The property surrounding this front gable bungalow has recently been cleared, suggesting it’s likely to soon be redeveloped. This is one of just a few surviving vernacular structures in the scattered community known as Jewtown. The community got its name from the Levison brothers, who had a thriving store about a mile east of Gascoigne Bluff. They called it Levisonton but the name didn’t stick and residents referred to the area as Jewtown. Like the other two historic African-American communities on St. Simons, Harrington and South End, Jewtown is largely indistinguishable from the rest of the island today. I believe the cottage dates to circa 1940-1945, making it a relatively late construction for the community.
Tax records date this house to 1908 but I believe the front section is an earlier central hallway cottage. The Gothic Revival/Queen Anne appearance was more common in the late 19th century.
Union Methodist Church Cemetery/Hays Campground Cemetery is located across the road from the Union United Methodist Church, though its history predates the congregation there. The cemetery contains the remains of the original settler of this section of what was then Talbot County, Jeremiah C. McCants (1808-1866), a native of South Carolina who founded the nearby crossroads community (now known as Jarrell) and also gave land, with Robert P. Hays (Hayes) in 1840 for the construction of a church and use as a cemetery. Union Church was originally used by both Baptists and Methodists. The Hays Campground, complete with tabernacle and tents, was also active here in the late 1800s but all remnants of the structures are gone. While extremely historic on the merits of its connection to the early history of Talbot County [this area became a part of Taylor County in 1852], it is most noted today for its antebellum wooden grave houses, covering the burial places of numerous area pioneers. It is believed that they are contemporary with the burials. All are constructed of pine and feature shake shingle roofs.
One shelter covers the grave of William George D. McCants, who died at just over a month old (3 April 1847-11 May 1847). The adjacent shelter is that of George R. McCants (8 July 1808-24 May1850), a brother to Jeremiah C. McCants].
This curious shelter, located in front of the more formal structures, marks a McCants burial, but I’m not sure which one.
Andrew Wood notes: This is my family! The stone at the left is my 5x great grandmother Sarah Black Hamilton McCants and the shelters cover the graves of two of her sons. She was born in Ireland to Dutch parents in 1765, settled on the Georgia frontier as a widow with 15 children before 1830 and lived to be 93!
Midway Baptist was organized in 1873 just around the corner from historic Fickling Mill. Founding members include the Peterman, Gaultney, Mosely, and Goodwin families.
The iconic Jarrell’s Grocery is the heart of Taylor County’s Jarrell community. The landmark was just another country store when Floyd Jarrell opened it in 1905, but over the years, as such places have all but vanished from the landscape, it has become a reminder of another time, surviving mostly through the passion of the late Estelle Jarrell (1915-2017). “Miss Essie”, as she was known to all, ran the store for 78 years, enlisting the help of her sons in her later years but remaining a fixture for everyone who came here as much for conversation as for the sundries. She told Ed Grisamore in a 2015 Macon Telegraph feature that she remembered buying candy in the store as a young girl and started getting the family discount when she married Fred Jarrell, Sr., in 1934.
The store has limited hours today but her sons have done their best to follow her advice in keeping it open.
This is located across the highway from the historic Jarrell’s Grocery. I’m identifying it as a precinct house/rural courthouse until I can find out more. It’s possible it was a farm-related structure but I’ll stand by my general identification until I know more. It’s a bit formal for a “shed”; it could have been an earlier store or commissary.
From a visitor named Lynn: A black man Called Shimmy aka Mr. Burt lived here. He lived here alone & his family lived about 2 miles away. He was my dad’s best friend. They both served in the Korean War together. My dad lived at 7038 GA Highway 208, two houses down from here. I spent a lot of my childhood in the front room by the wood heater. In the late 90s Mr Burt accidentally fell on the heater, burning his legs so bad they had to be removed. He moved into The Nursing Home in Waverly Hall. My dad passed away in 1997 & Mr Burt passed away 2000. They were lifelong friends!
