Georgia Walks : Discovery Hikes Through the Peach State’S Natural and Human History / Written by Ren and Helen Davis

GeorgiaGeorgia WalWalksks GeorgiaGeorgia WalWalksks

Discovery Hikes Through the Peach State’s Natural and Human History

Ren and Helen Davis Published by PEACHTREE PUBLISHERS, LTD. 1700 Chattahoochee Avenue Atlanta, Georgia 30318-2112 www.peachtree-online.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without prior permission of the publisher.

Maps by Ortelius Design Design by Loraine M. Joyner Composition by Robin Sherman

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Manufactured in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Davis, Ren, 1951– Georgia walks : discovery hikes through the peach state’s natural and human history / written by Ren and Helen Davis. – 1st ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 1-56145-212-2 1. Georgia—Tours. 2. Georgia—History, Local. 3. Historic Sites—Georgia—Guidebooks. 4. Parks—Georgia—Guidebooks. 5. Natural History—Georgia—Guidebooks. 6. Walking—Georgia—Guidebooks. 7. Hiking—Georgia—Guidebooks. I. Davis, Helen, 1951– II. Title.

F284.3 .D38 2001 917.5804’44–dc21 2001021093 CONTENTS

Preface xii 3 Johns Mountain, A Time-Line of Georgia History xiv Keown Falls, and (keyed to sites listed in the guide) Pocket Recreation Area [NH] 19 Georgia Map Walk, 5 miles, with Walks Identiﬁed xvii Moderate–Strenuous Site Legend for Table of Contents Mountain and woodland trails with PH: Prehistoric Georgia scenic views of ridges and valleys. NG: Native Georgia Pocket campground was the site of a CR: Colonial and Revolutionary Civilian Conservation Corps camp Georgia (1938–42). AB: Antebellum Georgia CW: Civil War Georgia 4 Fort Mountain State Park VG: Victorian Georgia [PH, NG, NH] 24 MG: Modern Georgia Walk, 2–8.2 miles, NH: Natural History Moderate–Strenuous Abbreviations An ancient stone wall, dating back over NR: National Register of Historic Places 1500 years, is the centerpiece of this pic- NL: National Historic Landmark turesque state park high in the Cohutta Mountains. NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS (HUB CITY: ROME) 5 New Echota State Historic Site [NG, AB] 28 1 Cloudland Canyon Walk, 1.2 miles, Easy State Park [NH] 2 A broad, open plain near the banks of Walk, 6.5 miles, Easy–Strenuous New Town Creek was the site of the his- Rugged river canyon on the western toric last capital of the Cherokee Nation. slope of Lookout Mountain. Scenic The Cherokees’ removal to Oklahoma views, ancient geological formations, on the Trail of Tears began here. Recon- and dramatic waterfalls. structed buildings and woodland trails. v

2 Chickamauga 6 Rome Battlefield [CW] 7 [NG, AB, CW, VG, MG] 33 Walk –Run, 11 miles, Walk–Run, 3.5 miles, Moderate–Strenuous Easy–Moderate Pastoral valley between mountain Situated at the confluence of three rivers ridges. Site of one of the pivotal battles (the Oostanaula, Etowah, and Coosa) of the Civil War. and surrounded by rolling hills, Rome has been the commercial hub of north- 11 Appalachian National Scenic western Georgia for over a century. The Trail—Neels Gap to Tesnatee downtown business district and sur- Gap [PH, NH] 67 rounding neighborhoods are a treasure Walk, 6.5 miles (one-way), of Victorian architecture. Moderate–Strenuous This stretch of the National Scenic and 7 Berry College Campus Historic Trail captures the rugged flavor of [NG, AB, CW, VG, MG] 39 the unbroken footpath between Georgia Walk–Run–Bicycle, 6.3 miles, and Maine. (This is a linear hike; a second Easy–Moderate vehicle or shuttle is recommended.) Located just north of Rome, Berry College occupies a rolling and wooded, 12 Vogel State Park— 28,000-acre campus nestled in the Bear Hair Trail [PH, NH] 71 Appalachian foothills. Walk, 4 miles, Moderate–Strenuous 8 Etowah Mounds Scenic trails offer a glimpse at the State Historic Site rugged mountains that inspired native [PH, NG] 48 poet Byron Herbert Reece. Vogel is the Walk, 1 mile, Easy state’s second oldest park and several Footpaths lead to earthen mounds built facilities were constructed by the Civilian by Native Americans more than a thou- Conservation Corps in the 1930s. sand years ago. 13 Unicoi State Park— Regional Annual Events 52 Anna Ruby Falls [NH] 75 Walk, 5 miles (one-way), NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS Moderate–Strenuous (HUB CITY: GAINESVILLE) Majestic Anna Ruby Falls springs forth from mountains that were heavily logged a 9 Dahlonega century ago. The Smith Creek Trail winds [NG, AB, CW, VG, MG] 57 through highland ridges and cove forests Walk –Run, 2.5 miles, Easy of the Southern Appala chians, connecting Located in the foothills of the Appala - the falls area with Unicoi State Park. (This chians, Dahlonega was the site of the na- is a linear hike; we recommend a second tion’s first gold rush. Historic buildings vehicle or shuttle.) vi around the town square and the nearby campus of North Geor gia College and 14 Black Rock Mountain State University are highlights. State Park—Tennessee Rock Trail [NH] 79 10 DeSoto Falls Scenic Walk, 2.2 miles, Moderate Recreation Area [PH, NH] 64 On this meandering loop trail along the Walk, 5.4 miles, ridges of geologically diverse Black Rock Moderate–Strenuous Mountain, there is evidence of early U.S. Forest Service area features pic- 20th-century logging and forest restora- turesque waterfalls and a legend of the tion. Watch for the rock fall caused by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. last Ice Age. 15 Chattooga River Trail [NH] 82 19 Pickett’s Mill Battlefield Walk, 9.1 miles (one-way), State Historic Site [CW] 106 Strenuous Walk, 3 miles, Moderate A challenging hike along the banks of Walk the wooded hills and creek valleys the Chattooga National Wild and Scenic of what is considered by historians to be River, site for the filming of the movie the best preserved Civil War battlefield Deliverance. Watch rafters and boaters in the nation. challenge the whitewater river. (This is a linear hike; we recommend a second ve- 20 The Civil War Battlefields of hicle or shuttle.) Atlanta: Kennesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, and Atlanta 16 Gainesville [CW, MG] 114 [MG] 86 Walk–Run–Bicycle, 4–16 miles, Walk–Run, 4.5 miles, Easy–Strenuous Easy–Moderate Take a driving/walking tour of three Gainesville is the gateway to the North battlefield sites significant in the Georgia Mountains. There are notable Atlanta Campaign. historic buildings in the downtown area and Victorian homes along Green Street. 21 McIntosh Reserve Nearby is the 19th-century campus of [PH, NG, CR, AB, NH] 125 Brenau University. Walk–Run, 7 miles, Moderate–Strenuous 17 Elachee Nature This site in the hills and flood plains along Science Center the northern banks of the Chattahoochee [NH] 94 River was a gathering place for Native Walk–Run, 4.5 miles, Americans for many centuries. The land Easy–Moderate was once owned by Creek Chief William The Elachee Nature Science Center, McIntosh, who operated a plantation and south of Gainesville, features several ferryboats here. McIntosh was assassi- miles of woodland trails. nated at the preserve in 1825 for his part in signing the Treaty of Indian Springs. Regional Annual Events 98 Today, the preserve is a public park.

GREATER ATLANTA 22 Newnan [AB, CW, VG] 131 (HUB CITY: ATLANTA) Walk–Run–Bicycle, 3.5 miles, Easy vii Explore the squares and side streets of 18 Red Top Mountain a community known as the “City of State Park [NH, CW] 102 Homes” for its abundance of well pre- Walk, 9 miles, served antebellum and Victorian houses. Moderate–Strenuous This state park on the banks of Alla- toona Lake is rich in farming, mining, and Civil War history. 23 Covington and Oxford 27 Ft. Benning College [AB, CW, VG] 139 Historic District [MG] 179 Walk–Run–Bicycle, 6 miles, Walk –Run–Bicycle, 3.5 miles, Easy Easy–Moderate This historic post, named for a Confed- Enjoy the abundant antebellum and erate general, is home to the Army’s Vic torian architecture of Covington, Infantry Museum. On the post are a and the original campus of Emory number of historic buildings and mili- College, founded in 1835, in nearby tary exhibits. Oxford. 28 Providence Canyon Regional Annual Events 149 State Conservation Park [NH, AB, VG, MG] 186 Walk, 3 miles, CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY Moderate–Strenuous (HUB CITY: COLUMBUS) At “Georgia’s Grand Canyon,” foot trails 24 Franklin D. Roosevelt State wind through unique and colorful geo- Park—Pine Mountain Trail logical formations that are the result of [NH, MG] 153 agricultural erosion a century ago. Walk, 3.2–7.8 mile loops, Moderate–Strenuous 29 Historic Westville [AB] 191 Explore the natural beauty and history Walk, 1.5 miles, Easy of the hills so loved by President Frank - At Westville it is always 1850. This histor- lin D. Roosevelt. Hike sections of the ical re-creation of an antebellum town scenic Pine Mountain Trail and see the was crafted from authentic homes and handiwork of the “Boys of the CCC.” buildings brought from around the state.

25 Callaway Gardens [NH, MG] 161 30 Kolomoki Mounds State Walk–Run–Bicycle, 9 miles, Historic Park [PH, NG] 198 Easy–Moderate Walk, 3.3 miles, Easy–Moderate Miles of hiking and biking trails criss- Thousand-year-old Indian mounds cross this internationally renowned are the centerpiece for a state park that woodland preserve that is filled with offers an array of historical and recre- color throughout the year. ational facilities. viii 26 Columbus 31 Albany and Chehaw Park [NG, AB, CW, VG, MG] 168 [AB, VG, MG] 203 Walk–Run–Bicycle, 4 miles, Easy Walk–Run–Bicycle, 5.5 miles, Georgia’s “River City” is filled with his- Easy–Moderate toric homes, commercial buildings, and The largest city in southwestern Geor - mills perched above the Chattahoochee gia, Albany has prospered and suffered River. at the hands of the nearby Flint River. Explore the historic downtown area and the woodland trails and reconstructed Creek Indian village at Chehaw Park. 32 Thomasville [VG, MG] 217 36 Piedmont National Walk–Run–Bicycle, 4 miles, Easy Wildlife Refuge A 19th-century winter resort, Thomas- [AB, VG, MG] 259 ville is filled with grand Victorian archi- Walk, 5.1 miles, Moderate tecture (including the unique Lapham- The abundant trees and wildlife in the Patterson House State Historic Site) and refuge are a tribute to Depression-era urban parks. Georgia’s largest live oak tree programs to reclaim worn-out and graces a downtown street corner. abandoned farmlands.

Regional Annual Events 228 37 Fitzgerald [CW, VG] 264 Walk–Run–Bicycle, 2.5 miles, Easy HEART OF GEORGIA Called the “Yank-Reb City,” Fitzgerald (HUB CITY: MACON) was founded by Union veterans in the 1890s. The town includes a number of 33 Macon [AB, CW, VG, MG] 234 historic homes and buildings, and the Walk–Run–Bicycle, 3.8 miles, unique Blue and Gray Museum. Easy–Moderate Established as a frontier fort prior to the 38 Little Ocmulgee War of 1812, Macon has been the cul- State Park tural heart of Central Georgia for over a [NH, MG] 274 century. Its winding, hilly streets and Walk, 3 miles, Moderate downtown commercial district are a This popular state park with lake, hiking treasure of antebellum and Victorian trails, golf course, and other recreational architecture. facilities was originally developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 34 Ocmulgee 1930s. National Monument [PH, NG] 244 39 Andersonville National Walk, 3.7 miles, Easy–Moderate Historic Site [CW] 278 Trails meander beside ancient Indian Walk–Run–Bicycle, 3.7 miles, mounds and past streams ﬂowing into Moderate the nearby Ocmulgee River. Few places conjure up a more grim reminder of the horrors of the Civil War 35 Milledgeville than Andersonville, the Confederacy’s [AB, CW, VG, MG] 250 largest prisoner-of-war camp. Walk ix Walk–Run–Bicycle, 3 miles, Easy through the reconstructed stockade, Georgia’s capital from 1803 until 1868, pause amidst the rows of monuments Milledgeville is ﬁlled with historic build- in the national cemetery, or explore ings. Among them are the unusual the powerful exhibits in the National Gothic style capitol building and the Prisoner of War Museum. grand Greek Revival Governor’s Man- sion. The library on the Georgia College campus features exhibits on the life of native daughter Flannery O’Connor. 40 Americus [AB, CW, VG, MG] 287 43 Augusta Canal [AB, CW] 321 Walk–Run–Bicycle, 3 miles, Easy Walk–Run–Bicycle, Once a major business hub in the heart 9 miles (one-way), of Georgia’s “Cotton Kingdom,” Amer- Moderate–Strenuous icus may be best known today as the Dug by immigrant and slave labor dur - world headquarters for Habitat for ing the 1840s, the Augusta Canal was Humanity. The downtown business built so that barges could bypass dan- district is a treasure of well-preserved gerous river shoals as they delivered Vic torian buildings anchored by the cotton to Augusta’s mills. Today the elegant Windsor Hotel. Plains, the home canal towpath is a popular linear park of President Jimmy Carter, is just a few for walking and biking. (We recommend miles west of the city. a second vehicle or shuttle.)

41 Valdosta and 44 Washington Valdosta State University [CR, AB, CW, VG] 330 [AB, VG, MG] 295 Walk–Run–Bicycle, 3 miles, Easy Walk–Run–Bicycle, 5.5 miles, Easy Washington is a place rich in Revolu- The major commercial center for south- tionary War and Civil War history. Esta - ern Georgia, Valdosta is rich with Victo- blished as Fort Washington in 1780, it rian architecture. The walk includes a was the first community in the nation to visit to the Spanish Mission–style bear the future president’s name. Eighty- campus of Valdosta State University. five years later, Confederate President Jefferson Davis held the last meeting of 306 his cabinet here. The city is filled with RegionalCLASSIC Annual GEORGIA Events historic homes and buildings. The 1779 (HUB CITY: AUGUSTA) battle of Kettle Creek took place a few miles outside Washington.

42 Augusta 45 Athens and the [CR, AB, CW, VG, MG] 311 University of Georgia Campus Walk–Run–Bicycle, 3 miles, Easy [AB, CW, VG, MG] 337 Established in the 1730s by General Walk–Run–Bicycle, 4.5 miles, James Oglethorpe as a frontier outpost Easy–Moderate on the Savannah River, Augusta has Established in the early 19th century x grown to be the state’s second-largest on the bluffs above the Oconee River, city. The city is filled with historic build- Athens grew up around the campus of ings, churches, and houses (including the University of Georgia, the oldest land- the boyhood home of President Wood - grant college in the nation. Explore his- row Wilson). The Riverwalk is a popular toric downtown, nearby Prince Street, gathering place. and the campus of Old College. 46 State Botanical Garden 50 Brunswick of Georgia [NH] 354 [CR, AB, CW, VG, MG] 402 Walk, 5 miles, Walk–Run–Bicycle, 3 miles, Moderate–Strenuous Easy–Moderate Trails meander through wooded hills A commercial center along the coast and along the banks of the Middle since the Revolutionary War, Brunswick Oconee River. Enjoy gardens filled with may be best known as the “Shrimp native plants and flowers, an interna- Capital of the World.” Historic homes tional garden, and a state-of-the-art and buildings line tree-shaded streets. conservatory. 51 Jekyll Island Club Village 47 Madison [AB, CW, VG] 359 [CR, VG, MG, NH] 411 Walk–Run–Bicycle, 3.3 miles, Easy Walk–Run–Bicycle, 2.5 miles, Easy Walk the quiet lanes, see majestic pre- A century ago, this private enclave for Civil War homes, and learn the story of the nation’s wealthiest men was the this historic community called “the city world’s most exclusive club. Several of that Sherman refused to burn.” their “cottages” remain, and the village centerpiece is the magnificent Jekyll Regional Annual Events 368 Island Club, now a luxury hotel.

HISTORIC COAST 52 Cumberland Island National (HUB CITY: SAVANNAH) Seashore and St. Marys [NH, CR, AB, VG, MG] 421 48 Savannah Walk, 5.5–25 miles, [NG, CR, AB, CW, VG, MG] 373 Easy–Strenuous Walk–Run, 9 miles, Easy The late 18th-century community of St. Georgia’s “ﬁrst city” was established Marys stands across the sound from the by General James Oglethorpe in 1733 magniﬁcent marshes, live oaks, and on the Yamacraw Bluffs above the dunes of Cumberland Island. The island Savan nah River. Historic river front and is renowned for its rugged landscape squares are lined with historic houses and historic structures. and buildings under a canopy of live oaks and Spanish moss. The city is a Regional Annual Events 436 walker’s delight. Bibliography 437 xi 49 Melon Bluff Natural Heritage Preserve About the Authors 440 [NG, CR, AB, CW, MG, NH] 394 Walk–Run–Bicycle, 8 miles, Moderate–Strenuous The preserve features more than 5,000 acres of tidal marshes and coastal forests to explore on foot or by bicycle. Preserve staff offer educational programs and day trips. PREFACE

Georgia’s Many at Callaway Gardens and Pine Moun- Treasures tain, and along the coast at historic Melon Bluff. From the rugged peaks of the Southern In Georgia Walks, a companion to Appalachians and the rolling hills of our Atlanta Walks guide, we invite the Piedmont Plateau, to the broad readers to experience on foot some of Chattahoochee River Valley and the the very best the state has to offer. The ancient Coastal Plain, Georgia offers fifty-nine walks in the fifty-two chap- the traveler a rich and diverse treasure ters cover more than three hundred of natural beauty and human history. miles of the state’s most beautiful and Learn about our geologic past historic landscapes. Hike to scenic revealed in the walls of Cloudland forest summits; pause to read battle- Canyon, on the face of Black Rock field monuments; stroll through vi- Mountain, and in the shifting dunes of brant small towns and historic Cumberland Island. Marvel at the districts, marveling at the varied ar- mysterious legacies of our native an- chitecture; and feel salt breezes spin- cestors atop Fort Mountain, and at ning through seaside dunes—all at Etowah, Ocmulgee, and Kolomoki your own pace. Mounds. Share the excitement of pio- From the original idea to the fin- neers who founded a colony and built ished manuscript, this guide was more a state as you stroll through Savannah, than a decade in the making. Many Bruns wick, Washington, Augusta, people lent us encouragement, shared Mill edge ville, Dahlonega, Columbus, ideas about their favorite destinations, Macon, Athens, and other historic and generously offered shuttle rides, an com munities. Experience the tragedies occasional meal, or an overnight stay of the Civil War at the battlefields of as we crisscrossed the state seeking new Chickamauga, Pickett’s Mill, and places to walk. Even as this guide goes Atlanta, and ponder its enormous to press, we continue to search for human cost when you visit Anderson- other destinations to explore by foot. ville. And enjoy scenic beauty at Vogel While it would be impossible to and Unicoi State Parks, along the recognize the many persons in local rugged Appalachian Trail, by the historical societies and visitor centers shores of the mighty Chattooga River, who helped us along the way, we are truly grateful to Margaret Quinlin, It is also dedicated to the late Kathy Landwehr, Vicky Holifield, Virlyn B. Moore Jr., a native Georgian, Loraine Joyner, Melanie McMahon, lawyer, banker, and historian, past Amy Brittain (now at the American president of the Atlanta Historical So- Cancer Society), and the other ciety, master storyteller, and longtime creative staff at Peachtree Publishers family friend who continued to share who encouraged us to keep exploring his contagious enthusiasm for and writing. A special thank-you goes Georgia’s colorful history throughout also to our editor, Marian Gordin, his ninety years. He, too, was one of who never ceased finding ways to trim Georgia’s many treasures. a lengthy manuscript without sacri- ficing the flavor of each destination Ren and Helen Davis and its story. Atlanta, Georgia For more than a dozen years, we March 2003 have been blessed to have the opportunity to explore Atlanta and Georgia through the eyes of our son, Nelson, watching him grow in understanding and appreciation for the rich heritage of his home state. As with Atlanta Walks, this guide is dedicated in part to him.

xiii A TIME-LINE OF GEORGIA HISTORY

Discovery Hikes the rolling hills of the Piedmont and Through Georgia’s the sandy soils of the Coastal Plain. The State Botanical Garden of Natural and Georgia [chap. 46] and Little Ocmul - Human History gee State Park [chap. 38] are excellent places to explore these younger, but The path of Georgia’s history begins still ancient, landscapes. The state’s high in the Appalachian Mountains. newest and most fragile natural areas, The oldest range on Earth, the Appa - having been formed in only the past lachian peaks once stood taller than few thousand years, are the string of the Himalayas. Worn down by the coastal marshes and barrier islands, winds and rains of almost a half- including Melon Bluff Natural billion years, the jagged summits Heritage Preserve [chap. 49] and now gently curve along nearly un- Cumberland Island National broken ridges stretching from north- Seashore [chap. 52]. western Georgia to Canada. While the subject of how man A hike on any trail in north reached the North American continent Georgia will offer a glimpse into the remains under debate, archaeological distant geologic past, but some of the evidence indicates that hu mans arrived best spots for exploring include the in Georgia at least 12,000 years ago. sandstone and limestone formations The earliest inhabitants, the Paleo- of Cloudland Canyon State Park Indians (10,000–8,000 B.C.E.), were [chap. 1] on the western side of Look - nomadic hunter-gatherers who left out Mountain; along the shaded behind few artifacts and little evidence Appalachian National Scenic Trail of their existence. Spear points and chap. 11]; and atop Black Rock stone tools from these ancient peoples Mountain [chap. 14], where large have been found in various locations boulders were sheared from the side of along the Savannah and Flint Rivers, the mountain during the last Ice Age. near Lake Allatoona, and at Ocmulgee The massive amount of rock National Monument [chap. 34]. Oc - eroded from these mountains washed mul gee, an extraordinarily significant toward the sea over many hundreds of site on the banks of the Ocmulgee millions of years, eventually forming River, was occupied almost continu- A Time-line of Georgia History ously from 8,000 B.C.E. to 1700 C.E. and his conquistadores traveled north Another ancient site, possibly dating through the Chattahoochee Valley from the Archaic-Indian Period searching for gold and plundering (8,000– 1,000 B.C.E.), is Fort Moun- Creek villages, including the town of tain [chap. 4], a location that remains Ulibahali near present day Rome. shrouded in mystery. Just beneath Much of de Soto’s exact route is un- the summit of this peak, high in the known, but myths of his presence Cohutta Range of northwestern abound. DeSoto Falls Scenic Recre- Georgia, sits a man-made stone wall ation Area [chap. 10], high in the Ap- of ancient and unknown origin. palachians, draws its name from a bit Today the wall is the centerpiece of a of what some believed was Spanish popular state park. armor found near the falls many years The most dramatic examples of the ago. While it may be unlikely that Native-American presence in Georgia de Soto ever saw his namesake falls, it are the temple and burial mounds does not detract from their natural constructed beginning more than a beauty. A few years after de Soto’s thousand years ago by Mississippian expedition, Spanish priests traveling Period Indians (800–1540 C.E.). In north from Florida, established sev- addition to the mounds at Ocmulgee, eral missions along the coastal barrier two other major sites have been islands. The reluctance of the native preserved. Along the banks of the Guale Indians to convert to Chris- Etowah River at Etowah Mounds tianity, combined with pressure from State Historic Site [chap. 8] are three the English in the Carolinas, finally mounds constructed by a prosperous forced the Spanish to abandon these Indian community that lived and colonization efforts. farmed here for more than 500 years. The modern history of Georgia Further south, a few miles from the truly began with the arrival of General Chattahoochee River below James Edward Oglethorpe and the first Columbus, is Kolomoki Mounds English colonists to Yama craw Bluff State Historic Park [chap. 30] pre- above the Savannah River in February xv serving seven different mounds 1733. Their earliest settlement, laid out ranging from 1000 to 2000 years old. in a precise pattern of streets and The park’s museum displays evidence squares became the prosperous city of of Indian cultures at the site dating Savannah [chap. 48], which is still rec- back more than 6,000 years. ognized as one of the most historic and The Spanish were the first Euro- masterfully planned cities in North peans to explore and settle parts of America. While the colony of Georgia Georgia. In 1540, Hernando de Soto was established for commercial GEORGIA WALKS

purposes, it had great military impor- that one British officer described the tance as well, serving as a buffer be- colony as a “hornet’s nest.” For most tween Spanish enemies in Florida and of the war, Savannah and Augusta the prosperous English plantations of remained under British control, while South Carolina. the rugged interior, made up mostly Only a short time after his arrival, of self-reliant frontiersmen, was de- Oglethorpe sought to solidify the cidedly pro-patriot. The two sides English presence by building a series clashed in the pivotal Battle of Kettle of military outposts. Several forts Creek outside Washington in 1779. were built south of Savannah to pro- The British were badly beaten in what tect the colony from the Spanish. patriot General Andrew Pickens called These were located at Sunbury near the “severest check and chastisement Midway, at Fort King George east of the Tories (loyalists) ever received in Darien, and at Fort Frederica on St. South Carolina or Georgia.” Simons Island. Another fort, built to Only a few years after winning protect Savannah from hostile natives, independence, Georgia became the was located up the Savannah River at site of another revolution with pro- Augusta [chap. 42]. found and far-reaching consequences. The coastal settlement of Bruns - New Englander Eli Whitney, serving wick [chap. 50] was established in as a teacher for the Greene family at 1771 and grew to become one of the Mulberry Grove Plantation near major shipbuilding and ﬁshing ports Savannah, observed slaves tediously in the nation. In the forty-four years pulling cotton fiber from its seed. He between the settlement of the colony believed he could build a machine to and the outbreak of the Revolution, do the job more efficiently. After a few settlers pushed into the interior and weeks of work, he demonstrated his established isolated forts and farming first cotton engine [gin]. Farmers villages. One of the most historic quickly realized that they could sepa- towns is Washington [chap. 44], es- rate nearly ten times as much cotton xvi tablished as Fort Heard in the early per day with the machine than by 1770s, and renamed to honor General hand. Almost overnight, cotton went George Washington in 1780. from a marginal crop to the agricul- At the outbreak of the American tural staple for central Georgia and Revolution in 1775, few colonies were much of the South. However, cotton as bitterly divided between patriot planting and harvesting remained and Royalist supporters as Georgia. enormously labor intensive, requiring Families were torn apart and neigh- plantation owners to add many bors fought a guerilla war so brutal thousands of slaves to do the work. By numbers. chapter to correspond circles black in Numbers

Georgia GEORGIA WALKS

the early years of the nineteenth cen- above Augusta. Built mostly with slave tury, cotton had become the South’s and immigrant Irish laborers, the canal major agricultural product, and was an engineering marvel of its day. slavery was so entrenched it would In the late 1820s, the discovery of only be ended in a bloody civil war. gold on Cherokee lands near present- In the first quarter of the century, day Dahlonega [chap. 9] brought the Creek and Cherokee were forced to scores of prospectors into north cede more of their ancestral lands as Georgia and heightened demands for settlers moved even further into the in- the removal of the Indians from the terior. With the shift in population, the state. From their capital at New state capital was moved to Louisville in Echota [chap. 5] the Cherokee used 1796, and then again to the new village all available legal means to prevent of Milledgeville [chap. 35] in 1803. eviction, but failed. A decade after the The capital would remain here until discovery of gold on their land, the the final relocation to Atlanta in 1868. Cherokee were forced from Georgia Across the central part of the state on the infamous Trail of Tears. A few older settlements grew, new communi- years earlier, the Cherokee’s chief ri- ties were established, and railway lines vals, the Creeks, had been forced were built to support the expanding through a series of treaties to forfeit cotton trade. Some of the best pre- their ancestral lands in Georgia and served of these antebellum towns in- relocate to the west. The final treaty, clude Macon [chap. 33], on the banks signed at Indian Springs in 1825, led of the Ocmulgee River, Columbus to the assassination, by fellow Creeks, [chap. 26] on the Chattahoochee, of Chief William McIntosh on the Madison [chap. 47], Covington/Ox- grounds of McIntosh Reserve [chap. ford [chap. 23], Newnan [chap. 22] 21], his plantation on the banks of the and Athens [chap. 45], which was also Chattahoochee River. home to the fledgling University of As the nation expanded westward, Georgia [chap. 45]. The living-history tensions between slave-holding xviii village of Westville [chap. 29], near Southern states and free Northern Lumpkin, captures the atmosphere of a states worsened. After the failure of typical small Georgia town of 1850. the Great Compromise of 1850, In addition to railroads, waterways guerilla warfare over the slavery issue were used to transport cotton. The broke out in the new territories of Augusta Canal [chap. 43] was com- Kansas and Nebraska. The blood shed pleted in the late 1840s to permit there would be only a precursor of the cotton-laden barges to bypass treach- horrors to come. The election of erous shoals on the Savannah River anti-slavery candidate Abraham Lin- A Time-line of Georgia History coln to the presidency in November at Chickamauga [chap. 2], just south 1860 forced many Southern slave of Chattanooga. The following spring, owners to seriously consider secession the Federal army commanded by Maj. from the United States. South Car- Gen. William T. Sherman began an olina was the first state to leave the invasion of Georgia with the goal of Union, seceding only a month after capturing Atlanta and marching on the election. In February 1861, the to the sea. Confederate States of America was es- The Rebel commander, Maj. Gen. tablished at Montgomery, Alabama. By Joseph E. Johnston tried in vain to spring, nearly a dozen states, including stall the invasion, fighting battles at Georgia, had followed South Carolina Resaca, Cassville, and New Hope into secession. Church, as he slowly retreated south- On April 12, 1861, the hostilities ward. At Pickett’s Mill State Historic that many considered inevitable Site [chap. 19], the Rebels tried a rare finally broke out when Confederate night attack to slow the Union ad- artillery shelled Fort Sumter in vance. Finally, Johnston’s weary Charleston harbor. Four years of civil troops retreated to the heights of war lay ahead and, by its end in April Kennesaw Mountain and the defenses 1865, more than 600,000 soldiers of Atlanta, engaging Sherman’s troops would die on battlefields throughout in the Battles for Atlanta [chap. 20] the North and South. throughout the months of June and Because Georgia was the bread- July 1864. Faced with capture by over- basket of the Confederacy, and whelming forces, the Rebel army Atlanta the hub of its transportation abandoned Atlanta in early September network, Confederate military forces and the city fell into Union hands. sought to protect the state’s vital re- By Christmas, Sherman’s troops had sources. Shortly after secession, Rebel carved a 60-mile wide swath through troops captured Fort Pulaski located the state and offered the city of on the river approach to the port of Savannah as a Christmas present to Savannah. They held the masonry fort the newly reelected President Lincoln. xix until the spring of 1862 when it was Four months later, the bloodiest war heavily damaged by U.S. Navy war- in American history was over. ships armed with new and powerful The assassination of President rifled-cannon. Lincoln, only days after the South’s A year later, in September 1863, the defeat, spurred an anger in the North conflict reached Georgia in earnest that was soon fueled by revelations of when Union and Rebel forces fought horrible conditions and alleged one of the bloodiest battles of the war atrocities committed on Union sol- GEORGIA WALKS

diers at the terribly overcrowded Con- most locals welcomed their former federate prisoner-of-war camp at An- enemies, others still referred to the dersonville [chap. 39]. In an act of town as a “nest of Yankees” well into vengeance by the victors, camp com- the next century. mander Henry Wirz was the only The early years of the twentieth Confederate official hung for “war century saw continued growth as crimes.” expanding railroads and roadways Despite the harshness of Recon- linked communities throughout the struction, Georgia’s economy rebuilt state. Cities like Gainesville [chap. 16] and expanded. By the 1880s the state, and Albany [chap. 31] became with its moderate climate and rich regional hubs for business, trans- natural resources, was growing both portation and education. The U.S. as a commercial center and a resort Army turned Ft. Benning [chap. 27] destination. Towns like Valdosta near Columbus into a major center [chap. 41] in the south and Rome for training infantry and paratroopers [chap. 6] in the north prospered as who would fight the nation’s battles regional economic centers, while from Normandy to the Persian Gulf. Thomasville [chap. 32] became a Beginning in the early 1800s, a cen- winter vacation retreat for wealthy tury of poor agricultural practices de- northern businessmen. Some of pleted the soil and caused massive America’s most prominent families, erosion in some areas of the state. including the Rockefellers, Cranes, Interestingly, these practices led to Macys, and Morgans, also chose the creation of geologically unique Georgia as their vacation destination, Providence Canyon [chap. 28]. Crop establishing the exclusive Jekyll Island failures and boll weevils plunged Club [chap. 51] on that pristine bar- Georgia into a post–World War I rier island in the 1880s. Today the his- recession and, only a few years later, the toric island village offers a glimpse state was further damaged by the cata- into that opulent, gilded age. strophic effects of the Great xx A migration of a different kind Depression. Near his home in Warm occurred in the pine hills of central Springs, future president Franklin D. Georgia in the 1890s, when northern Roosevelt saw this devastation first newspaper publisher Philander hand and used his land on Pine Moun- Fitzgerald purchased 50,000 acres of tain as a model farm demonstrating land and created a deep South colony soil-saving techniques. Textile executive for Union veterans. By 1895, nearly Cason Callaway, owner of land near 3,000 people had moved to the new Roosevelt’s farm, collaborated in these town of Fitzgerald [chap. 37]. While efforts. Later, portions of Roosevelt’s A Time-line of Georgia History land became Franklin D. Roosevelt ship with the natural world that began State Park [chap. 24], and Callaway’s with those first Georgians so many property the world renowned Callaway centuries ago. Gardens [chap. 25]. The New Deal programs developed by President Roosevelt proved helpful in providing meaningful work for many unemployed. An especially popular program, the Civilian Conserva- tion Corps (CCC) was responsible for a wide variety of soil conservation, forest restoration, and parks development projects across the state. We may still see the legacy of their work in many places including the Pocket Recreation Area [chap. 3] in the Chattahoochee National Forest, Pied- mont National Wildlife Refuge [chap. 36] in the Oconee National Forest, and at Vogel [chap. 12], Little Ocmulgee, and Roosevelt State Parks. During the latter half of the century, the explosive growth in Georgia’s population placed even greater emphasis on preserving the state’s rich natural legacy for everyone’s enjoyment. Today, city dwellers flock to places like Anna Ruby Falls and Unicoi State Park [chap. 13] near Helen, the xxi Chattooga River Trail [chap. 15] outside Clayton, Elachee Nature Center [chap. 17] in Gainesville, Red Top Mountain State Park [chap. 18] east of Cartersville, and Melon Bluff Natural Heritage Preserve [chap. 48] south of Savannah, where they may relax and renew a kin- Oak Hill, in Rome, the lifelong home of educator Martha Berry

Cherokee Chieftain Vann’s Tavern at New Echota

The stone observation tower atop Fort European-style dairy Mountain buildings on the Berry College campus at Rome NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

FROM THE AIR, the mountains of northwestern Georgia appear as long ﬁngers stretching southwestward from Tennessee into Alabama. This is the Ridge and Valley region of the Southern Appalachians, an area very different from the mountains in northeastern Georgia. Here, the slopes and summits are sedimentary, not volcanic in origin, composed of countless layers of sand, mud, and organic materials deposited on the ﬂoor of ancient seas and marshes for hundreds of millions of years. Northwestern Georgia’s human history is no less fascinating. The wide river valleys between the ridges were village sites and natural trade routes more than 2,000 years ago. Mysterious reminders of lost civilizations exist along with evidence of the Cherokee Nation, including their final capital city at New Echota, abandoned when they were forced west on the infamous Trail of Tears in the 1830s. A decade later the first railroad line was constructed through the region to connect the new city of Atlanta with the settlement of Ross’s Landing (Chattanooga). Federal and Confederate armies clashed in these remote mountains during the Civil War. Northwestern Georgia’s natural beauty remained a well-kept secret until the coming of the automobile and construction of reliable roads into the region in the early 20th century. Today, the area is easily reached from interstate highways and a network of state and county roads, making the state parks, scenic areas, small towns, and historic cities popular destinations for day and weekend explorations. NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS C H A P T E R 1

spine of Lookout Moun tain. For mil- Cloudland lennia, the cascading waters of Daniel and Bear Creeks have carved deep Canyon gorges as they flow—uncharacteristi- cally—northward through Sitton State Park Gulch. At its extreme, the resulting Y-shaped Cloudland Canyon is more than 1,000 feet deep. Look down the walls and you travel back in time more than 300 million years, to a world before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, when this region was beneath a shallow, pri- mordial sea. The Cumberland Plateau is marked LOCATION by almost flat-topped mountains, The park is about 15 miles north- formed during the Paleozoic era west of LaFayette on GA 136 and (580–200 million years ago). For more about 40 miles north of Rome via U.S. than 70 million years, shifting tides, 27. LaFayette is about 27 miles north- rising and falling waters, rain, and wind west of I-75 (exit 133) where GA 136 deposited countless layers of sand in an intersects with U.S. 27. Information: inland ocean. Surrounding lands were (706) 657-4050; www.gastateparks.com. marsh forests not unlike those in the present-day Okefenokee Swamp. PARKING The youngest rock is the hard 2 There is a large parking area sandstone on the summit, while the adjacent to the picnic grounds, near oldest is the limestone that makes up the East Rim Trail. A daily parking fee the wide base of Lookout Valley. The is charged. East and West Rim Trails provide an excellent overview of the canyon’s ge- BACKGROUND ologic history, with each chapter care- A two-hour drive from fully detailed in the steep descents to Atlanta, Cloud land Canyon the two spectacular waterfalls on is 1,800 feet above sea level along the Daniel Creek.

