Tag Archives: Georgia Victorian Architecture

Graves-McCoy House, 1886, Bainbridge

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According to a “Heritage Tour of Historic Homes” brochure: This Victorian-era home was built by James Ralph Graves. Mr. Graves was a Bainbridge alderman and deacon of First Presbyterian Church. The Bainbridge Democrat reported on March 6, 1884, that “James R. Graves is improving his new lot preparatory to building a house.” The house originally sat on four acres, contained 3,800 square feet, and had a detached kitchen. It cost $1500 and took five years to build.

The home’s Queen Anne and Carpenter Gothic elements blend nicely to make one of the most interesting Victorians in Bainbridge. It was for sale when I photographed and first published it in 2010. I hope it found a new owner and that it retains its wonderful appearance.

Bainbridge Residential Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Donalson-Rollins House, 1898, Bainbridge

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Local lumber baron John Ernest Donalson (1846-1920), for whom nearby Donalsonville, Georgia, was named, built this house in 1898. In addition to his vast holdings with the Donalson Lumber Company, he was a Confederate veteran, well-known Georgia entrepreneur, lawyer, and judge. Bainbridge was the center of his business operations.

The Queen Anne home, possibly a George Barber design, originally featured Tiffany stained-glass windows, but they were removed by a later owner and sold. The house is also said to have been the first in Bainbridge to feature wire window screens, quite an innovation at the time.

Bainbridge Residential Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Queen Anne Cottage, 1888, Monticello

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Simplicity and functionality, highlighted by just a touch of fancy machine-made decorative elements, are one reason these houses were so popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Pattern books served as the basis for many of the designs but this version is likely just a local interpretation. The presence of railroads in almost every small town in Georgia during this era insured the availability of materials necessary for the changing architectural tastes of the emerging middle class.

Queen Anne Cottage, Jackson

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Jackson is a small town almost midway between Macon and Atlanta and like any small town has some wonderful old historic homes near its courthouse square. Numerous examples of various architectural styles give a lot of character to the area but there is no National Register historic district. Considering the quality of the homes, such as this simple Queen Anne cottage, I’m a bit surprised that there hasn’t been a local effort to seek more recognition for this neighborhood.

Queen Anne Cottage, Upatoi

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There are several historic homes in Upatoi. This beautifully maintained Queen Anne is one of my favorites. An historic resources survey dates it to the 1920s but I believe it was more likely built in the 1880s or 1890s. It’s a representative example of the form and though I’m not sure if the dormers are original, they look like they may be. Later Victorians like this were inspirations for the less ornamented New South Cottages that were popular from the 1890s to the 1920s.

William Benjamin Hart House, 1899, Georgetown

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I photographed this large Queen Anne home in 2014. Since then, the trees have been removed but the fence remains. It’s an imposing presence on Main Street in tiny Georgetown. It was built by William Benjamin Hart, Sr. Mr. Hart was born in 1859, but according to Findagrave, his date of death is unknown [at least at that resource]. His wife was Anna Amanda Moore Hart (1864-1926). The house was still owned by the family as late as the 1970s, and may still be.

Shingle Style House, 1898, Barnesville

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This grand Shingle Style Victorian is one of the highlights of the historic residential section of Barnesville and an exemplar of the form. The style is relatively uncommon in Georgia and is usually found in larger urban settings. Often called cottages, most houses of this type were built between 1876-1910. If you’ve visited Jekyll Island, you have likely seen a few in the National Historic Landmark District, owned as vacation homes by some of America’s wealthiest families of the time.

Thomaston Street Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Morocco Swing, Circa 1863, Barnesville

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The name of this Victorian home, Morocco Swing, is a bit of a mystery to me, but the best kind of mystery. The house doesn’t appear to have any Moroccan elements, but apparently it has meaning. It’s a nice example of a plain style Victorian, and it dates to circa 1863. This means construction of the house was taking place during the Civil War, which was a difficult time for such an endeavor.

Thomaston Street Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Higginbotham House, 1907, Twin City

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This is a textbook example of Queen Anne architecture and a beautifully maintained landmark in Twin City. I’ve seen several with this form and wonder if it is not from a pattern book. There were numerous such “blueprint” publications used by skilled carpenters to build on-demand homes for wealthier clients. As a result, many have been identified but I don’t think this one has. George Barber was perhaps the most prolific producers of Victorian pattern books.

This house was built in 1907 by Jefferson Davis Durden but has long been known as the Higginbotham House.

Twin City Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

L. P. James House, 1885, James

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Lemuel Photo James (1842-1899) built this fine Queen Anne home. Aubrey Newby, whose parents restored it and are its current guardians, writes: L.P. James was involved in bridge construction for the railroad. He developed the town and later operated a mill, store and peach farm in the area. His son became a state representative and the road from James to Gray is said to have been the first paved road in the county. He was enterprising after the war, reasonably young and turned his attention to railroad and industry as a opposed to agrarian [pursuits]. The high style Queen Anne …represents an unusual period in houses for Jones County, [as] almost no one else was building that house here then. They could not afford too. I have wondered what others must have honestly thought about it. He was literally giving away lots to locals who had been wealthy planters prior to the war to get them to build in the town.  

*-Aubrey and I agreed that the better view of the house is in perspective, at the approach, but unfortunately, I was not here at the right time of the day. I like this view, too. It gives me an excuse to go back for another visit.