The store on the left was once known as Dillman’s, and I’m guessing it was a grocery or department store. I haven’t identified the store on the right, but it has a great facade. These structures date to the early 20th century.
One of my favorite buildings in Savannah, this exotic Moorish Revival landmark [with a dose of Manueline inspiration and Gothic elements] was built by the Georgia Hussars as a retail space to fund their armory, which was located next door. The painted terracotta facade is truly one of the most memorable works of architecture in the city. As Rafe Semmes noted, it may best be remembered as the Pars Oriental Rug Company . It’s now home to Artillery Bar.
Savannah National Historic Landmark District
I made this photograph in 2017 and have tried to identify the structure since then. It appears to have been a small store with an added-on room. I’m not sure if it’s still standing.
This landmark serves as a community store and marina for Shellman Bluff.
South Georgians love seafood, largely due to their proximity to two coasts. Most Southeast Georgians live within an hour of the Atlantic Ocean while a majority in Southwest Georgia are nearly as close to the Gulf of Mexico.
Most towns of any size traditionally have a fishmonger; this location has been home to Camilla Seafood, and most recently, Terry’s Fish Market.
Darrell Sheppard writes: The old building in Allenhurst was Sheppard’s Grocery. It was built by Troy Allen Sheppard, Sr., after leaving Willie, Georgia, in the 1940s. It had the living quarters in the rear. After his death in 1967 Troy Sheppard, Jr., opened an auto electric repair and operated it until his death in 1991. It now belongs to Darrell Sheppard.
Update: As of April 2024 this structure has been razed.
The Gum Branch community dates to at least 1833, when records show that members of Beard’s Creek Primitive Baptist Church organized Gum Branch Primitive Baptist Church in western Liberty County.
Kyle Corrigan writes: According to my grandma, the store was opened by Charles and Vera Todd, my great-grandparents, sometime in the 1940s. My grandma has memories of working in the store as a teenager in the 1960s, and they actually lived in the house behind the store. In the 50s the store also had gas pumps outside the building, which are currently in my grandma’s possession. The store closed in the late 1980s after Charles passed away and Shuman’s Gas Station (now called E-Z Quick Stop) opened across the street.
My great-grandparents originally lived in Willie, Georgia, but left during World War 2 because of the creation of Fort Stewart on that land. To this day many Todds still live in Gum Branch. In fact, my grandpa actually served as the first mayor after the city was incorporated in 1979. According to my grandpa, they incorporated in order to stop nearby Hinesville from expanding their area, as they feared there would be an increase in tax rates. Also, almost everyone who lives here calls it Gum Branch, but legally it is Gumbranch, apparently the result of a clerical error.
A user on Vanishing South Georgia wrote: The Pine Mountain Gas Station used to be here but burned down sometime in the 1980s. There was an alligator out back they called Old Joe. If you called him you had better have a burger for him. He would sit and sun himself in front of Jack Shuman’s station next door. The DNR finally moved him.
This store isn’t really that old but the story of Old Joe is too good not to share.