Cabins 2

3 a n ie l W E Park State Canyon Cloudland C S T C r R I M a e b e in k s To ParkEntrance S itt on Gu lc h C reek Cloudland Canyon 4 1 State Park Mountain

Lookout

A e

a S N

ORTH T

k M 3 Cloudland Canyon State Park NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

of the material seen in the cliffs at this level was laid down during the Penn- sylvanian period about 280–325 million years ago. At the bottom of the canyon, visible in only a few places in Lookout Valley, are thick layers of soft, porous limestone created from the remains of sea plants and creatures that lived in an earlier Mississippian period ocean about 325 –340 million years ago. The presence of limestone is the geologic indicator that this is cavern country. In the vernacular of spelunkers, or cavers, the area is simply called “TAG” (Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia) and is noted for its many underground chambers. Cloudland Canyon While human beings have inhabited this area for many centuries, the Over countless centuries, as sedi- rugged terrain made travel difﬁcult. ment fell over sediment, each was Cherokee hunters wandered the hills compressed and, under tremendous in search of game but established no pressure, hardened into solid rock. As permanent villages. After the removal the Earth alternately warmed and of the Indians in the 1830s, settlers cooled, the waters expanded and con- began to move in, most living on re- tracted many times causing layers to mote farms. The village of Trenton, be of varying thicknesses and pro- the seat of Dade County, was acces- ducing sediments composed of dif- sible only through Tennessee and 4 ferent materials. Alabama until completion of GA 136 Beneath these layers, near the in the late 1930s. Isolation made the bottom of the canyon, are sediments mountain folk so ﬁercely independent of dark gray-brown shale. Unlike the that Dade County left the Union and sea-deposited sand, the thin and easily declared itself the “Free State of Dade” broken shale is hardened clay from a late in 1860, weeks before the rest of wide river delta and marsh that ex- Georgia seceded. The county did not isted before warmer climatic condi- “formally” rejoin the Union until tions enlarged the inland ocean. Much July 4, 1945. Cloudland Canyon State Park

In the mid-1930s, the U.S. Forest The 5.2-mile West Rim Trail Service established a Civilian Conser- crosses a wooden bridge and climbs vation Corps work camp near the site out of the canyon as it follows the rim of the present-day state park, and northward. Several overlooks give an work crews undertook reforestation excellent perspective of Daniel and projects in the surrounding Chatta- Bear Creek Canyons, Sitton Gulch, hoochee National Forest, which had and the long valley and spine of been extensively logged. Acknowl- Lookout Mountain. On an especially edging the magnificent scenery and clear day, it is possible to see hang- unique geology of the area, Georgia gliders soaring above the western created Cloudland Canyon State Park slopes of the mountain. At its mid- in 1938. Today, the park comprises point, the trail turns away from the more than 2,100 acres of rugged rim and returns through a mixed mountain land, filled with majestic hardwood forest, thick with oak, pine, panoramas, cascading waterfalls, and hickory, and lush stands of rhododen- a variety of camping, lodging, pic- dron and mountain laurel. nicking, and recreational facilities. In In addition to the rim trails, the a human lifetime little will change park also has a strenuous 7-mile back- here, but the canyon’s evolution packing trail that traces a loop through continues. Bear Creek Canyon. Two primitive campsites are located on this trail. WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN Overnight hikers are required to reg- Hiking at Cloudland Canyon ister at park headquarters. runs to extremes. The .25-mile Due to the rugged terrain and East Rim Trail is easy and affords the proximity to steep cliffs, caution some of the most spectacular views should be exercised when hiking with of the weathered sandstone cliffs and children on any of the park trails. Sitton Gulch. The optional descents The difficult terrain of the West Rim to the Upper (.3 miles) and Lower Trail may make it unsuitable for (.5 miles) Falls on Daniel Creek offer small children. 5 fascinating, close-up looks at the eroded gorge and the diverse flora SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY found at different elevations. The 1. Sitton Gulch Overlook— Upper Falls is particularly breath- An observation platform atop taking as it leaps over a 100-ft. cata - the sandstone cliffs provides a spec- ract to a large boulder-strewn pool. tacular view of the Lookout Valley. The steepness of these trails makes 2. Upper Daniel Creek Falls— this a short but strenuous hike. The falls drop 100 feet over a sheer cliff. NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

3. Lower Daniel Creek Falls— Deeper into the depths of the canyon, this cataract carves into the shale and limestone bedrock. 4. Park Headquarters and Visitor Center—Staff here assist with park information and registration for camping, lodging, and backcountry hiking. Hours: 8 A.M.–5 P.M., daily. (706) 657-4050. 5. Park Recreation Area— Recreation facilities include a swimming pool, tennis courts, and open meadow.

NOTES

6 NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS C H A P T E R 2

rugged hills, wide valleys, and mean- Chickamauga dering waterways. Here names such as Chattanooga, Oostanaula, and Battlefield Etowah, both melodic to the ear and descriptive in meaning, remain as a tangible link to the Cherokee people who lived here for centuries. Nestled in a wide valley between low ridges is a small, slow-moving stream the Cherokee called, almost prophetically, “Chickamauga”—River of Death. One can only wonder if they did not have a vision of the carnage that would LOCATION occur along its course during three Chickamauga Battleﬁeld, a part of hellish days in September 1863. Chickamauga and Chattanooga Except for the excitement caused National Military Park, is located in by the “Great Locomotive Chase” in Ft. Oglethorpe about 60 miles north April 1862 (when Federal raiders stole of Rome via U.S. 27. The park may a railroad engine near Marietta and also be reached from I-75 by exiting attempted to destroy the railway lines on GA 2 (exit 350, Battleﬁeld connecting Atlanta and Chattanooga), Parkway) and following signs to the northwestern Georgia had remained visitor center. Information: (706) far from the battlefields of the Civil 866-9241; www.nps.gov/chch. War. Despite the superficial appearance of normalcy, however, the people 7 PARKING knew the threat of Union invasion There is a large lot at the vis- was real and growing. By early 1863, itor center and smaller ones at various Nashville, Tenn. was occupied by locations throughout the park. Federal troops, and everyone knew that the next campaign would focus BACKGROUND on nearby Chattanooga. The legacy of the Cherokee Anticipating action, the Confeder - lingers in this land of ate Army of Tennessee under command NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

of Maj. Gen. Braxton Bragg, heavily Hindman, for failing to appreciate the fortified the town nestled on the Ten- Federal blunder and vigorously taking nessee River below Lookout Mountain. advantage of the situation. For three In early September, the Union Army of days, until September 12, the armies the Cumberland, commanded by Maj. shadowboxed in the dense woods and Gen. William Rosecrans, made its rugged hills southwest of Chattanooga. move and, in a brilliant tactical ma- Finally, Bragg, realizing the enormity neuver, flanked Bragg’s army, forcing a of his opportunity, prepared to attack Confederate retreat from Chattanooga elements of Thomas’s Corps at without a fight. Rosecrans, mistakenly McLemore’s Cove west of LaFayette. thinking the Rebels were in full retreat, Delays caused this chance to be lost, divided his forces into three corps to but served to alert Rosecrans to his search them out in the rugged, moun- army’s predicament. He quickly issued tainous country of northwestern orders for McCook’s and Thomas’s Georgia. men to quick-march north toward In reality, Bragg had fallen back Crittenden along the west bank of with his entire army to LaFayette, Ga., Chickamauga Creek. about 20 miles south of Chattanooga Seeing a chance to recapture Chat- and was awaiting the advancing Fed- tanooga, Bragg also force-marched his erals. By September 9, Union Maj. troops northward along the east bank Gen. Alexander McCook’s 20th Corps of the creek in an effort to position reached as far south as Summerville; his men between the Federals and the Maj. Gen. George Thomas’s troops of town, hoping to attack them before the 14th Corps were in the vicinity of they could regroup. On September 18, LaFayette; and the 21st Corps, under elements of the two armies clashed at Maj. Gen. Thomas Crittenden, was Alexander’s and Reed’s bridges as marching south from Chattanooga. At Confederate infantry, under the com- this point the Federal troops were mand of Ohioan-turned-Rebel Gen. spread far apart in terrain that was so Bushrod Johnson, and cavalry, com- 8 difficult it would have been virtually manded by Gen. Nathan Bedford impossible for them to support each Forrest, sought to get a foothold on other in the event of an attack. the west bank Chickamauga Creek. Just as historians have considered Johnson crossed easily at Reed’s Rosecrans foolish for dividing his Bridge while, at Alexander’s Bridge, forces in the face of an unseen enemy, Forrest ran into stern opposition from they have been equally unkind to Col. Robert Minty’s Union cavalry Bragg and his subordinate generals, and a Federal artillery battery com- Leonidas Polk, D. H. Hill, and Thomas manded by Capt. Eli Lilly, a young Chickamauga Battlefield

2 2 23 4 3

5 22 Alexander Bridge Rd.

. n L e l 21 t 25 t a . B toe Rd 6 Vitte 7 8 7 Chickamauga Battlefield

24 d. n R rto 19 he ot Br 9

Dyer Rd. 10 11

Chickam y

18 l

e 27

Vitt K

eto e au l

17 G ga R e-

(dirt) d . NORTH 16

14 ander Rd. 13

Viniard-Alex 9

Chickamauga Battlefield 27

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 2 - Chickamauga Battlefield 2nd proof NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

druggist-turned-soldier. Forrest’s cav- Advance elements of nearly 10,000 alry eventually forced a crossing of the reinforcements, sent from Confederate creek and gained a second foothold. Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of By evening, both armies faced each Northern Virginia and under the com- other in the thick woods near the mand of Lieut. Gen. James Longstreet, Kelly Farm; Rosecrans and Bragg both arrived by rail at nearby Catoosa Sta- worked feverishly to position their tion in Ringgold late on September 18, forces for the massive, inevitable reaching the battlefield in time to take battle the next day. part in the afternoon fighting on the Early in the morning of September 19th. The main body, including Gen. 19, Gen. Thomas dispatched Gen. Longstreet, de-trained near midnight John Brannan’s Brigade to seek out and arrived at Chickamauga a few and attack the Confederate north hours before dawn. Longstreet’s rank flank east of the Winfrey farm and entitled him to high command near Jay’s Mill. These troops clashed and Bragg realigned his command, at midmorning and, within a short assigning Longstreet to his left wing time, fighting spread south along the and Gen. Polk to his right. Historians line. The dense woods made tactical have long criticized Bragg for making troop movements almost impossible such changes in his army in the and most of the combat was fought middle of a battle. It ultimately proved between small bands of soldiers with to be a tactical error that created neither side able to gain an advantage. confusion in the chain of command, Around 3:00 P.M., Confederate and cost the Confederates precious Gen. A. P. Stewart’s troops found a opportunities in the fighting on weakness in the Federal center and September 20. drove across the LaFayette Rd. near Bragg’s battle plan called for a the Brotherton farm, threatening to dawn attack by Polk against Gen. split the Union army in half. Only a Thomas and the Union left flank, with withering fire from Gen. Joseph Rey - an attack against the Federal center by 10 nolds’s artillery batteries (Capt. Lilly Longstreet’s fresh troops later in the again) prevented a breakthrough, and day. For unexplained reasons, Polk de- the Rebels were ultimately forced layed his assault for nearly five hours back with heavy casualties. By night- and was not fully engaged until mid- fall, the two armies remained oppo- morning. When the attack finally site one another in the thick woods commenced, one of the first casualties east of the LaFayette Rd., uneasily was Confederate Brig. Gen. Benjamin separated only by an old wagon trail H. Helm, a favorite brother-in-law of (now Battle Line Rd.). Pres. Abraham Lincoln. (Lincoln Chickamauga Battlefield mourned the loss and was widely con- had recently been reprimanded by demned when he permitted Helm’s Rosecrans and some historians believe widow, Mary Todd Lincoln’s half-sister he followed the order, calling it “the Emilie, to visit the White House.) fatal order of the day,” knowing it Gen. Thomas, fearful of a Confed- would be disastrous for both the army erate breakthrough, sent Capt. San- and Rosecrans.) ford Kellogg down the Glenn-Kelly Ironically, Rosecrans’s misguided Rd. to Rosecrans’s headquarters with order created the gap he had sought an urgent request for reinforcements. to close and, just as the last elements Along the way, he passed behind in- of Wood’s division pulled out of the fantry in the thick woods east of the line near the Brotherton cabin, road. Along one stretch Kellogg saw Longstreet launched his attack, spear- no troops and was concerned that the headed by Bushrod Johnson’s division line might be vulnerable at that point. of Hood’s Corps. Within minutes, five When he found the commanding Confederate divisions poured across general (Rosecrans had moved his the LaFayette Rd., overwhelmed the headquarters from the Widow Glenn Union right wing, and nearly suc- house to a low ridge west of the ceeded in destroying the entire army. Brotherton cabin to be closer to the Rosecrans’s headquarters was only a fighting), he submitted the request for short distance behind the line and was reinforcements and shared his obser- quickly overrun, he and his staff nar- vation of an apparent gap in the Fed- rowly averting capture as they fled eral line, in the deep woods separating north to the outskirts of Chattanooga. the divisions commanded by Generals (In an interesting footnote to history, Reynolds and Wood. Rosecrans’s adjutant at Chickamauga Fearing that a dangerous hole ex- was Gen. James A. Garfield, later the isted in his line, Rosecrans, without 20th President of the United States.) sending a scout to verify the report, Remaining in the field and desper- dispatched Adjutant Gen. Lyne Star- ately attempting to protect the Federal ling with an order for Wood to imme- line of retreat, Gen. Thomas grudg- 11 diately pull out from his position and ingly gave ground against the Rebel “close up on Reynolds, as fast as pos- onslaught. Longstreet urged Bragg to sible, and support him.” Knowing that bring up more troops and press the Gen. Brannan’s troops were already in attack against Thomas, but Bragg this position, Wood questioned the failed to grasp the enormity of courier about the order but nonethe- Longstreet’s achievement and the op- less chose to obey it, an act for which portunity it presented to annihilate he would long be criticized. (Wood the Union army. He delayed the call NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

for additional men, giving Thomas and replaced by Maj. Gen. Joseph E. time to fortify his defensive position Johnston. Pres. Abraham Lincoln along the crest of Horseshoe Ridge summoned Grant to Washington to and adjacent Snodgrass Hill. Here his take command of all Federal armies, vastly outnumbered troops, rein- and his successor in Chattanooga, forced by soldiers from Gen. Gordon Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sher - Granger’s Reserve Corps at Rossville, man, prepared for the invasion of held out against multiple Rebel as- Georgia in the spring of 1864. saults, often fighting hand-to-hand. Created by an act of Congress in They bought time for the remnants of 1890 and dedicated during an emo- the Union army to retreat and re- tional ceremony attended by thou- group. Finally, under cover of dark- sands of Union and Confederate ness, Thomas and his weary survivors veterans in 1895, Chickamauga and withdrew to Chattanooga. Chattanooga National Military Park Longstreet’s troops were too ex- was the first Civil War battlefield so hausted to pursue them. For his preserved. Placement of more than heroic stand at Snodgrass Hill, George 1,400 markers and monuments Thomas would forever be remem- around the battlefield was the culmi- bered as the “Rock of Chickamauga.” nation of the work of hundreds of Despite Longstreet’s pleadings, veterans from both sides who walked Bragg did not vigorously pursue the the battlefield, pointing out signifi- Federals, allowing Rosecrans’s shat- cant landmarks and providing “eye- tered army to slip back into the safety witness” accounts of the events as they of the heavily fortified city. The Rebels unfolded along the River of Death occupied the heights above Chatta - (these informational tablets still dot nooga with plans to lay siege to the the battlefield with Union informa- city and starve the Federals into sub- tion in blue text, Confederate in red). mission. For many years after it was set In November, the Union army, aside, the park was under the jurisdic- 12 now under the command of Maj. tion of the U.S. Army and was used Gen. Ulysses Grant (Rosecrans had primarily as a place for military officers been relieved after the humiliating re- to study field tactics. Two other Na- treat from Chickamauga), broke the tional Battlefields, Shiloh and Gettys- siege with a stunning victory in the burg, were also established for this fighting at Lookout Mountain and purpose. During World War I, troops Missionary Ridge. The Confederates from nearby Ft. Oglethorpe carried out were driven south to Dalton, where training maneuvers in the park, and Bragg was removed from command the meadow beneath Wilder Tower Chickamauga Battlefield served as a temporary airfield. Though to tour the battlefield. Sturdy walking the Army’s use of the park ceased with shoes or boots are strongly recom- the closure of the fort in 1946, military mended. You should also carry water as officers in training continue to tour the there are no facilities available outside battlefield on “staff rides.” the visitor center. In the park we enjoy today, the paved roads, foot trails, landscaping, SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY and the Greek Revival–style visitor The blend of field and forest center were constructed by the draws naturalists to the park Civilian Conservation Corps in the to enjoy its physical beauty, while stu- 1930s. Interestingly, the two compa- dents of American history are at- nies that carried out much of the pro- tracted for a different reason. Here a ject, Cos. 1464 and 2402 of Camp great battlefield remains preserved Booker T. Washington, were made up much as it was nearly a century and a of the first African-American CCC half ago. Numerous historical mark - workers in the state of Georgia. ers, monuments, and artifacts provide Commercial traffic on U.S. 27 an excellent account of the conflict. (Lafayette Road) has now been re- Sites of particular interest include: routed to a bypass west of the park. 1. Park Visitor Center (1930s, expanded 1995)—McFarland Gap WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN Rd. and U.S. 27. Built in a style remi- There are more than 40 miles of niscent of an antebellum plantation marked trails crisscrossing the house, the renovated and greatly ex- park, and a trail map is available from panded complex houses exhibit areas, the visitor center. The 11-mile hike bookstore, and a new 150-seat theater. profiled here combines portions of Particularly noteworthy is the Fuller several of these trails with lightly trav- Collection of American Military eled park roads. The route was se- Firearms. Hours: 8 A.M.–5:45 P.M. lected to capture the beauty of the (summer); 8 A.M.–4:45 P.M. (winter). land, as well as the ebb and flow of the (706) 866-9241. 13 epic battle. For the most part, the ter- 2. Colquitt and Helm Death rain is level, with some gently rolling Monuments—In the woods east of hills, and is a blend of open meadows the Alexander Bridge Rd. Stacked can- and deep forest. nonballs mark the death sites of key Given the length of the walk, com- Confederate officers killed during the bined with the many sites to see along battle. These two monuments, only a the way, you should plan an entire day few yards apart, mark the places where NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

Col. Peyton Colquitt (commander of 6. Gen. Braxton Bragg’s Head- the 46th Georgia Battalion) was killed quarters—South of the Brotherton storming Federal breastworks less than Rd. A short spur trail leads to the spot an hour after Gen. Helm had been of Bragg’s headquarters on the night killed attempting to do the same. of September 19. It was from here that 3. Lieut. Gen. Daniel H. Hill’s he reorganized his army into two Field Headquarters, September wings, and issued the attack orders for 19 –20—On the right of the Red Trail. the morning of September 20. At the outset of the Battle of Chicka- 7. Capt. E. P. Howell’s Georgia mauga, Hill was in command of one Battery—South of the Brotherton Rd. corps and Polk the other. When During the afternoon and night of Longstreet arrived and Bragg reorga- September 19, Howell’s artillery bat- nized his army into a left and right tery was located here to support the wing, Hill was passed over in favor of night attack across the Winfrey farm Polk for command of the right wing. fields by Gen. Patrick Cleburne’s Fuming at this slight, Hill was slow to troops. Howell, grandson of Atlanta carry out Polk’s attack order on the mill owner Clark Howell, went on to morn ing of September 20. become editor and publisher of the 4. Lieut. Gen. Leonidas Polk’s Atlanta Constitution newspaper. Headquarters, September 20—On 8. Winfrey Field—Both sides of the Red Trail. Called the “Fighting the Brotherton Rd. During the late af- Bishop,” Polk was a friend and West ternoon and evening of September 19, Point classmate of Confederate Pres. Gen. Patrick Cleburne led a rare night Jefferson Davis. He forsook a military attack against the Federals in what career for the clergy, becoming an was described as “one of the most Episcopal priest and later bishop of confused incidents of the battle.” In Louisiana. With the outbreak of the the dark, soldiers could not tell friend Civil War, Polk returned to service in from foe. The stacked cannonballs at the Confederate army, rising to the the northwestern edge of the field 14 rank of lieutenant general. His mark the site where Union Col. strained rela tion ship with Gen. Bragg Philemon Baldwin was killed. contributed much to the confusion 9. Brock Field—South of the and missed opportunities the Confed- Brotherton Rd. During the afternoon erates experienced at Chickamauga. of September 19, Confederates under 5. Indiana Monument—Left of command of Gens. Strahl and Maney the Red Trail. This stone marker was battled Hazen, Dodge, and Willich’s erected by Indiana as a tribute to the Federals in repeated attacks across this soldiers of its 74th Infantry. field. Over the long afternoon, the Chickamauga Battlefield

Brotherton Cabin, Chickamauga Battlefield Rebels were pushed back to the woods following day, Gen. Wood’s Federals southeast of the field. occupied the woods just west of the 10. Brig. Gen. Bushrod Johnson cabin until they received the ill-fated Marker—South of the Brotherton Rd. order to pull out. Longstreet’s Rebels This recent marker rests on the spot rushed from the trees east of the where John son’s division formed for LaFayette Rd. (U.S. 27), pushed past the attack across the LaFayette Rd. the cabin, and drove through the gap near the Brotherton cabin in the late in the Union lines. morning of September 20. These 12. Brig. Gen. Hans Heg Death troops led the breakthrough of the Monument—West of the LaFayette Union line caused by Gen. Wood’s Rd. This Norwegian-born, Wisconsin withdrawal from the woods northwest farmer was considered one of the of the cabin. most gifted volunteer officers in the 11. Brotherton Cabin (1850s)— Union Army of the Cumberland. He 15 Dyer Rd. at U.S. 27. Standing today as was mortally wounded on the after- it did in 1863, this rough-hewn log noon of September 19 while leading structure survived fierce fighting. On his Wisconsin troops (many were September 19, just south of the cabin, fellow Scandinavians) in a counterat- Gen. A. P. Stewart’s Confederates tack across the LaFayette Rd. against broke through the Federal line almost Gen. John Bell Hood’s forces. dividing the Union army before being 13. Glenn Field—Through the forced back by heavy artillery fire. The trees on the west side of the LaFayette NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

Rd. This field and the adjacent earned them the nickname, “the Viniard family fields across the Lightning Brigade.” The 85-ft.-high LaFayette Rd. were the scene of in- stone tower marks the spot where tense fighting as both armies sought Wilder’s men held the enemy at bay to turn the other’s flank during the until the sheer weight of numbers midafternoon of September 19. forced them to retreat. The observa- Union troops under Gen. Thomas tion area atop the tower offers a Crittenden pushed across the panoramic view of the surrounding LaFayette Rd., but a counterattack by battlefield. Hood’s troops forced the Federals 15. Site of Widow Glenn House— back into the Glenn field (where Gen. Adjacent to Wilder Tower. An histor- Heg was killed). They were on the ical marker just north of the tower verge of turning the Union right flank identifies the location of the Widow when Col. John T. Wilder’s 39th In- Glenn’s cabin, which served as Gen. diana Brigade of mounted infantry Rosecrans’s headquarters until the fired repeated volleys into the on- early morning of September 20. coming enemy with their new Spencer 16. Site of Bloody Pond—Side repeating rifles (a rifle the Rebels trail west of Glenn-Kelly Rd. A shal - called “that damned Yankee gun you low cattle pond was located in a small loaded on Sunday and fired all depression in these woods. The week!”). Although outnumbered, weather had been unseasonably dry, Wilder’s troops forced the Confeder- and thousands of men converged on ates back to the woods east of the this tiny pond for the only drinking road. water available to Union soldiers. 14. Wilder Tower (1903)—Less 17. Brig. Gen. William Lytle Death than 24 hours after forcing the Rebel Monument—On the Red Trail north retreat described above, Wilder’s 2,000 of the Glenn-Kelly Rd. Called the infantrymen were cut off from the “poet-general,” William Lytle was main body of the Union army by both a well-respected military officer 16 Longstreet’s breakthrough at the and a renowned author and poet Brotherton cabin. Again using their whose works were widely read before superior firepower and again out- the war. A veteran of the Mexican numbered, Wilder’s men held off ad- War, Lytle had many friends in both vancing Confederates while other the Union and Confederate armies. Federal troops retreated north to During the confusion following Snodgrass Hill or back toward the Confederate breakthrough on Rossville. Their gallantry prevented September 20, Gen. Rosecrans or- the wholesale rout of the army and dered Gen. Philip Sheridan to bring Chickamauga Battlefield two brigades forward from the area of while carrying an urgent message to the Widow Glenn house to fill the ex- Gen. Rosecrans. panding gap in the Union center. 21. Horseshoe Ridge and Snod- Lytle’s brigade came across the ridge grass Hill—At the intersection of the from the southwest and attacked the Red and Yellow Trails. Following the Confederates near the Glenn-Kelly breakthrough at the Brotherton cabin, Rd. Outnumbered and outflanked, Longstreet’s forces turned north to Lytle’s men gave ground grudgingly. drive the remnants of the Union army Lytle urged his men on until he was from the field. However, Gen. Thomas mortally wounded just beneath the rallied the Federal left wing and crest of the hill. quickly put up a strong defensive po- 18. Rosecrans’s Headquarters, sition along these heights. Through - September 20—The large stone out the afternoon of September 20, marker notes the location where repeated Rebel assaults could not take Rosecrans issued the controversial this ground, and Thomas moved order for Gen. Wood to pull his among the troops to offer direction troops from the line, thus clearing the and encouragement. His valor earned way for Longstreet’s breakthrough. him lasting fame as the “Rock of The Confederate advance overran this Chickamauga.” position, and Rosecrans and his staff At one point, the Federals were (including future Pres. James A. about to be overrun when Gen. Gor - Garfield) narrowly escaped capture. don Granger arrived with nearly 7,000 19. Dyer Field—North side of the fresh troops who had been stationed Dyer Rd. On September 20, thousands near Rossville. Without orders but of Rebel troops exploited the gap west sensing trouble in the distance, Gran - of the Brotherton cabin. They turned g er marched south to “the sound of north and rushed across the Dyer the guns.” field in pursuit of the Federals who As you walk among the numerous were fleeing to the heights of nearby markers, note how the Union and Horseshoe Ridge and Snodgrass Hill. Confederate memorials are intermin- 17 20. Landrum Death Memorial— gled—a testament to the ferocity and On the Red Trail between the Dyer closeness of the fighting here. Two Rd. and Horseshoe Ridge. This small monuments are especially symbolic. memorial was erected by the family of The Tennessee Monument is topped Lt. George Landrum of the 20th Ohio by a weary Rebel soldier carrying a Regiment’s Signal Corps. Attached to rifle with the stock broken off—a sign the staff of Gen. George Thomas, Lan- that it had been used as a club in drum was killed on September 20 hand-to-hand combat, while the NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

memorial to the 2nd Minnesota In- markers along the road—Union to fantry is crowned by three soldiers, the west and Confederate to the each with an expression of grim de- east—reflects the armies poised for termination, supporting each other combat. and the U.S. flag. 22. Snodgrass Cabin (c. 1850s)— NOTES This rough log structure was used as a field hospital during the desperate fighting on the afternoon and even - ing of September 20. Gen. Thomas maintained his headquarters in the field just north of the house. Like the nearby Brotherton cabin, this structure remarkably survived the battle. 23. South Post (c. 1940s)— Glenn-Kelly Rd. north of Snodgrass Hill Rd. This area, now used as a group camp, was developed as a Women’s Auxiliary Corps (WAC) training base during World War II. 24. Georgia Monument—Poe Rd. at the LaFayette Rd. This monument’s column is topped by a soldier bearing the Confederate flag, while the base is flanked by sculpted figures representing the three branches of the army—the infantry, the artillery, and the cavalry. 25. Battle Line Road—East of the 18 LaFayette Rd. This narrow lane follows the route of an old farm road that meandered through thick woods east of the Kelly field. On the night of September 19, the main components of the two armies rested uneasily in the woods on the opposite sides of this road anticipating the fierce battle to come. The proximity of the NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS C H A P T E R 3

sum mit of Johns Mountain and a Johns larger parking lot at the Keown Falls trailhead. A separate parking lot is Mountain, adjacent to the Pocket Recreation Keown Falls, Area’s picnic ground. BACKGROUND and Pocket For hundreds of years, Na- tive Americans lived in these Recreation valleys, and their trade routes followed meandering waterways such as Area the Armuchee and the Oostanaula Rivers. Pioneers who moved in after LOCATION the forced removal of the Cherokee in The Johns Mountain–Keown the late 1830s used these same paths Falls and Pocket Recreation Areas when they established settlements at are located about 40 miles north of Summerville, LaFayette, Villanow, Rome and about 18 miles west of I-75 Rome, Dalton, and other nearby com- at Resaca. From the interstate, follow munities. GA 136 (exit 320) west for 14 miles. During the Civil War, Union Maj. Just before the community of Vil- Gen. William T. Sherman used his lanow, turn south on Pocket Rd. and extensive knowledge of this rugged look for the U.S. Forest Service signs terrain (gained from his travels there for the Johns Mountain Trail and as a young lieutenant in the 1840s) to Keown Falls. The entrance to the formulate his strategy for the invasion 19 Pocket Recreation Area is a short dis- of the state. At that time, the route of tance further south on Pocket Rd. The the Western and Atlantic Railroad fol- trails are open all year. Information: lowed the valley east of Rocky Face (706) 638-1085; www.fs.fed.us/conf. Ridge outside Dalton before turning northwest at Tunnel Hill and pro- PARKING ceeding to Chattanooga. From his There is a small parking area headquarters in Dalton, Maj. Gen. at the top of the gravel road to the Joseph E. Johnston positioned his NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

Confederate defenders atop Rocky ular view of the valley and can gain a Face to gain a commanding view of better understanding of how Sherman the surrounding valley and to protect used this terrain so effectively. this railway lifeline. In the mid-1930s, the Federal Gov- Sherman knew that frontal assaults ernment purchased many acres of against these heavily fortified posi- land in the area for the new Chatta- tions would be suicidal, so he chose to hoochee National Forest. From 1938 use the terrain to his advantage by to 1942, a Civilian Conservation feinting against the main Confederate Corps camp was located in the Pocket position while sending Gen. James B. (so named because it is a small valley McPherson’s army on a southwestern surrounded on three sides by moun- path. Screened by Taylor’s Ridge, tains), where they carried out forest McPherson moved toward LaFayette conservation work, carved trails, built and Villanow, through Snake Creek a now-gone fire tower atop Johns Gap, and on to the small town of Re- Mountain, and constructed some of saca. If undetected, McPherson would the early visitor facilities for the be in the Confederate rear with an op- Pocket Recreation Area. When the portunity to capture the railroad and camp closed, most of the buildings force the surrender of Johnston’s army were dismantled or razed by the without a pitched battle. Army, and the site is now part of the McPherson was successful in Recreation Area campground and reaching Resaca undetected with his picnic area. army of 25,000 men, but the small Today, the natural beauty of this garrison of 4,000 Rebel defenders put region is its main attraction. The trail up such fierce resistance that along the narrow spine of Johns McPherson hesitated. Fearful that his Mountain, the trail descending to movements had been anticipated, and Keown Falls, and the Pocket Trail, that Johnston’s entire army was in which meanders past mountain front of him, McPherson retreated to streams and beneath towering hills, 20 Snake Creek to plan his next move. all carry you through an oasis of This delay gave the Confederates the wilderness filled with panoramic time needed to reinforce Resaca and vistas, cascading water, lush vegeta- retreat from Rocky Face Ridge and tion, and secretive wildlife. Dalton. Needless to say, Sherman was furious over McPherson’s failure to WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN attack and considered it a major tac- The Johns Mountain Trail is a tical blunder. From the overlook atop 3-mile loop from the mountain- Johns Mountain, you have a spectac- top parking area, while the Keown Johns Mountain, Keown Falls, and Pocket Recreation Area

Jo hns Cr eek vel) ra (g d a o R ain Jo nt hn u s M o 1

L oktRd. Pocket

E KEOWN N

I H FALLS A C

T RECREATION U 2 N AREA M

O A Keown

M Falls

S e

e r Pocket Recreation Area Trails N

s H

n h O o

J J Johns Mountain, Keown Falls, and

. d R

POCKET

r RECREATION NORTH

s n h o AREA J 21 5 Johns Mountain, ket Rd. Keown Falls, and Pocket Poc Recreation Area Trails 3 4

Picnic Area

The Pocket

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 3 - Pocket & Keown Falls Recreation Areas 2nd proof NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

ridge to the Keown Falls overlook. A moderate ascent returns you to the parking area. The trail from the Keown Falls trailhead is a winding ascent to the overlook with a return along several switchbacks to the parking area. The 2.5-mile Pocket Trail leaves the Recreation Area’s picnic ground and winds along the banks of several small streams beneath the surrounding hills. The canopy of hardwood trees offers summer shade and brilliant fall golds and yellows. Stands of rhododendron, mountain laurel, and wild azaleas provide a splash of vivid spring colors.

SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY 1. Scenic Overlook—Atop Johns Mountain. From this vantage point, you have a panoramic Johns Mountain view of the scenic and historic Ar- Falls Trail is a 2-mile round-trip from muchee Valley and the parallel rise of its picnic-area trailhead. Combining Taylor’s Ridge. To the north is the the trails makes a challenging 5-mile spine of Lookout Mountain. walk. 2. Scenic Overlook—Above The hike along Johns Mountain is Keown Falls. Perched on the rocks gently rolling as it follows the narrow above the falls, a platform offers a spine of the ridge. Several places along good view of the falls and the sur- 22 the route offer vistas of the Armuchee rounding woodlands. Valley and Taylor’s Ridge to the west. 3. Site of CCC Camp—Pocket As the trail circles northward through Recreation Area picnic area. Concrete thick woods filled with oaks, hicko- building foundations are all that re- ries, sourwoods, yellow poplars, and main of the Civilian Conservation evergreens, it descends slightly and Corps camp. When occupied, the follows the lower eastern slope of the camp was home to nearly 250 men, Johns Mountain, Keown Falls, and Pocket Recreation Area including workers, military ofﬁcers, and Forest Service supervisory staff. 4. Aquatic Wildlife Observation Area—Pocket Trail. A platform at the end of a short side trail overlooks a small pond. 5. Fowler Cemetery—Adjacent to the Pocket picnic area. This old burial ground contains the remains of many early pioneer families.

NOTES

23 NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS C H A P T E R 4

ians lies a mystery that has long baffled Fort Mountain archaeologists and historians. Just east of Chats worth rests a mildly undu- State Park lating stone wall, nestled beneath two peaks, one aptly named “Fort Moun- tain.” Stretching 885 feet across the southern face of the mountain, the low wall follows the contours of the rolling hillside. Spaced at irregular intervals are shallow pits outlined by coarse rocks. Since their rediscovery over a century ago, the inevitable questions have been posed: Who built the wall? When? and LOCATION Why? Myths and theories abound. The park is located about 22 miles One theory asserts that the wall east of Dalton. From I-75, follow was built by the Cherokees for some GA 52/U.S. 76 (exit 333) toward Chats - unrecorded purpose. The Cherokees’ worth. When the highways fork, con- own legends, however, attribute continue on GA 52 through Chatsworth. struction to a light-skinned, “moon- The park is about 8 miles east of Chats - eyed” people of unknown origin and worth. Information: (706) 695-2621; even more obscure demise. Some his- www.gastateparks.org. torians have interpreted the Cherokee stories as references to a legendary PARKING 12th-century Welsh prince, Madoc, 24 There are large parking areas at who was said to have landed with a the Summit trailhead, at the day-use band of followers on the Alabama area by the lake, and at a picnic area coast and marched northward into adjacent to the Big Rock Nature Trail. the mountains. There is a daily parking fee. Another theory asserts that the wall was built by Hernando de Soto and his BACKGROUND Spanish conquistadores as a defense Deep in the Cohutta Range against hostile natives. Two concerns of the Southern Appalach - have cast this theory into disfavor. First, Fort Mountain State Park

7 Fort Mountain P 4 State Park

NORTH Fort Mountain State Park

Old Fort Loop Gahuti Backcountry Trail Gold Mine Creek Trail

5 6

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 4 - Fort Mountain 2nd proof NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

The Summit Trails Combining the Tower, Stonewall, and North Face Trails produces a round-trip of about 2 miles. From the trailhead, the red-blazed Tower Trail ascends by a graded path, with stone steps, to the wall. The blue-blazed Stonewall Trail follows the east-west course, crosses the wall, and climbs The ancient stone wall, Fort Mountain again to the stone observation tower. there is no record of the wall in existing Going west from the tower, the trail journals of de Soto’s expedition; and descends, at some places steeply, to second, the Spanish were in this area a panoramic overlook. The yellow- for far too short a time to carry out blazed North Face Trail forks away and such a massive project. traces an undulating route below the Most scholars now firmly believe ridgeline as it loops back along the that the wall was the work of Wood- eastern side of the summit and returns land-era natives who constructed it to the parking area. about 1,500 years ago. Its exact purpose remains a mystery, but its east- The Lake Loop, Gold Mine, and west alignment supports the belief Big Rock Nature Trails that it may have been used in sun- These paths combine to make a worship ceremonies. walk of about 4 miles. The blue-blazed Today, the ancient wall is the cen- Lake Loop winds around the lake on terpiece of a popular 3,500 acre state a route that is fairly level with a few park that features a 70-site camp- moderate hills along the south ern ground, 15 rustic cabins, picnic shel- bank. It takes you through the popular ters, miles of foot and horse trails, and day-use areas around the beach house a lake for swimming, boating, and and miniature golf course. On the 26 fishing. While a visit to the park may southern side of the lake, a red-blazed not reveal the origins of the ancient spur leads to the white-blazed Gold wall, its rugged beauty has the power Mine Trail that forms a gentle loop to draw you back again and again. along Gold Mine Creek. The yellow- blazed Big Rock Trail begins across the WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN road from the dam and almost imme- The park has nearly 50 miles of diately descends, fairly steeply, to an day-hiking, backpacking, and outcropping of rocks between two equestrian trails to explore. fast-running streams. Short side trails Fort Mountain State Park lead to overlooks. The path ascends expression of love for his fiancee, briefly before descending by wooden Margaret, who lived nearby in Ellijay. steps to a level path beside a waterfall. 3. Overlook Platform—The plat- The trail then climbs upward, parallel form offers a spectacular westward to the stream, and returns to the road view of the valley, the town of Chats - just north of the starting point. worth, and the mountain ridges to the west. Gahuti Trail 4. Picnic Pavilions (c. 1930s)— While this orange-blazed, 8.2-mile Rustic log pavilions with stacked- loop is the main access trail to the stone fireplaces were constructed by park’s backcountry campsites, it is the CCC. also a strenuous, but rewarding, day hike. The path follows ridges and The Lake Loop, Gold Mine, and coves as it climbs northward toward Big Rock Trails the crest of Fort Mountain. Along the 5. Day-Use Area—Found here are way, the hiker is treated to outstand - the beach house, miniature golf ing views to the east of the rugged course, boat dock, picnic area, and Cohutta Mountain Wilderness and to playground. The beach concession the south of Chatsworth Valley and and golf course are open from Memo- distant Rocky Face Ridge. At its rial Day through Labor Day. southern end, the Gahuti Trail inter- 6. Waterfall—The waters of Gold sects with the Gold Mine and the Big Mine Creek cascade over rocks on Rock Nature Trails. their journey to the valley below.

SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY Gahuti Trail Along the Summit Trail 7. Cohutta Overlook—Adjacent 1. The Stone Wall (c. 500 C.E.) to the trail just south of the Summit —The origin of the stone wall Trail parking area, a short, paved, remains a mystery. handicapped-accessible path leads to 2. Observation Tower (1930s)— a platform with a spectacular view 27 The tower, and the steps leading up eastward. to the trail, were built by workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps. Just above the window on the east-facing wall is a heart-shaped stone with a story. It was carved and placed there by CCC foreman and stonemason Arnold Bailey as an NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS C H A P T E R 5

tlers in a fervent hope that, by New adapting, they might peacefully coexist. Nowhere were these efforts Echota more evident than at New Echota, the last capital of the Cherokee Nation. State While boundaries fluctuated following conflicts with neighboring na- Historic tions—most notably the Creeks—the Cherokee lands encompassed much of Site present-day northern Georgia, west ern North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and northeastern Alabama. In the first century following European settlement along the Georgia coast, this LOCATION land of rugged mountains and narrow New Echota is located just east of valleys had little allure for white set- I-75 near Calhoun. Take GA 225 tlers because the difficult terrain and (exit 317) and follow the signs to the isolation made the region unsuitable park entrance. Hours: 9 A.M.–5 P.M., for their agricultural economy. Tues.–Sat.; 2–5:30 P.M., Sun. and hol- Having served as allies of the iday Mondays. (706) 624-1321; United States during the war against www.gastateparks.org. the British in 1812, Cherokee leaders learned about the federal system of PARKING government and adapted it for their 28 There is a large parking area own use. They divided their nation adjacent to the visitor center. into eight districts (states), which each elected four delegates to the National BACKGROUND Council (House of Representatives). In the decade before their The council, in turn, elected twelve forced removal to Okla- of its members to the National homa on the “Trail of Tears,” the Committee (Senate), and this body Cherokee made enormous efforts to selected the principal chief, assistant assimilate the ways of the white set- chief, and the treasurer. New Echota State Historic Site

New Echota State Historic Site

To To I-75 & Chatsworth Calhoun 225

225 Town Creek P 1

2 9

NEW ECHOTA New Echota State Historic Site STATE 8 3 HISTORIC SITE 4

5 To w n C re ek

6 Sequoyah Nature Trail

NORTH 29

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 5 - New Echota State Hist. Site 1st proof NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

By 1819, the meeting place for the the Worcester house is the only orig- council was established at a small, inal building still standing at New centrally located village called New Echota. Town. In 1825 the National Council Treaties with the Federal Govern- enacted legislation establishing a na- ment assured the sovereignty of the tional capital at New Town and Cherokee Nation and prohibited white changed its name to New Echota to settlement within its boundaries. honor the ancient Cherokee village of However, with the discovery of gold Chota (located in eastern Tennessee). on Cherokee lands near present-day New government buildings, busi- Dahlonega in 1828, prospectors defied nesses, and homes were built and, by the law and streamed across the bor- the late 1820s, New Echota was a ders. Despite Cherokee demands that thriving community of several thou- the treaties be enforced, Federal troops sand people. were ineffective in stemming the rising From his print shop at New tide of white settlement. At the same Echota, Cherokee leader Sequoyah time, there was increasing support in published a newspaper, the Phoenix, the state government for legitimizing printed in both Cherokee and Eng- the settlers’ claims. In 1829, the lish. After years of experimentation, Georgia legislature, ignoring the Fed- Sequoyah had created a written syl- eral treaties, enacted a law giving itself labary of the Cherokee language. The jurisdiction over all Cherokee lands 78 characters of the “alphabet” repre- within the state’s boundaries. sented vocal sounds. By memorizing Native American appeals to Fed- the characters, the Cherokee could eral authorities continued to fall on communicate in a written language deaf ears as the administration of —something unique among Native Pres. Andrew Jackson had already es- Americans of the day.The paper tablished itself as anti-Indian and made its debut in 1828 and existed pro-settlement. Finally, to avoid for six years. bloodshed and possible annihilation, 30 Among the settlers at New Echota Cherokee leaders Major Ridge, John was the Rev. Samuel Worcester, a Ridge, Elias Boudinot, and others, in white missionary from New England. the face of strong opposition, reluc- Worcester arrived at the capital in tantly signed a new treaty in 1835. 1827 and built his home on a small Prophetically, Ridge commented, as rise just southeast of town. In addi- he signed, that he was “signing his tion to preaching, Worcester wrote ar- death warrant.” Within four years, he ticles for the Phoenix and operated a and several other treaty signers would mission school in his home. Today, be assassinated by fellow Cherokees. New Echota State Historic Site

By its terms, the Cherokee were WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN paid $5 million for their eastern lands The round-trip from the and given new lands in Oklahoma on modern visitor center to the which to resettle. The removal west Worcester House, including the Se- began in late 1838, and New Echota quoyah Nature Trail, is about 1.2 miles. was a gathering place for those pre - From the visitor center to the Vann paring for the difficult journey. The Tavern is open, level ground. Stands of trek to Oklahoma took place during shade trees mark the approach to the the bitter winter of 1838–39. Along the Worcester House, and the Nature Trail way, thousands of Cherokees died snakes its way along rolling hills from exposure, disease, and starvation. through dense forest. A small booklet One of the most tragic events in Amer- identifying selected plant life along the ican history, this exodus of the Chero- trail is available at the visitor center. kees from their homeland has become Park staff conduct guided tours of the forever known as the Trail of Tears. historic area several times daily. As the years passed, New Echota fell into disuse, and the land was SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY turned back to farming. By 1900, only 1. Visitor Center/Museum— the Worcester house remained to The center houses a variety of mark the town’s location. In the 1950s exhibits pertaining to life at, and the citizens of nearby Calhoun, recog- history of, New Echota. Among them nizing its significance, began efforts to are a diorama depicting New Echota excavate the site. Eventually, 200 acres at its peak and an audio interpretation were acquired and presented to the of the Cherokee alphabet. Hours: State of Georgia as a historic site. Ar- 9 A.M.–5 P.M., Tues.–Sat.; 2–5:30 P.M., chaeologists and historians worked to Sun. and holiday Mondays. identify notable features and building 2. Old Farm (c. 1830s)—This small locations. Using old records, they re- complex of buildings represents a typ- constructed selected buildings impor- ical Cherokee farm of the early 1800s. tant to understanding the significance The farmhouse was relocated to the 31 of New Echota. Today, a number of park in 1983. It is notable that the buildings have been reproduced or re- Cherokee chose to adapt to the Euro- located here, the Worcester house has Americans’ style of construction for been restored, and other building sites most of the buildings that stood here. are identified by markers. New Echota 3. Boudinot House Site—Elias stands as a reminder of a remarkable Boudinot, editor of the Phoenix, lived race of people and a memorial to the in a house on this site from 1827 injustices they endured. to 1837. Although a full-blooded NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

6. Worcester House (1828)—The only original standing structure from New Echota, this house was built by Samuel Worcester and used as a church, school, and post office. Forced from the home in 1834, Worcester went west with the Cherokee and spent the rest of his life in Oklahoma Log cabin on the Cherokee farm ministering to his chosen people. Cherokee, Boudinot had been edu- 7. Rogers House Site—A simple cated at an American Board of For- log structure built by a white settler, eign Missions school in Connecticut John Rogers, for his Cherokee family, and had received a degree from An- is thought to have occupied this site. dover Theological Seminary. 8. Supreme Court Building—This Boudinot was a signer of the Treaty of simple, 2-story white frame building New Echota in 1835 and was assassi- is a reproduction of the original nated in 1839 shortly after relocating Cherokee Supreme Court House built to Oklahoma with his family. in 1829. Note the elevated judges’ 4. The Phoenix Printing Office— bench, which accommodated three This building is a reproduction of the justices. shop where the 4-page weekly was 9. Council House—This building printed in both Cherokee and English. is a recently completed reproduction The paper was distributed throughout of the Cherokee capitol building, re- the Cherokee Nation. constructed according to historical 5. Vann’s Tavern (1800)—This records that indicate it was a 2-story 32 original Cherokee structure was built structure made of hewn logs. The by Chief James Vann, whose home, identical floors probably served as built in 1804, still stands just west of chambers for the National Council Chatsworth. The tavern, originally and the National Committee. near Gainesville, was relocated here in the 1950s to save it from inundation by the waters of newly created Lake Sidney Lanier. NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS C H A P T E R 6

ence of three rivers—the Etowah, the Rome Oostanaula, and the Coosa—was home to generations of native cultures. Journals kept by soldiers traveling with Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1540 described impris- oning the great Creek chief Coosa at a village called “Ulibahali.” Scholars believe that a site excavated west of Rome in the early 1970s may have been this walled village. Following de Soto’s departure, the LOCATION Creeks remained virtually undis- Rome is midway between Chatta - turbed for another two centuries until nooga and Atlanta in the Appa - they fought and lost a war with the lachian foothills. Downtown Rome is Cherokees. The Creeks retreated about 30 miles west of I-75 via south of the Chattahoochee River, and U.S. 411/GA 20 (exit 290). From all their lands in northern Georgia be- U.S. 411/GA 20, follow U.S. 27/GA 20 came a part of the Cherokee Nation. (Turner McCall Blvd.) north to Broad Less than a century later, the Chero- St. and turn left. The walk begins at kees would fall victim to the white City Hall. Information: Greater Rome man’s lust for gold and be forced west. Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) In asserting its claims to the land, 444-1834; www.romegeorgia.com. the Georgia legislature created several counties, including Floyd, which was 33 PARKING established in 1832. Within a few There is ample parking along years, a new community of farmers, Broad St., and commercial lots are merchants, and traders grew up along available on side streets. the rivers, and in 1838, the small town of Rome was selected as the county BACKGROUND seat. Despite the mythical parallels be- This picturesque land of tween the seven hills of Rome, Italy, rolling hills at the conﬂu- and the seven hills of Rome, Ga., the NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

town actually got its name from a list church. Wilson’s career led him to the of choices drawn from a hat! presidency of Princeton University Rome became the economic center and, in 1912, to the presidency of the of northwestern Georgia. Keelboats United States. and barges navigated the three rivers, and a railway spur connected Rome WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN with the main line running from At- The loop through the heart of lanta to Chattanooga, Tenn. Mills and downtown is mostly level. There factories were built along the water- are moderately steep ascents to the ways, and merchants set up shop to summit of Myrtle Hill and Clock trade in both raw and finished goods. Tower Hill. The total walk distance is Although the city escaped wholesale about 3.5 miles. There are good side- destruction during the Civil War, walks in the commercial district and much of its industry, most notably the an abundance of shade trees along Noble Iron Works, was wrecked and Clock Tower Hill. burned when Union troops captured the city and moved to eliminate Con- SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY federate supply sources. Following the 1. City Hall (1916)— war, Rome’s renewed importance as a 601 Broad St. This building, regional transportation and manufac- which also houses the Rome City Au- turing center fostered a steady return ditorium, was designed in the Clas- to prosperity. Fine examples of Victo- sical Revival style by Atlanta architect rian commercial structures and ele- A. Ten Eyck Brown. The statue at the gant houses remain as tangible links front entrance depicting the Capito- to this era of rebirth. line Wolf with Romulus and Remus At this time two men who would was a gift to the city from Italian dic- later gain national prominence were tator Benito Mussolini in 1929 (it was working in Rome. One was Henry W. removed during World War II to pre- Grady, a promising young journalist vent its being vandalized). Adjacent to 34 who would later move to Atlanta and City Hall is the Carnegie Library become editor of the Atlanta Consti- (1911), one of the many libraries es- tution. Within a few years he traveled tablished by philanthropist Andrew the nation on behalf of rebuilding the Carnegie. “New South.” The other was a young 2. Nemophila (1867)—603 W. attorney named Woodrow Wilson, First St. This small Greek Revival who was practicing law and courting house was a wedding gift from Con- his future wife, Ellen Axson, daughter federate Col. Wade Cothran to his of the pastor of the local Presbyterian daughter. The unusual name comes Rome 27

Rome nMilner en

E 8th Gl

E 1st

Broad W 1st NORTH 27 17 26 Riverside Pkwy 24 25

18 4th E 1 3 E 6th 19 23

e g

E 5th 20 lle o 4 C

2 16 3rd E 22 15

W 5th E 4th 21 5 2nd E

1st E 13 Tribune 6

E 3rd 1st W 101

N 5th Broad 7

E 2nd

R a

W 4th l u a

a E 1st

s o

9 O

10 3rd W 35

h R i v e r E t o w a 11

Rome 5th W 101

a s r o e

o 12 28 v C i R Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 6 - Rome 2nd proof NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

from the Greek and means “for love of pastured woodlands.” 3. Omberg House (c. 1850)—615 W. First St. Tucked away on a hillside above First St., this brick home, with its white- columned portico, survived the Union occupation of the city in 1864 though its owner did not. Nicholas Omberg Masonic Temple on Broad Street was killed by soldiers when he tried to stop the lynching of a erans who were also Masons sent con- friend. Dr. Robert Battey performed tributions to rebuild the temple. the world’s first successful oophorec- 7. Rome Area History Museum tomy (removal of the ovaries) on the (1880s)—305 Broad St. Exhibits in kitchen table. The patient, Julia this restored retail store trace the col- Omberg, survived the emergency op- orful history of Rome and Northwest eration and lived into her eighties. Georgia. Hours: 10 A.M.–5 P.M., 4. DeSoto Theatre (1929)— Tues.–Sat.; 1–5 P.M., Sun. (706) 528 Broad St. This Classical-style 235-8051. movie house was the first in the South 8. Old First National Bank (1880) to be designed for “talkies” (movies —200 Broad St. Noted for its finely with sound). Today, it is home to the detailed lobby and bank vault, this Rome Little Theater Company. building now houses a popular 5. Floyd County Courthouse restaurant. (1892)—101 W. Fifth Ave. Long a 9. Cotton Block (1870s–90s)— downtown landmark, this Roman - Along Broad St. from Second Ave. to 36 esque Victorian red-brick building is the Etowah River Bridge. The heart of noted for its distinctive clock and bell Rome’s post–Civil War textile fac- tower. Inside is a gallery providing ex- toring and shipping business, this hibit space for local artists. NR block of fine Victorian commercial 6. Masonic Temple (1877)— buildings is now home to a variety of 336 Broad St. This excellent Gothic retail businesses and restaurants. Revival building replaced the original 10. Site of the Noble Iron Works temple burned by Union troops in Foundry (1850s)—Broad St. at E. 1864. After the war, many Union vet- First Ave. The iron works located here, Rome which produced cannon for the Con- eleven children. Gone with the Wind federacy, was destroyed by Union author Margaret Mitchell, a close troops in 1864. friend of his daughter Agnes, was a 11. Robert Redden Memorial frequent visitor. The Queen Bridge (1900s)—Situated at the con- Anne–style home remained in the fluence of the Coosa, Etowah, and Fahy family until 1985. Oostanaula Rivers, this old railroad 17. Judge Kelly House (1905)— bridge is now a pedestrian walkway to 316 E. Fourth Ave. Judge James F. nearby Heritage Park and its extensive Kelly was the third owner of this system of levee trails. house. By the stipulations of the sale, 12. Myrtle Hill Cemetery (1857) the previous owners, the Printup —Branham Ave. above the Etowah sisters, were permitted to live in the River. Rome’s oldest burial ground is upstairs rooms until their deaths. the final resting place for early pio- According to local lore, the ghosts of neers, Civil War soldiers, and promi- the spinster sisters still inhabit the nent citizens (including First Lady upper floor of the house. Ellen Axson Wilson). The summit’s 18. Site of Sherman’s Headquarters Confederate Monument offers a —312 E. Fourth Ave. The house that panoramic view of the entire city. NR previously occupied this site served as 13. First Presbyterian Church the headquarters of Union Maj. Gen. (1854)—101 E. Third Ave. In this William T. Sherman during his brief beautiful brick Gothic Revival–style stay in Rome in 1864. The present church, Woodrow Wilson met and Greek Revival structure, completed in married Ellen Axson, daughter of the 1911, is modeled after the Gordon-Lee pastor, the Rev. Samuel Axson. House in Chickamauga, Ga. 14. First Methodist Church 19. Rev. Samuel Axson House (1884)—202 E. Third Ave. The tower (1867)—304 E. Fourth Ave. This of the Victorian Greek Renais sance– grand Greek Revival–style house was style church is especially notable, as is once owned by Rev. Axson, pastor of the beautiful mahogany interior First Presbyterian Church and father- 37 woodwork. in-law of Pres. Woodrow Wilson. 15. Hillyer House (1885)—316 E. 20. Bass House (1879)—302 E. Third Ave. This well-proportioned Fourth Ave. This modest house was Queen Anne–style house was built by originally constructed as a slave cabin Dr. Eben Hillyer. in 1860. It was remodeled and ex- 16. Fahy House (1893)—320 E. panded by Rome merchant Charles Third Ave. Thomas Fahy built this Bass. His wife died in the house rambling residence for his wife and during childbirth and, following a fire NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

many years later, workers removing a Mitchell, one of the city’s founders, mirror from a wall discovered the un- this church served the Methodist con- charred silhouette of a mother and gregation for many years (and as a child hidden behind it. stable for Union horses during the 21. First Baptist Church (1958)— Civil War). In 1884 when the new 100 E. Fourth Ave. The original Methodist church on Third Ave. was church on this site was completed in completed, the building was acquired 1855 and served as a hospital during by St. Paul’s, one of Rome’s oldest pre- the Civil War. Union troops stabled dominantly African-American con- their horses in the basement, and the gregations. The original bricks have pews were removed to be used in been covered with stucco. building a bridge over the nearby 25. Methodist Parsonage (1856)— river. A new church was built in 1883 104 E. Sixth Ave. This frame, 2-story and was used until construction of house served as the residence of the the present sanctuary. Methodist minister from 1856 to 22. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church 1888. It was later used as a boarding (1898)—101 E. Fourth Ave. The first house, law offices, and a radio station. services were held in the present 26. Metropolitan United church on Christmas Day 1898. The Methodist Church (1867)— stained-glass window over the altar, 700 Broad St. This Gothic-style, brick an 1867 gift of John Noble, owner of church is one of the oldest in Rome. the Noble Iron Works, was brought 27. Rome Visitor Center (1901)— from the original structure. 402 Civic Center Dr. Housed in a 23. Clock Tower And Museum former railroad depot, the center pro- (1871)—E. Second St. at E. Fifth Ave. vides information on attractions, ac- Perched atop one of Rome’s highest tivities, and accommodations in hills, the tower doubled as a pumping Rome and Floyd County. Also on the station for the city’s first reservoir. grounds are an 1847 lathe from the The water system was designed by Noble Iron Works, a pioneer cabin, 38 John Noble, and the clock was de- and a cotton gin. Hours: 9 A.M.– signed by the E. Howard Clock Co. of 5 P.M., Mon.–Fri.; 10 A.M.–3 P.M., Sat.; Waltham, Mass. Today, the tower 12–3 P.M., Sun. (800) 295-5576. houses a museum. Information: (706) 28. Riverview And Heritage 236-4416. NR Parks—Second Ave. These popular 24. St. Paul African-Methodist- recreation areas include boat ramps, Episcopal Church (1852)—106 E. nature trails, and picnic areas. Sixth Ave. Built on land donated to the Methodist Church by Col. Daniel NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS C H A P T E R 7

BACKGROUND Berry Martha Berry epitomized the heritage of Southern College planter aristocracy. The eldest daughter of Thomas Berry, she was Campus born at the family plantation, Oak Hill, in 1866. Her father, with unwa- vering perseverance, rebuilt his fortune from the devastation of the Civil War. From her early childhood experience, she learned the enduring prin- LOCATION ciples of determination, self-reliance, Berry College is located on and dedication to service that would Martha Berry Blvd. (U.S. 27) forge her life’s mission. about 1.5 miles north of downtown Martha had the benefits of an edu- Rome. From I-75, travel west on cation from the finest schools and U.S. 411/GA 20 (exit 290) for about could have settled easily into a com- 30 miles. Turn right on GA 1 (Veterans fortable social life; instead, she chose a Memorial Hwy.) and follow it to the different path. As a young adult she intersection with U.S. 27. Turn right had seen, firsthand, the impoverished and the college’s main entrance will existence of so many children from the be ahead on the left. Information: surrounding area, and she firmly be- (706) 236-0226; www.berry.edu. lieved that the way out of poverty was through hard work and education. PARKING Providing children with an education 39 On the main campus, visitor became her life’s work and passion. parking is available at the Krannert Martha started modestly in the Center, Hermann Hall, Ford Com- late 1890s. She read Bible stories to plex, and several other locations. small groups of children in a cabin- Parking on the mountain campus is classroom at Oak Hill. Before long, available at the WinShape Center and more children, and a few adults, at Frost Memorial Chapel. began attending Miss Berry’s Sunday school. In 1900, she was forced to NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

find larger quarters, acquiring an old grave, a campus landmark, is located church building in a small commu- next to her beloved Berry Chapel. nity nearby and converting it to a As Berry grew, educational offer- school. Soon it was full of people who ings also expanded. With the main came from across the region to take campus increasingly devoted to instruction from the “Sunday Lady of college-level academics, the high Possum Trot.” school relocated to an area about As word of the school continued to 3 miles west, near what is now known spread, Martha faced a dilemma. as Mount Berry. Mount Berry There were now too many students Academy operated until the early for her to teach effectively alone, and 1980s, when the high school cur- she knew the school must be ex- riculum was phased out. The moun- panded. Despite opposition from tain campus is now home to the family and friends, she purchased 80 WinShape Center, a residential and acres of land near Oak Hill, con- recreational complex housing stu- structed simple wooden buildings, dents attending Berry on scholarships and, in 1902, opened the Berry Indus- awarded by the Chick-fil-A Company. trial School. Today, Berry encompasses more than Originally intended to serve as a 28,000 acres, much of it a wooded high school and vocational school for wildlife refuge, making it one of the boys, the institution grew steadily and largest academic campuses in the became coeducational in 1910. By this world. Enrollment numbers around point, the first rustic buildings, most 2,000, and nearly all students are built by the students, had reached ca- involved in campus work programs, pacity and Martha tirelessly traveled from farming and cattle-raising to across northwestern Georgia seeking office and administrative duties. As funds for continued expansion of the the college approaches its centennial campus and its programs dedicated to celebration, Martha Berry’s guiding the “education of the head, the heart, principle, “Not to be ministered unto, 40 and the hands.” but to minister,” remains its educa- Word of the school’s success tional foundation. brought Pres. Theodore Roosevelt to Berry in 1910, and within a few years, WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN Miss Berry’s efforts had garnered mil- The 3-mile loop around the lions of dollars in contributions. main campus follows gently When Martha Berry died in 1942, she rolling, shaded terrain. There are was mourned by students, alumni, and some sidewalks. The mountain educational leaders nationwide. Her campus loop is a 3.3-mile path that Berry College Campus

Berry College Main Campus

6b 4 6a 7a 5 7b 7c 3

2 Berry College—Main Campus Mt. Berry Station 9 10 1

15 12 32 Service Rd. 14

16 NORTH 41

17 27

1 19

1 GA1 33

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 7a - Berry College Main Campus 2nd proof NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

passes rustic academic buildings, ally selected the architects and serene Frost Chapel, and a European– brought stone masons from Italy to style dairy complex as it meanders construct them. through the heavily wooded foothills. 4. Ford Dining Hall (1925)— The dining hall has large stained-glass SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY windows and is modeled after the Main Campus din ing hall at Christ College of Ox- 1. Krannert Center (1969)— ford, England. A special vantage point A gift of Mr. and Mrs. Her - for viewing this building is across the man Krannert, this Georgian-style beautifully landscaped grounds and building houses the cafeteria, book- reﬂecting pools. store, and other student services. 5. The Archway (1925)— 2. Hermann Hall (1964)—In the Separating the classroom buildings 1930s, Martha Berry picked this site and Clara Hall, a women’s dormitory for the school’s Administration Build - named for Mrs. Ford, the carved stone ing. In her typical way, she had a road archway architecturally ties the com- built leading to the vacant lot in hope plex together. Note its cathedral-style of spurring donations. Unfortunately dome with depictions of domestic the Depression and World War II and wild animals. Visitors should also brought the project to a halt. How- watch for the scriptural and literary ever, in 1962, Chicago businessman sayings that adorn the entrances to Grover Hermann made a generous many of the buildings. contribution that led to the building’s 6. Other Ford Complex Buildings construction. A. Mary Hall (1931)—Named for A new 130,000 sq. ft. Science Henry Ford’s mother. Building opened in 2001, just south of B. Ford Gymnasium (1928)— Hermann Hall. One of the building’s According to campus legend, when notable features is a 60-foot Foucault Miss Berry asked the Fords to build pendulum in the lobby. this “recreation building,” Mr. Ford 42 3. Ford Auditorium (1928)— thought she requested a “recitation A focal point of the English Gothic– building.” So they gave the school style buildings of the Ford Complex, both buildings! The school’s soccer this building is notable for its needle and baseball ﬁelds are adjacent to the spire and large clock tower. The gymnasium. 500-seat assembly hall features an 7. Log Cabin Buildings (1910–19) ornate wooden balcony. For all of the —This small complex of rustic log Ford buildings, Henry Ford person- buildings is the original site of the Berry College Campus NORTH 22 21 23 Lake Swan 24 25 28 28 20 Berry College Mountain Campus 31 26 27 30

k ee 43 Cr y Dr g Bi Berry College Mountain Campus 29 Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 7b - Berry College Mountain Campus 2nd proof NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

Martha Berry School for Girls. Today, 11. Cook Building (1937)—Class- the buildings are used as student rooms for the science and agriculture residences. Especially notable are: departments. It was constructed by A. Barnwell Chapel (1911)— student labor. It now houses the Named for Capt. John Barnwell, Charter School of Education and designer of many of the rustic struc- Human Sciences. tures, this simple and warm church 12. Berry College Chapel (1915)— building has long served as a chapel, Designed to resemble Christ Church recital hall, and classroom. in Alexandria, Va., it was constructed B. Atlanta Hall (1910)—Built by students under the guidance of ar- with funds raised by the Martha Berry chitect Harry Carlson. Martha Berry’s Circle of Atlanta, the building origi- grave is just south of the chapel. nally served as a dining hall and resi- 13. Thomas Berry Hall (1931)— dence. Today it serves as a laboratory Named for Martha Berry’s father, the day care center for students studying building serves as a men’s dormitory. child development. It was built with funds donated by C. Faith Cottage (c. 1910)—Built Henry Ford. as a home for orphan children cared 14. Memorial Library (1920, for by Miss Berry, the building now additions 1970, 1976, 1988)—The houses campus offices. original contributor to the construc- 8. Cabin in the Pines (1860s)— tion of this building, Kate Macy Ladd, Nestled in the woods between Her- provided the funds as a memorial to mann Hall and the Log Cabin area, this her sister-in-law Edith Macy. rough-hewn cabin is one of the oldest 15. Green Hall (1922)—One of the buildings on the campus. Originally a oldest academic buildings on the “tenant house” for workers at Oak Hill campus, it now houses the J. Bulow plantation, the cabin has served a Campbell School of Business. Note the variety of uses through the years. inscription above the colonnade: 9. Ladd Center (1967)—Built with “Whether at work or play do you best.” 44 funds contributed by Mr. and Mrs. 16. Morton–Lemly Hall (1921, Walter Ladd, the building houses the 1953)—Lemly Hall is the oldest brick campus infirmary, security depart- dormitory on campus. ment, and other administrative offices. 17. Memorial Gymnasium 10. Roanie’s Grave—A large stone (1937)—Constructed by students to marker across from Ladd Center replace Pentecost Gymnasium built in marks the burial spot of Martha 1911. Funds were raised as a memo- Berry’s favorite pony, which died at rial to James Kidder, who died fol- the age of 35. lowing an accident in the old gym. Berry College Campus

Ford Dining Hall, Berry College Campus 18. Roosevelt Cabin (1902)— cabin for four years, and it became a Designed by Capt. Barnwell, the rustic center for campus social life. During log structure is one of the oldest his 1910 visit to the campus, former 45 buildings on the main campus. It Pres. Theodore Roosevelt was enter- served as a guest cottage and social- tained here. The cabin is now a small center demonstration building high- museum. lighting the philosophy that “a home 19. Hoge Building (1905)—This may be simple and inexpensive and at attractive 2-story frame building is the same time in good taste and even one of the earliest constructed on the beautiful.” Miss Berry lived in the main campus and the oldest still in NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

active use. It is named for E. F. Hoge, library. It remains today a study area Berry College’s first controller. De- for WinShape students. signed to serve as a classroom space, it 24. Hill Dining Hall (1923)—Built later served as an administration by students, the wooden building is build ing until completion of Her- notable for its cathedral ceiling and mann Hall. Today the building houses massive stone fireplace. The building weavers’ studios and a small gift shop. is named for Clifford Hill, a 1916 Berry graduate who returned in 1920 Mountain Campus to “help” the school for a few weeks 20. WinShape Building (1931)— and remained for the rest of his life. Originally built as barns for the Berry 25. Friendship Hall (1926)—The College farm, the structure was later building has served as a combination converted to maintenance shops, in- classroom and dormitory. Its notable dustrial arts classrooms, and a gym na - features include a 2-story common sium for Berry Academy. It is now room with beamed ceiling and leaded headquarters of the WinShape Center. casement windows. 21. Swan Lake and Mirror Lake— 26. Road to House O’ Dreams— These quiet spots for reading or re- This dirt road ascends 6 miles to the laxing were constructed by students. top of Lavender Mountain where, in 22. Frost Memorial Chapel (1937) 1926, staff and students built a retreat —For many years, atop this hillside cottage for Miss Berry in honor of the stood a small wooden cross marked school’s 25th anniversary. The home with the words “Chapel needed.” Mr. is opened for special occasions. and Mrs. Howard Frost, while visiting 27. Meacham Hall (1921)—Built the campus from Los Angeles, saw the with funds donated by Cincinnati sign and decided to give the funds for businessman D. B. Meacham as a a chapel in memory of their son, John memorial to his son, Robert, the hall L. Frost. The building was designed in has served as residence facilities for the Gothic Revival style by Samuel I. students and campus guests. 46 Cooper and built by student labor. It 28. Cherokee Lodge (1920) and is an especially popular location for Pine Lodge (1916)—The two oldest weddings. structures on the mountain campus, 23. Barstow Memorial Library these rustic log buildings have had (1940)—Built with funds donated by many uses through the years. the family of George E. Barstow, the 29. Old Mill (1930)—Set in beau- rustic wood and stone building served tiful wooded surroundings, the 42-ft.- for many years as the Berry Academy’s diameter overshot waterwheel is one Berry College Campus of the largest in the world. For many collection of Miss Berry’s personal ar- years, the mill was used to grind tifacts, as well as items tracing the his- Berry-grown corn into meal and grits tory of the school. The film Miracle in for serving in the campus dining hall. the Mountains, which depicts Martha 30. Normandy Apartments and Berry’s life, is shown on a regular Dairy (1931–37)—Designed in the basis. Behind the museum is the style of a French country estate, the “Walkway of Life” paved with stones hilltop complex includes student from Lavender Mountain and fea- housing as well as dairy barns for the turing plaques with Miss Berry’s fa- school’s registered Jersey and Holstein vorite sayings and scriptural passages. herds. There is a small fee for touring the 31. Possum Trot (1850)—The old museum and Oak Hill. church building that was the “Cradle A short distance from the museum of Berry College” was used for classes is the 1877 cabin built by Capt. Berry until 1954. It is open for special occa- as a playhouse for his children. It was sions and by appointment. later Martha’s study and became the first classroom where she taught the Near the campus mountain children. 32. Berry President’s Home Hours: 10 A.M.–5 P.M., Mon.–Sat.; (1940)—Built as a private home, it 1–5 P.M., Sun. (800) 220-5504; www. was acquired by the college as the ex- berry.edu/oakhill. ecutive residence in 1956. 33. Oak Hill (1847) and the NOTES Martha Berry Museum and Art Gallery (1972)—U.S. 27 at GA 1. Oak Hill was purchased by Capt. Berry in 1859 and was only slightly damaged during the Civil War. However, an 1890 fire destroyed the rear of the house. Following her parents’ deaths, Martha 47 Berry became the matron of Oak Hill and lived here until her she died in 1942. Guided tours of the home are conducted by Berry students. The museum and art gallery are housed in a Greek Revival–style building that features an extensive NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS C H A P T E R 8

as they made their way through the Etowah forest. Entering a clearing, the leader abruptly stopped and gazed upward in Mounds amazement. Standing before him, shrouded in drifting mist from the State nearby river, were the ancient mounds of Etowah. In his published account of Historic this 1817 expedition, the Rev. Elias Cornelius posed the questions that Site puzzled historians and archaeologists into the next century. Who built these mounds? When and for what purpose? What happened to the people? LOCATION Serious archaeological work at the Etowah Mounds State Historic Site site did not begin until the 1880s is 3 miles south of Carters ville on when the Smithsonian Institution’s Etowah Dr. From Atlanta, follow I-75 Bureau of American Ethnology began north to GA 113 (exit 288). Take GA excavations at the site. The extraction 113 through downtown Carters ville to of artifacts and scientific study con- Etowah Dr. Hours: 9 A.M.–5 P.M., tinued on and off until the 1920s. Tues.–Sat.; 2–5:30 P.M., Sun.; closed Three decades later, in 1953, the land Mondays (except legal holidays). There was acquired by the state and set aside is a nominal admission charge. Infor- for restoration and preservation as mation: (770) 387-3747; www. a historic site. Scholars now believe 48 gastateparks.org. that much of the story of Etowah can finally be told. PARKING The origin of the mound-building There is parking at the visitor era dates to a culture called the center. Hopewell that arose in the Ohio Valley around 100 B.C.E. Characteristics of BACKGROUND Hopewell villages such as river access, A small group of men strug- large ceremonial grounds, and earthen gled against the undergrowth mounds were all features later found at Etowah Mounds State Historic Site

Cartersville Etowah Mounds oad ds R oun State Historic Site ah M Etow

2 1

NORTH Etowah Mounds State Historic Site

4c 4b

Etowah River

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 8 - Etowah Mounds State Hist. Site 2nd proof NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

and over the course of five centuries (700–1200 C.E.) expanded its influence throughout the region. As the culture flourished, populations expanded and new villages were settled, one on the banks of the Etowah River around 1000 C.E. These mound builders now included fortifications such as ditches or wooden walls in their village configurations. Their artistic abilities advanced, with greater use of ceramics and sophisticated engravings and painting. The mounds were a fundamental part of the culture’s emphasis on a tightly knit social and religious structure. They were the focal point of religious ceremonies, and temple buildings once occupied their summits. The mounds also served as burial places for village chiefs. The village was central to life Etowah Mounds throughout the river valley and, based Etowah. Also notable within the on excavation, this community had Hopewellian culture were the presence trade contacts with numerous other of agriculture and the existence of cultures in the region. At its peak, the trade routes extending from the Rocky population of the village and sur- Mountains to the Atlantic Coast. rounding area may have been as high Around 500 C.E., this culture as 2,000 people. 50 faded due in large part, scholars be- For reasons still not fully under- lieve, to a breakdown in trade. As a stood, the Mississippian culture faded, result, geographically separate cul- and by the time the first European ex- tures, Hopewellian in their roots, plorers entered the region, it had van- evolved independently. One such cul- ished. Their descendants, the Creeks ture, the Mississippian, established a and Cherokees, provided little in their center in the Mississippi River Valley own traditions to explain their ances- near present-day Memphis, Tenn., tors’ demise. Etowah Mounds State Historic Site

Today, when so much is known religious ceremonies, and defensive about our history, the lingering mys- lookouts. Mound A (the largest at just tery of the peoples of Etowah draws over 60 ft. in height) and Mound B visitors to explore the grounds, pause, once had temple buildings atop their and wonder. summits. Neither has been excavated. Mound C has been completely exca- WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN vated and found to be primarily a This 1-mile walk begins and burial site with more than 500 inter- ends at the visitor center. The ments. The artifacts unearthed have ground is nearly level for the entire given archaeologists many clues about distance with the exception of the the culture and lifestyle of the Missis- fairly steep ascents of the three sippian peoples. mounds. The site is mostly open ﬁelds Steps have been constructed on with an abundance of shade trees nes- the side of each mound to encourage tled along the banks of the Etowah visitors to explore them and gain a River and around the visitor center. new perspective of the village site and the natural beauty of the Etowah SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY River Valley. 1. Visitor Center And Museum—This facility NOTES houses an excellent museum depict - ing the culture of the people who lived here. 2. The Ditch—Adjacent to the center, this long, deep cut was the source of the earth used to construct the mounds. It may also have served as a defensive moat around the northern part of the settlement. 3. Ceremonial Plaza—The large, 51 open, level area around the mounds was the focal point of religious rituals and secular activities. 4. The Mounds—The three principal Mounds (A, B, and C) were used for a variety of purposes including burials of prominent priests or chiefs, NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS

NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS ANNUAL EVENTS

March September u Artifact Identiﬁcation Day u Possum Trot Homecoming (Etowah Mounds) (Berry College) u Battle Anniversary April Commemoration u Native American Tools and (Chickamauga Battleﬁeld) Weapons Demonstrations u Fort Mountain Crafts Fair (Etowah Mounds) (Fort Mountain)

May October u Crafts in the Clouds u New Salem Mountain Festival (Cloudland Canyon) (Rising Fawn) u New Salem Mountain Festival u Frontier Days (New Echota) (Rising Fawn) u Heritage Holidays (Rome) u Spring Wildflower Hikes u Chiaha Harvest Fair (Rome) (Fort Mountain) u Mountains Day (Berry College) u Mayfest on the Rivers (Rome) u Skills of the Past (Etowah Mounds) u Coosa Valley Arts and Crafts Fair u Prater’s Mill Country Fair (Dalton) (Rome) u Georgia Marble Festival (Jasper) u Prater’s Mill Country Fair (Dalton) u Georgia Apple Festival (Ellijay) u Coosa Valley Fair (Rome) July u Independence Day Concert November (Chickamauga Battlefield) u Artifacts Identification Day u Salute to America Festival (Rome) (Etowah Mounds) u Homespun Festival (Rockmart) December 52 August u Holiday Candlelight Tours u Fort Mountain Mysteries (New Echota) (Fort Mountain) u Coosa River Boat Parade and Classic Christmas Festival (Rome) u Berry Christmas (Berry College) Hiker along the Appalachian Trail, which has its southern terminus at Springer Mountain Walasi-Yi Center at Neels Gap—the only building through which the Appalachian Trail passes

The Old Courthouse, home to Dahlonega’s Gold Museum NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS

The rugged mountains of northeastern Georgia are slightly younger (by about 100 million years) than their counterparts to the west and vastly different in origin. While Georgia’s western mountains were built up slowly through eons of sedimentation, the eastern summits, part of the Blue Ridge range, were created through the enormous pressures of continental drift and plate tectonics. The Blue Ridge Mountains and the northern Appalachians were formed more than 200 million years ago when the North American, European, and African continents collided. As the plates pushed together, heat and pressure vented through volcanoes that deposited vast quantities of molten rock on the landscape. This hardened stone, mostly schists and gneisses, eventually reached over ﬁve miles in height (higher than the present-day Mount Everest and surrounding Himalayan range in Asia), before eons of climactic change, winds, and rain eroded the slopes and summits to their present heights and rounded appearance. Nearly all of the land in North America east of the Appalachians, including the underwater continental shelf, was formed from the erosion of this mighty chain of jagged peaks. Unlike the long, straight ridges and wide valleys of northwestern Georgia, the topography of northeastern Georgia is a jumble of steep slopes and narrow coves. Before the arrival of white settlers in the late 18th century, the area had been fought over by ancestors of the Creeks and Cherokees. One epic battle was said to have taken place many centuries ago on the slopes of what is now known as Blood Mountain near a place appropriately called Slaughter Gap. In the early years of the 19th century, this remote land, part of the Cherokee Nation, was considered worthless by whites because of its thin, rocky soil, and lack of access to roads and navigable waterways. Then, in the late 1820s, prospectors discovered traces of gold in the waters of some mountain streams and the nation’s first “gold rush” was on. Despite protests by the Cherokees, prospectors poured in by the thousands, and the natives were eventually forced from their lands by the Treaty of New Echota in 1835. Today, the mountains of northeastern Georgia are a premier tourist destination where visitors flock to enjoy cool summer evenings, spectacular fall foliage, dustings of snows in winter, and ex- plosions of wildflowers in spring. Much of the region is contained within the boundaries of the Chattahoochee National Forest and is home to several state parks. Also found here is the southern terminus of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, a 2,100-mile footpath stretching from Georgia to Maine.

