This is one of three commercial buildings still standing along the highway at Lovett. This may be the oldest of the three and was a general store.
General Store, Circa 1907, Lovett
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Tag Archives: Georgia Shotgun Stores & Offices
Old Sautee Store, Circa 1872
One of the most popular attractions in the Helen area, the Old Sautee Store has been in business since the 1870s. A well curated collection of early general store memorabilia gets the attention of visitors upon entering.
Sautee Valley Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Staunton Post Office, Circa 1890, Cook County
Today, Staunton is virtually indistinguishable from Lenox. It is located on the edge of the Lenox city limits and I understand that it was a historic railroad stop. The post office operated from 1890-1923, which probably mirrors the existence of the village as a separate entity. Two other important historic structures survive here: the Sim Harrell House and the T. P. Daughtrey House. Signage on U. S. Highway 41 distinguishes the neighborhood from Lenox proper.
Historic Storefront, Woodland
This was likely a grocery store. The style was among the most common in early-20th-century Georgia.
Springvale Courthouse, Randolph County
Karan Pittman notes that this is presently used as the courthouse, or precinct, for the Springvale community. It’s possible that it was originally a post office and/or general store, but I haven’t been able to locate any history. I’ll update if/when I learn more.
Gay Store, 1900s, Springvale
Springvale was incorporated in 1870 and supported a post office from 1885-1995. It’s located in a very picturesque area of Randolph County. The Gay Store building is perhaps its most important remaining architectural/cultural landmark.
Calhoun’s Store, Coney
Gean Nipper recently suggested I make some photographs at Coney. Having driven between Cordele and Americus countless times over the years, I must admit I had never even heard of the place. A couple of old warehouses and commissaries were still standing in the crossroads community near Lake Blackshear until they were destroyed by a tornado a few years ago. This store, the lone survivor, was owned by Mr. Nipper’s grandparents, Lonnie and Dicy Calhoun. It was closed by the late 1960s and briefly reopened in the early 1970s.
Coney was once a busy rail siding and was also the location of a ferry that crossed the nearby Flint River (long before Lake Blackshear was formed).
Shotgun Office Building, Devereux
I’m tentatively identifying this as an office building, but it may have been a store.
Dry Branch, Georgia
Other than a mid-century post office, now abandoned and replaced by a newer structure on Highway 80, this is the only public building I found in Dry Branch. I believe it has recently been restored. A portion of Dry Branch is located in Bibb County, but I believe this is in Twiggs County.
Linda Clark writes: “It was a General Store many years ago. My grandfather was the depot agent at the depots that were just across the tracks from the store.” Charles Brown, Jr., adds that it was also a restaurant at one time.
Sam Engram’s Store, Zetto
This amazing survivor likely won’t be around much longer.