This late-19th-century block was originally known as the Chris Gray Building but was renovated in 1899 by John R. Schneider and was known as the Schneider Building for a time. The renovation was done by architect H. H. Johannsen and the Georgia marble siding added by William F. Bowe.
Broad Street Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This marble-front commercial block was built by Drs. F. C. and W. A. Richards. The Coca-Cola mural on the side of the building was restored in recent years.
This 38-foot obelisk was designed and dedicated by Sam Tate in 1930, 10 miles east of Jasper on Mount Oglethorpe (Grassy Knob), with Governor Lamartine Hardman in attendance. [The mountain was officially renamed Mount Oglethorpe at this time, as well]. It was carved by James Watt of locally quarried Cherokee marble. Georgia’s bicentennial in 1933 brought out many tributes to Oglethorpe but the Pickens County monument is one of the nicest. It stood on Mount Oglethorpe until 1958 and was restored and moved to this location across from the old Pickens County Jail in 1999.
Marietta architects Eugene Boswell and Richard Nash (firm of Boswell & Nash) designed the Pickens County Courthouse in the Stripped Classical style, using local marble siding. It was built to replace the 1888 courthouse, located on the same lot, which burned in 1947. Samuel Tate, owner of the Georgia Marble Company, sold the marble to the county at cost and lent his principal marble designer, J. B. Hill, to oversee the installation of the veneers.
National Register of Historic Places
Typical of many Georgia jails, the Pickens County facility housed inmates upstairs and a sheriff or jailer downstairs. Georgia’s best-known courthouse architect, J. W. Golucke, designed this jail to be special, incorporating local marble in the citadel-like design. A local stone mason, Lee W. Prather, was responsible for the ornate work on the front of the jail. The marble was sourced at the nearby Delaware Quarry, the oldest in the state. It’s among the most impressive in the state, in my opinion. It served the county until circa 1980 when a larger, more modern facility was built.
I believe it is used as a museum today.
National Register of Historic Places
This structure, clad in local marble, was built to replace the old Cherokee County Courthouse which burned in 1927. The upper floor served as the jail. A. Ten Eyck Brown was the architect. It has been replaced by a newer facility but remains an anchor of historic downtown Canton, serving the community as a local history museum and visitor center.
National Register of Historic Places
This has served as Bainbridge City Hall for many years, and was recently restored. It’s one of the most impressive marble structures in South Georgia.
Bainbridge Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Bainbridge has a relatively intact commercial core, unlike many small South Georgia towns who have seen significant losses due to neglect and deterioration in recent years. There is presently an active movement to restore buildings which have long been derelict, resulting in a vibrant downtown. It’s a process that doesn’t happen overnight, but they’re making great progress.
Corner of Broad and Water Streets
Marble Front Bank (1900), Broad Street
Corner of Broad and Broughton Streets
Corner of Broad and Broughton Streets
Broughton Street
Bainbridge Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
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
Designed by William Edwards of the Atlanta firm of Edwards & Sayward, the Bank of Tifton is one of the most distinct commercial structures in the historic district. Several banks have occupied the site over the years and it is presently an Ameris Bank. The wing on the right side is a later expansion.
Tifton Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 