A tranquil footbridge in Unicoi State Park NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS C H A P T E R 9

gold of the Pharaohs in Egypt to the Dahlonega legendary Mayan “Cities of Gold.” U.S. history is filled with facts and fables surrounding the famous California Gold Rush in 1849 and the race to the Alaskan Klondike at the turn of the last century. The country’s first gold rush, however, occurred in northern Georgia. Although the exact date of discovery is obscure, the precious metal was found in the mid-1820s deep within the Cherokee Nation. LOCATION Despite treaties prohibiting white set- To reach Dahlonega from Atlanta, tlement, waves of illegal squatters travel north on GA 400 to GA 60. began to exert pressure on the state Follow GA 60 north for about 5 miles government to take the land from the to the town square. Dahlonega is Cherokees. about 30 miles northwest of In December 1829, the legislature Gainesville via GA 60. Information: defied Federal treaties and enacted Dahlonega–Lumpkin County Cham - laws giving the state jurisdiction over ber of Commerce, (800) 231-5543, Native American lands within its bor- www.dahlonega.org. ders. This led, in 1832, to the subdivi- sion of more than one million acres PARKING into 40-acre “gold lots.” In October of There is parking around the that year, drawings for these lots were 57 square and along adjacent side streets. held at the state capitol in Mil ledge - There is also a public parking lot at N. ville, and more than 130,000 people Park and Warwick Sts. applied for the 35,000 available parcels. Eventually the Cherokee BACKGROUND people were forced west along the Gold. Its allure has drawn tragic Trail of Tears. people to all corners of the Even before the exile, prospectors globe in search of riches, from the had established a small settlement NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS

along a ridge above the Chestatee ten acres of land atop a hill just out- River. By the early 1830s the town, side town, the mint opened for busi- dubbed “Auraria” (Latin for “gold ness in February 1838. mine”) was home to several saloons, a Dahlonega thrived through the hotel, post office, and a few attorneys 1840s until the discovery of gold at and merchants. Law and order were Sutter’s Mill in California. Though virtually nonexistent in the frontier some prospectors stayed, many others town. With the creation of Lumpkin could not resist the lure of adventure County in 1832, the citizens sought to in California.When Georgia seceded build a courthouse and instill some from the Union in January 1861, the order in this rough-and-tumble terri- Federal government quickly shut tory. Due to title disputes on land in down the mint and removed most of Auraria it was decided to construct the gold before it could be seized by the courthouse about five miles north the Rebels. At war’s end, mining re- of town. A simple log structure served sumed in the area. For the remainder until 1836, when it was replaced by of the 19th and well into the 20th cen- the imposing brick structure which tury, mining and the businesses that still stands. A town grew up around supported it remained Dahlonega’s the courthouse as new settlers came main industry. into the country and businesses relo- Despite the continued excavation cated from Auraria. The new town’s of high-grade ore, the mint was not name, “Dahlonega,” came from the reopened, and when the government Cherokee word for gold. fixed the price of gold at $35 an Prospectors panned in streambeds ounce, most of the mines around to find the precious nuggets, and Dahlonega became unprofitable and eventually, dug tunnels to seek out shut down. The small town entered rich veins hidden within the moun- an era of quiet, slow decline marked tains. Most investors were fortunate only by the notoriety gained when if they earned back their stake, but a the State Capitol dome in Atlanta 58 lucky few made fortunes. (One of was gilded with Dahlonega gold in these was Thomas Clemson, son-in- 1960 (it was regilded in 1980 and law of S.C. Senator John C. Calhoun touched up in 1996 for the Olympic and benefactor of Clemson Univer- Games). sity.) The gold was plentiful enough In the early 1970s, tourists began that the U.S. government authorized to stream into the county to enjoy the $50,000 for construction of a branch nearby mountains, explore the old mint in Dahlonega to turn the raw buildings around the square, and metal into coins and bars. Built on learn a little of the region’s colorful Dahlonega

60 Jones Cir NW Dahlonega Dahlonega

Jones

N Par k St.

s St. NE 23 E Hawkin 12 60 19 S Che Meaders statee St. SE NORTH 11 10 8 9 3 Waters 7a,b,c 1 Warwick 2 W Hawkins St. NW Church 6 4 Choice

9 5 S Park St. SE Maple Martin 13

22 19

S Main St. 21 15 20 Arcadia 18b Church 19 14

16 18

9 18a 59

17 Shultz St. 18c

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 9 - Historic Dahlonega 2nd proof NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS

history. With the help of faculty and use as a museum. It contains exhibits students from the University of on the gold rush and the history of Georgia’s School of Environmental Dahlonega. Hours: 9 A.M.–5 P.M., Design, a plan was developed to Tues.–Sat.; 2–5:30 P.M., Sun. Closed on restore the buildings and revitalize the Mondays (except legal holidays). town. Today, Dahlonega is enjoying a (706) 864-2257. NR second “gold rush” of tourist dollars. 3. Rev. Goodman Hughes House (c. 1860s)—E. Main and Derrick WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN Streets. This timeworn frame struc- The 2.5-mile route begins and ture was built by an early Dahlonega ends on the square. There are clergyman. In the late 1800s, it served good sidewalks in the center of town as a general store. It now houses and an abundance of shade trees several specialty shops. throughout the trail. The terrain as- 4. W. P. Price Building (1897)— cends toward Crown Mountain in the S. Town Square. A prominent citizen northwest and descends gradually to- and U.S. congressman, Price con- ward the southeast. structed this Italianate-style building to house his law office on the second SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY floor, while his son operated a general 1. Dahlonega Chamber of store below. It later housed the town’s Commerce and Welcome first movie theater and is now a retail Center—13 Park St. This modern shopping arcade. facility is staffed by volunteers ready 5. Smith House (1899)—84 S. to share information on activities in Chestatee Street. This large house was Dahlonega and the surrounding built by Frank Hall when his family mountains. Hours: 9 A.M.–5:30 P.M. outgrew its residence across the daily. (800) 231-5543. square. It was purchased by Henry 2. Dahlonega Gold Museum State and Bessie Smith in 1922 and ex- Historic Site (1836)—Town Square. panded into an inn and restaurant 60 This imposing brick structure built in that has become a regional landmark the Federal style is the oldest public for Southern cooking. Diners may building in northern Georgia. Con- browse in the country store or pan structed by Ephraim Clayton, the for gold as they wait for a table. building served as county courthouse, Across the street is the Appala - offices, and marketplace for nearly chian Folkways Center (located in an 130 years. In 1965, Lumpkin County old church building) dedicated to the donated the building to the State for preservation of mountain culture. Dahlonega

(877-628-8674); www.folkwayscenter. org. 6. C. H. Jones House (c. 1885)— W. Town Square and N. Chestatee St. This large Victorian-style home was constructed by a local physician as home and office. In 1909, Jones had the building next door constructed to serve as a drug store. Both buildings now house shops. 7. Hall’s Block (1880s)—W. Town Square. Frank W. Hall came to Dah - lonega in 1868 at the age of 23 to supervise operations at a local mine and mill. Later, he started several business, became one of the town’s wealthiest citizens, and served as postmaster and mayor. He constructed the buildings along this block for his home, office, and mercantile business. John Moore purchased the block Shops around Dahlonega’s square from Hall’s widow in 1919 and continued to operate several retail busi- C. Hall House (1881)—The Hall nesses here. All the buildings along family lived here until 1899. The Hall’s Block continue to bustle with second floor continues to serve as thriving shops. residential apartments. A. The Hall Building (1883)— 8. Sargent Building (1910)— This 3-story building housed Hall’s W. Town Square. This rambling mercantile business. 2-story building with its second-story B. Hall’s Office (1884)— Hall built open porch was built by Lumpkin 61 this small office adjacent to his home. County Sheriff John F. Sargent to It was later converted to the first home serve as the Dahlonega Hotel. It was of the Bank of Dahlonega and eventu- purchased by Dr. Homer Head in ally became a shoe store owned by 1925. He maintained his office on the Alec Housley, the “father” of poultry ground floor and rented upstairs farming in Lumpkin County. apartments to students at North NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS

Georgia College. Today the ground restored and reopened as a nonprofit floor houses a variety of shops and community theater featuring both the second floor is a restaurant. films and live productions, this old- 9. Meaders Brothers Building time cinema is a slice of 1950s small (1914)—N. Town Square. Built by town life. Frank and R. C. Meaders for the Bank 14. W. P. Price Memorial Hall of Lumpkin County and U.S. Post (1880)—College Cir. and W. Main St. Office, the building still contains This stately Victorian-style brick many original features including building, topped with a gilded spire, is hardwood floors and pressed tin ceil- named in honor of U.S. Rep. Price ings. It now houses shops and a real who secured the land and buildings to estate office. start North Georgia College. Built on 10. Nix Grocery Store (c. 1858)— the foundation of the U.S. Mint, N. Town Square. Thought to have which was constructed in 1838 and been built by early settler John Parker, destroyed by fire in 1878, Price Hall is this frame building was operated by the Administration Building of North N. A. Nix as a grocery from 1936 to Georgia College and State University, 1983. Dahlonega’s oldest existing one of only four senior military col- commercial building, it now houses a leges in the nation. NR crafts shop and gallery. 15. Worley Homestead (c. 1845)— 11. Crawford House (1880)— 410 W. Main St. Pioneer citizen W. J. N. Park at Warwick Sts. The building Worley built this rambling, frame may have been constructed by local house not long after the town was es- businessman Hiram Gurley. The tablished. The home is now operated name comes from Bruce Crawford, a as a bed-and-breakfast inn. Informa- relative of Gurley’s and the cashier of tion: (706) 864-7002. the Bank of Dahlonega, who had his 16. Vickery House (1909)— family residence on the second floor. W. Main Street across from Price Hall. The building has been remodeled sev- This attractively restored frame house 62 eral times. was once the home of long-time 12. Dahlonega Women’s Club North Georgia College Professor E. B. (c. 1930s)—N. Park and Hawkins Vickery. The building is owned by the Sts. This attractive building was con- school and is used as a special events structed of locally quarried stone. facility. NR Today it is used as a community 17. Mount Hope Cemetery events facility. (1830s)—W. Main Street. Dahlonega’s 13. Holly Theater (1948)— oldest burial ground was set aside as a W. Main at Waters Sts. Recently cemetery even before the territory was Dahlonega ceded by the Cherokees. Pioneer fami- 21. Two Bells (1890)—192 Park St. lies, Confederate soldiers, and even a Price built this house for his daughter few Revolutionary War veterans are Belle. She married William Charters, a interred here. one-time law partner of Price. 18. North Georgia College and 22. Seven Oaks (1875)—177 Park State University Campus (founded St. This beautiful mansion was built 1870)—Between W. Main Street and by Price as his family home. It re- S. Chestatee Sts. From humble begin- placed a structure that burned in nings shortly after the end of the Civil 1874. NR War, the university now has an enroll- 23. Old Jail (1884)—E. Main at ment of more than 2,000 students. Hill Sts. The red-brick building has Points of interest include: not held a prisoner for many years, A. Parade Grounds—This large but the bars are still on the windows. grassy plain serves as both drill Today it houses offices of the grounds for military students and Lumpkin County Historical Society. athletic fields. B. Hoag Student Center—Located NOTES in the center is the campus bookstore, dining room, student lounge, art gallery, a small museum, and the office of the university president. The center is named for Dr. Merritt Hoag, president of the college from 1949 to 1970. C. Planetarium—Sunset Dr. Public shows are presented on Friday evenings. Information: (706) 864- 1511. 19. Hedden Hall (1883)—237 Park St. W. P. Price built this house for his 63 daughter Carrie. It was later purchased and remodeled by North Georgia College and named for Pres. W. A. Hedden. 20. Mattie Craig House (1888)— 225 Park St. Price built this house for his daughter Beverline, who married D. S. Craig. Mattie was their daughter. NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS C H A P T E R 1 0

open only from spring through fall. At DeSoto other times you may park along the road outside the gate and walk the Falls Scenic short distance to the trailhead.

Recreation BACKGROUND Nestled beneath the tow- Area ering summits of Cedar and Blood Mountains is a meandering trail that leads to three beautiful, yet distinctly different waterfalls. Known simply as the Lower, Middle, and Upper Falls, their collective name LOCATION honors the memory of Spanish ex- This U.S. Forest Service Recreation plorer Hernando de Soto. Legends Area is located on U.S. 19/129 persist that de Soto and his Conquis- about 22 miles south of Blairsville and tadors passed through this area 40 miles north of Gainesville. To reach during their travels from Florida into the area from Atlanta, go north on I-85 western North Carolina in the 1540s. and I-985 to U.S. 129/GA 11 (exit The Recreation Area is part of the 22). Travel on U.S. 129/GA 11 north surrounding Chattahoochee National through Gainesville and Cleveland, Forest and contains a campground and past the intersection of U.S. 19 at (open spring to fall), picnic area, and Turner’s Corners. The recreation area trails. 64 is about 6 miles ahead on the slopes of Blood Mountain. Information: WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN Chattahoochee National Forest, All of the trails begin at the Chestatee Ranger District, (706) 864- campground by the wooden 6173; www.fs.fed.us/conf. bridge across Frogtown Creek. The walk distance between the three trails PARKING is about 2.5 miles and a round-trip The trails are open year round, hike is about 5.4 miles. The trails are but the parking area at the trailhead is open year round. DeSoto Falls Scenic Recreation Area

To Neels Gap 19 DeSoto Falls Scenic Recreation Area

Upper Falls

F r o g to w n C 19 re e k

DESOTO FALLS RECREATION AREA Middle Falls DeSoto Falls Scenic Recreation Area

Campground

Lower r o Falls g t o w 65 n C r e e k

NORTH

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 10 - DeSoto Falls Rec. Area 2nd proof NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS

Upper Falls An additional 1.5 miles beyond the Middle Falls, the Upper Falls overlook is reached by a moderately strenuous ascent including two short stream crossings. The Upper Falls are also accessible from a less difficult .5-mile trail from a parking area on U.S. 19/129. Warning: Signs located near each of the falls, remind visitors of the slippery rocks and the dangers associated with approaching too close.

SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY The luxuriant greenery along the creek and the mix of hardwoods and evergreens on the mountainsides assure a colorful and scenically beautiful hike at any season of the year. Be alert for deer, raccoon, Forest ferns along Frogtown Creek, DeSoto Falls or even a wild turkey while exploring the trails. Lower Falls These falls are .25 miles south of the bridge along a series of switchbacks which moderately ascend to the vista point.

66 Middle Falls Heading north of the bridge for .7 miles, walkers reach the Middle Falls by a wide, mostly level path that parallels the creek for most of its length. The Middle Falls, actually a series of three waterfalls, spring from far up the hillside. NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS C H A P T E R 1 1

Appalachian Trail Club, (404) 634- Appalachian 6495; Appalachian Trail Conference, National (304) 535-6331; www.atconf.org. PARKING Scenic Trail— On U.S. 19/129 there is limited parking at the Walasi-Yi Center (a Neel’s Gap to camping supply store), and an over- ﬂow lot a short distance further Tesnatee Gap north. At Tesnatee Gap there is a small unpaved parking area for a shuttle car.

BACKGROUND LOCATION Stretching unbroken for The trail crosses Neel’s Gap on more than 2,000 miles from U.S. 19/129 about 40 miles north the rhododendron-shaded hills of of Gainesville. Gainesville is about northern Georgia to the rugged forests 50 miles north of Atlanta via I-85 and of central Maine, the Appalachian Na- I-985. From the interstate, travel tional Scenic Trail affords the hiker an north on U.S. 129/GA 11 (exit 22) opportunity to explore a thin ribbon through Gainesville and Cleveland. of wilderness near urban America. Continue north, past the intersection This trail, following the ridges and val- of U.S. 19 at Turner’s Corners and leys of the Eastern mountains, was the climb to Neel’s Gap. To reach Tesnatee vision of Benton MacKaye, a pioneer Gap, continue north on U.S. 19/129 naturalist and urban planner. 67 past Vogel State Park. Turn right on MacKaye ﬁrst proposed the idea for a GA 180 and, after one mile, turn right trail in his article, “An Appalachian on GA 348. Follow this road for about Trail: A Project in Regional Planning,” 9 miles to the small unpaved parking published in a 1921 issue of the area just off the road on the right. Journal of the American Institute of Ar- Information: Chattahoochee National chitects. Over the next 16 years, trail Forest, Supervisor’s Ofﬁce, (770) 536- clubs were formed and countless vol- 0541; www.fs.fed.us/conf; Georgia unteers slowly carved a footpath from NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS

popular book, Walking with Spring. The idea caught on and today several thousand travelers, from children to retirees, have earned the privilege of being called “thru-hikers.” Persons planning a hike of the entire trail in a single season often begin at Springer Mountain (near Amicalola Falls State Park) in March and follow warm weather northward, arriving at Maine’s Mt. Katahdin in Oc- tober. In the summer of 1998, Schaefer repeated his trip to the acclaim of the media and hundreds of Trees in winter along the Appalachian Trail other hikers who came out along the way to walk with him. the rugged mountains. At the time, no While only a handful of hikers one envisioned a single footpath to be can “drop out” for six months to hike 68 hiked end to end, but rather a series of the A.T. in a single trip, others with the connected trails suitable for day trips dream to “thru-hike” do so over the and weekend camp -outs. course of several years. Most people, It was not until 1947 that anyone though, are content to explore trail chose to hike the entire length of the sections close to their homes. If the trail in a single trip. That year, Eric allure of the trail draws you and you Schaefer, a recently returned World wish to experience a portion, the sec- War II veteran, hiked from Georgia to tion from Neel’s Gap to Tesnatee Gap Maine, chronicling his adventure in a is an excellent introduction to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail—Neel’s Gap to Tesnatee Gap Tesnatee Gap Tesnatee 348 Neel‘s Gap to Appalachian National Scenic Trail Appalachian National Trail—Neel’s Gap to Tesnatee Gap

69 19 129 19 129 and Blairsville To Vogel State Park Vogel To NORTH To Blood To Mountain Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 11 - Appalachian Trail Neel's Gap to Tesnatee Gap 2nd proof NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS

trail’s rugged beauty and enduring found in Georgia—lush foliage, thick character. forest, breathtaking views, glimpses of wildlife, and an opportunity to enjoy WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN a small slice of wilderness. Amidst the This 6.5-mile section of the trail natural beauty, the rustic stone begins behind the Walasi-Yi Walasi-Yi Center is noteworthy. Con- Center at Neel’s Gap and immediately structed by the Civilian Conservation ascends along a series of switchbacks Corps during the 1930s, the center is to the summit of Levelland Mountain. a welcome sight for many weary back- From this vantage point, on a clear packers. The stone archway con- day, look for the distinctive silhouette necting the center’s two buildings is of the observation tower atop the only place in the A.T.’s 2,000-mile Brasstown Bald about 20 miles away. length where it passes through a To the southwest, the narrow steep building. valleys hide the rushing waters of Today the center continues to serve DeSoto Falls. The trail continues to travelers by selling camping supplies follow the ridgeline for another and equipment, clothing, books, and 4 miles ascending to the top of regional crafts. Cowrock Mountain, which offers a breathtaking southern-facing vista. NOTES (Some folks claim that on very clear winter days they can see the skyline of Atlanta 100 miles away.) From this point, the trail proceeds steadily, and sometimes steeply, downward to Tes- natee Gap. At the gap, another foot- trail leads south following the route of the old Logan Turnpike, a 19th century wagon road over the mountains. 70 For a day hike, wear sturdy walking shoes or boots, pack a jacket or wind- breaker (even in summer), and carry ample water for the trip.

SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY This section of the Appa lach - ian Trail provides all of the finer characteristics of the trail as it is NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS C H A P T E R 1 2

BACKGROUND Vogel State Located in a narrow cove below 4,458-ft. Blood Park— Mountain, Vogel State Park has long been one of the most popular travel Bear Hair destinations in the mountains of northern Georgia. Whether you come Trail to enjoy the spectacular scenery and mountain air, to participate in the varied selection of outdoor activities, or to learn more about Indian and mountain folklore, Vogel is an excellent point to begin your explorations. Vogel is Georgia’s second-oldest LOCATION state park (Indian Springs is the Vogel State Park is located on oldest), having been established in U.S. 19/129 about 42 miles north 1928 on land donated by businessman of Gainesville. It is about 110 miles Fred Vogel. During the Great Depres- north of Atlanta, via I-85 and I-985 sion, Civilian Conservation Corps to U.S. 129/GA 11 (exit 22). Travel workers built many of the park’s at- north through Gainesville and Cleve- tractions, including 20-acre Lake land; at the intersection with U.S. 19 Trahlyta (named for a Cherokee at Turner’s Corners, continue on princess whose grave, according to 19/129 and climb over Neel’s Gap. The legend, is marked by a cairn of stones park is on the left about a mile north at the intersection of U.S. 19 and 71 of Neel’s Gap. Information: (706) 745- GA 60), rental cottages (some of 2628; www.gastateparks.org. which are still in use), a campground, and hiking trails. The park welcomes PARKING the “Boys of the CCC” back to a re- There is a large parking area at union each spring. the visitor center, which is just a short For hikers, the trailheads for the distance from the trailhead. A daily .7-mile Byron H. Reece Nature Walk, parking fee is charged. the 12.7-mile Coosa Backcountry Trail, NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS

and the 4-mile Bear Hair Trail are lo- from the trailhead before leveling out cated just behind the cabin area a short and paralleling fast-flowing Burnett distance from the visitor center. The Branch. After crossing an old logging Reece trail, named for the renowned road, the Coosa Trail (yellow blazes) Georgia poet who grew up in these diverges to the right and the Bear Hair mountains in the 1920s, is an excellent ascends fairly steeply on long switch- choice for a short stroll through the backs to a point high above the park. forest, while the Coosa Trail is a chal- (A .5-mile-long side trail leads to a lenging backpacker’s route deep into scenic overlook of the park and Lake the mountains. The Bear Hair Trail of- Trahlyta.) fers a moderately strenuous day hike The latter half of Bear Hair follows into the wooded hills. Another path, a downward course, with one particu- the Lake Trahlyta Trail, begins at the larly steep descent, before passing picnic area and follows the shore of the through an area that was heavily lake in a 1-mile loop. logged during the early years of the century (look for the telltale remains WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN of rotting stumps).The trail closes the The 4-mile Bear Hair Trail (or- loop just above Burnett Branch before ange blazes) climbs quickly up returning to the trailhead.

Lake Trahlyta in Vogel State Park Vogel State Park—Bear Hair Trail

To Suches

NORTH

180

l f

e e

B k u r n e t t B r a n c h 5 Vogel State Park—Bear Hair Trail

W olf Creek

VOGEL STATE PARK 4 To Slaughter Gap 1 3

V 180 19 o 2 g e l S LakeLake t a t TTrahlytarahlyta e P a To Cleveland r and Gainesville k R d

W olf C re ek 19 73 To Blairsville

Vogel State Park Bear Hair Trail

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 12 - Vogel State Park Bear Hair Trail 1st proof NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY NOTES The Bear Hair Trail provides an excellent hike into the hills of the Southern Appalachians. Here you may enjoy luxuriant foliage and spectacular seasonal colors while perhaps capturing a glimpse of varied wildlife. Sights on the trail and in the park include: 1. Park Visitor Center (1930s, renovated 1970s)—The building houses park headquarters, lodging/camping registration, miniature golf equipment rental, gifts, and groceries. Hours: 8 A.M.–5 P.M. (later in summer). 2. Lake Trahlyta Pavilion (1930s; 1970s)—The CCC built a wooden pavilion that was replaced by the present concrete structure. During summer, the pavilion offers paddle- boat rentals, ﬁshing supplies, and refreshments. 3. CCC Museum (1930s)— Located in a converted snack bar, the museum features many artifacts and photographs depicting life in the Civilian Conservation Corps and the work done at Vogel State Park. Hours 74 vary. A new museum is currently under construction. 4. CCC-Built Cottages (1930s)— The cabins constructed of rough- hewn logs were built by CCC workers. 5. Lake Trahlyta Overlook—This point on a short side trail provides a panoramic view of the park, lake, and surrounding mountains. NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS C H A P T E R 1 3

across from the Unicoi State Park Unicoi State trailhead. There is a daily charge for Park—Anna parking in the state park. BACKGROUND Ruby Falls Confederate veteran Col. John H. Nichols purchased the falls and several thousand acres of adjoining land for farming and timber harvesting. He frequently brought his daughter, Anna Ruby, up to the falls to picnic and enjoy the scenery and named them for her. Nichols died in LOCATION 1898 and, a short time later, the falls Anna Ruby Falls is located on a and surrounding property were pur- spur road off of GA 356. From chased by the Byrd-Matthews Lumber Atlanta travel north on I-85 and I-985 Company, which began logging the to Gainesville. Follow U.S. 129/GA 11 area in earnest. At one time, a narrow- (exit 22) north through Gainesville to gauge cart track snaked down Smith Cleveland; then travel north on GA 75 Creek from the falls to get cut trees to past Helen to GA 356. Information: the mills more quickly. Track rem- Chattahoochee National Forest, Chat- nants may still be seen in the debris at tooga Ranger District, (706) 878- the bottom of the falls. In 1925, the 3574; www.fs.fed.us/conf; Unicoi State U.S. Forest Service, in the process of Park, (800) 864-7275; www. establishing the Cherokee (and later 75 gastatepark.org; Helen–White County the Chattahoochee) National Forest, Conven tion and Visitors Bureau, purchased this land. The Anna Ruby (800) 858-8027; www.helenga.org. Falls Scenic Area was set aside for preservation in 1964. PARKING To complement the National There is a large parking fa- Forest preserve, Unicoi was created in cility adjacent to the Falls visitor 1954. From the Cherokee, Unicoi center and another, smaller area means “New Way” and, in a real sense, NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS

the park has long served as the site for state-sponsored experiments in recreation. From the “squirrel’s nest” group camps to the beautiful Lodge and Conference Center, the park has developed facilities and activities of wide popular appeal. The meandering Smith Creek Trail connects Anna Ruby Falls with Unicoi State Park. Beginning just below the falls, the path winds along heavily forested ridges and narrow creek bottoms on its 5-mile route down to the Little Brook Camp- ground adjacent to Unicoi Lake.

WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN Anna Ruby Falls, Unicoi State Park 76 From the Anna Ruby Falls visitor center it is a western slopes of Hickory Nut Ridge. .5-mile, sometimes steep, ascent to the It moderately descends on a mean- base of the falls. This path is paved dering 4.5-mile path to Unicoi State and passes through lush forest as it Park’s Little Creek Campground. The parallels Smith Creek. From the base walk is lined with ferns, trilliums, of the falls, the blue-blazed Smith flame azaleas, and stands of rhodo- Creek Falls Trail winds along away dendron and mountain laurel that from the creek as it clings to the combine to make a rich palette of Unicoi State Park—Anna Ruby Falls

3 Anna Ruby Falls Unicoi State Park Anna Ruby Falls

R . n d i 1

a R

t s l n l

u a

o F

M S b m

y u

a i

R t r h

T a

n C n

r A e

k Unicoi State Park—Anna Ruby Falls

. d R s ll a F y b k u e R re a C n n h A it m S

UNICOI To Clayton STATE NORTH PARK Trading 77 Post Camp Ground 356 Unicoi State s Park Lake in b a 4 C 356

To Helen

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 13 - Anna Ruby Falls & Unicoi SP 2nd proof NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS

color in spring. Watch for lingering NOTES reminders of the logging operations as you pass through this regenerating Appalachian Cove forest.

SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY 1. Anna Ruby Falls Visitor Center (1989)—Located at the trailhead, this building houses an exhibit area, gift shops, and a deck overlooking Smith Creek. 2. Lion Eyes Trail—This short loop trail from the visitor center parking area follows the course of Smith Creek. It is wheelchair accessible and features braille markers for the visually impaired. 3. Anna Ruby Falls Overlook Platform—At the base of the twin falls, the deck provides an excellent vantage point to view the cascading waters. 4. Unicoi State Park Information Center—GA 356 at Unicoi Lake Dam. This rustic wooden building provides information about the park and nearby attractions. 5. Unicoi Lodge and Conference Center (1973)—GA 356 east of 78 Unicoi Lake. The comfortable complex, designed to complement its rugged surroundings, provides 100 rooms, meeting facilities, gift shop, restaurant, and lighted tennis courts. NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS C H A P T E R 1 4

BACKGROUND Black Rock Nestled in the heart of northeastern Georgia’s Ap- Mountain palachian Mountains, Black Rock Mountain State Park is the highest State Park— park in the state. The Eastern Conti- nental Divide follows the high ridges Tennessee across Black Rock Mountain, which draws its name from the sheer out- Rock Trail crop of dark stone cliffs that dominate its southern face. The bare rock is clearly visible from Clayton and throughout the valley to the south. Explorers in these surroundings will find fascinating evidence of what took place here eons ago as well as signs of LOCATION the impact of logging from the last From Atlanta travel north on I-85 century. and I-985 to Gainesville. Con- A detailed guide to the Tennessee tinue north on I-985, which merges Rock Trail, with descriptions keyed to into U.S. 441 near Clarkesville. About numbered markers along the trail, is 3 miles north of Clayton, turn left off available for purchase at the visitor of U.S. 441 on Black Rock Mountain center. Rd. and follow the signs to the park visitor center. Information: (706) WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN 79 746-2141; www.gastateparks.org. The 2.2-mile loop Tennessee Rock Trail makes a short ascent PARKING from the parking area before de- There is a small parking area at scending, at times steeply, to an old the trailhead and additional roadside logging road. After climbing a gentle parking along the road between the grade through a pine forest, the path visitor center and the park cottages. A ascends steeply to the summit of daily parking fee is charged. Black Rock Mountain before its steady NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS

descent back to the viving in the upper trailhead. For its elevations. entire length, the 3. Black Rock trail is above 3,000 Mountain ft. in elevation and Summit—The provides an excel- park’s highest point lent opportunity to rests 3,640 ft. above explore the botan- sea level and is ical wonders of an astride the Eastern Appalachian mixed Continental Divide. forest. 4. Tennessee Rock Overlook— SIGHTS ALONG The trail draws its THE WAY name from this 1. Boulder granite outcrop that Field—A provides a short side trail panoramic view leads to this botan- Morning clouds seen from Black Rock into the valley ically and geologi- Mountain below and on to the cally signiﬁcant area. The Sou thern distant northern mountains of Ten- Appalach ians were beyond the far- nessee and North Carolina. thest reach of the glacial ice sheet, but 5. Park Visitor Center—Situated the epoch’s cold, harsh climate still on the southern face of the mountain, kept this area shrouded in ice and the center features exhibits on the snow for much of the year. The con- plants and animals that occupy park stant freezing and thawing action, habitats. An observation deck offers a over many centuries, weakened these magniﬁcent view of the town of rocks, causing them to crack and Clayton and the mountains to the tumble from high above to here where south and east. Hours: 8 A.M.–5 P.M., 80 they have remained undisturbed for daily. (706) 746-2141. millennia. 6. Ada Hi Falls Trail—Ada Hi in 2. Stand of White Pines—This the Cherokee language means “forest,” area of evergreen depicts a forest in and this short .2-mile path descends transition caused by the logging of through hardwoods and thick stands hardwoods on the hillsides earlier in of rhododendron to a cove of tulip this century. Over time, the pines will poplars surrounding a deck that over- once again give way to the deciduous looks the falls. trees that are better suited to sur-

Black Rock Mountain State Park—Tennessee Rock Trail lc okRd. Rock Black 6

& US 441 To Mountain City To .

State Park

d R

c Tennessee Rock Trail Tennessee

B Black Rock Mountain 5 1 4

Black Rock Mountain State Park—Tennessee Rock Trail lc okRd. Rock Black NORTH 3 81 2 Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 14 - Black Rock Mountain State Park Tennessee Rock Trail 2nd proof NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS C H A P T E R 1 5

U.S. 76 bridge. The trail is reached Chattooga from Atlanta by traveling north on I-85 and I-985 to U.S 441 to Clayton, River Trail then following the directions above. Information: Chattahoochee National Forest, Tallulah Ranger District, (706) 782-3320; www.fs.fed.us/conf.

