A Georgia historic resources database identifies this as a peach warehouse, which utilized adjacent railroad tracks for shipping. I don’t know if it was built for that purpose, but if not, it was certainly a warehouse of some type.
This tenant house, located beside the Burton Brooks Orchard, was likely once part of the I. C. Williams farm.
I. C. Williams, the first commercial peach grower in Brooks County, built this packing shed in the 1950s. Though it’s now owned by Mike and Lynn Abbott and known as Burton Brooks Orchards, the business is stronger than ever. Like Luck & Moody across the road, Burton Brooks sells at least 100 gallons of ice cream a day during the summer.
At the encouragement of Brooks County’s first peach grower, I. C. Williams, James E. Moody began growing peaches in the late 1950s. He began packing the fruit in an old cotton gin by the railroad tracks, as a way to streamline his operation and ship his peaches in a timely manner. As his business grew, he built this more modern shed, originally known as the James Moody Peach Shed. It was later known as Joyce & Moody, before becoming Luck & Moody. Mr. Moody’s daughter and granddaughter continue the business today.
In summer, their famous peach ice cream brings in customers from far and wide; they sell 100 gallons or more on a good day.
This colorful mural by artist Ethan Abbott graces the side of the old Harris Brothers garage and leaves no doubt that you’re in the heart of South Georgia’s peach country. It’s one of the most colorful murals out there and I guarantee it will make you want to stop and buy some peaches or get some peach ice cream.
The “PECHES” sign on U.S. Highway 441 near Rock Eagle has always caught my attention. I believe this produce stand was in business as far back as my college days in the early 1990s, and possibly long before that.* The owners have obviously repainted the sign. According to the great-grandson of the original owner they chose the French word for peaches. It’s a misspelling to those who read English and was a clever way to get attention to what would otherwise been just another roadside fruit stand. Everyone has gotten so used to it that they wouldn’t have it any other way. It truly is a landmark of the area.
It turns out the well-loved stand has been open in one incarnation or another since the 1950s, and, yes, the misspelling is intentional, at least at this point. Some suggested Peches was the owner’s surname, but I never found anything to support this.
Situated on an imposing knoll just west of Marshallville, this Neoclassical Revival landmark was built by Anson Ball Slappey for his daughter Alma and her husband, J. Leonard Jones, as the center of the 800-acre Alma Fruit Farm. The Roy Peterson family were also longtime owners, and many still refer to the property as the Peterson Farm.
Louise Frederick Hays, author of History of Macon County, also resided here for a time.
Thanks to Lori Kelley Adams for help with the identification. I made these photos about 10 years ago and for some reason had never been able to identify the house.
National Register of Historic Places
This popular farm market was established as a roadside stand by William L. Brown and his wife, Debra, in 1966. The family continues to operate it today and it has earned landmark status with locals and travelers alike. A second market is now open in Columbus. Visit their website to check on what’s available at any given time.
You’ll probably meet Molly when you’re here. She’s very friendly but mostly likes to just hang out and watch the customers.
Known for its peaches (and peach ice cream, and beans), it features a wide variety of seasonal local produce.
I generally only like the heirloom tomatoes my father grows, but these weren’t bad.
I visited recently with my parents and we bought some late Elbertas, and of course we had to have the peach ice cream. It’s homemade and really should not be missed, no matter when you drop by.
The extensive Meadows & Porter Farm [Joe Walker Meadows and Marion Porter] is one of the most intact historic peach farms in Georgia. It is anchored by the Meadows’s Queen Anne farmhouse (above). Most of the dependencies are still standing and in good condition. For its connection to one of Georgia’s most iconic crops, the farm should be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The commissary is located between the main house and the peach packing shed and is in exceptional condition.
Two tenant houses survive, reflecting different eras in the development of the farm.
This board-and-batten example is likely the earlier of the two.
This is a label from my collection, of Meadows & Porter’s “Rooster Brand” peaches.
The peach packing shed is an amazing example of the form, and peaches are still raised on the farm.
I hope these important structures survive well into the future.
A sign identifies this amazing survivor as the Lee Pope Hotel. It was primarily used as housing for Pearson Farms’ seasonal peach workers.
All the structures of the Lee Pope Fruit Farm should be included in the National Register of Historic Places as an important example of a 20th century Georgia peach farm.
