Tag Archives: Georgia Timber Industry

Colonel Edward Bird House, 1870, Guyton

2 Replies

Colonel Edward Bird (1825-1893) was a successful timber and turpentine operator before the Civil War. He joined Company A, Squadron B, Georgia Cavalry, as Captain. It was nicknamed Captain Bird’s Mounted Company, 2nd Battalion, Georgia Cavalry. Captain Bird was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 17 May 1862 and took command of the 2nd Battalion. He transferred to the 5th Regiment, Georgia Cavalry on 20 January 1863 and was promoted to Colonel in 1864. He commanded the 5th Battalion until surrendering at Greensboro, North Carolina on 26 April 1865. After the war, Colonel Bird resumed his business and remained a prominent citizen of Guyton until his death.

Guyton Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Harbin Lumber Company, Royston

1 Reply

Royston Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

A. T. Fuller House, 1955, Ocilla

8 Replies

Mr. Fuller’s grandson, Richard Owens, notes that the home was designed by prominent architect William Frank McCall, Jr., who was working for the Macon firm of W. Elliott Dunwoody at the time.

Dunwoody-Tyson House, Circa 1890, The Ridge

Leave a reply
A historic wooden house with a front porch, surrounded by lush greenery and trees.

Built in 1890 by McDonald Dunwoody (1857-1935), this iconic Victorian home was sold in 1905 to Charles Milton Tyson (1862-1940), a prominent timber broker and president of the Darien Bank who also represented McIntosh County in the Georgia House and Senate and served as the Darien City Court judge. It was owned by the Tyson family for many years and was later acquired by the Deans. It is one of the finest houses extant in The Ridge.

The Ridge Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Woodland, 1877, Wheeler County

1 Reply

Passing through rural Wheeler County from Lumber City (Telfair) to Alamo, one cannot miss this Eclectic Victorian with Carpenter Gothic details. An exquisite two-story arcade (not visible in this photograph) connects the main section of the house to a rear addition. More than one friend has commented over the years that the sight of the house stopped them in their tracks. It is a standout in South Georgia, out of place in a landscape most characterized by simple vernacular dwellings.

McArthur Family, vintage photograph courtesy Elizabeth Chancellor

The McArthur family owned portions of the land around the house beginning in 1827. From the shambles of the cotton economy Walter T. McArthur (1837-1894) developed his father’s farmland into a thriving timber plantation and completed Woodland in 1877, the year of his father’s death. A Captain Renwick and Johnus Thormaholon are listed as the architects/builders. Walter was a Confederate veteran and served in the Georgia legislature from 1868-1871. His son Douglas later maintained and managed the property. It was sold in 1917 to Emory Winship (1872-1932). Winship was a career naval officer from a prominent Macon family and primarily used the house as a hunting lodge during his ownership.

The property is currently on the market.

National Register of Historic Places

McArthur House, Circa 1830s, Wheeler County

Leave a reply

Situated behind the iconic Woodland plantation house is this amazing survivor, an enclosed dogtrot thought to have been built by the first McArthur family member to settle here; their ownership of the land dates to 1827. It is possibly the oldest house in Wheeler County. After use as a storage shed for many years, it was restored in 1993.

Timber Protection Organization Office, Homerville

7 Replies

This is presently home to the Ware Visiting Nurses Service, but Tom Chandler notes that it was originally the Timber Protection Organization (TPO) office.

Tenant Houses, Cogdell

Leave a reply

I believe this house and another one adjacent to it were built to house employees of the Sessoms timber and turpentine operations. Both are very endangered and are likely to be gone soon.

Controlled Burn, Turner County

1 Reply

Surrounded by forests, most South Georgians are quite familiar with the controlled burn. The practice has applications ranging from sustainable forestry to land clearing.

It’s generally seen as a good practice and helps reinvigorate the land for numerous plant and animal species.

Log Trucks, Hart County

Leave a reply

As of 2017, Georgia had nearly 25 million acres of commercially available timberland, more than any other state. Forestry-related jobs are a major economic force and log trucks are familiar on roads from the mountains to the coast.