PARKING There is a small parking area at the northern trailhead. It is on the left, just past the Dick’s Creek ford. A larger, gravel parking area is located at the bridge where the trail intersects U.S. 76. Because this is not a loop LOCATION trail, it is necessary to have two cars or The northern end of this section to make arrangements for someone to of the 20-mile-long Chattooga drop you off at the trailhead or pick River Trail is located about 9.5 miles you up at the end of the hike. east of Clayton. Follow Warwoman Rd. about 6 miles to Antioch Church BACKGROUND (watch for the sign). Turn right on Rabun County is a walker’s unpaved Sandy Ford Rd. (Dick’s paradise, with foot trails Creek Rd.) and travel about 3.5 miles. for people of nearly any skill level or 82 After crossing a shallow ford of Dick’s physical condition to explore. An espe- Creek, look for the small parking area. cially scenic path is the Chattooga Nearby, an engraved boulder marks River Trail along the banks of the the crossing of the Bartram Trail. A waterway that carves the northeastern short distance east on the Bartram boundary between Georgia and South Trail is the point where the Chattooga Carolina. Made famous by the James and Bartram Trails fork. The southern Dickey novel and 1972 movie Deliver- trailhead is located about 8 miles east ance, the challenging river annually of Clayton, on the western side of the draws thousands of white-water Chattooga River Trail

To Warwoman Road

D ick 's Cre ek R Chattooga River Trail d . ( d

t )

h C 1 Chattooga River Trail

r e v NORTH i R

a 2b g o o t t

CHATTOOGA NATIONAL WILD & SCENIC RIVER

2c 2e 2d 83 To Clayton 76

r e v i R a oog Chatt

To Westminster, SC

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 15 - Chattooga River Trail 2nd proof NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS

Along the Chattooga River Trail enthusiasts who come to test them- climbs over several steep ridges and selves against its world-class rapids. descends at times to follow the river In 1974, Congress designated the bank. There are several excellent spots Chattooga as a National Wild and for picnicking, swimming, and fishing Scenic River and protected the river’s (Georgia fishing license and trout 57-mile course from its headwaters stamp required), as well as for beneath North Carolina’s Whiteside watching people “shooting” the Mountain to its end in Georgia’s Tu- rapids. Also, watch for white-tailed galoo Lake. The designation also pre- deer, wild turkeys, raccoons, hawks, serves the land corridor on both sides and other wildlife as you walk. of the river, assuring that the eco - The Chattooga River Trail is both a system remains relatively undisturbed. beautiful and a physically challenging path that hikers should not tackle un- 84 WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN prepared. Wear sturdy hiking boots The moderately strenuous and carry food, water (always filter or 10.7-mile section of the Chat- chemically treat river or stream water tooga River Trail described here be- before drinking), rain gear, and a gins at its fork with the Bartram Trail flashlight. While the trail is marked near Sandy Ford and ends on the with diamond-shaped white blazes, Georgia side of the U.S. 76 bridge. old logging roads, game trails, and Along its way through a forest of other paths can make the route con- second-growth hardwoods, the trail fusing at times. Be sure to carry an Chattooga River Trail up-to-date trail map (available from are close to it, not by sight, but by the the U.S. Forest Service or at camping sounds of the white water and the and outdoor equipment retailers) that screams of excitement from rafters will help you safely navigate and fully preparing to go through it. Continuing enjoy your visit to this wild and spe- along the trail, you will cross a wooden cial place. footbridge above Pole Creek and climb At the Bartram Trail fork, the over a ﬁnal ridge before making a steep Chattooga River Trail heads to the descent to the gravel parking area right. For a short distance it parallels along U.S. 76. To view Bull Sluice, take Sandy Ford Rd. (which leads to a the short path north out of the parking scenic picnic area on the river), then area along the river bank. crosses it and climbs over a ridge above the river. After about a mile, the SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY trail bends close to the river and its 1. Bartram Trail Marker— spectacular rapids. At the intersection of the trail The trail then climbs several hun- and Sandy Ford Rd. This brass plaque dred feet above and away from the marks the route of naturalist William river into the hardwood forest for an- Bartram, who walked through the other mile before returning to hug the South in 1775–76 to collect botanical river bank for the next 1.6 miles. This specimens. section offers several spots for soaking 2. Rapids—From several vantage your feet, taking a swim, casting your points you can see some of the class fly-rod for a trophy rainbow or brown III–V rapids that make the Chattooga trout, or relaxing with a snack and a River so popular with white-water drink. For the next several miles the enthusiasts. trail angles along the steep ridges A. Second Ledge (III) above the river, at times following old B. Eye of the Needle (III) logging roads that predate the cre- C. Roller Coaster (III) ation of the protected corridor. Watch D. Painted Rock (IV) for stands of white pines that mark E. Bull Sluice (V) 85 the transition areas where the hardwood forest is slowly healing itself from the extensive logging of the first half of the 20th century. Nearing its southern end, the path descends along switchbacks to a point close to the river near the powerful Bull Sluice rapid. You will know you NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS C H A P T E R 1 6

BACKGROUND Gainesville For many centuries, the native Creek people gathered for festivals and ceremonies near a natural spring in the Appalachian Mountain foothills east of the Chatta- hoochee River. In the early years of the 19th century, white traders camped at the site to barter with the natives, and the area came to be known as Mule Camp Springs. Through a series of treaties brought about by unrelenting pressure for white settlement, the Creeks were forced to cede much of their ancestral LOCATION land in Georgia to the state. In 1818, Gainesville is located about 50 Hall County (named for Lyman Hall, miles northeast of Atlanta via I-85 a Georgia signer of the Declaration of and I-985. To reach the starting point Independence) was established along of the walk, follow U.S. 129/GA 11 the northern border of the former from I-985 (exit 22) and travel about a Creek Nation, and in 1821, the state mile northwest to Jesse Jewell Pkwy. legislature granted a charter for a new Turn left, and the Gainesville munic- settlement to be called Gaines ville in ipal complex (city hall and county honor of Gen. Edmund P. Gaines, a 86 courthouse) will be on the right. hero of the War of 1812 and of the Information: Greater Hall Convention Creek and Seminole Wars. The site and Visitors Bureau, (770) 536-5209; chosen for the village was the area www.ghcc.com. around the old Mule Camp Springs. Gainesville grew slowly until the PARKING discovery of gold on Cherokee lands to In downtown Gainesville there the north. Despite prohibitions against are both metered parking spaces and white settlement in the area, gold- commercial parking decks. seekers rushed into the region, and the Gainesville

20 19 20

Old Glenwood 18 Gainesville

17 Prior St. N NORTH

129 Gainesville

16 15 North 14 Candler Ridgewood 12 13

Boulevard

Park North 11 10

9 Forrest Greenstreet Pl. 7 8 Prior St. N

Green St. 21a Academy St. NE Bradford 129 21b 23 21c 22 21d Brenau 60

Washington St. SE

E.E. Butler Pkwy.Spring St. SE

Maple Race

24 Broad 13

Green St. SE 6 1 87 53 2 1 129 5 3

53 13 4

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 16a - Gainesville 2nd proof NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS

Cherokees were eventually forced from south of Baltimore, Md., to have elec- Georgia. Gainesville, the largest and tric street lights. closest permanent settlement to the Cotton fields lined the nearby hills, gold fields, prospered as an important and merchants offered the latest supply and trade center for the miners. goods to local citizens and to the After the gold rush, Gainesville re- mountain people who came to town mained the gateway to the rugged and by wagon and, later, by automobile. remote northern Georgia mountains. The wealth of this period is reflected With the outbreak of the Civil War in the grand homes that still line in 1861, Gainesville and the entire re- Green Street, a popular residential gion became a tense and dangerous area developed on a ridge above the place. Few mountain people owned downtown commercial district. slaves, and many were staunch The city’s prosperity was suddenly Unionists who wanted nothing to do shattered on the morning of April 16, with secession and the Confederacy. 1936, when severe thunderstorms Families were torn apart as, ironically, rolled through the mountains. the mountain counties provided a Without warning, a massive tornado nearly equal number of men to both (believed to have been one of the armies. Marauding and murder were largest ever recorded) touched down commonplace. In November 1864, just west of downtown Gainesville. In Confederate sympathizers captured minutes, the twister cut a mile-wide, several men who were leaving to en- 8-mile-long swath of utter destruction list in the Union army and brought that included the heart of the city’s them to Gainesville, where they were business district. More than 170 people publicly executed as an example to were killed and more than a thousand others. injured; 992 structures were destroyed Tensions eased after the war, and and property losses were staggering. In Gainesville prospered again with the a few horrifying seconds, downtown arrival of the railroad in the 1870s. Gainesville nearly ceased to exist. 88 The improved access, combined with Help came immediately from the cool mountain climate, made many sources as the city sought to Gainesville a popular summer resort recover. Within a few months, the during the latter years of the 19th cen- city and county governments, in col- tury. The elegant Piedmont Hotel (no laboration with President Franklin longer standing) was constructed to Roosevelt’s Works Progress Adminis- house the tourists, and in 1889, the tration (WPA), a Depression-era completion of a municipal power relief agency, had spent more than plant made Gainesville the first city $3 million in repairing, restoring, and Gainesville rebuilding downtown Gainesville. A Brenau University is about 2.5 miles. new city hall, county courthouse, and The business district is level with a municipal complex were completed moderate rise to the ridgeline that fol- in 1937 and Roosevelt spoke at the lows Green Street northward. From rededication ceremony. the Civic Center, the route descends Gainesville became an educational through City Park before a short center with the founding in 1878 of climb to Boulevard and a turn south the Georgia Baptist Female Seminary. toward Brenau. There are good side- Now Brenau University, the campus is walks and abundant shade through - located just east of the central busi- out the route. ness district and is a treasure of Victo- rian architecture. SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY Over the years, as cotton declined 1. Gainesville Government in importance, it was replaced by Complex (1937)—300 Green poultry farms producing chickens and St. The marble-faced, Art Deco–style eggs for local, and eventually, regional City Hall and County Courthouse consumption. Today, Gainesville were built with support from the proudly boasts of being the “Poultry Works Progress Administration Capital of the World.” (WPA) to replace the government In the mid-1950s, the Army Corps buildings destroyed in the 1936 tor- of Engineers undertook the construc- nado. The green space between the tion of a massive reservoir near buildings is Roosevelt Square, named Gainesville to serve the water needs of to honor Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, thirsty Atlanta and communities fur- who spoke at the ceremony dedicating ther south. They acquired land along the buildings in 1937. NR the shores of the Chattahoochee River 2. Georgia Mountains Museum west of the city and built a massive (1940s)—311 Green St. Designated dam near Buford. In 1957, when the as a Smithsonian Museum, this waters filled the 38,000-acre reservoir, former retail building now houses an now named Lake Sidney Lanier to extensive collection of historical arti- 89 honor the 19th-century Georgia poet, facts tracing the history of Gainesville became the gateway to one Gainesville and the mountains of of the largest and busiest recreational northeastern Georgia. Two exhibits lakes in the United States. are especially notable. The first traces the life and career of the late Ed WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN Dodd, creator of the popular comic The loop through downtown, strip, “Mark Trail,” which still along Green Street, and past appears in newspapers around the NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS

country. The second exhibit profiles torium, and a sculpture garden. the life of Gen. James Longstreet, Hours: 8:30 A.M.–5P.M., Mon.–Fri. who was the second in command to (770) 534-2787. Gen. Robert E. Lee in the Confed- 6. Downtown Commercial erate Army of Northern Virginia. District and Gainesville Square Longstreet spent the last years of his (c. 1900)—Main St. between Spring life in Gainesville and is buried at the St. and Brenau Ave. This area has city’s Alta Vista Cemetery. Plans are been the heart of Gainesville’s busi- in development for a new museum to ness district for more than a century. be built on land adjacent to the Chief Mountain farmers used to travel by Whitepath cabin (no. 22). Hours: 10 wagon to sell their goods on the A.M.–5 P.M., Tues.–Fri.; 10 A.M.–3 P.M., square. This area was extensively Sat. (770) 536-0889. damaged by the 1936 tornado, and 3. Georgia Mountains Center the repairs are evident in the different (1980s)—301 Main St. With audito- colors of bricks that are visible in rium, trade-show, and meeting spaces, many of the buildings. the center is the largest facility of its 7. Boone-Garner-Norton House type in northeastern Georgia. It is (1885)—380 Green St. Built by Joseph used for a wide variety of musical and Boone as a simple 4-room cottage, the theatrical productions, conventions, house was subsequently remodeled and other events. with rich Victorian exterior and inte- 4. Railroad Museum—Jesse Jewell rior detailing. It is now a law office. Pkwy. at W. Academy St. Affiliated 8. Matthews-Norton House with the nearby Georgia Mountains (1933)—393 Green St. The adaptive Museum, this attraction traces the im- reuse of this attractive Tudor Revival– portance of railroads in Gainesville’s style house as a real estate office in history through exhibits housed in a 1967 marked the beginning of the restored baggage car. Also on site are preservation and restoration of a the Gainesville-Midland R.R.’s mas- number of the older homes along 90 sive steam locomotive #209, the last Green Street. commercial steam engine to operate 9. Lathem-Barnett-Moore House in Georgia, and a working miniature (c. 1880)—404 Green St. One of the railroad display. Hours: 10 A.M.–3 P.M., earliest residences constructed on Thurs.–Sat. (770) 536-0889. Green Street, it was built for busi- 5. Arts Council Depot (1910s)— nessman George Lathem. The house 331 Spring St. The restored railroad originally had a verandah that was re- depot now houses gallery space, ban- moved many years ago. Today, the quet and meeting facilities, an audi- house serves as a dental office. Gainesville

10. Nalley- Martin House (1937)—434 Green St. One of the last homes built on Green Street, this elegant Georgian Revival–style residence was commissioned by C. V. Nalley and designed by architect Norman Stambaugh. A Brenau University campus, Gainesville writer of the period called it “the finest house ever 5 P.M., Mon.–Fri.; 10 A.M.–4 P.M., Sat.; constructed outside Atlanta.” The 1–4 P.M., Sun. (770) 536-2575. house was later owned by Mrs. J. H. 13. Pruitt-Wheeler House (1909) Martin, who bequeathed it to Brenau —539 Green St. This imposing Clas- College for use as the president’s sical Revival house was built for mer- home. It was later sold and now chant J. C. Pruitt and was later owned houses offices. by Judge A. C. Wheeler. Today, it 11. Smith-Palmour House houses law offices. (1886)—446 Green St. An excellent 14. Col. W. A. Charters House example of the Queen Anne style, this (1906)—625 Green St. This large 2- rambling home, built for James Whit- story house with elegant portico re- field Smith, is notable for its elaborate mains unaltered since it was built by Victorian porch and turret. Charters, a prominent attorney from 12. Quinlan Art Center (1963)— Dahlonega. The house remained in 91 514 Green St. This center, built on the the family for many years. site of an earlier estate, provides 15. The Dunlap House (1912)— gallery space for works by local and 635 Green St. This 2-story Neoclassical regional artists. The Redwine House structure was built by Samuel Dunlap (1887) located next door at 502 Green as a wedding gift to his son. In 1986 it St. now serves as additional gallery was adapted for use as a bed-and- and meeting space. Hours: 9 A.M.– breakfast inn. (800) 276-2935. NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS

16. Rudolph House (1916)— 20. Gainesville City Park—Green 700 Green St. Designed by Mrs. John St. at Prior St. This 43-acre city park Rudolph as a residence for her mother, offers tennis facilities, recreation fields, Mrs. Annie Dixon, the Tudor–style and picnic areas. The Gainesville High home was noted for its beautifully School football and baseball stadiums landscaped grounds. Today it is a pop- are also located in the park. ular restaurant. (770) 534-2226. 21. Brenau University (1878)— 17. Longstreet-Newton House Boulevard between Academy and (1910s)—746 Green St. This frame Spring Sts. Founded in 1878 as the house was once owned by Helen Georgia Baptist Female Seminary, a Dortches Longstreet, second wife of private educational institution for Confederate Gen. James Longstreet. women (that was never directly affili- Mrs. Longstreet was one of Georgia’s ated with the Baptist church), the first environmentalists and ardently school’s name was changed to Brenau opposed the fledgling Georgia Power College in 1900. Over the years, the Company’s plans to dam the Tallulah college expanded its educational cur- River and destroy the world-famous riculum, earning university status in Tallulah Falls. She established Gaines- 1992. While there are approximately ville’s first Roman Catholic congrega- 1,500 female students attending classes tion in the basement of this house. on the main campus, the university has 18. Miller-Banks House (1912)— initiated a successful program of 756 Green St. This monumental Neo- evening and weekend classes for both classical-style house was built for the men and women. From its earliest Miller family by designer Levi Prater. days, Brenau has been an important The structure is notable for its 2-story, part of the Gainesville community. four-columned portico above a wide, Notable buildings on the National ground-floor porch. Historic Register campus include: 19. Gainesville Civic Center A. Wilkes Hall (c. 1900s)—This (1970s)—830 Green St. With a low Greek temple–like structure is noted 92 profile and classical styling, the civic for its cone-shaped dome. center was designed to complement B. Bailey Hall (c. 1880s)—The the beautiful older homes that sur- oldest building on campus, this round it. The center offers meeting 4-story, Second Empire–style struc- rooms and banquet facilities that ture is one of the most distinctive aca- make it a popular location for a va- demic buildings in Georgia. Adjacent riety of events from business seminars to the central tower is century-old to wedding receptions. Gainesville

Pearce Auditorium, one of the most Luci Shirazi Clothing Collection— beautiful facilities of its type in the 406 Academy St. A frame bungalow nation. It was completely restored and houses this extensive collection of modernized in 1983. clothing spanning styles from the C. Simmons Memorial Hall 18th through the 20th centuries. (1905)—The ofﬁce of the university 24. Gainesville Federal Building president is located here as are the (c. 1930s)—126 Washington St. This classrooms and studios of the school’s stately building was constructed highly regarded visual arts program shortly after the devastating tornado and the Sellars Art Gallery, which that ripped through downtown exhibits works by faculty, student, Gainesville. A notable interior feature local, and regional artists. During is the large mural Morgan’s Raiders, a exhibitions, gallery hours are: New Deal project painted by Daniel 10 A.M.–4 P.M., Mon.–Fri., and Boza in1936. NR. 2–5 P.M., Sun. (770) 534-6263; www.brenau.edu NOTES D. Wheeler House (1900s)— Boulevard at Washington St. Formerly the residence of the president, the facility now houses administrative ofﬁces. 22. Whitepath Cabin (c. 1780)— 403 Brenau Ave. One of the oldest structures in Hall County, this cabin was built by Cherokee Chief Whitepath. One room has been restored to display the furnishings found in a typical Cherokee home. Chief Whitepath died during the Cherokee Removal to Oklahoma on 93 the Trail of Tears. The house was relocated here from its original site and restored as a museum. Hours: 10 A.M.–5 P.M., Mon.–Sat.; 1–5 P.M., Sun. (770) 536-0889. 23. Bete Todd Wages and Princess NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS C H A P T E R 1 7

BACKGROUND Elachee The Elachee Nature Science Center was established in Nature 1978 as an environmental education component of the 1,200-acre Science Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve. Elachee is Cherokee for “new green Center earth.” Located within the city limits of Gainesville and less than 4 miles from the heart of downtown, it is one of the largest urban parks in the eastern United States. More than 50,000 visitors a year, many of them students, tour the museum exhibits, participate in classes, or hike the trails that crisscross the property. The adja- LOCATION cent Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve The Elachee Nature Center, lo- maintains an extensive network of cated adjacent to the Chicopee mountain bike trails for recreation Woods Nature Preserve, may be and competition. reached by exiting I-985 at the Oak- wood Exit (exit 16). Travel west, then WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN north on Front age Rd. to Atlanta Hwy. Four trails wind through the (GA 13). Turn left and go about a mile. center’s property, with more 94 Turn right at the sign for Chicopee under development. The trails Woods/Elachee Nature Center and, are free and open to the public from crossing over I-985, follow the road to 8 A.M. to dusk, daily. the center’s parking area. Information: The Ed Dodd Trail (red blazes) (770) 535-1976; www.elachee.org. traces a 1-mile loop as it descends east of the interpretive center to the banks PARKING of Walnut Creek. It climbs through There is a large parking area thick stands of hardwoods to join the adjacent to the interpretive center. Elachee Nature Science Center

Elachee Nature Science Center 985

1 Combined trail loops 1.8 miles k E e lac re hee C Rd. t u P ln 2 a W Elachee Nature Science Center

P Elachee Creek

NORTH Ed Dodd Trail Mathis Trail Boulevard Trail Other trails

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 16b - Elachee Trails 1st proof NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS

Boulevard Trail on the eastern end of a return to the the trail. center. The Mathis SIGHTS ALONG Trail (blue blazes) THE WAY proceeds west 1. Chico - from the interpre- pee Mill tive center, also on Village (c. 1920s) a 1-mile de- —GA 13 at the scending loop to- entrance to ward Walnut Chicopee Woods Creek. It climbs Nature Preserve. over several ridges Beneath stately and past Elachee shade trees, the Creek before it orderly rows of connects with the solid, red-brick Boulevard Trail. homes were once The Boulevard Elachee Nature Center part of the mill Trail (yellow village of the blazes) is a .25-mile trail connecting Chicopee Manufacturing Company. the Dodd and Mathis Trails. Adjacent The company closed in the early to the Boulevard is a handicapped ac- 1960s, and the houses were sold to cessible, graded cement pathway that private owners. winds through the woods between the 2. Elachee Nature Science Center center and the picnic area. (1984, with expansions)—2125 The Lake Trail (blue blazes) de- Elachee Dr. This rambling, 2-story scends, steeply at times, on a winding building is extensively used for stu- 2.5-mile path to the waters of dent and adult education programs Chicopee Lake. Along the way, the and houses exhibits, class and meeting 96 trail crosses over Vulture, Redwine, rooms, and a small gift shop. Hours: and Walnut Creeks. The route offers 10 A.M.–5 P.M., Mon.–Sat. (770) 535- excellent views of the changing forest 1976; www.elachee.net. as you descend from the upland 3. Chicopee Lake Aquatic Studies ridges to the creek valleys and flood Center (1999)—Calvary Church Rd. at plain. If you prefer not to climb the Chicopee Lake. This wetlands educa- steep trail back to the center (an addition facility includes trails and a board- tional 2.5 miles), you may park a walk, as well as a pavilion and teaching second vehicle at Calvary Church near pier overlooking a 13-acre lake. 2nd proof Map16c -ChicopeeLake Trail Georgia Walks Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. NORTH

V u l t u

r 985

k C

r e

e Re k Center Science Nature Elachee dw in e C re ek 2

W al nu t C re e k

Wa lnu t Cr reek eek lnut C

Chicopee Wa Lake Lake Trail Chicopee

C ha Other trails Lake Trail pe l C ek 3 re

C alv ary Chu rch Rd. 97 Chicopee Lake Trail NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS

NORTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS ANNUAL EVENTS

January u The Reach of Song (Young Harris) u Fasching Karnival (Helen) u Appalachian Music Festival February (Unicoi State Park) u Fasching Karnival (Helen) August u Fireside Arts and Crafts Show u Old Times Day (Vogel State Park) (Unicoi State Park) u Georgia Mountains Fair April (Hiawassee) u Bear on the Square Mountain u The Reach of Song (Young Harris) Festival (Dahlonega) September u Wildflower Walks u Mountain Music Arts and Crafts (Vogel and Unicoi State Parks) Festival (Vogel State Park) u Alpine Volksmarch (Helen) u Sorghum Festival (Blairsville) u Georgia Country Music Arts u Arts and Crafts Festival (Helen) Festival (Gainesville) u Autumn Fest on the Square u Earth Day (Elachee Nature Center) (Dahlonega) May October u CCC Reunion (Vogel State Park) u Gold Rush Days (Dahlonega) u Mayfest in the Mountains (Helen) u Oktoberfest (Helen) u Chattahoochee Trout Festival u Mule Camp Market (Gainesville) (Helen) u Great Pumpkin Arts and Crafts u Hot-Air Balloon Festival (Helen) Festival (Gainesville) u Wildflower Walks November (Black Rock Mountain State Park) u Magical Alpine Christmas (Helen) u Wildflower Festival of the Arts u Christmas Lighting Around the (Dahlonega) Square (Dahlonega) June December u Blue Grass Festival (Dahlonega) u Old Fashioned Christmas Festival 98 u The Reach of Song (Young Harris) (Dahlonega) u International Film Festival u Magical Alpine Christmas (Helen) (Dahlonega) u Festival of Trees and Christmas July in Hall (Gainesville) u July Fourth Celebration u First Night Celebration (Dahlonega) (Gainesville) u Float the Fourth Tube Parade and Fireworks (Helen) Atlanta’s skyline seen from the site of Fort Walker in Grant Park The Trading Post at Red Top Mountain State Park

Confederate Lion monument at Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta

Neal-Patterson House in Covington GREATER ATLANTA

While metropolitan Atlanta is home to more than 3 million people, there are unspoiled woodlands, scenic mountains, historic areas, and quaint Southern towns nearby that are a delight to explore. Within an hour’s drive of Atlanta, you may ﬁnd yourself trekking on a mountain trail, gazing at antebellum houses, or tracing the unfolding events of a Civil War battle. Today, Atlanta is the largest city in the Southeast, but little more than and a century and a half ago it was a rough railroad town on the line that connected Georgia’s interior with its important coastal cities. In the decades before the Civil War, towns like Madison, Cov- ington, and Newnan rivaled Atlanta in importance, as these communities were major supply centers for surrounding cotton plantations. By the time of the war, Atlanta had become the hub of a network of railroads that extended north into Tennessee, west into Alabama, south toward Macon and Savannah, and east to Augusta and Charleston, S.C. Atlanta’s value to the Confederacy as a transportation center made it an important strategic target for Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s invading Union army in 1864, and led to a series of battles at places like Pickett’s Mill, Kennesaw Mountain, and Peachtree Creek, before the climactic Battle for Atlanta in July 1864. While Atlanta was burned, several surrounding communities were spared, leaving a lasting legacy of antebellum architectural treasures that provide a tangible link to the past. GREATER ATLANTA C H A P T E R 1 8

Lake, Red Top Mountain State Park Red Top offers a wide assortment of recreational opportunities for families, Mountain boaters, anglers, and hikers. Miles of clearly marked trails meander State Park through creek bottoms, along the banks of the lake, and over the rolling, heavily wooded Appalachian foothills. Blessed with good forage and abundant water, the park is an excellent place for viewing wildlife. From the mid-19th century LOCATION through the early years of the 20th The park is about 40 miles north century, the area was a center for iron of Atlanta via I-75. Exit on Red mining, and the name “Red Top” is Top Mountain Rd. (exit 285) and believed to refer to the rust color of travel east about one mile to the park the area’s mineral-rich soil. Even entrance and visitor center. today, it is not uncommon to come across old mine sites while exploring PARKING the park and surrounding lands. Por- There is a parking area at the tions of the park were once part of an trading post/visitor center, which is extensive iron foundry established at adjacent to the Sweetgum and Home- Allatoona Pass in the early 1840s. stead Trails. There is also a large During the Civil War, the works pro- 102 parking lot at the Red Top Mountain duced arms and equipment for the Lodge. A daily parking fee is charged. Confederate army, and the factory’s Information: (770) 975-0055; yard engine, Yonah, played an impor- www.gastateparks.org. tant role in the famous Great Loco- motive Chase in April 1862. Today, a BACKGROUND ruined blast furnace, located at the Occupying a 1,950-acre Cooper’s Furnace Recreation Area peninsula jutting into the south of the park, is all that remains deep blue-green waters of Allatoona of the once bustling factory. Red Top Mountain State Park

a o n a t o A l l k e L a

N I A T RED TOP MOUNT MOUNTAINAINAIN N Red Top Mountain State Park U O STSTATEATE P PARKARK

3 2

NORTH

1 p Mtn Rd. ed To R 103 To I-75

Red Top Mountain State Park

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 17 - Red Top Mountain State Park 2nd proof GREATER ATLANTA

3.5-mile Sweetgum Trail begin at the visitor center and form a rough figure eight with the crossing point just west of the lodge parking lot. From the starting point, the red-blazed Sweetgum Trail gently descends on a northerly course to a fern-covered creek Homestead Trail, Red Top Mountain valley and meanders through an Ap- Lake Allatoona itself is the oldest palachian cove forest shaded by pines, Army Corps of Engineers lake in the oaks, hickories, and of course, Southeast. Long a popular destination sweetgum trees. It ascends along a for Atlantans, it was constructed in finger of Allatoona Lake and past the the 1950s. The state park, established lodge area before winding southward a short time later, preserves the scenic on its return to the trailhead. and historic landscape and offers easy The yellow-blazed Homestead access to the lake’s many recreational Trail follows a similar route through opportunities. the woods from the visitor center before crossing the lodge road and WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN meandering along a many-fingered The network of trails at Red peninsula, following ridge tops and Top Mountain is one of the descending, sometimes steeply, to the most extensive in Georgia’s state park lakeshore. In winter, the expanse of system. There are four marked trails: the lake is visible beyond the leafless 104 Homestead, Sweetgum, White Tail, trees, while in summer, the path is and Lakeside. Shorter paths lead to shaded beneath a thick canopy of the campground and picnic shelters. pines and hardwoods. The trail re- The White Tail and Lakeside Trails turns southward across the road to its start near Red Top Mountain Lodge starting point. The combination of and are each about a mile in length. the two trails forms a moderately Lakeside is paved and graded for strenuous 6-mile hike. The lodge sits access by the mobility impaired. The at roughly the midpoint and makes 5.5-mile Homestead Trail and the a great place for a lunch break. Red Top Mountain State Park

Note the sign on the trail just NOTES south of the lodge road pointing out that parts of the forest were heavily damaged by winds from Hurricane Opal in October 1995.

SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY 1. Trading Post/Visitor Center (1950s)—781 Red Top Mountain Rd. Located in a rustic wooden building with the feel of an old “general store,” the trading post/ visitor center is the ﬁrst stop for most park visitors. Staff provide maps and park information, and handle campground registration. Snacks, drinks, and souvenirs are also available. Information: (770) 975-4203. 2. Red Top Mountain Lodge (1989)—Red Top State Park Rd. Perched on a hillside above Allatoona Lake, the lodge features a 33-room hotel, conference rooms, gift shop, swimming pool, and the full-service Mountain Cove Restaurant. Informa- tion: (770) 975-0055 or (800) 864- PARK (7275). 3. Old Homestead (1860s)—Lake- side Trail near the lodge. This old log cabin, depicting frontier life in the 105 Georgia mountains, was relocated to the park and restored in 1996. 4. Red Top Marina—Red Top State Park Rd. This full-service facility provides ramps and docking space, boat rentals, repairs, and fuel. GREATER ATLANTA C H A P T E R 1 9

have long been described in the mem- Pickett’s Mill oirs of participants and the works of historians. Places like Rocky Face Battlefield Ridge, Resaca, New Hope Church, and Kennesaw Mountain are familiar to State Historic anyone who has studied Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman’s Site March to the Sea. Interestingly, the battle site at Pickett’s Mill was, for many years, conspicuously absent from most of the literature, including Sherman’s personal memoirs, despite its descrip- LOCATION tion by Union Gen. William Hazen as The site is located about 30 miles the “most fierce, bloody, and persis- northwest of Atlanta via I-75. Exit tent assault by our troops in the At- on GA 92 (exit 277) and follow it south lanta Campaign….” across U.S. 41 to Ga 381. Continue Situated between Dallas and Ken- south on GA 381 for about two miles nesaw, the battlefield was a thickly to Mt. Tabor Rd. The entrance will be wooded area of steep ridges and on the left. Hours: 9 A.M.–5 P.M., Tues.– narrow valleys coursed by the flow of Sat.; 12–5 P.M., Sun; closed on Mon- Pumpkinvine Creek (now called days. There is a small admission fee. Pickett’s Mill Creek). At the time of Information: (770) 443-1115; the battle, portions of the area had 106 www.gastateparks.org. been cleared for wheat and corn by the Pickett family, and a small grist PARKING mill stood along the banks of the There is a large parking area creek. adjacent to the visitor center. Near Dallas, at the Battle of New Hope Church on May 25, 1864, Union BACKGROUND forces under command of Gen. Joseph The battleﬁelds of the Civil Hooker had been fiercely repulsed by War’s Georgia Campaign Gen. John B. Hood’s Confederates. Pickett’s Mill Battlefield State Historic Site

Pickett’s Mill Battlefield State Historic Site

i l 8 l C

10 r e e 9 k

17 11 7 13

6 5 3 2 14 Pickett’s Mill Battlefield State Historic Site

1 15 4

To GA 92

NORTH

Mount T

brCuc Rd. Church abor 107

Bickert Rd.

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 18 - Pickett's Mill SHS 1st proof GREATER ATLANTA

After resting the night, the Federals confusing hours in the thick forest sought to extend their lines eastward (including a near attack on other Fed- until they could locate and encircle the erals), the men reached the vicinity of extreme right flank of the Rebel’s de- Pickett’s Mill around 3:00 P.M. and en- fensive position. Once found, they countered a strong Rebel force di- would attack in force in an attempt to rectly in their front. trap and destroy the defenders. With his troops gathering in posi- All day on May 26 and into the af- tion, Gen. Howard dispatched the fol- ternoon of May 27, Union troops of lowing message to Maj. Gen. George Gen. Thomas Wood’s division of Maj. Thomas, Commander of the Army of Gen. O. O. Howard’s 4th Corps of the the Cumberland: “I am on the ridge Army of the Cumberland maneuvered beyond the hill that we were looking through almost impenetrable woods in at this morning. No person can ap- search of the Rebel flank. All the time, preciate the difficulty in moving over Confederate commander Maj. Gen. this ground unless he can see it. I am Joseph Johnston was observing these now turning the enemy’s right flank, I movements and repositioning troops think.” Without time for detailed re- eastward to extend his own lines. connaissance, Howard prepared to On the afternoon of May 26, send his men into battle over rough Johnston ordered Gen. Thomas and unknown terrain. Hindman’s division to move from By the time Gen. Wood’s men New Hope Church to a position on formed for battle, it was late after- the Confederate Army of Tennessee’s noon and they were near exhaustion extreme right flank. Gen. Patrick from their all-day march. Wood’s plan Cleburne’s troops were also ordered called for an attack by three brigades to move and occupy positions east of in column (one after another) almost Hindman. Additional troops were like a battering ram. In this manner quick-marched to the area to provide he would concentrate his force in a additional support to the rapidly small area, breach the Confederate 108 entrenching defenders. All of these line, and wheel in behind it. movements were hidden by the However, at some point this plan rugged terrain and went unobserved changed and Wood decided to send by Federal scouts. Hazen’s troops alone against the In the early afternoon of May 27, Rebels and see how they fared before Col. Robert Kimberly’s troops of committing more men to the assault. Hazen’s Union Brigade were ordered On Hazen’s staff was the noted writer to march southeastward and attack Ambrose Bierce, who wrote of the enemy when found. After several Hazen’s acceptance of this order, Pickett’s Mill Battlefield State Historic Site

“Only by a look which I know how to the mill and were pinned down, pre- read, did he betray his sense of the venting them from reaching Hazen’s criminal blunder.” Under a darkening desperate troops. sky, Hazen’s 1,500 men formed two Despite the gravity of the situation lines for the attack while 11,000 and Hazen’s repeated calls for help, others watched and waited. Wood chose not to immediately dis- Gen. Patrick Cleburne’s Confeder- patch additional troops to the fighting. ates had spent the day establishing a Near dark, Hazen’s men were told to strong defensive portion on a high withdraw, an almost impossible order ridge above a narrow ravine and ar- given their exposed position. tillery had been brought up to pour Around 6:00 P.M. after much con- shot and shell into the valley. Gen. fusion and delay, Wood ordered Col. John Kelly’s dismounted cavalrymen William Gibson’s Brigade to attack also were stationed on a rocky hillside and cover Hazen’s retreat. However, above Pickett’s Mill. the Rebel troops, by this time At 4:30 P.M. Hazen’s men moved strengthened and resupplied, poured slowly forward, through thick brush, murderous fire into the approaching toward an overgrown ravine that they reinforcements. Soon, Hazen’s res- did not know was there. As they ap- cuers were themselves trapped in the proached, the air exploded with Rebel ravine, pinned down by incessant rifle gunfire. Within moments, Hazen’s and artillery fire. force was decimated, his first line As darkness closed in, Wood real- trapped at the bottom of the ravine ized the assaults had miserably failed and the second driven to the left to- and ordered his remaining brigade, ward a small cornfield where, ironi- commanded by Col. Frederick Kne- cally, the Rebel position was weakest. fler, to move forward, not to assault However, before the advantage could the enemy but to support the ravaged be exploited, Confederate Gen. Daniel troops long enough to cover a with- Govan’s Brigade was quickly dis- drawal and recovery of their patched to reinforce the line. After in- wounded. As they inched through the 109 tense fighting in the open field, the woods, they were joined by the rem- Federals were pushed back. nants of Scribner’s force which had fi- To support the Union assault, a nally succeeded in driving Kelly’s men small force commanded by Col. Ben- from the area around the mill. Within jamin Scribner had been sent along moments, the ground erupted with the banks of Pumpkinvine Creek to withering fire and Knefler’s column protect Hazen’s flank. These men ran was pinned down along with their headlong into Kelly’s cavalrymen near predecessors. GREATER ATLANTA

The shelling continued for nearly WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN four hours until around 10 P.M. when, The White, Red, and Blue Trails in a rare night attack, Gen. Hiram at Pickett’s Mill are arranged in Granbury’s Confederates, shrieking a three interconnected loops, each fo- “Rebel Yell,” charged down from their cusing on a different aspect of the positions into the huddled Federals at battle. For an excellent overview of the bottom of the ravine. the engagement, follow this 3-mile Hazen’s and Gibson’s men fled in route that combines parts of all the terror while Knefler’s relatively fresh trails: troops held their ground, preventing a Walk west from the visitor center rout of Wood’s entire command. By on the White Trail. You will pass in midnight, the Rebel assault was spent front of positions held by Confederate and Knefler’s survivors were able to generals Govan, Granbury, and safely withdraw. Walthall. Turn right and follow the Early the next morning, Lieut. R. wide path that was once a road M. Collins of Granbury’s Brigade leading to the pre–Civil War Leverett viewed the carnage and wrote in his farm and mill, where Maj. Gen. O. O. journal, “...dead men strewn among Howard had his headquarters. On blooming wildflowers. What is man your left is an open wheat field where and his destiny to do such a strange Federal troops were pinned down by thing?” heavy fire. It has often been said that the his- Beyond the field, you will pass tory of war is written by its winners, through woods where Hazen’s, and so the relative obscurity of the Scribner’s, and Knefler’s Federals fierce Union assault at Pickett’s Mill formed for their attacks. Bear right may be due, in large part, to its con- (east) until you reach the intersection spicuous failure in a campaign filled with the Red and Blue Trails. Continue with victories. straight ahead on the Red/Blue Trail Today, the Pickett’s Mill State His- and descend toward Pickett’s Mill 110 toric Site is considered one of the Creek. Along the way, you may view best-preserved Civil War battlefields the fading remains of trenches hastily of the Georgia Campaign and in the dug by Union troops. On your right nation. For serious students of the will be the wheat field through which conflict it is a place to analyze tactics Hazen’s troops marched as they de- and terrain, while for many others it is scended toward the ravine. simply a place to enjoy a peaceful After crossing a footbridge over a walk in the woods. small stream, you will reach the banks Pickett’s Mill Battlefield State Historic Site of Pickett’s Mill Creek. A short dis- beyond the wheat field until you reach tance ahead is the site of the Pickett the intersection of all three trails. family mill where there was intense Turn left (south) on what is now the fighting between Scribner’s Federals Red/Blue/White Trail. This route and Kelly’s Confederates. As you as- roughly traces the line of the Federal cend past the the mill site you will see attack as troops moved from the the remains of the Pickett family’s woods to the north, toward the ravine cabin. The family operated the mill at to your left. The thickness of the the time of the battle, and the cabin woods and underbrush in this area was probably damaged or destroyed reveals how difficult it must have during the fighting. When the Red and been to fight a battle here. As you Blue Trails diverge, continue southeast walk south you ascend toward the on the Red Trail. The Red Trail climbs ridgeline. It was from this area that to the ridgeline where the Rebel troops the Rebel defenders charged, were dug in and waiting for Hazen’s screaming the “Rebel Yell,” on the attack. (For an extended hike follow vicious night attack. The trail ends the side trail that leads left into the near the visitor center. woods on the eastern side of Pickett’s Notable points of interest are iden- Mill Creek. After about a half-mile, tified throughout the battlefield by this trail reconnects with the Red Trail wooden markers with color-coded at the top of the ridge.) Along the numbers. Detailed trail guides to each ridgeline, you will see what a com- loop are available at the visitor center. manding defensive position the Con- federates enjoyed as they poured SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY deadly fire on the Union troops 1. Visitor Center (1990)— trapped below in the ravine. Watch for The center features a small signs of trenches dug by Lowrey’s theater where an audiovisual program Confederates. Follow the Red Trail about the battle is regularly shown. west along the ridge to where it inter- An exhibit area contains historical insects again with the Blue Trail. Turn formation about the battle and excel- 111 right (north) on the Blue Trail and lent displays of artifacts excavated begin to descend through the ravine from the site. (Note: The use of metal- where the Federal troops were trapped. detecting equipment and the removal A glance at the terrain clearly shows of artifacts from the historic site is how ill-fated was the Union attack. strictly prohibited.) There is a picnic Retrace your steps past Pickett’s area across the parking lot from the Mill and follow the Blue Trail west center. GREATER ATLANTA

2. Ravine Overlook—Behind the visitor center, this wooden platform overlooks the old Pickett’s Mill Rd., the ridge, and the ravine beyond. 3. Original Pickett’s Mill Road—Now a footpath, this rutted road led to the mill. 4. Govan’s Earthworks— This series of trenches was hastily dug by Rebel troops before the battle and strengthened afterward. At one time they were part of a 5-mile-long defensive line stretching toward New Hope Church. 5. Leverett’s Mill Road— This road was erroneously followed by Howard’s Federals, who thought they would turn the Confederate right flank. 6. Wheat Field—Now an open meadow, at the time of the battle it was ripe with wheat and covered ground on both sides of the trail. Govan’s Civil War reenactors at Pickett’s Mill Battlefield artillery poured shells onto the Union horseshoe-shaped earthen mounds. troops moving through the woods These were dug during the night of north and east of the field. May 27 to protect cannons brought up 112 7. Gen. Howard’s Reconnaissance to support the Federal withdrawal —Howard rode forward to this point from the ravine. north of the wheat field and saw Rebel 9. Union Line of Attack—It was in troops moving in the distance. From this area that Hazen’s Federals formed this brief observation, he believed he for their attack late on the afternoon had found the Confederate right flank of May 27. and ordered the attack. 10. Union Rifle Pits—Along the 8. Union Artillery Fortifications— hillside above Pickett’s Mill Creek, A short side trail leads to several these shallow trenches were hastily Pickett’s Mill Battlefield State Historic Site dug by Federal soldiers on the night of Kelly’s dismounted cavalry. It was May 27. from this area that they attacked 11. Wheat Field—Scribner’s Scribner’s troops on Hazen’s left flank. Union troops moved through this 17. Hazen’s Troops Split—Near small field in an effort to support this site, elements of Hazen’s attacking Hazen’s flank. They were soon pinned force got lost in the thick woods and down by heavy fire from Kelly’s Rebels did not follow the troops in front of positioned in the hills east of Pickett’s them toward the ravine. Instead, they Mill Creek. moved left and crossed the cornfield. 12. Site of Pickett’s Mill—All that By sheer accident, they nearly remains of the mill that gave the bat- achieved the objective of flanking the tlefield its name are a few stacked Rebel line before Confederate troops foundation stones above the riverbank. were hastily marched to the area and 13. Site of Pickett Family drove them back. Residence—Foundation stones and 18. The Ravine—From this van- an old well mark the location of the tage point you can clearly see the im- home of the family that operated the possible terrain that the Federal nearby mill. Historians believe that troops faced. Thousands of men were the house was destroyed during the trapped at the base of the ravine and battle. faced murderous rifle and artillery fire 14. Cornfield—Hazen’s troops from above. The Rebel night attack reached this field before being re- came from the hills directly ahead of pulsed by Confederate troops, who you. had been rapidly deployed to extend the Rebel right flank. They drove the NOTES Federals back down toward the ravine. Hazen’s advance through this field was the “high tide” of the Union attack on this day. 15. Confederate Right Flank— 113 This path follows the position of the extended Confederate line. The rein- forcement of this line forced Hazen’s men—and most of the Union troops that followed—into the narrow ravine. 16. Confederate Rifle Pits—The shallow trenches here were dug by GREATER ATLANTA C H A P T E R 2 0

east of downtown Atlanta via Edge- The Civil War wood and Euclid Aves. The area may also be reached from I-20 by traveling Battlefields east to Moreland Ave. (exit 60), then turning left and going about 2 miles of Atlanta north on Moreland to Euclid Ave.

