as “house work” and “keeping house”. This was a common form of employment for Black women in the Jim Crow era.
The Baggs family was quite prolific and many members are buried in this enclosure near the back of the cemetery.
Roy E. Baggs (4 April 1888-28 April 1911)
The initials F.L.T. (Friendship, Truth, and Love) at the top of the marker indicate that Mr. Baggs was a member of the Odd Fellows.
James E. Baggs, Sr. (22 October 1892-17 November 1963)
Mr. Baggs was one of several members of St. Thomas who served in World War I. He was a corporal in the Army. I hope to learn more about his service.
Coda L. Baggs (1852-1935)
I presume the name to be Coda.
Fraulein Baggs Smith (1905-1923)
Fraulein is an unusual name. It’s my favorite in this cemetery.
This open lane follows the bank of Jones Creek and is adjacent to the traditional site of baptisms for Black congregants. A reconstruction of the old dressing room for baptisms is visible at right. In the distance is the White cemetery and the historic Jones Creek Baptist Church.
Immersion baptism was common among churches of both races in the rural South well into the 20th century, and is still practiced by some.
According to church records, “the last time we used the water of Jones Creek was April 23, 1995…”
Like all of South Georgia, Long County saw what was likely record snowfall from Winter Storm Enzo. Amazingly, similar snowfall occurred in the area in 2018. Some random landmarks from throughout the week are shared below, most of which are in Ludowici. I’ll also be sharing some nature-based images from Griffin Ridge.
Liberty County received historic snowfall on Tuesday night as a result of Winter Storm Enzo, a weather system that brought blizzard conditions to the Gulf Coast and lower Southeast. I’m sharing a few random landmarks from my local rambles of the past week. My only regret is that I couldn’t photograph everything. I hope you enjoy seeing these as much as I enjoyed making them. I’ll be sharing some shots from Long County, as well.
Janisse Ray welcomes patrons and friends to Cedar Grove. Paintings by her husband, Raven Waters, line the walls of the church.
Janisse Ray is known for her thoughtful books that seamlessly weave narrative with an appreciation for our fragile natural environment and over the years she’s been a fearless advocate for fostering community involvement in her beloved South Georgia.
Cedar Grove Methodist Church
One of her causes has been the restoration of Cedar Grove Methodist Church, which she now owns with her husband, Raven Waters. It has been a labor of love for Janisse, who has devoted many hours raising money and locating carpenters and artisans to complete the project. I’ve proudly served on the board with her, though Janisse has made it all happen.
Lindsey Levine, Alec Bruns, and Lucki Wilkerson accompanied Janisse as she read a poem dedicated to Cedar Grove
When Hurricane Helene roared through Tattnall County this past September, the work was nearly complete. Javier Ramos had just put the finishing touches on exterior repairs when the storm came.
Walter Parks
Janisse shared the following on her Substack account: “Surveying the damage after a hurricane is like waking up after surgery. You’re bleary-eyed and half crazed, but you’ve got to see what’s forever gone…I found that the damage was relatively minor. A few trees down, a few holes in roof…Thanks to a lot of generous people, the church got a roof for 12K. Then it got handmade windows, built by an 80-year-old carpenter. Then a new pulpit. Then all the repairs inside were finished. Every one of those jobs has a story. The roof story was told in “A Roof for Cedar Grove” a segment of Saving Grace, which aired on Georgia Public Broadcasting…”
Walter Parks and Swamp Cabbage
Undaunted, Janisse acted quickly to raise more funds to remove fallen trees and put the finishing touches on Cedar Grove. On 14 December 2024, she hosted a lunch at Red Earth Farm and then treated patrons to a concert inside the church, featuring Walter Parks, who once toured the world with Woodstock opening act and musician extraordinaire Richie Havens. Walter’s band Swamp Cabbage accompanied him.
Author Janisse Ray has led the effort to save historic Cedar Grove Methodist Church
Janisse first learned of Walter’s work in a New York Times article detailing his use of historic hollers from the Okefenokee Swamp in his music. This wasn’t lost on Janisse, who has long championed the swamp and its folklife. And it somehow seemed appropriate for celebrating an historic country church. I’m constantly inspired by Janisse Ray and am grateful for the community she’s created in her corner of Tattnall County.
Wishing everyone a safe and happy 2025! It’s been another great year traveling around Georgia, looking for the obscure, as well as the well-known places and people that make our state so interesting. As always, I’m grateful to you all for coming along with me. From murder and mayhem (always popular for some reason) to soul food and some preservation success stories, I think I covered a lot this year.
This American Foursquare house is located across from the Girls Dormitory of the Gillespie-Selden Institute. It was the home of Dr. Augustus S. Clark (1874-1959) and his wife Anna Clark, visionaries who established the institute, and is also known as the Founder’s Home. Tax records and real estate listings date the house to 1941. This seems a bit late for the style, but variations of American Foursquare are still popular today, so the date may be correct.
Dr. Clark, a native of North Carolina, received his theological training at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and after teaching for a year at the Haines Institute in Augusta, was sent by the National Board of Missions of the Presbyterian Church to Cordele in 1898 to help revive the struggling congregation of the Portis Presbyterian Church, a Black congregation. A new church was built and named St. Paul Presbyterian.
In 1902, the Clarks established the Gillespie Normal School to improve the educational opportunities of local African-American children. It was named for a Pittsburgh family who gave money for the school. It quickly outgrew the basement of St. Paul, where its first classes were held, and moved into two wooden buildings. By 1904, donations made it possible for the construction of three more buildings. The school continued to grow and attract students from all over the Eastern United States and eventually included a hospital. Though the school closed in 1956 due to consolidation, most of its structures survive to this day, and some have even been restored.
Gillespie-Selden Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Mt. Calvary Baptist Church is one of several historic churches in the Gillespie-Selden Historic District, and one of the most architecturally accomplished. It’s a good example of the two-tower style common in African-American communities from the 1890s-1940s. According to the cornerstone, laid by the Wrath Bon Lodge No. 22 (Knights of Pythias), the church was “rebuilt” in 1915, indicating an earlier structure stood at this location before that date. H. S. Shearer was the pastor, and J. C. Callaway and L. W. Willis served as ministers. J. Bryant was treasurer and W. D. Durham was the clerk. Deacons were Paul Pooler, J. C. Chambus, T. L. Lucas, D. L. Watkins, C. H. Bell, T. C. Clavers, L. McLendon, E. Dyer, J. Ingram, B. F. Folsom, Lem Walker, West Hall, and Joe Humphrey.
Gillespie-Selden Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
I’m always fascinated by single-pen cottages, and while this one was later expanded by the addition of a second room, the original section, at left, is a great example of this humble form. This home is located in the Duncan’s Bottom neighborhood and appears to have been abandoned for quite some time.
