I photographed this house in 2013. It was unusual because it was architectural in style. The two side-by-side front doors are a common feature of double shotgun houses. I presume it was a tenant house. I attempted to relocate it in 2022, but it was gone.
Note: This updates and replaces a post originally published as “Pyramidal Roof Tenant House, Evans County”, on 22 February 2013.
Following is a random gallery of some of my favorite photographs of Youngs Chapel Methodist Church in Ben Hill County. Since its no longer with us, I thought I’d share. I’ve made around a thousand photographs over the years, so it was difficult to pick just a few. I hope you enjoy them as much I enjoyed making them.
When I first photographed Youngs Chapel, in 1999, I was just beginning to appreciate historic architecture around my hometown of Fitzgerald.
I was nearly 30 at the time, and though I had spent far too much time rambling the back roads of the area, Young’s Chapel was new to me. It was proof that even in a small county, there was always something new to discover.
At the time, the church still had a wooden sign on the front porch, the roof was still intact, and most of the wall boards were intact. The pews were also still present, before being removed by a family member for safe keeping.
I learned of the existence of the church through an article in our local paper, and armed with a good county road map (this was before our phones became our navigators), I easily located it.
Over time, Youngs Chapel became an anchor in my travels around Georgia. Even after I had documented all 159 of the state’s counties, it held a special place in my heart.
On visits home to Ben Hill County, I usually made the 18 mile trek out to its northwestern corner to “check on the church”.
For me, it was a symbol of everything I wanted to photograph, the forgotten simple places people built to serve immediate and utilitarian needs.
When I went to check on the church at Thanksgiving, I had a heightened sense of worry. When I turned onto Youngs Chapel Road off the Lower Rebecca Road, I had a strange feeling, and as I got closer, I couldn’t see the familiar roofline in the distance.
Upon my approach, my worst fears were confirmed. Youngs Chapel, already weakened by a tornado and long abandoned, had collapsed sometime earlier. Somehow, I knew before I arrived that it was gone.
And so ends the long history of just another country church, lost not to lack of concern but to the elements.
The place wasn’t just an anchor for my travels and discoveries. It was also the center of a long lost community and held a special place in the hearts of the families who sustained it for over a century.
People moved away but their descendants still came and kept its grounds manicured and its cemetery free of weeds and brambles as long as they could.
Youngs Chapel was built in the waning years of the 1800s and was the heart of the long forgotten Ashley community.
Congregants first met in a brush arbor circa 1875.
They built this church, but moved it to its present location about three miles from its first home, circa 1890.
The land was donated by John Thomas Young, an area pioneer, and may have been named for him. It possibly had another name when it was organized.
The congregation dwindled over time, as older members died and younger generations moved away.
The last renovations to Youngs Chapel were made in 1971 and by 1974, the church was closed.
I like to think that the members would be shocked by all the interest in this little building that was their church home, but I think they would be proud of what they built and how long it lasted.
I am sad for the building and bemoan its loss, but I’m thankful that I was able to document it and share it with the wider world.
This shotgun form store or office building is located next door to the larger general store building. One of two extant commercial structures in Morris, it is near collapse.
I made this photograph in 2015, not long before this house was torn down or moved. Though it was sided with asbestos, I believe it was an older house. It was located near the intersection of Milefield Road and US Highway 301, at the site of the new roundabout. I had a snapshot photo of better quality but have been unable to locate it, so please overlook the grainy quality of this one. I mainly wanted to share it in hopes that someone might be able to help with an identification.
This board-and-batten gabled-ell cottage was a landmark in my travels to Red Earth Farm for many years. It’s now a heap of boards, finished off by Hurricane Helene.
It was likely a tenant home, perhaps connected to the nearby John Pearson House and related to the naval stores industry.
It was a humble house but must have been loved in its time. I know I will miss seeing it.
Due to the response to my feature on Jekyll Island postcards, I’m sharing a small sampling of my St. Simons Island cards. I will likely update and add more views in the future. I have several older cards that aren’t scanning well but will work on those.