PARKING At Kennesaw Mountain Na- tional Battleﬁeld Park there is ample parking at the visitor center, at the summit, at Cheatham Hill, and adjacent to the Kolb Farm. Parking for the battleﬁeld at Peachtree Creek is at Tan- LOCATION yard Creek Park on Collier Rd. or Routes through three battlefields along adjacent side streets. Street are profiled in this chapter. Each parking is also available in Inman Park comprises a half to a full day to ex- for touring the Battle of Atlanta Trail. plore. They are listed in chronological sequence as the campaign for Atlanta BACKGROUND unfolded. The first is Kennesaw During the Civil War, Atlanta Mountain National Battlefield Park lo- played unwilling host to an cated on Old U.S. 41 south of Barrett army of visitors from up North. Unlike Parkway and I-75 (exit 269). The today’s tourists, these guests came 114 second is the battlefield at Peachtree bearing arms, not cameras, and under Creek, now part of an Atlanta residen- the watchful eye of Maj. Gen. William tial area located north of I-75 at T. Sherman, they spent their time not Northside Dr. (exit 252A) The third just seeing the sights, but destroying site is the ground on which the Battle them. of Atlanta was fought on July 22, 1864. Today, most of the battle sites, with The focal point of the battlefield is in the notable exception of Kennesaw the heart of the Victorian neighbor- Mountain, have given way to a cen- hood of Inman Park, about 2 miles tury of commercial and residential The Civil War Battlefields of Atlanta

1 41 2

NORTH 5

KENNESAW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD

Marietta

120

KENNESAW MOUNTAIN 3 NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD

360

280 Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

360 4 Kennesaw Mountain 115 National Battlefield

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 19a - Kennesaw Mtn. Nat. Battlefield Park 2nd proof GREATER ATLANTA

development. Despite these changes, Union soldiers emerged from the one can still explore these areas on woods and literally ran up the steep, foot, taking time to read the historical rocky slopes toward strong Rebel for- markers, study the terrain, and gain a tifications held by veteran troops. The greater understanding of this dra- Confederate guns remained eerily matic campaign as it unfolded. silent as wave upon wave of bluecoats dashed from their cover. Then, with The Battle of the first Federals only yards from their Kennesaw Mountain objective, the Rebels opened up with Like a sentinel guarding the all the rifles and artillery they had. northern approach to Atlanta, Ken- Like freshly hewn wheat, hundreds of nesaw Mountain offered a formidable Yanks fell, killed outright or griev- defensive position, while presenting ously wounded. the attacking Sherman with a serious Within moments, the attack dilemma. Should he attempt to flank turned into a massacre. After only a the Confederates or unleash a frontal few hours filled with terrible carnage, assault on the mountain fortress that it was clear that Sherman’s plan had threatened his army and its fragile failed miserably. supply lines? Following three days of re- Sherman chose the former strategy grouping, Federal troops pulled out and dispatched troops around the under cover of darkness. With blan- Rebel’s left flank toward the rail line kets wrapped around wagon wheels below Marietta. Anticipating this to muffle the sound, Union forces move, 11,000 Confederate troops moved southward toward the Chatta- quick-marched to bolster their south - hoochee River near Smyrna. His rear ern flank. In the fierce fighting that now threatened, Johnston was forced ensued, the Rebels were badly mauled, to abandon his position and retreat to but they succeeded in thwarting his defensive river line. The fighting at Sherman’s plan, forcing him now to Kennesaw Mountain was over. Infor- 116 consider an assault on the mountain. mation: (770) 427-4686; Sherman’s new plan called for two www.nps.gov/kemo. diversionary attacks to pin down the Southern troops on each flank and The Battle of a central strike with nearly 60,000 Peachtree Creek soldiers. Only two weeks after forcing John- The attacks began early on the ston back from Kennesaw Mountain, morning of June 27, 1864. Following Sherman had crossed the Chatta- an artillery barrage on the mountain, hoochee River and was threatening The Civil War Battlefields of Atlanta

NW The Battle of Peachtree Creek Dover Rd.

41 Normandy Dr. NW

W Wesley Rd. NW W Wesley Rd. NW

Habersham Rd. NW

Arden Rd. NW

Rd. NW Peachtree B Way NW 19 attle Rivers

P Ave. NW Manor Ridge Dr. NW e

c Woodward

h Dellwood Dr. NW

Peachtree Battle Ave. NW The Battle of Peachtree Creek C r e e k Woodwar

d Way NW

Ho Bobby w Jones l M ell T a Golf n Peachtree Creek y a l Rd.ill Course r d C r e NW e k

Overbrook Dr. NW

7 ree Road rfleet Rd. NW No

Peacht

Ravine Walthall Dr. N E Col Co lier Rd. NW 6 llier Rd. N Rd. N E Tanyard W Brighton . N Creek d

W Dr. 75 Park Camden R

clair 117

Mont Palisades 41

19 NORTH

75 85

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map19b - Battle of Peachtree Creek 2ndt proof GREATER ATLANTA

Atlanta’s inner defenses. McPherson’s planned to boldly attack there—and, troops were sent to Decatur to capture in a westward movement, roll down the eastbound railway, while the re- the Union line and drive it back to the mainder of the army stretched on an banks of the Chattahoochee River. This almost unbroken line from Bolton to plan had merit but Hood encountered what is now the residential neighbor- numerous delays in getting orders to hood of Virginia-Highland. his commanders and troops in posi- On July 17, 1864, Gen. Johnston tion. The attack was set for noon but had his Rebel troops dig in along a did not begin until 4 P.M., a delay that line just south of Peachtree Creek would cost the Confederates dearly. and await a move by his opponent. When finally ready, the Rebels ad- That evening, Johnston received a vanced through dense woods and telegram from Confederate Pres. struck the Union left flank at Clear Jefferson Davis. Davis, frustrated by Creek. Here, near what is now Brighton Johnston’s failure to stop Sherman’s Rd. in the neighborhood of Brook- advance, relieved him of command wood Hills, troops of Confederate Gen. and replaced him with the more ag- William Bate attacked the position held gressive Gen. John B. Hood. Union by Union Gen. John M. Newton’s divi- Gens. McPherson and Schofield, class- sion. Just to the west, Gen. W. H. T. mates of Hood’s at West Point, called Walker’s troops struck Newton’s right him a fighter and quickly warned flank astride the Peachtree Rd. Sherman to expect a drastic change Newton’s line briefly faltered, and in Rebel strategy. Rebels commanded by Gen. George Early on July 20, Union Maj. Gen. Maney attempted to breach the line George Thomas dispatched troops between Newton and Gen. John of the Army of the Cumberland’s Geary, whose men held positions to 4th Corps down the Peachtree Rd., the west along the Collier Rd. Seeing across Peachtree Creek, and upwards this weakness, Gen. William T. Ward’s toward the wooded summit on the far Federals rushed up from their posi- 118 side (the present site of Piedmont tions on the north side of Peachtree Hospital). Throughout the morning, Creek to reinforce the line and halt he solidified this position—appar- the enemy advance.To the west, ently unaware of a 3-mile-wide gap Southerners under command of between his left flank and a portion Gens. W. W. Loring and Ed C. of the 4th Corps that had been dis- Walthall pressed the attack against patched to Gen. Schofield. Geary and Ward. A massed assault Hood had detected the gap and north from the Mt. Zion Church The Civil War Battlefields of Atlanta

Cannon atop Little Kennesaw Mountain

(site of present-day Northside Park 1889, Harrison would be elected as the Baptist Church on Howell Mill Rd. at 23rd President of the United States. I-75) drove Geary’s men from the high ground near Northside Dr. and Collier Rd. and pushed them back to The Battle of Atlanta the present site of the Bitsy Grant Within hours after his troops with- Tennis Center and Bobby Jones Golf drew from the battlefield at Peachtree Course. This success was short-lived. Creek, Hood was hard at work devel- Union reinforcements forced the oping a bold plan to strike again. On Rebels back on a murderous retreat July 21, he ordered Lt. Gen. William through a deep ravine. J. Hardee’s Corps to march southward For more than two hours, the under cover of darkness, through fighting raged around Andrew Jackson Atlanta and then northeast toward 119 Collier’s mill on the Tanyard Branch of Decatur. If all went according to de- Peachtree Creek. By nightfall, Hood, sign, Hardee would be in position to badly beaten in his first engagement, launch a surprise attack on the rear withdrew his troops from the field. As of Gen. McPherson’s Army of the a footnote to history, one of the Union Tennessee at dawn on July 22. At the officers engaged in the fighting that same time, Gen. Benjamin day was Col. Benjamin Harrison. In Cheatham’s veteran troops would GREATER ATLANTA

assault McPherson’s front, squeezing Rebels poured through a widening the Federals in a pincer movement. breach in the Federal line and, despite Unfortunately, Hood did not an- its problems, Hood’s plan appeared on ticipate the time nor the difficulties the threshold of success. Hardee’s already weary men would Sherman saw the Confederate encounter, and they were not in posi- breakthrough from his vantage point tion until nearly noon. As a result, the at the Augustus Hurt house on Copen- attack struck the Union flank at hill (now the site of the Carter Presi- Legget’s Hill (near the present inter- dential Center). He immediately or- section of I-20 and Moreland Ave.) dered Schofield’s artillery to direct instead of the rear. After some initial their guns at the oncoming enemy. success, the Rebels were pushed back At the same time, Maj. Gen. “Black with heavy casualties. Jack” Logan, in temporary command When the attack began, McPherson of the Army of the Tennessee following was having lunch with his staff. On McPherson’s death, brought up rein- hearing the firing, he mounted his forcements and re-formed his lines. It horse and rode through the woods to is this precise moment in the battle the sound of the guns. Moments later, that is vividly captured in the famous he was killed by Confederate skir- painting at the Cyclorama mishers. Today, a granite memorial in Grant Park. marks this spot at the intersection of Whether Hood anticipated the McPherson and Monument Avenues. counterattack or not, he issued the Another key officer killed early in the order for his men to withdraw to their battle was Confederate Gen. W. H. T. lines and, by nightfall, both armies Walker. Ft. Walker in Grant Park is were in the positions they had occu- named in his memory. pied when the battle began. Once Delays continued to plague Hood again, Hood had gambled and failed as Cheatham’s assault on the Federal to loosen Sherman’s tightening grip front did not commence until after on Atlanta. Within days, the Federal 120 3 P.M. Once under way though, his artillery bombardment of Atlanta troops attacked along an almost un- began and the city’s fate was virtually broken line stretching from Legget’s sealed. Hill to the Georgia Railroad line. Spearheading the advance was Brig. WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN Gen. Arthur Manigault’s Brigade, Kennesaw Mountain which overran Capt. Francis DeGress’s The National Park Service Union artillery posted near the unfin- maintains a network of foot trails ished Troup-Hurt house. Masses of throughout the Kennesaw Mountain The Civil War Battlefields of Atlanta The Battle of Atlanta

121 GREATER ATLANTA

National Battlefield Park. The trails tack. Climb to the crest of the ridge trace a 16-mile loop from the visitor and continue north on Howell Mill Rd. center to the Kolb Farm and back, Turn right on Peachtree Battle and me- winding over the summits of Ken- ander along the banks of the creek that nesaw Mountain, Little Kennesaw the Federals crossed on July 19 and 20. Mountain, and Pigeon Hill. The path Imagine the masses of soldiers gath- meanders through open meadows, ered on the banks awaiting their turn marshy creek bottoms, and thick to cross. Return along Woodward Way stands of woods that look much the to the starting point on Peachtree same as they did in June 1864. Battle Ave. A day hike of the entire loop is a strenuous trip and advance planning The Battle of Atlanta is advised. Trail maps are available This 4-mile trail combines a walk and the staff at the visitor center offer in Grant Park with a short drive (or guidance on planning long or short ride on MARTA) to the residential walks in the park. Hours: The park is neighborhood of Inman Park. Begin open dawn to dusk, daily. The visitor on the hill behind the Cyclorama, center is open 8:30 A.M.–5 P.M., daily. glancing southward to the crest of the (770) 427-4686; www.nps.gov/kemo. hill. This is Ft. Walker, and the remains of an earthen fortification The Battle of Peachtree Creek mark the site of a Rebel artillery bat- This 5-mile walk begins at tery during the battle. Walk north on Peachtree Rd. and Peachtree Battle Ave. Boulevard through the restored Victo- and proceeds southward, retracing the rian neighborhood surrounding the steps taken by Newton’s Federals as park and cross the bridge over I-20. they moved into position early on Turn left and walk four blocks to July 20. The path follows Brighton Rd. Oakland Ave. Turn north and enter through Brookwood Hills, where the the grounds of Oakland Cemetery. men of Bate’s Rebel division waited in Within the cemetery are the graves of 122 the woods to strike. From Peachtree, several thousand Confederate (and a the path descends along Collier Rd. to few Union) soldiers who died in At- Tanyard Creek Park. This green space lanta’s Civil War hospitals. Near the marks the point of some of the fiercest northern boundary of the cemetery, a fighting in the battle. Following Over- historical marker notes the spot where brook Dr., the path crosses Northside Gen. Hood watched the battle of At- Dr. at the ravine through which lanta unfold. Return to Oakland Ave., Geary’s men retreated and where many turn right and go the King Center Rebels died in the Union counterat- MARTA station. Board the eastbound The Civil War Battlefields of Atlanta train and get off at the Inman site of the Rebel batteries that once Park–Reynoldstown station. Follow menaced the Union army located in DeKalb Ave. east to DeGress Ave. and the open ground to the north. turn left. A short distance ahead on 3. Cheatham Hill—Cheatham Hill the right a historical marker identifies Dr. off Dallas Hwy. The large monu- the location of the Troup-Hurt house. ment erected by Illinois veterans A little further, another marker rests stands in front of the preserved Con- on the spot of the DeGress artillery federate breastworks manned by battery. Continue down DeGress and Cheatham’s Confederates. It was here left on Alta to Euclid Ave. Follow Eu- that some of the fiercest fighting of clid toward the Little Five Points com- the entire battle took place. mercial district and turn left on 4. Kolb Farm (1836)—Cheatham Colquitt Ave. Cross Highland Ave. and Hill Rd. at Powder Springs Rd. Built enter the grounds of the Carter by pioneer settler Peter Kolb, the Center, where Sherman had his head- house was occupied by his son’s quarters. Return south on Highland widow at the time of the battle. Fed- to Washita Ave. and then west on eral sharpshooters were located in the Austin Ave. to Elizabeth St. Travel house during the fighting. Today, the south on Elizabeth, past several su- restored cabin is used as staff housing perbly restored 19th-century houses, and is not open to the public. to Edgewood Ave. A short distance to 5. Site of Civilian Conservation the left is the MARTA station. Corps (CCC) Camp (1939)—East of Kennesaw Mountain summit. The SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY CCC was a New Deal program initi- Kennesaw Mountain ated by Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt to 1. Visitor Center (1999)— provide work to many unemployed Stilesboro Rd. at Old U.S. 41. young men. Much of the early work in The newly expanded visitor center the park was carried out by men from offers audiovisual programs about the this camp, only faint traces of which battle, a museum, and a well-stocked remain. 123 bookstore. Staff are available to offer assistance. On weekends, a free shuttle The Battle of Peachtree Creek bus to the summit of Kennesaw 6. Tanyard Creek Park—Collier Mountain departs from the parking Rd. at Overbrook Dr. Historical area behind the center. Hours: markers describe the furious fighting 8:30 A.M.–5 P.M., daily. (770) 427-4686. that encircled Andrew Jackson Col- 2. Kennesaw Mountain Summit— lier’s mill on the banks of Tanyard A line of restored cannons marks the Branch, just north of Collier Rd. GREATER ATLANTA

7. The Ravine—Northside Dr. be- golfer Bobby Jones and Gone with tween Springlake and Norfleet Drs. the Wind author Margaret Mitchell. This deep, narrow ravine was the site Cemetery maps are available from the of heavy fighting as troops from both sexton’s office. Information: (404) sides battled for the high ground 658-6019. along the Collier Rd. 11. Site of Troup-Hurt House (c. 1864)—DeGress Ave. A historical The Battle of Atlanta marker notes the site of the unfin- 8. Cyclorama (1921)—Next to ished house that became the focal Zoo Atlanta on Cherokee Ave. in point of the Confederate break- Grant Park. This building houses the through during the battle. massive circular painting (400 ft. 12. Carter Presidential Center in circumference) of the Battle of (1985)—One Copenhill. The center, Atlanta completed in 1888. In the which includes the Carter Presidential 1930s, foreground figures were added Library, a museum, and offices of the to provide a three-dimensional depic- Carter Center, occupies the site of the tion of the fighting. The building also Augustus Hurt house, where Sherman houses a museum of Civil War arti- had his headquarters during the battle. facts including the locomotive Texas, Hours: 9 A.M.–4:45 P.M., Mon.–Sat.; famous for its role in the 1862 “Great 12–4:45 P.M., Sun. (404) 331- 0296; Locomotive Chase.” Hours: 9:30 A.M.– www.emory.edu/CARTER_CENTER. 4:30 P.M., daily (open until 5:30 in summer). (404) 624-1071. NOTES 9. Fort Walker (1864)—Grant Park west of Boulevard. An eroded earthen fortification marks the site of a Rebel artillery battery that fired shells on Union troops engaged in the battle to the northeast. 124 10. Oakland Cemetery (c. 1850)— Memorial Dr. at Oakland Ave. Atlanta’s oldest burial ground is a treasure of Victorian funerary art. In addition to the graves of thousands of Civil War soldiers surrounding a tall granite monument, the cemetery is the final resting place for many notable Atlantans including legendary GREATER ATLANTA C H A P T E R 2 1

strewn hillsides, and wide bottomlands McIntosh along the banks of the Chattahoochee River, is a site rich in both scenic Reserve beauty and human history. In the earliest days of the Paleo- Indians in Georgia (10,000–1,000 B.C.E.), hunter-gatherers traveled through this bountiful area and paused here near the river. During the Wood- land period (1,000 B.C.E.–800 C.E.), a permanent village stood on the site. By the peak of the Mississippian Culture (900–1,500 C.E.), the era of LOCATION the “mound-builders” who erected the McIntosh Reserve is located about great pyramid-like structures at 40 miles west of Atlanta off I-20 at Etowah, Kolomoki, and Ocmulgee, GA 5 (exit 34). Travel south on GA 5 the reserve was part of a network of about 20 miles to U.S. 27 and the trading paths that crisscrossed the re- community of Whitesburg. Cross the gion from the Mississippi River to the highway and continue south about Atlantic coast. 2 miles. The reserve will be on the left. When the first Europeans arrived Information: (770) 830-5879; in the new English colony of Georgia www.carrollcountyga.com. in 1733, this was the site of Chatta- hoochee Old Town, a principal village PARKING in the Lower Creek Nation. By the 125 There is ample parking at the time of the American Revolution, visitor center, by the ponds, and at many of the Lower Creeks, concerned numerous other locations along park about westward expansion of white roads. settlements, sided with the English, who had promised the Indians sover- BACKGROUND eignty over their lands under British The McIntosh Reserve, with rule. Not surprisingly, within a few its rolling woodlands, rock- years after winning independence GREATER ATLANTA

from England, the U.S. government the ideal person to lead the Lower began demanding Creek lands for set- Creeks, a people determined to adopt tlement. A number of treaties ceding the ways of the white settlers and as- land followed, nearly all with the similate as much as possible into their promise that it would be the last. culture—while still retaining their In an effort to survive on their sovereignty. ancestral lands, many of the Lower Their neighbors, the Upper Creeks, Creeks adopted the ways of the white were nearly polar opposites. They settlers. They built log homes, farmed, resisted every advance from white raised cattle, wore American-style settlers and refused to adopt new cus- clothing, and even owned slaves.There toms or assimilate, preferring to cling were a number of mixed marriages to old ways despite mounting pres- between white men and Creek women. sures. Brutal fighting took place Probably the most notable was the between the Indian nations, often in- union between William McIntosh volving American soldiers and settlers and Sejoyah, the daughter of a promi- on the side of the Lower Creeks and, nent Creek family of the Wind Clan. during the War of 1812, the British, McIntosh was the son of a Scots who allied with the Upper Creeks. Highlander, John McIntosh, who Following the massacre in 1813 of had arrived in Georgia with Gen. more than 500 white settlers, soldiers, Oglethorpe and received a grant for a and friendly Creeks at Ft. Mims (near large tract of land in what would later present-day Mobile, Ala.), the U.S. be Alabama. government deployed 3,000 troops One of William and Sejoyah’s under the command of Maj. Gen. six children was a boy they named Andrew Jackson to subdue the hostile William, who grew to become a cou - Indians.Joined by warriors led by rageous soldier and a chief of the McIntosh, this force attacked and Lower Creeks. During his life he dined crushed the Upper Creeks at the with presidents, fought alongside Battle of Horseshoe Bend near 126 Andrew Jackson in a war against the Alexander City, Ala. For his heroism Upper Creeks, and sought continually in the Creek and Seminole Indian to bridge the two cultures. These Wars, McIntosh was made a brigadier efforts eventually cost him his life. general in the army, and his influence In 1800, William McIntosh was grew. In 1821, McIntosh convened chosen as chief of Coweta Town (near a meeting of Creek and Cherokee present-day Columbus), a principal chiefs at his home to establish a clear town of the Lower Creek Federation. boundary between the lands of the With his background, McIntosh was two nations. The Treaty of Council

McIntosh Reserve

NORTH i

h C McIntosh Reserve 10 9 8 7 1 2 3 4 5 127

er iv R

6 e e h c o o h

5 a tt a

McIntosh Reserve h C Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 20 - McIntosh Reserve 2ndt proof GREATER ATLANTA

Bluffs set the Chattahoochee as the band of our people will be left to boundary, with the Cherokees occu- wander without homes, poor, despised, pying the lands to the north, while the and beaten like dogs....” For his service Creeks retained their ancestral lands in negotiating the treaty, McIntosh re- to the south of the river. Even as the tained ownership of three large parcels tribal leaders departed from the of land in Georgia: one at Indian council, they knew that pressures Springs, one near Macon, and an from whites for continued expansion upper reserve that included the planta- would place their lands in continuing tion on the bluffs above the Chatta- jeopardy. hoochee River. At this last property, he Four years later, Governor George operated a ferry, two taverns, a trading Troup was running for reelection on a post, and a stagecoach inn. It was here platform calling for the removal of all that a large group of Upper Creeks got Indians from Georgia, by purchasing their final revenge on Chief McIntosh, their lands if possible, or by force if by dragging him from his home and necessary. McIntosh, who was Troup’s murdering him on the night of May 1, cousin, knew that armed resistance to 1825. A short time later, these Creek this pressure was futile, and, as a prin- militants were finally forced from the cipal Creek chief, he signed additional last of their lands east of the Missis- treaties ceding more land, always with sippi, just as McIntosh had prophesied. a promise from the state that no more After the assassination, much of treaties would be necessary. Finally, on the land along the river became part February 12, 1825, he signed the Treaty of Indian Springs ceding the final parcels of Creek lands in Georgia. McIntosh expressed 128 the futility of Indian resistance when he said, “The White Man ... wants our lands. He will buy them now, but by and by he will take them and the little Council Bluffs at McIntosh Reserve McIntosh Reserve of newly formed Carroll County. and ascending into the low hills. It A small settlement grew around the then follows heavily forested slopes, ferry, but the discovery of gold in the passing close to a re-creation of Chief northern part of the county in 1830 McIntosh’s house, before continuing and the coming of the railroads a few northward. After crossing the park’s years later shifted the county’s popu- main road, the trail descends past an lation growth away from the river. old, primitive camping area to an The old McIntosh Reserve remained a open meadow and two small ponds. rugged, sparsely settled land. Just south of a restroom building and Early in the 20th century, the parking area, the trail bends north- Georgia Power and Railway Company ward again, climbing for about a half- purchased lands including the McIn- mile before turning southward on a tosh Reserve with plans to dam the steady, slow descent back to its start - river to produce electricity. The reser- ing point. voir was never built, but Georgia Power retained ownership of the land SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY for more than 70 years. Finally, in 1. Park Ranger Station 1978, the company donated the his- (1984)—This wood-frame toric McIntosh Reserve lands to building houses ofﬁces of the park Carroll County for use as a park for staff. An exhibit area traces the life of community recreation and education. Chief McIntosh and a history of the The park opened in 1984. reserve. Hours: 9 A.M.–6 P.M. (later in summer). (770) 830-5879. WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN 2. Old Ferry Site (c. 1820s)— There are approximately 12 The old dirt road just east of the miles of foot and horse trails ranger station leads to the likely site crisscrossing the 527-acre park. Most of McIntosh’s ferry, which was once of the land is a mixture of rolling, one of the few crossing points of the wooded ridges, valleys, meadows, and Chattahoochee River for miles in ei- open fields for recreational activities. ther direction. 129 The highlighted unblazed trail is a 3. Outdoor Amphitheater and 7-mile loop from the park’s ranger River Overlook—A hillside am- station. It traces an especially scenic phitheater hosts a variety of educa- route along the Chattahoochee past tional programs. On the crest of the the old river ferry site and Council hill, the overlook platform offers a Bluffs, before turning inland and panoramic view of a bend in the river, crossing the edge of a large open field where the ferry crossed. GREATER ATLANTA

4. Council Bluffs—These ancient 10. Pioneer Cemetery (c. 1840s)— rock outcrops on a hillside above the On a small rise just east of the park river were a gathering place for Native road, weatherworn markers note the Americans from prehistoric times locations of the graves of several of until the leaders of the Creek and Carroll County’s pioneer settlers. Cherokee Nations met in 1821 to reach agreement on the boundaries NOTES between the two tribes. 5. Recreation Fields and Picnic Area—Picnic tables offer a view of both the river and fields for soccer, softball, and other outdoor sports. 6. Meadows—During the years that McIntosh operated a plantation here, his slaves cultivated crops here along the river floodplain. 7. Old Log House (c. 1839)—This typical dog-trot house resembles the home of William McIntosh that sat on this site until it was burned in 1825. This building, constructed as the Acorn Bluff Inn and Tavern in Centre, Ala., was relocated to the reserve in 1987. 8. Grave of William Mcintosh (c. 1825)—Large boulders beneath the shade of an ancient oak tree reputedly mark the final resting place of McIntosh, though some versions of 130 the story of his assassination indicate that his body may have been thrown in the river. 9. Ponds and Recreation Area (c. 1984)—This area features two small ponds, a playground, restroom building, parking spaces, and picnic areas. GREATER ATLANTA C H A P T E R 2 2

BACKGROUND Newnan When Chief William McIntosh (see previous walk) signed the Treaty of Indian Springs, ceding Lower Creek lands, one of the original counties created by Georgia was Coweta. Named for Coweta Town, the last capital of the Lower Creek Nation, the county was chartered by the legislature on June 9, 1825. The first county seat was the small village of Bullsboro, established in 1827. As the village grew, citizens chose to rename their town for Gen. Daniel Newnan, a Georgia con- LOCATION gressman and military hero of the Newnan is located about 35 miles War of 1812. southwest of Atlanta via I-85. Exit Many early settlers acquired large on Bullsboro Rd. (exit 47) and travel tracts of land for growing cotton and west about 2 miles and turn onto became wealthy planters. Newnan Jackson St., which is one-way, south- prospered as a commercial center pro- bound. Go four blocks to the court- viding goods and supplies for these house square. Information: Coweta surrounding farms and plantations. County Convention and Visitors Bu- Planters and local business owners reau, (800) 826-9382; www.coweta.ga. constructed large town-homes around 131 us/Resources/welcomecenter. the bustling square to enjoy the educational and social life of the commu- PARKING nity. By the 1850s, wagon roads and There is curbside parking railway lines had replaced Indian around the square. Parking is also trails, and Newnan was developing permitted on side streets unless other- strong bonds with the rapidly growing wise posted. business and transportation center of GREATER ATLANTA

Atlanta, 35 miles to the north. These large Victorian homes along the links would soon define Newnan’s role shaded streets surrounding the busy in the impending Civil War. commercial district. The centerpiece Early in the war, Georgia was far of this architectural boom was the removed from the battle. Atlanta’s grand, neo–Greek Revival Coweta network of rail lines carried supplies County Courthouse completed in out to armies at the front and brought 1904.This courthouse was the scene of back thousands of casualties. In the one of Georgia’s most sensational spring of 1864, war finally came to murder trials, the case of John Wal- Georgia in earnest. In preparation for lace. Wallace was the richest and most Atlanta’s defense, Dr. Samuel Stout, powerful landowner in nearby Meri- medical director for the Army of Ten- wether County (his plantation was nessee, began relocating the wounded called “the Kingdom”). After a car from the city to outlying areas. Many chase, he murdered one of his tenant were transferred to large hospitals es- farmers at a gas station just inside tablished in Newnan. These hospitals, Coweta County. Despite intense polit- Bragg, Buckner, College Temple, ical pressure, Lamar Potts, Coweta Coweta House, Foard, Gamble, and County’s longtime sheriff, arrested Pinson’s Springs, would eventually Wallace. In 1948 he was tried and con- provide care to more than 10,000 pa- victed in the ornate second-floor tients. Following Atlanta’s surrender, courtroom. The case was profiled in the hospitals continued to operate Margaret Anne Barnes’s bestselling under Union supervision, treating book, Murder in Coweta County, wounded from both armies. The which was made into a 1982 movie failure of one Union foray into the starring Andy Griffith and Johnny area, combined with the presence of Cash. the hospitals, may have saved Newnan Today, Newnan prospers as the from eventual devastation at the “City of Homes,” a community of- hands of Maj. Gen. William T. Sher - fering both history and hospitality 132 man’s invading army. As a result, just a short distance from Atlanta. many of Newnan’s most notable antebellum houses survived. WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN By the turn of the 20th century, The 3.5-mile route loops Newnan was once again a thriving through the heart of the historic agricultural and commercial center of commercial district and along nearby western Georgia. Prosperous mer- residential streets. The terrain is chants and business executives remod- shaded and gently rolling with side- eled the older houses or constructed walks along most of the route. Newnan

39 38 To I-85 18 Temple 19 17 27A 15 Newnan 16 13 14 20

NORTH

kson St.

College 21 ferson St. Jac Wesley Jef 22 Madison

3 W Washington 2 12 4

1 8, 9 E Washington W Broad 10,11 23 24 5 6 7 E Broad Spring 26 25

27A

1st

40 Lagrange Salbide Long

27A

Buchanan

37 27 Reese 36

1st 28

Nimmons 30

35 133 31

32 Newnan 27A 34

To I-85

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 21 - Historic Newman 2nd proof GREATER ATLANTA

SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY 5. Carnegie Library (1903)— 1. Coweta County Court- Jackson and Court Sts. This large house (1904)—E. Wash- sandstone-brick building was con- ington and Jackson Sts. One of the structed with funds donated by phil- most photographed courthouses in anthropist Andrew Carnegie. It Georgia, this elegant neo–Greek Re- served as the main library until a vival structure was designed by James modern facility was built in 1988. W. Golucke and constructed for Today the building houses govern- $58,000. Notable architectural fea- ment offices. tures include the large copper dome 6. Reynolds Building (1914)— and expansive columned porticos on S. Court Square. Operated as a furni- both the east and west sides of the ture store for more than 80 years, the building. This building replaced the building now houses law offices. original 1829 courthouse that had During Prohibition, a speakeasy was served as one of Newnan’s many hos- located behind a secret door on the pitals during the Civil War. NR building’s second floor. 2. Newnan Bank and Trust 7. Old Opera House (1883)— Building (1894)—N. Court Square at S. Court Square at Jefferson St. This Jefferson St. Constructed as a bank Romanesque-style 3-story build ing and drugstore, the building has also was constructed by Dr. J. T. Reese, a housed a clothing store and a radio local druggist, as an opera house. station. Today it is used as a restau- Through the years it has served a rant. Note the date “1894” above the variety of uses and is now a bank. second-story windows. 8. Cole Building (1889)—E. Court 3. Meyer Building (1894)— Square at E. Broad St. Madison Cole N. Court Square. This building has had this building constructed as an had many retail functions. In 1997, investment property, and it remained it was completely renovated and is in his family until 1990. For many now a restaurant. years it was the local Woolworth’s de- 134 4. Alamo Theater (1890)— partment store. Note the inscription, W. Court Square at Washington St. “18 Cole 89,” above the second story. Originally constructed as a general 9. Cuttino Building (1866)— store, the building was converted for E. Court Square. Hidden behind a use as a movie theater in 1925. It con- modern facade, this is one of the tinued to be an entertainment mecca oldest buildings on the square. For for locals until it closed in 1986. many years it served as a department Today the building houses a home store. Today, it houses an office supply and garden shop. company. Newnan

