Zion Baptist Church was established in 1899 and was an important part of the African-American community of lower Bryan County for half of the 20th century. It originated as a wood frame prayer house. Prayer houses, [also known as praise houses], which first appeared on plantations, were characteristic landmarks of the Gullah-Geechee communities that dominated the Georgia Coast before the Great Migration. Few have survived.
According to Eugene Harris, who attended this church in his youth, the present structure was built circa 1950. Church members who worked in the cement business chose to rebuild with cinderblock for the longevity the material would provide. By this time, however, the congregation was dwindling. This quaint little building was abandoned in the early 1960s. In 2019, Mr. Harris, who returned to Richmond Hill after service in the Air Force, decided to restore the prayer house, which was overgrown with weeds and brush and in deteriorating condition. He took on the project as a one-man job but soon got assistance from the community, who raised nearly $5000 and contributed countless hours and materials to the effort. It is a living monument to the culture it represents, ultimately a place for prayer and quite reflection. And it’s proof that one man’s vision can save a piece of overlooked history for everyone to appreciate.
Holt Chapel was an historic Black congregation located north of Haddock. Its establishment dates to the late 19th century. Though no longer active, a foundation maintains the property to some extent.
The church building, which replaced an earlier wood frame structure, is typical of second generation structures for rural Black congregations.
Of much greater architectural significance is the Holt School building, adjacent to the church. It is of a common style once found throughout this section of Middle Georgia of which few survive. [I have personally documented examples in Hancock, Baldwin, and Jones Counties]. Upon its construction in the 1930s it served a dual purpose. The first floor was an elementary school for children of the church and surrounding community while the second floor was home to the Sunlight Brothers and Sisters Society, a church-based benevolent society.
Thanks to the Holt School Foundation and Jones County History and Heritage, Inc., it was saved about 20 years ago and appears to be well-maintained.
The Peabody School served the African-American community of Eastman, first as a comprehensive school and later as an elementary school. An earlier wooden school (also named Peabody) was located on the current Peabody School site. The earlier school burned in 1925. It is not known whether that school served the white or African-American community.
From the National Register of Historic Places: “According to a December 10, 1937 article in the Eastman Times Journal. “It has been recognized that the Negroes of Eastman should have a more satisfactory school building…” Plans for the new school were drawn by E.C. Hosford and included classrooms, offices, and an auditorium. The construction was supervised by Lawrence Noles, a local Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) foreman. The federal government paid one-third of the materials cost and supplied all of the labor. The building was completed in June, 1938. The school housed all grades (1st through 11th , and later 12th) and served all of Dodge County. In contrast, during the same time period, there were 14 schools serving the white students of the county. Professor Burton served as the first principal, and some of the teachers were Mrs. V. Yopp, Mrs. Alberta Hamilton, Mrs. Letish Speed, and Mrs. Letic Edwards. One or more grades were taught in each classroom.”
“There is no documentation regarding the name Peabody and its association with the school. In newspaper articles referring to the school during its construction, the building is referred to as “Eastman Negro School.” There is some speculation that the school was named for George Peabody, the noted 19th century philanthropist, or possibly a well-known black educator. As stated above, the earlier wooden school building was also named Peabody School. In the early 1950s all grades were still housed at the Peabody campus with the 1st grade and 8th through 12th grades in the brick building, and 2nd through 7th grades in wooden barracks that had been moved from the Air Force base at Warner Robbins, Georgia. These also served as a lunchroom for the school. In 1953, Peabody School was one of seven black schools countywide. The others were Chauncey Junior High, Chester, Copeland, Lisbon, Mt. Olive, and Rhine Junior High.”
“According to Dodge County Board of Education minutes from January and February, 1954, there were plans to construct a large addition to Peabody School in order to accommodate the rising enrollment. By May of that same year, the board decided to construct a new African-American high school (extant, located southwest of the 1938 building, now serves as Dodge County Middle School) in order to reduce the overcrowding of Peabody and reduce the size of the addition.”
Peabody added a lunchroom to its campus and became an elementary school in 1957 and continued to serve the Black community until ceasing operation in 1967. The school buildings became the Dodge County Early Childhood Center in the late 1960s and closed in the late 1980s. They were acquired by United Concerned Citizens of Dodge County in 1994 for use as a community center.
Peabody School Mascot. The Peabody Tigers girls basketball team won at least two Class A State Championships .
Considering the endangered status of most early 20th century schools in Georgia, the survival of these structures is amazing. Demolition by neglect is the leading cause of the loss of historic schools, so the fact that the Peabody School was saved by a community coalition makes it all the more inspiring.
The first time I saw this house there was an old Plymouth parked in the overgrown yard. I was walking around the courthouse in Eastman and noticed the car.
Front elevation, 2020.
It was obvious the house had been abandoned for some time, but it was still in good condition. Not long after I first posted photographs, Nancy Heath reached out to let me know that she had recently inherited the house, and was trying to sell it to someone who would bring it back to life. She invited me to photograph the interior and I had a nice visit with her. My friend David Bray, an interior designer, was also along for the visit.
Parlor, 2020. There are different colored tile fireplaces in each of the main rooms.
It was once known as the DeLacy House, but in recent years served as the law office of Nancy’s stepfather, Eastman attorney Will Burch (1921-2011).
Library, 2020.
