The focal point of downtown LaGrange is LaFayette Square, which is anchored by a bronze copy of Ernest Eugene Hiolle’s famous statue of the Marquis de LaFayette. LaGrange is named for the Marquis’s French country estate. The statue was placed in the square in 1976 and is on permanent loan to the city from LaGrange College.
LaGrange Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Liberty Hall was the home of Confederate Vice-President and Georgia Governor Alexander Hamilton Stephens, known as Little Aleck for his small stature. Though often associated with the Civil War, the historic house you see today was actually built after the war. The rear ell of the house, partly visible in the next photo, dates to circa 1858.
Stephens moved to the property in 1834 to board with his stepmother’s sister and her husband in the predecessor to this house. They died in 1842 and the never-married Stephens purchased the property in 1845, naming it Bachelor’s Hall. It was later named Liberty Hall.
An extensive renovation was completed in the 1990s by Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites, painstakingly replacing period textiles, wallpapers and paints.
Sculptor Gutzon Borglum‘s imposing marble statue of the statesman, installed by contractor T. Markwalter of Augusta in 1893, keeps guard from the front lawn of the estate. Stephens is buried adjacent to the monument.
National Historic Landmark, National Register of Historic Places
Located on one of the highest hills in Telfair County, south of Milan, Mt. Zion church traces its roots to area pioneers. The large cemetery features many historic grave sites.
I’m sharing three of my favorites, beginning with Thelma Ellen Parker Cravey, the young bride who died from complications of childbirth at the tender age of 15.
Her death certificate noted puerperal hemorrhage and uremic poisoning as factors, common dangers of childbirth at the time. Her baby did not survive, either.
James “Jim” Cobb (1855-1917) and Mary Louise Harrell Cobb (1858-1937) were among the leading citizens of the Milan community.
There are many members of the Cravey family at Mt. Zion. Mary Ellen Reaves Cravey was married to George Troup Cravey (1849-1907). I love the Rock of Ages carving on this memorial.
Once the largest apple market in the South, Cornelia is still a large producer. In 1926, the Southern Railway gave the Big Red Apple to the city. It has become a statewide icon.
Cornelia Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This monument marks the plot of Dr. James A. Gaskins, his two wives and family at the historic Willacoochee City Cemetery.
Alamo has a nice memorial to its fallen heroes, located in a small park beside the police station on U. S. Highway 280. It features a bronze eagle atop a tapered obelisk surrounded by a granite wall listing the names of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. It was dedicated on 27 May 1996 by the Jenkins-Patterson Post 193 American Legion and Ladies Auxiliary.
World War I Casualties: Alexander Blackshear; Joseph Judson Bracewell; Joe Burns; Albert B. Carter; James Albert Clements; Henry H. Fields; Orlando Lee; Jessie A. Mercer; Thomas L. Purvis; George C. Windham
World War II Casualties: Gurney W. Alston; James D. Bracewell, Jr.; Eldridge D. Branch; Arlin W. Bridges, Sr.; S. I. Bullard; Neal Harlow Clark; Comer L. Jenkins; [James S. Lowe]; Herman A. McRae; Thomas L. Miller; Paul Nelms; Plumer M. Nelson; William D. Nobles; Hiram S. Patterson; Harlem D. Pope; Percy E. Pope; Vernice Ricks; Willie B. Roberts; Johnnie F. Rowland; B. Raymond Swain; Jack Twilley; John D. White
Korean War Casualties: Grady L. McCoy; James McDaniel; Julian D. Peebles, Jr.; James C. Rix
Vietnam Casualties: Russell B. Adams; Roger L. Bonner; Dawson Clements; Vertis Mackey; Melvin Poole; James R. Thomas
Thanks to Burney Marsh for the identification.
Just across East Main Street, in Triangle Park, is one of several unique sculptures located around Statesboro honoring Georgia Southern’s Eagles football team. This one, designed by Colleen Beyer Stewart and Wesley Stewart is entitled Farmer’s Market. This neighborhood has undergone a bit of a renaissance recently and is now home to Eagle Creek Brewery, a popular brewpub and a first for Statesboro.
This is located in the Bay Springs Cemetery.
Besides being the site of the most isolated and endangered historic African-American community in Georgia, Sapelo Island is also home to the University of Georgia’s Marine Institute. The island was owned by tobacco magnate R. J. Reynolds, Jr., from 1934 until his death in 1964, and during most of his ownership he allowed the University the use of facilities for research. According to the Marine Institute, Reynolds commissioned German sculptor Fritz Zimmer to create a fountain honoring the turkey, in 1936. A large turkey (seen above) is the centerpiece and two smaller turkeys flank the sides of the unusual landmark.
Reynolds spent a lot of time hunting on the island, so perhaps it was just an extension of his love of the sport. But at least one persitent rumor of a more tongue-in-cheek origin suggests that he built it as a Christmas gift to his wife. Apparently, she wasn’t impressed, but the fountain remains. It’s been dry for years but the last I read it was being restored.
If you visit Sapelo, it’s located on the quadrangle of the Marine Institute and it can’t be missed. It’s one of the most curious pieces of outdoor sculpture in Georgia and pays homage to one of our greatest gamebirds.
Ask anyone in Moultrie about the “elephant” and they’ll gladly direct you to the Pleasant Grove Primitive Baptist Church , where you’ll find the final resting place of William F. Duggan, Sr. (18 January 1899-22 December 1950). Locals contend that this is the most famous landmark in Colquitt County and since it’s thought to be the only life-sized elephant tombstone in the world, the distinction seems appropriate. The life-size sculpture depicts Nancy, a baby elephant owned by Duggan, who had just bought a circus at the time of his death. As a boy, Duggan worked with elephants in various circuses and always favored them. His son had this sculpture commissioned after his death. Athens-based photographer Dagmar Nelson shares a bit more of the history here.