Culpepper-Barge-McKoon house, Newnan

10. First National Bank Building to Newnan. The building now houses (1871)—E. Court Square. This build - law ofﬁces. ing served as a bank from 1871 until 13. Sargent-Estanich House 1955. Today, it is part of a retail shop. (c. 1840)—47 Jackson St. This house, 11. Arnall Building (1900)— built for factory owner Harrison Sar- E. Court Square at Washington St. gent, is an excellent example of the Arnall Merchandise, a farm supply Greek Revival style. store, operated here from 1900 until 14. Veterans Memorial Park— 1922. It housed Kessler’s Department Jackson St. and Temple Ave. This Store from 1927 to 1993. Today, the pleasant green space with its fountain renovated building serves as a popular is a memorial to all Coweta County local restaurant. military veterans. 12. Virginia House (1868)— 15. Welch-Parrott House (1843)— E. Washington and Jefferson Sts. Built 9 Temple Ave. Built by James Welch, a 135 to replace the original hotel that founder of the Newnan Herald, this burned in 1866, this painted brick cottage originally faced Jackson St. building was known for many years 16. Male Academy Museum (1829, for the ﬁne food in its dining room. 1883)—30 Temple Ave. Founded in Former Confederate Pres. Jefferson 1829 as a private boys’ school, the Davis gave a speech from the balcony academy served the wealthy families of the building during a postwar visit of Newnan for nearly 60 years. This GREATER ATLANTA

building was originally constructed as built by U.S. Congressman William a church. In 1883, it was adapted for Barton Wade Dent and expanded by use as the Newnan Male Academy. Dent’s descendants in 1905. The academy closed in 1888, and the 20. Dent-Walls House (1854)— building was moved and converted to 52 College St. This well-proportioned a private residence. In 1976, the struc- Greek Revival house was built by ture was returned to its original site Ephraim Dent, brother of William and restored as headquarters for the Dent. The structure is notable for its Newnan-Coweta Historical Society, four large Doric columns, second-floor including a museum with exhibits on balcony, and four exterior chimneys. local history. Hours: 10 A.M.–12 P.M. 21. Culpepper-Barge-McKoon and 1–3 P.M., Tues.–Thurs.; 2–5 P.M., House (c. 1880s)—19 Wesley St. Sat. and Sun. (770) 251-0207. Designed for John Culpepper by a 17. College Temple—Smith Ger man architect, the house’s style House (c. 1853)—73 College St. Once seems more European than American. part of College Temple, a private Note the unusual central portico with academy for girls that operated from a small second-story balcony. 1853 to 1888 (except when the build- 22. Arnold-Arnall-Shapiro House ings were used as a hospital during (c. 1835)—34 College St. Built as a the Civil War), this hexagonally Plantation Plain–style farmhouse, the shaped building was the college’s sci- roof was raised and columns and bal- ence laboratory and reputedly housed cony added in 1850. For more than the first printing press at a Southern 50 years, it was the home of Henry school. C. Arnall, president of the Wahoo 18. College Temple Building Mfg. Co. and father of Ellis Arnall, (1853)—75 College St. This structure Georgia’s governor from 1943 to housed the school library. All three of 1947. College Temple’s buildings were de- 23. Brewster-Barnett House signed by the school’s founder, Prof. (c. 1860s)—20 W. Broad St. This 136 M. P. Kellogg. After the academy small, single-story house was con- closed, the buildings were used as structed especially for Maj. Penn public schools. In 1904, Arcade Hall Brewster, a Confederate veteran who was demolished, and these two re- lost a leg in battle. Wide doorways and maining structures were converted to halls and large bedrooms accommo- private residences. dated his wheelchair. 19. Dent-Scott House (1851)— 24. Central Baptist Church 43 Temple Ave. Situated on the crest (c. 1900s)—W. Broad and Brown Sts. of a tree-shaded hill, this house was Constructed of rough-hewn marble, Newnan this imposing sanctuary is Tudor- house. It features a large central por- Gothic style. tico supported by two Ionic columns. 25. Wall Mural of Coweta County 29. Orr-Thornton House History (1998)—Scott Furniture (c. 1850s)—94 LaGrange St. Origi- Bldg. at Court and LaGrange Sts. nally a country farmhouse, this struc- Artist Ans Steenmeijer created this ture was moved to the northern large mural depicting significant corner of this block in the late 1800s. places and people in Coweta County It was moved a second time by I. N. history. Included in the painting are Orr to make room for construction of the late humorist Lewis Grizzard and his large house (see # 28). Governors Arnall and William 30. Storey-Hollis House Atkinson (1894–98). (c. 1850)—32 Nimmons St. Built as 26. Old Coca-Cola Sign (c. 1910s) the main house of William Storey’s —Coweta Co. Shopper Building at plantation, the building was disman- Lagrange and Spring Sts. A rare, early tled and moved to this location in Coca-Cola sign fills the south-facing 1866. According to local lore, the el- wall of this 1-story building. derly Mrs. Mary Storey refused to 27. Storey-Buchanan-Glover leave her country home, so her family House (1830)—87 LaGrange St. moved the house to town. Originally a small cottage constructed 31. Lee-Hackney-Banks House by Edward Storey, the house was (1850)—123 Greenville St. This purchased and expanded in 1850 1-story house was built by Sanders by Storey’s brother-in-law Hugh Lee. It was remodeled in the Victorian Buchanan, a prominent local judge style in the 1870s. and U.S. congressman. Buchanan 32. North-Young-Rosenzweig called his home “Buena Vista” (Beau- House (1852)—141 Greenville St. tiful View), for its hilltop view of the This large Greek Revival house is no- surrounding countryside. During table for its large Ionic-columned the Civil War Battle of Brown’s Mill, portico and nine-over-nine, first-floor the house served as headquarters windows. It was once the home of Dr. 137 for Confederate cavalry commander Abraham North, a surgeon in the Gen. Joe Wheeler. The old log ser- Confederate Army. vants’ quarters still stands behind 33. Parrott-Camp-Soucy House the house. (c. 1840s)—155 Greenville St. Once a 28. I. N. Orr House (1905)— simple frame house constructed by an 89 LaGrange St. Orr, a prominent early settler, this house was remodeled business owner and Newnan mayor, in 1885 by Charles Parrott, president built this large Neoclassical-style of the Newnan National Bank, in a GREATER ATLANTA

remarkably eclectic blend of Eastern “Shadowlawn.” It is now Hillcrest Fu- Stick, Eastlake, and Second Empire neral Chapel. styles. This extraordinary structure 39. Oak Hill Cemetery (c. 1840s) received a Georgia Trust for Historic —Bullsboro Rd. at Jefferson St. Preservation restoration award in Newnan’s oldest public burial ground 1987. In recent years, it served as a contains the graves of hundreds of bed-and-breakfast inn. Confederate soldiers who died in 34. Hackney-Passolt-Cox House Newnan’s hospitals. In 1997, the re- (1860)—148 Greenville St. Originally mains of Confederate hero William T. built closer to the street, this house Overby, called the “Nathan Hale of was moved deeper in the lot and en- the Confederacy” for his refusal to di- larged around 1900. vulge secrets in exchange for his life, 35. Orr-Whatley-Bassett House were reinterred here from a cemetery (1850)—134 Greenville St. This sym- in Virginia. metrical house features a twin-gabled 40. Manget Brannon Center for portico supported by six small the Arts (1909)—First Ave. at Long columns. Pl. Housed in a 1909 warehouse, the 36. Reese-Umberger House center provides studio and gallery (1856)—85 Greenville St. Originally a space for a variety of local arts organi- simple, 1-story house built by Dr. J. T. zations, including the Newnan Com- Reese, the second story and rooftop munity Theatre Company. Informa- dormer were added in the 1880s. The tion: (770) 251-4848. columns were a 20th-century addition. The ﬁrst telephone in Newnan NOTES connected Dr. Reese with his downtown drugstore. 37. Owens-Banks–St. John House (c. 1850s)—Built by Davis Owens, the house was acquired by Samuel Banks 138 in 1905 and remained in his family for 75 years. It is now a special events facility. Information: (770) 251-1206. 38. Willcoxon-Arnold House (1852)—1 Bullsboro Dr. Constructed of handmade bricks, this large Greek Revival structure was once the main house of John Willcoxon’s plantation, GREATER ATLANTA C H A P T E R 2 3

located behind Humanities Hall at the Covington corner of W. Hammil St. and Hay- and Oxford good Ave. BACKGROUND College This area was opened to settlers in the early 1820s when Georgia forced the Creek Indians to give up their lands. The earliest settlers founded the primitive settlement of Winton at the crossroads of the Charleston–New Orleans and Milledgeville-Ruckersville wagon LOCATION roads. However, inadequate water Covington is about 30 miles east sources limited growth, and most set- of Atlanta via I-20 and U.S. 278 tlers moved a few miles away and es- (exit 90). From U.S. 278, travel south tablished a new community called on Pace Street to the town square. To Newtonboro. In late 1822, the town’s reach Oxford College, turn north name was changed to Covington to from U.S. 278 onto Emory Street and honor Revolutionary War hero Gen. travel about a mile. The campus will Leonard Covington. Within a few be on the left. Information: Newton years it became the Newton County County Convention and Visitors seat and a regular stop on the new Bureau, (800) 616-8626; www. Milledgeville–Stone Mountain stage newtonchamber.com; Oxford College road. The town prospered with the 139 of Emory University, (770) 784-8888; construction of a railroad line con- www.emory.edu/OXFORD. necting the Savannah River port of Augusta with the new, fast-growing PARKING city of Atlanta. In Covington, there is ample By the time of the Civil War, on-street parking around the town Covington was an agricultural and square and on adjacent side streets. trade center with many ﬁne homes Oxford College’s visitor parking lot is constructed by the owners of the GREATER ATLANTA

surrounding plantations. The war Emory College grew in size and brought great deprivation, and during prestige until the outbreak of the Civil the 1864 Union invasion, Federal cav- War in 1861. The ranks of the faculty alry burned bridges over the nearby and student body were thinned by the Alcovy and Yellow Rivers, cut commu- call to Confederate military service, nication lines, and destroyed miles of and classes were suspended in 1862. railway. Fortunately, the town itself In 1863, several campus buildings was spared, and the many antebellum were converted for use as hospitals to structures in Covington provide a care for the wounded. tangible link to the city’s past. In re- Oxford and the campus buildings, cent years, Covington’s small-town like those in nearby Covington, es- atmosphere and well-preserved down - caped destruction, and, in late 1865, town contributed to its selection as the Emory College resumed classes. site for the popular television series In During the postwar period, under the the Heat of the Night, starring Carroll guidance of Pres. Atticus G. Haygood O’Connor. (1875–84), enrollment increased, a Within a few years of Covington’s new administration building (Seney founding, the Methodist Church es- Hall) was completed, and the school’s tablished a manual labor school in the endowment topped $100,000. In town for training young men in agri- 1881, from the pulpit of Oxford’s culture and the building trades. In Methodist Church, the Rev. Haygood 1836, the school’s mission was broad- preached an impassioned sermon on ened to encompass a more academic the importance of casting out the ha- and pre-professional curriculum and, treds of the Civil War, seeking recon- at the same time, it was renamed ciliation, and building a vision for a Emory College to honor Bishop John “New South.” Haygood’s message was Emory, president of the North eloquently embraced and carried Georgia Conference of the Methodist across the nation by journalist and Church. Atlanta Constitution editor Henry 140 In 1837, the Methodist Church Grady. A tangible result of this mes- purchased nearly 1,500 acres of land sage was a $130,000 contribution to just north of Covington and, on 330 Emory by New York businessman acres, Edward L. Thomas, a minister George Seney, for whom the adminis- and surveyor from Columbus, Ga., tration building was named. laid out the plan for a new town and The selection in 1888 of the campus to be called “Oxford” after the Rev. Warren A. Candler as the col- English alma mater of Methodism’s lege’s third president ultimately pro- founders, John and Charles Wesley. pelled Emory into the status of an

Covington and Oxford College Dearing 19 18

20 Mill

Mill

Conyers 21 ulrAe SE Ave. Butler Covington NORTH 16 22

Floyd 23

Thompson East 15

24 25

14 12 Davis 13 27 College

Floyd

a t SE St. Oak Williams

Usher Conyers

29 28

Elm 11

P a c e . t

S 9

E N . t S e c a P 8 10 36 1

7 otcloSt. Monticello 6 5

4 2

36 edik t SW St. Hendricks

3 Brown

Stallings St. NW

South Reynolds

Washington Lee rs

Usher To US 278 and I-20 Oxford To Cony 141 81

Clark 81 Covington Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 22a - Historic Covington 2nd proof GREATER ATLANTA

internationally renowned university. roots remain ﬁrmly rooted in Ox- In 1898, he relinquished the presidency ford’s soil. when he was appointed a bishop in the Methodist Church, and a few years WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN later, he chaired a commission consid- The 3-mile loop through Cov- ering the establishment of a Methodist ington is gently rolling. It starts university east of the Mississippi River. and ends in front of the Newton Candler’s brother, Asa G. Candler, County Courthouse. There are many founder and president of The Coca- shade trees and good sidewalks along Cola Company, offered the church much of the route. Academy Springs $1 million and land in the newly devel- Park—with benches, water fountain, oped Druid Hills area of Atlanta if picnic tables, and a playground—is at the church would relocate Emory the midpoint of the walk. College there. The proposal was readily The route through Oxford is also accepted. about 3 miles and includes a loop With Bishop Candler as its chan- along the Lucy Candler Hearn Nature cellor, Emory University was char- Trail on the Oxford College campus. tered in 1915, and ground was broken The terrain, like Covington, is rolling for the first buildings on the Atlanta with an abundance of shade trees. campus. World War I delayed completion, but the college relocated in 1919 SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY to join the graduate schools of the- Covington ology, law, and medicine that had 1. Newton County Court- opened a short time before. house (1884)—North side of the With the move to Atlanta, the Ox- square. This building, designed by the ford campus was not abandoned. Since ﬁrm Bruce and Morgan, is an excel- 1929, “Emory at Oxford” has served as lent example of the Asymmetrical the university’s junior college. Here, Victorian style. The off-center clock amidst a quiet, pastoral setting, a small tower is especially notable. NR 142 group of students (enrollment is 2. Bank of Covington (c. 1837)— around 600) enjoy an academic atmos- West of the courthouse. Built origi- phere with great emphasis on teaching nally as a hotel in Oxford, the struc- and faculty- student interaction. ture was dismantled in 1855 and Like the majestic, centuries-old transported by ox team to this loca- “Yarbrough Oak” in the heart of tion to serve as a bank. town, Emory’s limbs have stretched 3. Presbyterian Church (1926)— out to touch the world, but its historic 1169 Clark St. Noted Scottish-born Covington and Oxford College

Oxford College

E. Richardson Airport Rd.

81 Oxford College

49 Emory Way Collingsworth

Watson 47 48

Godfrey

Ashbury Wesley

46 Emory St.

W. Soule 45 E. Soule

44 NORTH 50 Fletcher 43 51 81 42 W. Clark 41

i W. George 53 e

52 n

Wesley

54 C 143

Whatcoat r

Lucy Candler Hearn 40 30 Nature Trail 39 35 31 P Emory St.

37 36 34 33 32 Emory Univ.- 38 Oxford College Michael's Crossing Way Moore

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 22b - Oxford 2nd proof GREATER ATLANTA

clergyman Peter Marshall once served is called the “Home of the Honest as pastor here. He later went on to Man” for Solomon Dewald who, de- serve as chaplain of the U.S. Senate. spite terrific hardships, paid off all his Portions of his film biography, A Man debts after the Civil War. The home Called Peter, were filmed in Covington was once owned by Robert Wood, a in 1955. Confederate quartermaster who was 4. Edwards House (c. 1830s)— involved in the mysterious disappear- 1184 Monticello St. This somewhat ance of the Confederate gold after plain clapboard house with small, Pres. Jefferson Davis’s capture outside square columns is one of the town’s Irwinville, Ga., in 1865. oldest structures. 10. First United Methodist 5. Bates-Terrell House (1845)— Church (1854)—1113 Congress St. 2108 Monticello St. Built by Dr. Ho- This imposing white brick church, in race Bates, one of the first physicians the Greek Revival style, was used as a to settle in Newtonboro, the house has hospital during the Civil War. The been extensively remodeled through stained-glass windows were an 1897 the years. addition. 6. Whitehall (c. 1830s)— 11. Callaway House (c. 1900)— 2176 Monticello St. The town house 1144 College Ave. Built by Thomas of John Harris, a prominent planta- Callaway, the home was occupied for tion owner and judge, is a classic ex- many years by his son Thomas, Jr., a ample of Greek Revival architecture. state senator, and his daughter-in-law Local legends describe the house as Martha, granddaughter of Coca-Cola “haunted.” Company founder Asa Candler. 7. Regency Hall (1897)— 12. The President’s Home 2204 Monticello St. The home of E. D. (c. 1830)—1123 Davis St. With fea- Lee, who lived here with his wife and tures from both the Georgian and eight children. The home has features Greek Revival styles, this house was of the Roman Classical style. constructed for the president of the 144 8. Dixie Manor (c. 1830s)— Southern Masonic College. The now- 3114 Pennington St. This is the only defunct school once stood across brick, 2-story antebellum house still the street on the site of the present standing in Covington. It was built by city hall. Judge Thomas Jones and contains ele- 13. Confederate Cemetery ments of the English Regency and (1864)—End of Davis St. in South Italianate styles. View Cemetery. A historical marker 9. Dewald-Elliott-Pratt House notes the final resting place of several (1850)—2171 Church St. This house Confederate soldiers. Covington and Oxford College

19. Dearing House (1845)— 4182 Floyd St. Relo- cated to this site, the house was built by Dr. John Dearing as part of his large plantation. 20. Rheburgh- Sockwell-Hardman House (c. 1845)— 3190 Floyd St. This simple cottage was The President’s Home, Covington remodeled in the Williamsburg style 14. Greer Apartments (c. 1900)— by recent owners. 2126 Conyers St. The columns for this 21. Henry-Mobley House building came from a hotel that once (c. 1858)—3166 Floyd St. This Victo- stood on the town square. rian cottage was constructed by local 15. Lee-Porter House (c. 1913)— dentist Dr. Henry T. Henry, reputed to 2146 Conyers St. This house is an ex- be a descendant of the Colonial cellent example of Greek Revival style. patriot Patrick Henry. 16. Magnolia Terrace (c. 1846)— 22. Cook-Adams-Williams House 3140 Academy Springs Cir. Designed (1904)—2173 Floyd St. Called “The in the Dutch Colonial style, this home Cedars,” this house is believed to have was remodeled in the 1920s. been remodeled in the style of the 17. Ginn House (1941)— home of Confederate general and 3188 Conyers St. This house is built Georgia governor John B. Gordon. on the site of the antebellum William 23. Neal-Patterson House Anderson home, which locals called (c. 1855)—2149 Floyd St. Simply “Poverty Hill” for the ﬁnancial devas- known as “The Cottage,” this house 145 tation Anderson suffered as a result of was built by McCormick Neal. The the Civil War. house’s appearance, with its large 18. Camp-Pratt House (1859)— front porch and steps leading to the 4158 Conyers St. The house was built second-story entrance, has remained by Dr. Archibald Camp, an early set- unaltered since its construction. tler in Covington. A local legend tells 24. Usher House (c. 1845)—1187 of Confederate soldiers hidden in a Floyd St. Built by Robert O. Usher, secret room to avoid capture. brother-in-law of Judge John Floyd, GREATER ATLANTA

the house is a fine example of the ture was built to house the Few So- Greek Revival style. ciety, a literary and debating club. 25. Floyd House (c. 1830)—1184 31. Humanities Hall (1875)—East Floyd St. This was the home of pioneer side of Quadrangle at W. Hammill St. Covington resident Judge John Floyd Originally called Science Hall and (for whom the street was named). His later History Hall, this building con- niece, Rebecca Latimer Felton, was the tinues to serve as classrooms and first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate. faculty offices. Adjacent to the hall is Note that the columns on the front of the new Tarbutton Performing Arts the house are not identical. Center, which opened in 2001. 26. Swanscombe (1828)—1164 32. Candler Hall (1897)— South- Floyd St. Believed to be the first clap- east side of Quadrangle at W. Ham- board house built in Covington, it mill St. Designed in the Neo-Roman was constructed by pioneer citizen style and named in honor of Bishop Cary Wood. It was later owned by Warren Candler, the building origi- T. C. Swann, who named the house nally served as the library. Today, it “Swanscombe” for his ancestral house houses offices, bookstore, and student in England. This is the oldest house center. still standing in Covington. 33. Language Hall (1874)—South 27. Graham-Simms House side of Quadrangle on W. Hammill St. (1850)—1155 Floyd St. This was the This is one of the first classroom boyhood home of Confederate gen- buildings built in the expansion years eral James P. Simms. The fanlight over after the Civil War. the entrance is especially notable. 34. Seney Hall (1881)—South 28. Porter-Rogers-Tuck House side of Quadrangle on W. Hammill (1903)—1146 Floyd St. Built by James St. This magnificent 3-story brick Porter, an owner of Porterdale Mills, build ing designed in the Victorian the house is designed in the Neoclas- Gothic style sits on the foundation sical style. of the original administration 146 29. First Baptist Church (1909)— building constructed in 1852. The 1135 Floyd St. This impressive struc- bell in the tower was an 1855 gift to ture is in the Graeco-Roman style. Emory faculty member Dr. Alexander Means from England’s Oxford College Queen Victoria. 30. Few Hall (1852)—Northeast 35. Few Memorial (1855)—On the corner of Quadrangle. Named in Quadrangle north of Seney Hall. This honor of Emory’s first president, marble monument was erected to Ignatius Few, this Greek Revival struc- honor the memory of Dr. Few. Covington and Oxford College

36. Hopkins Hall (1885)— retirement as college president. It was Southwest side of Quadrangle at built using contributions by friends W. Hammill St. Constructed to serve and former students. as the Technology Department during 42. Florida Hall (c. 1840s)—W. the tenure of Pres. Isaac Hopkins, it Clarke St. This weathered clapboard was converted to a gymnasium when house has been completely modernized. Hopkins left Emory to assume the 43. Old Methodist Church presidency of Georgia Tech. Today, (1841)—Wesley and W. Fletcher Sts. the building serves as the Admissions The focal point of the ties between the Office and campus welcome center. community of Oxford, Emory Col- 37. Williams Gymnasium lege, and Methodism. Simple in design (1907)— Southwest side of Quad- and constructed of whitewashed clap- rangle on W. Hammill St. Virtually board, the church was expanded with unchanged since its construction, the the addition of the two wings in 1880. building houses one of the oldest 44. Site of Kitty’s Cottage basketball courts in existence. The (c. 1840s)—Wesley St. The small Woodruff addition came in 1975. home of Kitty, a mulatto slave willed 38. Soldiers’ Cemetery (1863)—In to Bishop James O. Andrews, an the woods behind Williams Gymna- Emory Trustee, once occupied this sium. This small plot is the final resting site. In 1845, Andrews granted her place for 25 Confederate and 6 Union freedom and offered to pay her pas- soldiers who died in the nearby hospital. sage to Liberia. She chose to remain 39. Prayer Chapel (1875)—West in Oxford and, with the bishop’s aid, side of Quadrangle. A simple, 1-story she helped organize the Methodist brick structure built for campus wor- Episcopal Church, South. The cottage ship services. It was renovated in 1988. was moved to a nearby church camp- 40. Phi Gamma Hall (1851)— ground in 1938. North side of Quadrangle. An out- 45. Isaac Hopkins House (1850)— standing example of the Greek Revival Wesley and W. Soule Sts. This ante- literary society “temple” style of acad- bellum house was Dr. Hopkins’s resi- 147 emic building typical of the period. dence when he served on the Emory The hall was used as a hospital faculty. building during the Civil War and is 46. Emory College President’s the oldest remaining academic Home (1837)—Wesley and W. Soule building on the campus. Sts. Only a small frame structure 41. Haygood House (1894)— when first occupied by Dr. Ignatius Wesley and W. Clarke Sts. The home Few, the house was expanded and re- of Bishop Atticus Haygood after his modeled several times through the GREATER ATLANTA

years. When the college relocated to tempted to slip into Union-occupied Atlanta, this became the ofﬁcial resi- Atlanta as a freed slave. Captured by dence of the Dean of Oxford College. Federal pickets and threatened with 47. Branham House (c. 1840)— execution as a Confederate spy, she Wesley and W. Watson Sts. Built in the was ultimately sent back to Oxford Greek Revival style, this was one of and lived in this house. several private homes in Oxford 52. The Yarbrough Oak (1700s)— where students boarded during the Between W. George and W. Clarke Sts. college’s early years. Dormitories were This massive 250-year-old tree was so considered “facilities for mischief,” admired by the Rev. John Yarbrough and the ﬁrst was not built until 1912. (Dr. Haygood’s father-in-law) that he 48. Stone House (c. 1840)— acquired it to save it from destruction. W. Watson and Wesley Sts. Occupying It was later given to the town, and in the highest point in Oxford, this house 1929, the Oxford city government was built by the town’s surveyor, deeded the tree and a small plot of Edward L. Thomas. In 1854, the house land around it to “itself” in order to was purchased by Emory professor ensure its continued survival. George Stone, who lived here until his 53. Means House (c. 1820s)— death in 1889. W. Clarke and Emory Sts. Once a rude 49. Oxford Cemetery (c. 1837)— cabin built by a pioneer settler, this W. Collingsworth and Asbury Sts. house was acquired by Dr. Alexander Called the “Westminster of Georgia Means around 1834. Means was su- Methodism,” this burial ground holds perintendent of the manual labor the remains of eight Emory presi- school in Covington and was instru- dents, three of whom were Methodist mental in the founding of Emory Col- bishops. lege in 1837. He served on the faculty 50. Capers Dickson House and was the college’s president in (c. 1840)—Asbury and W. Fletcher 1854–55. Means called his home Sts. Another private home where stu- “Orna Villa” (Beautiful Home). NR 148 dents once boarded. Dickson was a 54. Allen Memorial Methodist student at Emory during the early Church (1910)—Whatcoat and W. post–Civil War period. Pierce Sts. This attractive sandstone 51. Zora Fair Cottage (c. 1850)— brick church is named for the Rev. Asbury St. between W. Fletcher and Young J. Allen, a Methodist mis- W. Clarke Sts. Dark-complexioned sionary to China from 1860 until Zora Fair came to Oxford from 1907. Charleston, S.C., in 1864 and at- GREATER ATLANTA ANNUAL EVENTS

April October u Spring at the Homestead (Red Top u Battleﬁeld Candle-Lantern Tours Mountain State Park) (Pickett’s Mill State Historic Site) u A Taste of Newnan (Newnan) u Trick-or-Treating on the Square u Newnan-Coweta Historical Society (Newnan) Tour of Homes (Newnan) u Autumn in Covington (Covington) u Oxford Day—Oxford College of Emory University (Oxford) November u Holiday Open House (Newnan) June u Living History Encampment December (Pickett’s Mill State Historic Site) u Homestead Christmas u Magnolia Blossom Festival Celebration (Red Top Mountain (Newnan) State Park) u Christmas Parade (Newnan) July u Holiday Candlelight Tour of Homes u Independence Day Parade and (Newnan) Fireworks Extravaganza (Newnan) u Covington Christmas Parade (Covington) September u Fall Festival (McIntosh Reserve) u Powers Crossroads Country Fair and Arts Festival (Newnan) u Coweta County Fair (Newnan) u Southern Heartland Arts Festival (Covington) u Pioneer Days (Red Top Mountain State Park) 149 Old Infantry School, Ft. Benning

A tree-lined downtown street in Thomasville CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

With its headwaters high in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Chattahoochee River traces a winding course through the state before emptying into Lake Seminole in the southwestern corner. Since prehistoric times, the river and its surrounding lands have been the lifeblood for rich and varied civilizations. Remarkable evidence for a highly sophisticated society stands just a short distance east of the river at Kolomoki Mounds State Historic Park, where large ceremonial mounds, built more than a thousand years ago, are vivid reminders of life in Georgia long before the arrival of European settlers in the 17th century. In the era of the modern Indians, two nations—the Creek and Cherokee—were bitter rivals for the lands around the Chattahoochee, and many battles were fought for control of the river and its tribu - taries. Because of unrelenting pressures for settlement in the 19th century, however, both tribes were eventually forced to cede all their lands to the state and relocate west of the Mississippi River. The cession of the last Creek and Cherokee lands opened up the interior of Georgia to settlement, and within a few years, the Chattahoochee Valley was one of the richest agricultural regions in the South. This was a land of vast cotton plantations, tilled by tens of thousands of slaves, and of towns like Columbus, Albany, and Thomasville that prospered through manufacturing or supplying agricultural goods and equipment. While most of the region was spared the physical devastation of the Civil War, the slavery-based economic system was abolished, creating a period of social chaos in the years after the war. Nonetheless, the soil was still fertile, and systems of sharecropping and tenant farming brought back some prosperity, although racially uneven, by the turn of the 20th century. Evidence of this wealth remains in the many elegant Victorian homes preserved throughout the region. Eventually, poor agricultural practices, most notably reliance on soil-depleting cotton as the main crop, contributed to a deep recession following the boll weevil blights of the mid-1920s. Farms were worn out and farmers flat broke. Through Depression-era programs, lands were restored and modern agricultural practices put in place, while mobilization for World War II bolstered local economies through the military buildup at Ft. Benning and other locations. The communities of the Chattahoochee Valley continue to benefit from a growing mix of agriculture and industry. From the eroded sandstone walls of Providence Canyon to the stunning beauty of Callaway Gardens, from the fascinating living- history village of Westville to elegant winter homes of wealthy northern visitors, the Chattahoochee Valley is an area rich in Georgia’s natural and human history.

Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel at Callaway Gardens CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY C H A P T E R 2 4

accessible with several trail crossings Franklin D. and parking areas along GA 190 and GA 85, making it an excellent choice Roosevelt for day hiking.

State Park— PARKING There is a large parking area at Pine the visitor center, at the campground, and at Dowdell’s Knob. There are Mountain smaller parking lots at trail and road crossings and at the eastern and Trail western Pine Mountain trailheads. A daily fee is charged.

LOCATION BACKGROUND The state park is located about Like the spines of giant ser- 20 miles north of Columbus via pents, Pine Mountain and U.S. 27 and GA 190. It may also be several surrounding, lower mountains reached by traveling about 7 miles stretch more than 20 miles along the south on I-185 from I-85, exiting on rolling Piedmont Plateau. Pine Moun- U.S. 27 (exit 42), and going south tain climbs nearly a thousand feet through Pine Mountain to GA 190. above the surround ing landscape. A Travel east on GA 190 to the visitor classic example of nature’s erosive center on the summit of Pine Moun- forces at work, this geological oddity tain. Information: (706) 663-4858; is an outcrop of hard quartzite that 153 www.gastateparks.org. has resisted weathering far better than The Pine Mountain Trail, 95 per- the surrounding softer rock. When cent of which lies within the bound- hiking in areas where the rock is ex- aries of the state park, is considered posed, watch for the whitish crystals one of the ﬁnest hiking paths in the of quartz that make up nearly 90 per- state and is supported and main- cent of the ridge. tained by hundreds of dedicated This area of small farms, deep in volunteers. The trail is conveniently the heart of the rural South, was little CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

known until the 1920s when New assisted farmers in developing better York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt land-use techniques, utilizing Roose - learned of the therapeutic qualities of velt’s own landholdings and farm as a the water at nearby Warm Springs. demonstration site, and assisted in set- Stricken by polio in his late thirties, ting aside lands for nonagricultural the once-athletic Roosevelt sought uses such as outdoor recreation. The any cure that might restore some summit and slopes of Pine Mountain function to his withered legs, so he were acquired by the state and set aside came to the Warm Springs Institute as a Recreation Demonstration Area. for lengthy sessions of physical Workers from the Civilian Conserva- therapy. Over the years, Roosevelt tion Corps and later from the Works came to love the natural beauty and Progress Administration constructed hard-working people of the region. the Roosevelt Inn and Cottages (now FDR purchased land for a farm the state park visitor center), swim- and built a modest retreat just outside ming pool, recreation lakes, and group Warm Springs on the northern slope camps to attract tourists to the area. of Pine Mountain. During his long The buildings were constructed of na- tenure as U.S. president (1933–45), tive Pine Mountain fieldstone and con- the residence—the only house he ever tributed to the park’s distinctive archi- owned—came to be known as the tecture. Pine Mountain State Park “Little White House.” Here he escaped opened to the public in the late 1930s, the relentless pressure of Washington and FDR visited the park many times to relax, think, meet with military and took an active interest in the area and civilian leaders, and plan the up until his death at the Little White strategies that brought the nation House in 1945. back from the brink of economic ruin After World War II, much of and, later, to victory in World War II. Roose velt’s land was acquired by the Between sessions of therapy, Roose - state and added to the park, which velt took frequent automobile trips was renamed as a lasting memorial to 154 through the pastoral valleys and along the late president. the mountain ridge, often picnicking Through the years, numerous foot- with friends at a promontory called paths crisscrossed Pine Mountain, Dowdell’s Knob. but there was no coordinated trail When the country was hit by the system for hikers to enjoy the rugged Great Depression, Roosevelt created a terrain and scenic panoramas from number of Federal agencies to help re- the mountain’s ridges. In 1975, the vive the nation’s economy. At Pine nonprofit Pine Mountain Trail Asso- Mountain, the Federal Land Program ciation was established to create a Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park—Pine Mountain Trail Warm Springs 9 P A 190 P Main Trail Loop Connecting Trails Parking P B NORTH P 8 190 P 10 C TT P ARK 190 TETEP P Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park—Pine Mountain Trail A 6 STATE PARK ST 7 P 1 354 D FRANKLINFRANKLIND.ROOSEVEL D. ROOSEVEL FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT P 155 E P 3 2 354 4 FDR State Park F Pine Mountain Trail YY 18 A 27 W Pine Mountain P GARDENS CALLAWAY CALLA 5 Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 23 - FDR State Park Pine Mountain Trail 2ndt proof CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

continuous foot-trail connecting the Creek Nature Trail is identiﬁed with eastern and western ends of the red blazes. Four of the loops have mountain, opening up the natural backcountry campsites that may be beauty of the Piedmont’s rolling reserved through Roosevelt State foothills. One of the trail’s founders Park: (800) 864-PARK or (706) 663- imagined a “one hundred mile trail,” 4858. linking Pine Mountain with Indian Note that double blazes indicate Springs State Park, but that vision either a change in trail direction or an died because of the overwhelming approaching intersection. Detailed complexities of carving a footpath topographical maps of the trail net- over many miles of private property. work are available for purchase at the visitor center, at local outdoor equip- WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN ment stores, or directly from the Pine The blue-blazed Pine Mountain Mountain Trail Association (P.O. Trail (PMT) follows a winding Box 5, Columbus, GA 31902; www. 23-mile route from its eastern ter- pinemountaintrail.org minus beneath the WJSP-TV tower on Warning: All water drawn from GA 85 to its western end on U.S. 27, streams and other sources along the across from the Callaway Gardens trails should be puriﬁed before Country Store. Along the way, it me- drinking. anders across the mountain’s summit, ridges, and valleys, crisscrossing A. Wolfden Loop (6.7 miles) GA 190 several times and offering Encompassing many acres that hikers multiple entry points to the were once part of the Roosevelt farm, trail. this section begins at the roadside Several connecting trails have been park just north of the intersection of blazed that connect to the main trail GA 190 and 85. The loop combines and create six loops (with more the 1.7-mile, white-blazed Beaver planned for the future) ranging in dis- Pond connecting trail and the blue- 156 tance from 3.2 to 7.8 miles in length. blazed main trail. From the trailhead, Each is ideally suited for exploring the the Beaver Pond Trail meanders nearly varied natural and historic features of due west, descending through a nar - the mountain on either a day trip or row valley before climbing over the overnight hike. mountain ridge and crossing GA 190. The main Pine Mountain Trail From a vantage point just south of the is marked by blue blazes, and con- highway, winter hikers are treated to a necting trails are marked with white panoramic view of Dow dell’s Knob blazes. The state park’s Mountain about 3 miles distant. Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park—Pine Mountain Trail

Rocky Point marks the intersection C. Big Poplar Loop of the Beaver Pond with the Pine (7.8 miles) Mountain Trail which, after crossing From the Fox Den parking area the highway again (there is a parking on GA 190, east of GA 354, the trail area), ascends through thick woods descends northward through Fox Den and past the Sassafras Hill back- Cove, past the intersection with the country camp. A steep climb over Pool Trail, and steeply ascends over Hogback Mountain leads down the Indian Mountain. The loop then other side to the site of an old sawmill winds down past the Big Knot and and along Wolfden Branch, which Beech Bottom backcountry camps flows over Cascade, Slippery Rock, Big before a climb beside the waters of Rock, and Csonka Falls. The trail Beech Branch and beneath Rat- passes Mr. Roosevelt’s fishing ponds tlesnake Bluff. After some distance on its return to the starting point. along a ridge, the trail passes Big Poplar Creek before climbing steadily B. Dowdell’s Knob Loop back to the road. Just south of the (4.3 miles) highway, follow the 2.7-mile, white- This loop begins at the picnic area blazed Sawtooth connecting trail as it located at the end of the Dowdell’s winds just below a ridge, past the Knob spur road from GA 190. One Grindstone Gap campsite, and be- of the park’s most popular destina- neath the summit of L’il Butt Knob tions, the knob offers a spectacular with its view of the park’s group camp view of the Pine Mountain valley. The and Lake Franklin. After a short dis- trail follows the contour of the knob tance along a series of switchbacks, just beneath the summit following a the loop returns to its starting point. gently undulating northerly route past Castle Rock before joining the D. Long Leaf Loop 1.3-mile white-blazed Boottop con- (6.9 miles) necting trail. From gently ascending From the Pine Mountain Trail Boottop, the section of the Pine about .3 miles west of GA 190 at the 157 Mountain Trail in this loop winds Fox Den Cove parking area, follow the southward past Hornet Knob, Brown white-blazed Pool connecting trail as Dog Bluff, and then back to it winds westward toward the park Dowdell’s Knob. At several points campground, crossing the park swim- along the way, the woods open up to ming pool area and GA 354 along the reveal a panorama of the broad valley way. At the intersection with the and the ridges of smaller Oak Moun- red-blazed Mountain Creek Nature tain to the south. Trail, follow the southern fork of the CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

Mountain Creek Trail until it recon- westward following the steadily de- nects with the PMT. scending, white-blazed Chestnut Oak Before walking east on the Pine connecting trail along the northern Mountain Trail, travel a short distance slope of Pine Mountain. From the in- to the west to see a series of fish tersection of GA 190 and U.S. 27 at hatchery ponds built by the CCC the Callaway Gardens Country Store, during the 1930s. Beyond those, along follow the blue-blazed Pine Mountain the path to the western terminus of Trail on a steady 1.3-mile ascent along the Pine Mountain Trail, are several the southern slope of the mountain vista points offering spectacular views back to the intersection with GA 190 of nearby Callaway Gardens. at Gardens Overlook. To complete the loop, return east on the Pine Mountain Trail and then SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY south as it ascends over the summit 1. FDR State Park Visitor ridge and crosses GA 190 before Center (c. 1930s)—GA 190. reaching an observation point at Buz- Located on the Pine Mountain Trail, zard’s Roost. Continue east past the this grand, 2-story fieldstone building park headquarters as the trail follows was constructed by the CCC to serve a path just beneath the summit on its as an inn. The center sits astride the course back to the starting point. summit of Pine Mountain with a commanding view of the valley to the E. Mountain Creek Nature Trail south. Adjacent to the center is an (3.2 miles) outdoor amphitheater, also con- This is an easy valley trail that winds structed of native fieldstone. The inte- through the park campground area and rior of the building features displays along the shores of Lake Delano. The on the CCC and the history of the variety of plant life, from moisture- park. One historically significant ar- loving rhododendrons and ferns to chitectural detail is an unsupported hardy mosses and aromatic galax, stone stairway that, according to his- 158 makes it a popular route for hikes led torians, was designed in part by Pres. by park naturalists. The red-blazed Roosevelt. Hours: 8 A.M.–5 P.M., daily. loop begins and ends behind the Trad - (706) 663-4858. ing Post on the north side of the lake. 2. Campground, Cabins, and Lake Delano (c. 1930s)—Mountain Creek F. Overlook Loop and Long Leaf Loops. The lake, camp- (3.4 miles) ground, and several rustic log cabins This section begins at the Gardens were constructed by CCC workers. Overlook on GA 190 and meanders The original cabins were built in what Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park—Pine Mountain Trail came to be known as the “National Adjacent to the western terminus of Park Rustic” style, an architectural de- the Pine Mountain Trail, the store sign intended to give the visitor the sells a variety of products from the sense of living in a pioneer log cabin. Callaway orchards and vegetable gar- 3. CCC Fish Hatchery Ponds dens, as well as local crafts. The store’s (c. 1930s)—Located on the Main Trail. Country Kitchen Restaurant serves As part of the reforestation work car- breakfast and lunch daily. ried out by the CCC workers, these 6. Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial ponds were utilized to grow and stock Bridge (c. 1930s)—North of Pine the fish populations of the park’s lakes Mountain Trail (Long Leaf Loop) on as well as replenish worn-out local GA 190 at GA 354. Spanning King’s streams. Gap, a narrow sag in the Pine Moun- 4. Callaway Gardens Overlook— tain ridge, this fieldstone bridge dis- Gardens Overlook Trail. This open - plays the design quality and character- ing in the trees provides a panoramic istically rustic style of many view of the lake, golf course, and CCC-built structures. landscaped grounds of nearby 7. FDR State Park Swimming Pool Callaway Gardens. (c. 1930s)—GA 354, north of GA 190, 5. Callaway Gardens Country where Pool Trail crosses the highway. Store (1970s)—U.S. 27 at GA 190. Historians believe that Pres. Roosevelt