St. Simons was named for a refugee community known as San Simón, associated with the Catholic missions located on the northern [Santo Domingo de Asao, or Asajo] and southern [San Buenaventura de Guadalquini] ends of the island in the 1600s. These missions and villages were abandoned after pirate raids in 1684. (Though the island is formally named “Saint Simons”, and some locals prefer the spelled out version, the abbreviated “St. Simons“ is widely accepted and much more commonly used).
Gascoigne Bluff, “The Gateway to St. Simons”
Gascoigne Bluff was named for Capt. James Gascoigne, who brought the first settlers to Frederica. The Spaniards landed here during their ill-fated 1742 invasion of the island. Long considered the gateway to Saint Simons, Gascoigne Bluff has been home to a plantation, timber mills, and most recently, the United Methodist retreat known as Epworth-by-the-Sea.
The original causeway, built in 1924, terminated at Gascoigne Bluff. Several replacements and upgrades have followed. This drawbridge was part of the second generation causeway, constructed circa 1950. I’m old enough to remember this drawbridge and waiting (and waiting…) for passing boat traffic to get on the island.
Frederica Area
The road to Frederica was a narrow dirt path in the early 20th century. It is now a busy paved highway.
Fort Frederica is the most important surviving relic of the early settlement of St. Simons Island. Some of the early postcards identified Fort Frederica as Fort Oglethorpe, though this was never its name.
It was named Frederica by Oglethorpe to honor Frederick Lewis, the prince of Wales, and was feminized to Frederica since there was already a Fort Frederick at Port Royal, South Carolina. The Kings’s Magazine, built circa 1740, is often represented as the fort itself, but was just a small part of the facility. It was the storehouse for powder and ammunition.
The only other surviving structure on the property is the barracks. The architecture is typical of other English forts of the era.
This card depicts an old mausoleum. It’s located in the cemetery [now known as the Frederica Old Burial Ground] adjacent to the village of Frederica and is misidentified as being Spanish. This was common when these postcards were produced in the 1910s-1930s.
The Frederica Yacht Club was located just south of the fort. It was established in the 1930s by Franklin Horne, who also opened the King and Prince in 1935. An early manager of the yacht club, Bennie Gentile, opened Bennie’s Red Barn in 1954. The club was closed by the 1970s and the clubhouse was demolished.
This landing on the Frederica River, predates the yacht club.
On 7 July 7 1742, English and Spanish forces skirmished on St. Simons Island, near this site. The event, which later came to be known as the Battle of Bloody Marsh, was the only attempted invasion of Georgia by the Spanish during the War of Jenkins’ Ear. The English victory put an end to the war along the Georgia-Florida border.
The Oglethorpe Monument marks the site of the Battle of Bloody Marsh. It was erected by the Society of Colonial Wars in 1904(?) and features a bronze plaque created by Tiffany & Co.
Christ Church has been integral to the history of St. Simons since its establishment in 1820 and is one of the best-loved historic sites on the island. Charles Wesley, brother of Methodism’s founder, John Wesley, was with Oglethorpe at the founding of Frederica in 1736.
This old tomb is still a highlight of the cemetery at Christ Church. It is known as the Hazzard Tomb, and bears the inscription “Hazzard – A. D. 1813” on a bronze plaque. William Hazzard (1684-1757) was the owner of West Point Plantation, on St. Simons.
Plantations
The mysterious Pink Chapel was located on West Point Plantation.
King’s Retreat was historically home to Retreat Plantation, originally owned by Major William Page beginning in 1804. His daughter, Anna Matilda, married Thomas Butler King, and was a later owner.
The King & Prince, the most iconic hotel on St. Simons, was built on property of the old King’s Retreat.
Marvin L. Long operated this popular tourist attraction for many years. A series of two-wheeled carts, pulled first by mules, and later, by a Jeep, ferried visitors around some of the natural areas of St. Simons island.
Light House, Pier, and Beaches
One of the most popular landmarks on the island is the Light House and keepers cottage.
The 104′ beacon was built in 1872 to replace an earlier tower built in 1810.
