Lewis Gean Nipper writes: This was my Great grandfather’s store (John Daniel Calhoun). He was the mayor of Crosland and a merchant. There was a railroad track behind the store. It has been gone for a long time. I have a picture of him standing in the doorway. He died in 1921. He and many of my older family members are buried in the cemetery across the road.
In 2014-2015, the iconic stone fire lookout tower constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps camp 468 (SP-6) was restored by the state as part of the interpretive plan at Fort Mountain State Park. The tower was used until the early 1960s when it was replaced by a steel tower on a nearby mountain. In 1971, the cupola burned and the tower fell into disrepair.
National Register of Historic Places
Sistie Hudson notes that Jewel Stewart opened the Sparta Flower Shoppe here in the 1940s and it served that purpose until closing upon Ginger Yarbrough’s retirement in August 2018. It’s a great structure.
Sparta Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
St. Matthew’s was sided with blocks from the Fitzgerald Granitoid Works.
This house and the Bond-Carroll House about twelve miles from town are said to have been built by brothers. I imagine it had other occupants after the Bonds but it’s best known today as the longtime residence of Don & Norma Morris. It is slightly more formal than the country house.
This is one of several structures in Jackson County featuring decorative siding built by E. Scott Ethridge, who owned the local concrete plant. His own residence on the adjacent lot features the siding, as well.
Jefferson Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Flovilla was established in 1885 and its name means “Villa of Flowers”. Much of its early history is linked to the Flovilla & Indian Springs Railway. The shortline was established in 1888 to transport passengers from Flovilla to the resort in Indian Springs. At the time, it boasted of being the shortest incorporated railroad in the world. Heard Street, running parallel to the railroad tracks, is Flovilla’s historic commercial center. Very little remains, after fires in 1907 and 1923 destroyed numerous stores and offices.
A nice stone veneer building large enough to have been a hotel is located at the corner of Macon Road and Papermill Road.
Unions are fairly rare in Georgia, but in areas with heavy industry they survive.
I’ll identify some of these buildings as I learn more. I hope all these structures can be saved and utilized.
For as long as I can remember, this house across the street from the old hospital has been abandoned. It would be a wonderful restoration project.