Mr. Burch, a native of Eastman, was a naval officer in WWII, survived D-Day, and later served in the Korean War. He studied law at Emory and practiced in Atlanta and Eastman. He maintained his practice in Eastman from 1974 until his retirement.
Medallion, 2020.
Tax records indicate that the house was built in 1885, but that date is incorrect.
Kitchen, 2020.
The present structure, of an eclectic Colonial Revival style, dates to circa 1906, according to Nancy Heath, who extensively researched the house.
Bedroom, 2020.
I’m grateful to Nancy for allowing me to photograph the house and see it before it was sold.
Decorative column detail, 2020.
There are some great details in the house and I’m sure the new owners have made sure they are still an integral part of its charm. They did a wonderful job with the exterior.
Front elevation, 2025.
Note: This replaces and expands a post originally published on 20 December 2015.
Milan is located in Dodge and Telfair Counties, one of many Georgia towns with such a distinction. It was settled in the 1880s due to the arrival of the railroad in the area. It was named for Milan, Italy, and of course, has a Georgia pronunciation. It’s “My-lun”, not “Muh-lan”. Many people have asked me over the years why Georgia has such unusual place names, and it’s not just Georgia. The reason is because common names, especially surnames, were already in use and the post office department wouldn’t allow towns with the same, or even similar, names.
Milan became the focus of unwelcome national attention during the summer of 1919, known as Red Summer. The story is graphic, but as Black history is being officially censored in Georgia and many other states, it should be told. And to be certain, Milan was not alone in regards to such atrocities.
On 24 May 1919, two white men, John Baptiste Dowdy, Sr. (1894-1919) and Levi Evans, attempted to break into the home of a Black woman, Emma McCollers, with the intent of raping her two young daughters. Dowdy’s father, Rev. William Dowdy, was the mayor of Milan. When the family refused to allow them in the house, Dowdy fired his gun.
The girls fled to the nearby home of Emma Tishler and were followed by Dowdy and Evans. During the chaos, Ms. Tishler hid in a well. Berry Washington, a 72-year-old Black sharecropper, heard the commotion and attempted to defend the girls. Dowdy fired at Washington, and after a struggle, Washington killed Dowdy. Washington turned himself soon after the shooting and was transferred to the jail in McRae.
The next day, Deputy Sheriff Dave McRanie handed Washington over to a lynch mob who removed him from the jail and in the early hours of 26 May 1919, hanged him from a post at the site of the shooting and riddled his body with gunshot. His mutilated corpse was left in public view for at least a day, no doubt as an ominous warning to the local Black community.
Kara Kidder wrote, in 2023, that this house had been in her family for over 100 years and that they were still researching its origins. A sign outside indicates it was built in 1905. It’s a perfect example of a Folk Victorian farmhouse and is well-maintained. It is located among fields that go on for miles in all directions.
This Craftsman townhouse was home for nearly 50 years to Foster Goolsby (1922-2016) and Frances Taylor Goolsby (1920-2011) and their family, and I had many pleasurable visits on this porch, in the shade of the two big magnolia trees that dominate the front yard.
Foster Goolsby was a B-17 pilot in World War II who had a penchant for telling amazing stories, and he didn’t mind telling anyone how much he hated Fitzgerald’s wild chickens, for their habit of destroying his wife’s flower beds. A Talbot County native, he came to Fitzgerald while serving as headmaster of Irwin Academy, after being principal of at least seven schools prior to his move. He was also superintendent of the Valdosta City Schools for 10 years. In addition to this work, he served for over 40 years as chairman of the board of the Georgia Accrediting Commission.
Frances was born in Elberton and was a genteel Southern lady of another era. A consummate hostess and homemaker, she was well known for her award winning flower arrangements and her time with the Magnolia Garden Club.
I don’t have information on who built the house at the moment, but will update at some point. I’ve identified it as the Goolsby House for their long association with the property.
I made these photographs in 2016 at the invitation of Al Johnson and the house was staged for sale at the time. The beautiful interior design work was done by Lisa Davis Eldridge. The house now has new owners.
It was amazing to see the house restored. I know the Goolsbys would be proud to see what it has become.
It’s a great example of what can be done with historic properties. The Craftsman style endures as one of the most practical and adaptable forms of American architecure.
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.
This neon sign, lit up along West Oglethorpe Avenue at night, may be the coolest thing about the Thunderbird Inn, but the whole place has an amazing retro vibe, harking back to the days of roadside motels. As American automobile ownership began to increase in the 1930s, quaint motor courts with numerous tiny cottages began to fill the need for travelers. By the end of World War II, motels began to replace them, because they were less expensive to build and maintain, and because tourists demanded more convenience. Motor hotels, or motels, popped up on busy state and national highways all across the country. The Thunderbird Inn opened on the Coastal Highway (US 17) in 1964 and quickly became a popular Savannah destination. The Jackson Five even stayed here on their rise to fame. Savannah has changed a lot since then, but the Thunderbird Inn has stayed true to its origins, thanks to restoration and updates over the past 20 years. I’ve stayed several times, and it’s one of my favorite locations.
Savannah Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
The railroad gave birth to Shellman, as it did so many little towns throughout Georgia. It was originally known as Ward, for John P. Ward, who helped bring the Southwest Georgia Railroad into the area. The town was incorporated in 1883 and renamed for W.F. Shellman, a traffic manager for the Central of Georgia Railroad. The C of G built this passenger and freight depot in 1893. It was renovated in the 1990s and is now used for community functions.
Shellman Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