This structure was the first of four “county casino” buildings. Built in 1928, it was destroyed by fire in 1935. Casino in this context just means a public recreational facility.
A source online notes that this was the fourth St. Simons casino building but “mhanneld” writes: “…In 2006 the building identified as the second casino was extensively renovated and modified, but the core structure is still what is referred to as the second casino.” This was one of many cards published by Lau-Rhea Ward Smith (1899-1982) and Ward News Company.
Private cottages and boarding houses lined the beach, near the pier.
The Spanish Cannon in front of this boarding house was obviously a well-regarded historical relic when this card was made.
This early view of the shows steamers, which brought early tourists to the island before the construction of a causeway.
This 1930s card shows tourists dressed for a day on the island. Though the causeway was already constructed, not everyone owned cars at this time. A tourist boat is visible in the background.
This 1950s view looks out to the pier from “downtown” St. Simons, better known as “The Village”.
Dress for the beach circa 1908 was quite different than today.
At the time of its construction in 1937, the East Beach Coast Guard Station was the only such facility in Georgia. It serves as a museum today.
Hotels
This card was mailed from St. Simons Island to Los Angeles in 1911. My understanding is that this grand hotel was built circa 1910 and was destroyed by fire circa 1916.
This is one of at least two hotels by this name. The card was mailed in 1924.
This property, a boarding house, was owned by W. Arnold and rented rooms for $3 per day. It was also known as the Arnold House.
Privately owned tourist cottages were the primary form of lodging on St. Simons throughout the early 20th century.
The Stanton Inn was another boarding house that seems quite small by today’s tourist standards.
The Sea Haven had a great reputation, a step up from some of the simpler boarding houses popular from the 1910s-1950s.
The Surf-Side represented an evolution from the tourist homes and boarding houses to a more modern property.
Like the Surf-Side, Crafts Ocean Court was a new property. It was quintessentially Mid-Century Modern.
One of Quitman’s most beloved historic buildings was lost to fire around 1AM on Friday (20 June 2025). Besides being a storehouse of memories for generations of Quitman residents, the Walker Street School was the work of Valdosta architect Lloyd B. Greer (1885-1952), who trained with the influential firm of Hentz, Reid & Adler before establishing his practice in Valdosta in the early 1910s. The Ludowici Tile roof was an added touch to this particular school, which stands out among other small schools in South Georgia for its inspired design. I am not sure as to the original name; some have suggested Quitman Elementary but I cannot confirm. A friend from Quitman, who informed me of this devastating loss, noted that restoration of the school was in the works and said architects had already drawn up plans. Arson is suspected but has not been determined. The fire is presently under investigation and the Brooks County Fire Department spent hours protecting the surrounding residential neighborhood and containing the blaze, which covered around 20,000 square feet.
Quitman Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
The historic Vienna School, later known as the Jenkins School (elementary, I believe), was lost to fire this afternoon. It was most recently home to Faith Christian School.
Addison Langley just wrote: “I lived just down from this school for many years, was babysat in the kids class by my aunt and played so much on that play ground. It currently is on fire. I’m so sad to see this beautiful place burn and truly disappear.“
A comment on the website indicated that the Asa Chandler House had recently been demolished and will be replaced with a gas station. (Update: It’s an Aldi and townhomes, but I digress).
I always try to vet such reports, and, sadly, contact with several people aware of the situation has confirmed that it is indeed a loss, actively being dismantled.
Someone who lives nearby even shared photos of the “work in progress”.
Cate Short notes that the ancillary kitchen was saved and removed, and that some salvage of the architectural features was done, but this was not the outcome anyone who knew this house was hoping for.
This house, which has been identified as the Allen Johnston House, was razed in the past few days. Debate continues as to the date and early ownership of the house, which local sources cite as circa 1858. While a few hand-hewn beams were visible in the ruins, most of the carpentry appears to be later than 1858. Even if the house as it appeared before demolition dated to the 1890s, as some have suggested, it would be one of the oldest in Ludowici.
The chimneys are all that remain.
