This is an attorney’s office but was likely a residence in its first incarnation. Stone structures like this are emblematic of the mountains to me and this one of the nicest examples in Clayton.
Tudor Revival Cottage, 1946, Clayton
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Tag Archives: Georgia Stone Structures
Ruins of Jenkins General Store, 1906, Harris City
George W. Jenkins, Sr., built Jenkins General Store with hand-cut rock to replace its wood frame predecessor. Jenkins was a successful merchant, drawing shoppers from all over the area to Harris City. The business thrived until the early 1920s, when the boll weevil signaled a collapse of the cotton-based agricultural economy. George, Sr, moved to Atlanta and established a small grocery store, less susceptible to the ups-and-downs of the agricultural economy. In the meantime, his son, George, Jr., graduated from Greenville High School and moved to Florida in 1925 to seek his fortune in real estate. He took a job with Piggly Wiggly, however, and after just a couple of months as a clerk he was promoted to manager. In 1930 he left Piggly Wiggly and opened the first Publix store in Winter Haven. Today, Publix is one of the largest grocery store chains in the nation. I like to think that lessons Mr. Jenkins learned here in Harris City, at his father’s side, helped make him into the successful entrepreneur that he became.
The Rock House, 1785, McDuffie County
Also known as the Old Rock House, this treasure, built by Thomas Ansley (1737-1809) in the Quaker-settled Wrightsboro(ugh) Township, is the oldest stone house in Georgia and among the oldest well-documented structures in the state. Ansley was a native of Freehold, New Jersey, where stone houses were common and the abundance of material in this area near the Fall Line was certainly a factor. Ansley settled in Georgia in 1768 after a few years in North Carolina. He and his wife Rebecca Cox were part of a colony of 40 Quaker families who came to Georgia seeking religious tolerance. Though he didn’t bear arms in the American Revolution, Ansley served as a forager and drover for the Army.
When Ansley died in 1809 he left an estate with four houses and eight slaves. A thriving livestock operation also remained. Ansley was an ancestor of President Jimmy Carter, whose Revolutionary War-era novel The Hornet’s Nest takes place around Wrightsboro.
The house was occupied until 1950. Soon after, vandals ruined much of the interior woodwork and rock walls. This led to the creation of the Wrightsboro Quaker Community Foundation, which from what I can gather from online sources, is still the owner of the property.
Part of the joy of this house, to me, was the fact that it feels “right” as to the interior details but not forced, like many house museums. There is a gate around the property with a small opening, but people in the neighborhood keep a very close eye on this landmark. I encountered some while there and told them I was photographing. Online sources like Explore Georgia and McDuffie County Chamber note the address and that it’s a free attraction; however, I feel reassured to know that in such a remote location, there is neighborhood concern and diligence.
National Register of Historic Places
Walasi-Yi Interpretive Center, 1937, Union County
Though it’s evolved over the years, the focal point of the center remains the old Walasi-Yi Inn (pronounced Wa La See Yee) built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) between 1934-37 on the site of an old tea room and inn previously owned by the Pfister-Vogel Land Company.
This site on Blood Mountain (elevation 4458) was known as Frogtown Gap until the completion of the highway around 1924, when it was changed to Neel (or Neel’s) Gap to honor the highway engineer. It’s been suggested that Walasi was a great mythical frog in Cherokee lore who was the chief of the animal council and made his home high on this gap. The CCC inn and restaurant operated until the 1960s and the structure fell into disrepair. Slated for demolition in the 1970s, it was saved by locals. The Walasi-Yi Interpretive Center building is also significant as the only place the Appalachian Trail passes through a structure over its 2100+ miles.
These days, you’re likely to be greeted by one of the center’s famous tabby cats, who seem to have no care in the world and don’t mind the hoardes of tourists and hikers passing through. Since 1983, the center has been an outfitter and store known as Mountain Crossings at Neel Gap.
Appalachian Trail stickers and kitsch are evident everywhere here. One of my favorites is the “Cell Phone Booth”, an old pay telephone booth minus the telephone, that was left behind to afford hikers a covered spot to use their cell phones in this often wet locale.
Hikers who have done 30 miles on the trail leave their worn out boots and shoes in an old tree at the center. Those who have completed at least 500 miles can hang their shoes and packs inside to inspire other hikers.
Georgia Railroad Depot, 1848, Crawford
From the December 2010 issue of Preservation Posts (Historic Preservation Division, DNR): The depot was constructed with granite block, likely including a few granite cross ties that were used along the rail line before the advent of heavy steam engines required their replacement with more flexible wooden cross ties. Depots constructed entirely from stone are extremely rare in Georgia. Most depots are constructed from wood or brick with only a few built with the exterior walls entirely constructed from granite block. The depot, built to serve the Athens branch of the Georgia Railroad, also served the towns of Arnoldsville, Dunlop, Maxeys, Union Point, and Woodville. The depot also served as a shipment and supply facility for the Confederate Army during the Civil War…
National Register of Historic Places
A. D. Williams Lighthouse, Upson County
From Anne McDaniel, here’s a history of this curious landmark: “Mr. A. D. Williams was a peach farmer. We think he was the first peach farmer to ship peaches out of Georgia. He had no children and the people who worked for him were treated like family. He built a dance pavilion in the middle of the lake across from his home and once or twice a month would have picnics for the workers and they would dance until the wee hours. He enjoyed bowling and he had a two Lane bowling alley in his basement.
In the back of his home were formal gardens which was his life’s passion. There was an open fireplace there. There is a glass peach mounted on it. The city of Yatesville recently tried to buy the peach but the family would not sell it to them. On the side of his house he built a small pond where the lighthouse was built. It was on the side of a huge playground and a three hole golf course. The lighthouse was built as a novelty for people to enjoy. He provided entertainment for not only his guests but their children. When he died, the house and all the property was left to a nephew and they moved from Florida to Yatesville. His daughter, Lisa Williams, won the Georgia Junior Miss title. They sold the house to a family and the property and the house is in complete disrepair. Such a shame that this once grand place is in such a mess.”
Old Hancock County Jail, 1905, Sparta
This sturdy old granite structure was recently restored.
Sparta Historic District, National Register of Historic Places