159

View from Dowdell’s Knob, FDR State Park CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

inﬂuenced the unique “Liberty Bell” NOTES shape of the large pool. 8. Dowdell’s Knob—Southern end of Dowdell’s Knob Spur Rd. off GA 190, on the Dowdell’s Knob Loop Trail. This distinctive ridge that juts out to the south from the summit of Pine Mountain offers a spectacular panoramic view of Pine Mountain Valley. This site was Pres. Roosevelt’s favorite picnic area, and he traveled here frequently when staying at the Little White House. The small ﬁeld- stone grill located here (now sealed up) was built by Roosevelt for cook- outs. 9. Site of Old Sawmill (c. 1900s)— Wolfden Loop. A century ago, a saw - mill operated in this clearing near Wolfden Creek. The mill produced lumber from the rich stands of loblolly pines that covered the hillsides. By the time of the Great Depression, most of the timber had been harvested, leaving eroded hills. 10. FDR State Park Stables, Group Camps, and Lake Franklin (c. 1930s)—South of main trail, off GA 190 and GA 354. The lake and 160 group camp buildings were constructed by workers of the WPA. CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY C H A P T E R 2 5

BACKGROUND Callaway When Cason Callaway first visited this area in the 1930s Gardens from his home in nearby LaGrange, he found worn-out, eroded fields and rutted hillsides, the results of more than a century of one-crop (cotton) agriculture. Despite the poor condition of the land, Callaway discovered areas of natural beauty that drew him back for return visits. As the story goes, on one particular trip he came across a beautiful and rare wildflower LOCATION that he asked his wife, Virginia, to Located in Pine Mountain, a town identify. She told him that it was a about 35 miles north of Colum - plum azalea (Azalea prunifolia), a bus, Callaway Gardens may be reached plant found only in this small area. by traveling on I-185 to U.S. 27/ Determined to preserve the fragile GA 1 (exit 42). Travel east about flower and its habitat, Callaway pur- 10 miles, through Pine Mountain to chased nearly 4,000 acres of land GA 18/354. Travel west on GA 18, past around a hillside spring and built a the cottages entrance, to the new main summer cabin and a lake on what his entrance to the Gardens. The gate is family would call “Blue Springs Farm.” open 7 A.M.–6 P.M., daily. A daily ad- During those first few years, mission fee ($12) is charged. Multiday Callaway became a close friend to an- 161 packages and annual “Friends of the other visitor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Gardens” memberships are available. who traveled to nearby Warm Springs Information: (800) 225-5292; for polio therapy. Both men shared a www.callawaygardens.com. deep love and respect for the land and the people of the region, and an un- PARKING quenchable desire to restore and pre- Parking is permitted in desig- serve the area’s natural beauty. nated areas. These are located at trail- In 1938, Callaway’s desire to revi- heads and at all Gardens attractions. talize this land became so strong that CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

he turned over control of the family inspiration he set about creating a business, Callaway Mills, to his magnificent garden, for both recre- brother, Fuller, so that he could devote ation and education, that would be a all of his energies to the farm. He lasting tribute to his mother, Ida, and began by purchasing 30,000 more his wife, Virginia. acres of land and bringing in earth- Beginning in 1949, an army of movers to fill in gullies and to drain landscapers and gardeners planted silt-laden bottomlands. He planted azaleas, laurels, hollies, magnolias, hybrid, fast-growing pine trees on dogwoods, and a diverse selection of hillsides and filled vast pasturelands wildflowers by the thousands. By the with seed crops and hay. mid-1950s, the staff was establishing Callaway experimented with a more than 20,000 new plants annu- wide variety of cash crops and even ally, with varieties chosen to provide dammed several streams to create color and beauty during any season of well-stocked fishponds. His goal was the year. to demonstrate to local farmers that, Since its opening, Callaway Gar- with a little ingenuity and a better dens has continued to expand its understanding of the principles of horizons. Because Cason Callaway crop rotation and soil conservation, firmly believed in the joys of strolling even those with limited resources through the gardens he loved, there is could return their lands to fruitful a perfect path for meandering, no production. Callaway even used his matter your schedule or physical con- strong influence to persuade local dition. From the half-mile-long Laurel banks to offer farmers long-term Springs Trail to the 1.6-mile Azalea loans so that they might have the Trail, there are more than 7 miles of capital needed to undertake those dedicated footpaths in the gardens. changes. When New York Gov. and, later, Pres. Roosevelt was in Warm WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN Springs, the two men would often From short nature walks to the 162 meet to discuss agricultural ideas and nearly 10-mile-long bicycle innovations. (Roose velt also practiced path, more than 17 miles of trails have new ways of managing the land at his been carefully developed to offer visi- Warm Springs retreat that came to be tors an opportunity to experience known as the “Little White House.”) the beauty of the landscape and the Eventually, Callaway realized that diversity of plant life throughout the the very best way to share the fruits of Gardens. Detailed maps are available his years of labor was to establish a at the Discovery Center and at other place for all to enjoy. With renewed locations in the park. A schedule of

Callaway Gardens

18 354

To City of Pine Mountain

NORTH G

8 Dr. M w ou ie nt ain V 8 C

Robin l e c r C Lake i C

27 Callaway Gardens e

. a

y L w 7 k in P b

y o r R

Wren Lake

tain Cr. Upper Falls Creek Lake B Moun 5 6 CALLACALLAWAYWAYY B GARDENS

B 11

S . Scenic Dr. 4 cen ic Dr G FallsFalls 9 FRANKLIN D. CreekCreek 10 . ROOSEVELT Lake Dr ey STATE PARK bl 1 e D 3 Si k a A L k e 2 e Whippoorwill r C Lake E n i G To Warm a t Springs n u r. o c D ni M Sce

190 27 G 163 Bluebird Lake

12 Callaway Gardens

F 27 To Columbus

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 24 - Callaway Gardens 1st proof CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

guided walks is also available at the Center. Seating areas along the path Discovery Center. offer a chance to observe waterfowl on Beginning just north of the Dis- Hummingbird Lake. covery Center, the trail systems are: C. Robin Lake Trail A. Callaway Brothers Azalea A 2-mile paved, handicapped- Bowl Trail accessible trail traces a loop around Winding along the shores of Mirror the shore of Robin Lake, a focal point Pond and on the rolling hillside above, for many summer activities. this 1.2-mile trail meanders through the world’s largest azalea garden. D. Overlook Azalea Garden Trails B. Meadowlark Gardens Located a short distance south of Area Trails the Gardens Restaurant, this area held Three trails wind through this area the world’s largest collection of aza- near the Pioneer Cabin and the But- leas from its development in 1971 terfly Center. until creation of the Azalea Bowl in Wildflower Trail. Located in the 1999. (Only at Callaway Gardens wooded area north of the Pioneer could a site of such beauty be second- Cabin, this .6-mile trail contains spec- best!) Two trails wind along the hill- imens of several native Georgia side and the shores of two small lakes. plants, including the flame azalea, the Azalea Trail. Quite possibly the symbol for Callaway Gardens. Fea- most-trodden trail in the Gardens, tures along the path include a gazebo, this 1.6-mile path has delighted thou- waterfall, and rustic footbridge over- sands of azalea watchers who make a looking Mountain Creek Lake. pilgrimage to Callaway each spring. Holly Trail. Featuring one of the Along the trail are several picnic areas nation’s largest collection of hollies and a large hillside overlook pavilion. from Asia, Europe, and the Americas, Whippoorwill Lake Trail. This 164 this .8-mile trail is located west of the .5-mile trail along the shores of a Butterfly Center parking area. Along small pond offers opportunities for the trail are a picnic area and gazebo. close-up observation of native water- Rhododendron Trail. The rich fowl and other wildlife. evergreen leaves and bright spring colors of several species of rhododen- E. Mountain Creek Lake Trail dron are the highlight of this .6-mile Following the shores of the lake trail located south of the Butterfly from the boathouse to a road crossing Callaway Gardens south of the Sibley Center, this SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY 1.5-mile trail winds through flood- Note: Unless otherwise noted, plain areas filled with native plants attractions are open daily and shrubs. Two gazebos along the from 8 A.M. to 6:30 P.M. lakefront offer opportunities to rest 1. Virginia Hand Callaway Dis- and observe wildlife. This is a linear covery Center (2000)—Scenic Dr. trail, and you may return to the Located at the end of a 2.5-mile scenic starting point by retracing your steps byway, the Discovery Center sits nes- or by following the Discovery Bicycle tled on the shores of Mountain Creek Trail for about 2 miles back to the Lake. The modern complex, carefully boathouse. designed to blend with the surrounding landscape, is the starting F. Laurel Springs Trail point for exploring the Gardens’ Situated on the slopes of Pine nearly 14,000 acres of natural beauty. Mountain at the end of Laurel Springs The film Time & the Garden chroni- Rd., this remote trail winds beneath cles Cason and Virginia Callaway’s vi- the canopy of an Appalachian hard- sion. There are exhibits on the history wood forest, filled with oak and of the Gardens, an exceptional collec- hickory trees, and through a thicket of tion of art works by Athos Menaboni, mountain laurel on a .5-mile loop and a sculpture garden. from a roadside parking area. This 2. John A. Sibley Horticulture scenic area was popular with local res- Center (1987)—Sibley Dr. This state- idents for many years before the Gar- of-the-art greenhouse and garden dens were developed. complex provides more than 5 acres of spectacular greenery in every G. Discovery Bicycle Trail season. Developed to provide bicyclists a 3. Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl place to ride free of automobile traffic, (1999)—Sibley Dr. This 40-acre tract, the trail opened in 1989. Walkers and the largest azalea garden in the world, joggers are welcome to use the paved, features more than 4,000 native and 165 handicapped-accessible, 10-mile path cultivated azaleas and more than that circles throughout the Gardens 2,000 other trees and shrubs. Along and connects nearly all major attrac- the bowl’s network of footpaths are a tions and lodging areas. A small ferry picnic pavilion, gazebo, and a foot- offers bicyclists and walkers a shortcut bridge over Mirror Pond. across Mountain Creek Lake. Visitors 4. Ida Cason Callaway Memorial may bring their own bicycles or rent Chapel (1962)—Set amidst the pines them. along the banks of rustic Lower Falls CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

Creek Lake, this beautiful Eng- lish Gothic stone church was built by Cason Callaway as a memorial to his mother and to serve as a place of peace, serenity, and reflection. No- table features of the chapel are the stained-glass windows. The four windows on the west wall show the progression of the seasons in the garden, while the large window on the south wall represents the colors and features of a coastal pine forest. The sanctuary is a popular setting for weddings, baptisms, and musical concerts, and interdenominational worship services are held here each Sunday morning during the summer. 5. Pioneer Cabin (c. 1830s)—Sibley Dr. at Mead- owlark Way. Built by early set- Walking path at Callaway Gardens tlers in nearby Troup County, this rustic, handhewn log cabin was butterflies as well as a variety of song- occupied until the 1930s. Relocated to birds and hummingbirds. the Gardens in 1960 and restored, the 7. Mr. Cason’s Vegetable Garden cabin is filled with period furniture (1950s)—One of Cason Callaway’s fa- 166 and household items, and costumed vorite projects was demonstrating in- staff are happy to share stories of the novative ways to coax produce from rigors of frontier life. rural Georgia’s worn-out soil. His 7.5- 6. Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center acre garden, located on several ter- (1988)—Meadowlark Way. The largest races, still supplies fresh vegetables to free-flight enclosed conservatory in the Gardens’ restaurants and has often nation, the center is home to nearly served as a setting for episodes of the 1,000 specimens representing more popular public television series The than 50 different species of tropical Victory Garden. Callaway Gardens

8. Beach Pavilion and Robin Lake store features a wide selection of Beach (1950s)—A focal point of crafts, and canned fruits and vegeta- summer activities (Memorial Day bles from the gardens. The restaurant through Labor Day), the lake features serves breakfast and lunch, featuring the world’s largest artiﬁcial beach. fresh vegetables from Mr. Cason’s Here, the Florida State University garden. “Flying High” Circus performs daily and the lake hosts frequent water ski NOTES shows highlighted by the annual Master’s Ski Tournament. Hours of operation vary by season. 9. Gardens Information Center and Gift Shop (1960s)—U.S. 27 at the original Gardens’ entrance. Here visitors may enjoy an introductory slide program, learn about ongoing activities, and purchase daily or season passes. The center is open 7 A.M.– 6 P.M., daily. 10. Gardens Restaurant and Boathouse (1960s)—Scenic Dr. Designed in a half-timbered, English Tudor style, the restaurant offers panoramic views of Mountain Creek Lake. Visitors may rent canoes at the adjacent boathouse. 11. Callaway Gardens Inn (1960s)—U.S. 27 across from the Gardens entrance. This sprawling complex, set amidst landscaped 167 grounds, features luxury accommodations, restaurants, and a conference center. (800) 225-5292. 12. Callaway Gardens Country Store and Kitchen (1960s)—U.S. 27 south of the Gardens. Located across from GA 190 and the entrance to Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park, the CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY C H A P T E R 2 6

BACKGROUND Columbus By the time of the arrival of the first Europeans in North America, this area was a thriving community of Creek Indian villages located along both banks of the river. The largest village in the region was Coweta Town, situated on the western side of the Chattahoochee near the present site of Phenix City, Ala. Kashita (Cusseta), a smaller settlement, was on land that is now part of Ft. Benning. These towns were regional centers of the Creek Nation, LOCATION whose boundaries spread from the Columbus is located about mountains of northeastern Georgia to 105 miles southwest of Atlanta the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The first via I-85 and I-185. Follow U.S. 27 recorded visit to Coweta Town was by (exit 42, Veterans Parkway) southwest a Spanish priest and his small party in from I-185 to the historic district 1679. They were viewed with suspi- along the Chattahoochee River. The cion by the tribal leaders and forced walk begins at the Columbus Iron to flee. Works on Front Ave. Information: For the next century, the Spanish, Columbus Convention and Visitors English, and French empires vied with 168 Bureau, (800) 999-1613; www. one another for the lands of the Chat- columbusga.com/ccvb. tahoochee Valley, creating shifting al- liances with the Creek tribes. In the PARKING 1730s, the English government estab- Unless posted, on-street lished the Colony of Georgia to serve parking is permitted along residential as a buffer against France and Spain. streets. The central business district In 1739, Georgia’s leader, Gen. James has both metered and commercial Edward Oglethorpe, sought and re- parking. ceived permission to visit the Creek Columbus

15th 30 29 31 32 28 33 27 14th

35 Columbus 26 Phenix 13th City, AL Coweta 27 Falls Dam 36 25 12th

r e

v 34

i R

l e 23 23 a

c w

r o

o e 11th

v h

i a 22

R t

C 37

5th 1st 2nd 3rd 6th 21 20 10th

19 Bay 18

1 NORTH Broadway 9th 17 3

1 2 Front

8th

16 k

l 4 15

a w

r 14

e v

i 11 12 13 R 7th

5 6th 10 169 9 Columbus 38 5th

7 8 280 280

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 25 - Historic Columbus 1st proof CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

tribal leaders meeting in council at Road at Coweta Falls, near the head of Coweta Town. Oglethorpe assured the navigation of the Chattahoochee River. Creeks that settlers would not en- Surveyor Edward Lloyd Thomas was croach on their lands if they would commissioned to lay out a 1,200-acre promise loyalty to England. The site with streets and commons. This Creeks agreed and stood by their original survey followed a grid plan British allies through skirmishes with and included 614 half-acre building the French and Spanish and, later, lots, and 45 garden lots of either 10 or against the American Rebels during 20 acres. The sale of land lots began on the Revolution. July 10, 1828, and at the end of 1829, a Following Britain’s defeat in the small settlement, now called Columbus American Revolution, Spain wrested to honor the famous explorer, counted Florida back without challenge and, more than 1,000 inhabitants. within a few years, the Spanish were Steamboats traveled up the Chat- again trying to align the Creeks tahoochee from Florida bringing against the new State of Georgia. To passengers and supplies to the new counter these efforts, Pres. George settlement. Among those who came Washington signed a 1791 treaty ban- were industrialists who saw in the ning settlements on Creek lands. rushing waters of Coweta Falls the During the War of 1812, some Creek potential for great water-powered tribes supported Britain and others mills. Some envisioned a city, close to served notably with the forces of the the cotton-producing plantations, United States. Ironically, treaties that would someday challenge New growing out of U.S. victories insisted England for supremacy in the nation’s on the cession of more Creek lands, textile industry. even those held by the natives who The Dillingham Bridge, the first to had fought alongside the Americans. span the Chattahoochee, was com- A decade later, Georgia Gov. George pleted in 1833. Constructed by engi- Troup, under enormous pressure to neer John Godwin and his skilled slave 170 open more of the state’s interior to Horace King, it survived until 1841 white settlement, demanded that all re- when it was washed downstream in a maining contested lands in Georgia storm (the piers of this bridge may and Alabama be cleared of native still be seen beneath the current claims and that the Indians be re- bridge). King proved to be a master moved westward. Settlers quickly builder, and Godwin granted him his moved in, and by an act of the state freedom in 1846. As a free black, King legislature in December 1827, a trading built wooden bridges throughout post was established along the Federal Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi Columbus

(many still stand) and even provided nearby Empire Grist Mill in 1861. lumber for the Confederate Naval Yard With the outbreak of the Civil War in Columbus during the Civil War. in April 1861, Columbus became a Further growth in the Chattahoo - major industrial center for the South. chee Valley region was slowed by fears Eagle Mills made uniforms and tents of renewed hostilities with the Creeks for the Confederate army; the Iron still living along the western frontier. In Works produced cannons, ammuni- early 1836, a violent uprising led by tion, and mechanical equipment for Chief Osceola took place in northern naval gun boats; and Empire milled Florida, and Gen. Winfield Scott was ground meal and baked hardtack for dispatched to Columbus to supervise the troops. Also, Louis Haiman, a military operations against the Indians. Prussian-born tinsmith who had set- Osceola was eventually captured and tled in Columbus in the 1830s, oper- the rebellion crushed. By the end of the ated the South’s largest sword factory, year, nearly 15,000 Creeks had been re- fabricating, at its peak, more than 300 moved west to Arkansas on a journey sabers and cutlasses a day. as tragic as the more famous relocation Despite being a manufacturing of the neighboring Cherokees on the center, the city was spared the wrath Trail of Tears. Interestingly, one of the of Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh commissioners sent to Columbus by Sherman, whose March to the Sea Pres. Andrew Jackson to oversee the removed well east of the city. Columbus moval was Francis Scott Key, author of finally fell to Union troops on April “The Star-Spangled Banner.” 16, 1865, one week after Robert E. With the Indian “problem” finally Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, in resolved, the pace of development what proved to be the last eastern quickened. The town’s first mill had land battle of the Civil War. Gen. been a grist mill opened in 1828 by James Wilson, commander of the Seaborn Jones. In 1838 the first textile Union troops, ordered all the weapons mill, the Columbus Cotton Factory, plants, textile mills, and other com- opened. The E. T. Taylor Cotton Gin mercial buildings destroyed. He 171 Manufacturing Company began oper- spared only the flour mills, which ations in the mid-1840s, and Eagle were permitted to continue producing Mills, manufacturers of cotton and food for local citizens. woolen goods, followed in 1851. The Columbus quickly rebounded Columbus Iron Works began pro- from the war’s devastation, and ducing cast-iron products at its large within a few years, nearly all the mills factory on Front St. in 1853, and and factories were restored and new George Woodruff established the ones constructed. One of the first to CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

reopen was Eagle Mills, which had George Woodruff’s grandson, Robert changed its name to Eagle and Woodruff, who would one day steer Phoenix Mills to signify its rebirth the small soft-drink company to in- from the ashes of war. George Parker ternational prominence. Swift came to Columbus in 1867 and Columbus’s historic downtown founded Muscogee Mills, one of the and Victorian residential areas have world’s largest producers of both become the hub of an urban renais- cotton towels and ticking. By 1887, sance that draws local citizens and vis- Woodruff’s Empire Mill was the itors alike to shop, dine, or simply largest meal and flour mill in the stroll along the wide avenues or the South, operating 36 roller mills pro- beautifully landscaped Chattahoochee ducing 600 barrels of flour a day. Rail- Riverwalk. The significance of this roads supplemented the river traffic, area has been recognized by its desig- and by the turn of the 20th century, nation as a National Historic Land- four lines converged in Columbus, se- mark District. curing its place as a regional center of commerce and industry. WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN In the cultural realm, Francis The walk through the historic Joseph Springer, an immigrant from industrial, residential, and busi- Alsace, France, opened an exquisite ness district is about 4 miles. The walk opera house and hotel in February begins and ends at the Columbus Iron 1871. Works Convention and Trade Center While Springer sought to satisfy on Front St. The route takes you south people’s artistic tastes, druggist John along the Riverwalk to Golden Park, Pemberton wanted to cure their ills before turning north and proceeding with patent medicines and elixirs. up Broadway, through the historic After operating an apothecary in residential district, to downtown. Columbus from 1855 to 1869, Pem- After crisscrossing downtown, the berton moved to Atlanta and con- path returns to Riverwalk and Front 172 tinued his experiments. In 1886, he Ave. for the return to the starting developed a tonic he called “Coca- point. The terrain is level with many Cola” and sold it over the counter at old shade trees. There are good side- Atlanta’s Jacob’s Drug Store. Ex- walks along most of the route. pecting little return on his concoc- tion, Pemberton sold the rights to the SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY formula in 1888 for $1,750! In an- 1. Columbus Iron Works other Columbus connection with Convention and Trade Coca-Cola, it was Empire Mills owner Center (1853)—801 Front Ave. Built Columbus to meet the growing needs for river ships and barges and to provide equipment for the surrounding cotton plantations, the Iron Works operated at this location for more than a century. The factory was burned by Federal troops in 1865 but was quickly rebuilt. In the Entrance to Riverwalk along the Chattahoochee River at Columbus mid-1900s, it became a major manu- unique “Four Images” statue of facturer of ice-making machines. Christopher Columbus, the brick piers The Iron Works closed in the late of the original Dillingham Bridge—the 1960s, and in 1976, the buildings first span across the Chattahoochee— were restored and adapted for use and the observation point at Coweta as a trade and convention center over- Falls Dam. The falls are the head of looking the Chattahoochee River. navigation for the Chattahoo chee The restoration received a National River and mark the geologic Fall Line Trust for Historic Preservation award that separates the Piedmont Plateau in 1981. The complex also houses a from the ancient Coastal Plain. River Columbus Welcome Center. Informa- tours aboard the replica 1885 steam- tion: (706) 327-4522. boat Chattahoochee Princess begin at 2. Empire Mill Building/ the pier just west of 9th St. (The River- Columbus Hilton (1854)—Front walk continues another 10 miles to the Ave. at 9th St. Using steam power National Infantry Museum at Ft. Ben- generated from the nearby river, ning by crossing the Dillingham Bridge George Woodruff built and operated and following the path on the Alabama 173 the region’s largest flour mill. The side of the river.) mill closed in 1931, and the building 4. Coca-Cola Space Science was adapted for use as a hotel in Museum (1996)—701 Front Ave. the 1970s. Operated by Columbus State Univer- 3. Chattahoochee Riverwalk and sity, this modern museum houses a Columbus Plaza (begun 1992)— fascinating variety of exhibits, in- Along the river between 12th St. and cluding the Challenger Center (com- Golden Park. Walk north to see the memorating the crew of the Challenger CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

space shuttle), other displays on space 7. Goetchius–Welborn House travel, an astronomical observatory, (1839)—405 Broadway. This ante- and the Omnisphere theater. Hours: bellum house, noted for its New Or- 10 A.M.–4 P.M., Tues.–Fri.; 1:30–5 P.M., leans–style wide verandah and Sat.; and 1:30–4 P.M., Sun. (706) 649- wrought-iron ornamentation, was 1470. once owned by Gen. William Wel- 5. Site of Confederate Naval Yard born, a veteran of the Creek Indian (1862-65)—Riverwalk west of 6th St. War in 1836. The home was moved A small historical marker notes the from its original location to this site site of the yard where ironclad rams in 1969 and is now used as a restau- were built and other gunboats were rant. NR repaired. Detailed information about 8. Church Rectory Building the naval yard is available at the (c. 1835)—412 Broadway. In the orig- Woodruff Museum of Civil War Naval inal city plan, a land lot was set aside History on U.S. 280 at Veterans for use by Catholic settlers. The Parkway. (706) 327-9798. Church of Sts. Philip and James was 6. Golden Park (c. 1920s), Civic built, and this structure served as Center (1996), and Recreation Com- clergy residence. It was moved from plex—Victory Drive at Broadway. its original location to this site in the Golden Park, home of the Columbus 1970s and now serves as an architect’s Red Stixx Class A baseball team, is one studio. of the oldest minor league ballparks in 9. The “Folly” (1831, remodeled the country. It underwent a complete 1861)—527 1st Ave. This antebellum renovation for use as the women’s cottage was built by pioneer settler softball venue for the 1996 Olympic Alfred Iverson. Iverson served in the Games. This extensive sports and U.S. Congress and Senate and had two recreation complex includes the Civic sons who were generals in the Con- Center, a multi pur pose facility used federate army. The house was pur- for conventions, trade shows, and ath- chased by cabinetmaker Leander May 174 letic events (it is the home of the in 1861. He built the octagonal addi- Columbus Cottonmouths of the tion and remodeled the original house Central Hockey League); Memorial as a second octagon. It is believed to Football Stadium (where the Georgia- be the only double-octagon house in Auburn game was played until 1959); the nation. NL and a modern softball stadium that is 10. Wells-Bagley House home to the Georgia Pride women’s (c. 1840)—22 E. 6th St. Originally professional fast-pitch softball team. located on Front St., this early Columbus

Columbus residence was moved to 1869. He continued to experiment on this location and restored for use by his formula for Coca-Cola while the Columbus Jaycees. NR living here. The structure was moved 11. Historic Columbus Founda- to this location and restored in 1977. tion (1870)—An excellent example of 16. Walker-Peters-Langdon House the Italianate style, this house was (c. 1828)—716 Broadway. Designed in once owned by Stirling Price Gilbert, the simple Federal style, this small a justice of the Georgia Supreme cottage was built by Col. Virgil Court. It was restored in 1977 and Walker. It is believed to be one of the now serves as foundation headquar- oldest houses still standing in Colum - ters. The foundation’s “Heritage bus and was restored in 1966. Across Corner” walking tours begin here. from the house, on Broadway’s grass Information: (706) 323-7979. median, is the memorial to the Con- 12. Pemberton House (c. 1855)— federate dead erected by the Ladies 11 W. 7th St. Once the home of Coca- Memorial Association in 1879. Cola creator Dr. John S. Pemberton, 17. Isaac Joseph House (c. 1842)— the structure was originally located on 828 Broadway. Considered an excel- 3rd St. It was moved to the present lent example of the Greek Revival site in the 1970s. The adjoining kit - Cottage style, this house was owned chen/apothecary museum features a by Joseph and his descendants for Coca-Cola exhibit. more than a century. It is now owned 13. Butler-Barker House (1835)— by the Historic Columbus Founda- 13 W. 7th St. This Federal-style tion. NR cottage is believed to be the oldest 18. River Center (2000)— 2-story house in Columbus. 900 block of Broadway. This $84 mil- 14. Woodruff Farm House lion complex is one of the ﬁnest per- (c. 1840) and Traders Cabin (c. 1800) forming arts centers in the Southeast. —708 Broadway. These two structures The 2,000-seat Bill Head Theater have been relocated to this site from serves as a venue for traveling per- rural Muscogee County and restored formers and is home to the Schwob 175 as museums depicting life on Geor - School of Music of Columbus State gia’s western frontier. University. The center also hosts the 15. Pemberton Country Home Columbus Symphony Orchestra. (c. 1860)—712 Broadway. Dr. Pem- Event information: (706) 256-3600; berton lived in this house, originally www.rivercenter.org about 4 miles outside of town, from 19. Consolidated Government 1860 until he moved to Atlanta in Building (1980s)—1st Ave. at 10th St. CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

In 1970, Columbus became one of the tinctive white-painted, cast-iron fa- first municipalities in the nation to cade, which was manufactured in combine city and county government Pittsburgh, Penn., and shipped to operations. This modern 14-story Columbus in pieces for installation. complex houses the consolidated gov- The building now houses offices and ernment offices. One of the Confed- retail shops. NR eracy’s largest military hospitals was 23. Church Square (c. 1828)—1st located on this site during the Civil War. and 2nd Aves. between 11th and 12th 20. Springer Opera House (1871) Sts. In the original city plan of 1828, —103 10th St. Among the many nota- surveyor Edward Lloyd Thomas set bles who have graced the stage of aside several lots in this area for the Francis Springer’s lavishly decorated construction of churches. Today, four auditorium are Edwin Booth (brother large congregations—First Presby- of John Wilkes Booth), “Blind Tom” terian (c. 1862, 1925), Trinity Epis- Bethune, Oscar Wilde, boxer John L. copal (1890), First Baptist (1859), and Sullivan, humorist Will Rogers, and St. Luke Methodist (c. 1900s)—have political leaders William Jennings churches here. Bryan and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Once A nearby marker notes the site of called “the finest house between Wash- Columbus’s first hotel, the Oglethorpe ington and New Orleans,” the Springer House, built in 1836 and used as narrowly escaped demolition in 1964 headquarters by Gen. Winfield Scott and was designated the state’s Official during the Creek Indian War. Presi- Theater by Gov. Jimmy Carter in 1971. dents James Polk and Millard Fillmore It has undergone several renovations, were honored at receptions held at the most recent in 1999, and continues this hotel. to host a full range of dramatic and 24. U.S. Post Office and Court- musical productions. Tour and event house (1933)—12th St. at 2nd Ave. information: (706) 324-5714; This Depression-era public building www.springeroperahouse.org. NL features the exterior ornamentation 176 21. Rankin Square (c. 1880s)— and design characteristic of the Art 1000 Block of Broadway at 1st Ave. Deco style popular at the time. NR Developed by Scottish immigrant 25. Swift-Kyle House (1857)— James Rankin, this block of buildings 303 12th St. This Greek Revival man- is considered an excellent example of sion with its unusual U-shaped porch Victorian commercial architecture. supported by 11 Corinthian columns 22. Bank of Columbus Building was acquired by Col. George P. Swift (c. 1850s)—1048 Broadway. This ele- in 1864 and is still owned by his de- gant building is notable for its dis- scendants. NR Columbus

26. The Lion House (c. 1850)— it was moved to this site in 1858. The 1316 3rd Ave. This unusual house re- house was later sold to the Peabody flects Egyptian influences in its Greek family and was the boyhood home of Revival architectural style. Especially noted financier and philanthropist notable are the six large “Tower of the George Foster Peabody. The Peabodys Winds” columns and a flying balcony. sold the house to James Warner, NR former chief engineer for the Confed- 27. Hawks House (c. 1850)—1401 erate Naval Iron Works. NR 3rd Ave. Built for the Rev. William 31. Iliges House (1850)—1428 2nd Hawks, pastor of Trinity Episcopal Ave. With its Corinthian columns and Church (1855–65), the house was balcony, this antebellum house is moved to this location in 1988 from considered a classic example of Greek its original site at 1332 3rd Ave. Revival architecture. NR 28. Bullard-Hart House (1887)— 32. Robert W. Woodruff Birth- 1408 3rd Ave. This grand Victorian place (c. 1870s)—1414 2nd Ave. The house, built for Dr. Lewis Bullard, was son of Ernest Woodruff and grandson the first residence in Columbus to of Empire Mills founder George have electricity. Notable guests in this Woodruff, Robert Woodruff was born home have included Pres. Franklin D. in this house in 1884. In 1896, Ernest Roosevelt and Gens. George Patton was named president of the Trust and George C. Marshall. NR Company of Georgia and the family 29. Rankin House (c. 1870)— moved to Atlanta. In 1919, Ernest 1440 2nd Ave. Begun prior to the Civil purchased the Coca-Cola Company War, the house was not completed from Asa Candler and placed Robert until 1870. It was built by James in charge of the corporation. Over the Rankin, a wealthy planter and owner next fifty years, Robert Woodruff of the nearby Rankin Hotel, who de- made “Coke” a household word veloped Rankin Square. The structure around the globe. is especially notable for its orna- 33. Garrett-Bulloch House mental cast iron. It is the headquarters (c. 1880s)—1402 2nd Ave. An excel- 177 of the Columbus Junior League. NR lent example of the Queen Anne style, 30. Schley-Peabody-Warner this house was built by Joseph S. Gar- House (1840)—1445 2nd Ave. This rett, U.S. Postmaster for Columbus. residence was built by Capt. Philip T. 34. The Columbus Ledger- Schley, who was sent to Columbus Enquirer Building (1931)—17 W. in 1834 to command the soldiers sta- 12th St. This Mediterranean-style tioned here. Originally located on the building was constructed to house site of the First Presbyterian Church, Columbus’s two daily newspapers. CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

The Columbus Enquirer was estab- stored and expanded in the late 1800s. lished by Mirabeau Buonaparte The W. C. Bradley Company was es- Lamar in 1828. Lamar moved to Texas tablished in 1883 and still operates the in 1835 and fought for the Republic of warehouses. The complex also con- Texas in its war with Mexico. He suc- tains a conference center and an art ceeded Sam Houston as president of museum. Museum hours: 8 A.M.– the Republic of Texas in 1838 and 5 P.M., Mon.–Fri. (706) 571-6041. served until 1841. He later fought A nearby historical marker notes with the U.S. Army in the Mexican the site of the E. T. Taylor Cotton Gin War and died in 1858 while serving as Company established in 1847. In U.S. ambassador to Nicaragua. The 1867, Frank Cummins acquired the Columbus Ledger was founded in company and by the turn of the 20th 1886. The two newspapers combined century, it was the world’s largest in 1988. Information: (706) 324-5526. manufacturer of cotton gins. The 35. Fieldcrest-Cannon Mills buildings are now part of the W. C. (1844)—Front Ave. and Broadway at Bradley warehouse complex. 14th St. Originally named Coweta 38. Gertrude Pridget “Ma” Rainey Falls Mill, this was one of the first tex- House (c. 1900s)—805 5th Ave. This tile mills in Columbus. After the Civil house was the final home of blues and War, the damaged buildings were re- gospel performer “Ma” Rainey (1886– paired and expanded, reopening as 1939). Considered to be the “Mother Muscogee Mills. Fieldcrest purchased of the Blues,” Rainey was inducted the mill in 1963. Within the complex into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame is the Mott House (c. 1840), which is in 1993. NR now used for offices. NR 36. Eagle and Phoenix Mills NOTES (1851)—Front Ave. between 12th and 13th Sts. Another of the early mills that made Columbus the industrial 178 center of the region. The mill was burned by Federal troops in 1865, but was quickly repaired and back in operation a year later. 37. W. C. Bradley Company (c. 1860s)—1017 Front Ave. The cotton warehouses originally on this site were burned by Union forces in 1865. Most of the buildings were re- CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY C H A P T E R 2 7

BACKGROUND Ft. Benning The U.S. Army’s Ft. Benning is one of the most important Historic military installations in the world. Here soldiers come for advanced District training in infantry tactics and airborne assault. It is an army post steeped in military tradition, yet surprisingly open and accessible to visitors. Its location on the bluffs and hills LOCATION above the Chattahoochee River is a Ft. Benning is located about nine place rich in Georgia and U.S. history. miles south of Columbus. The A large Creek Indian village, fort’s visitor information and orienta- Kashita (Cusseta) Town, was located tion center may be reached by trav- on the grounds of what is now Ft. eling south on I-185 and Custer Rd., Benning. In Creek culture, important or from Victory Dr. and Lumpkin Rd. villages were either “White Towns” or The walk begins at the National In- “Red Towns.” White Towns were fantry Museum located on Baltzell St. “peace” centers where tribal civil af- east of Lumpkin Rd. The museum fairs were conducted, while Red may also be reached by exiting I-185 Towns were “war” centers where at First Division Rd. and traveling warriors gathered to plan military west to Baltzell St. Information: (706) strategies against their enemies. Inter- 545-2211; www.benning.army.mil. estingly, Coweta Town, which was (Note: Since the terrorist attacks on just across the river, was a Red (war) 179 September 11, 2001, access may be re- Town, and Kashita—now the site of stricted in certain areas of the fort.) one of the world’s largest military posts—was a White (peace) Town. PARKING In the years following the Creek The walk begins at the Na- Removal by the terms of the 1825 tional Infantry Museum on Baltzell St. Treaty of Indian Springs, the area of There is a large parking area adjacent the present fort was rural farmland to the museum. surrounding the small settlement of CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

Eelbeck, which had a grist mill, a few farm buildings served multiple pur- stores, and a post office. An old Indian poses until more permanent struc- trail that crossed the hills toward the tures could be built. During the Great river became part of the Federal Road Depression, the Army was called on to connecting Charleston and New Or- tackle a number of domestic tasks, leans, and was a major pathway for and Ft. Benning became a major in- westward-bound pioneers. The route duction and training facility for men of the old road passed close to the preparing for work in Civilian Con- present site of the Infantry Museum servation Corps (CCC) camps around and crossed the Chattahoochee River Georgia and the Southeast. The large southwest of Marchant St. numbers of civilians and soldiers sta- Military attention focused on this tioned at the fort during this time area as the nation mobilized for contributed to the construction of combat in World War I. In May 1918, many new buildings that would prove Col. Henry E. Eames was charged by necessary a short time later when the the Army with finding a new site for a nation mobilized for World War II. dedicated infantry training school. During WWII, Ft. Benning became Columbus, Ga., civic leaders worked home to the First Infantry Division, tirelessly to persuade the Army to the famed “Big Red One,” as well as consider a vast tract of farmland the primary training ground for a south of their city for the proposed new type of soldier, the paratrooper. fort. Their efforts were successful, and Throughout its history, Ft. Ben- the site selected was a plantation ning has served as a training ground owned by Arthur Bussey. The terrain for some of our nation’s best-known was ideal for infantry training, and military leaders. Gens. Dwight D. the farm’s buildings would be ade- Eisenhower and Omar Bradley were quate for initial camp operations. The stationed here in the mid-1920s while camp officially opened on October 7, undergoing infantry training. Gen. 1918, and, at the request of Columbus George C. Marshall once served as as- 180 citizens, was named in honor of a sistant commandant of the Infantry prominent early resident, Gen. Henry School, and Gen. George Patton car- Lewis Benning. With this choice, Ft. ried out tank and infantry combat Benning became the first U.S. military preparations here during the early post named in honor of a Confederate days of World War II. More recently, soldier. Gulf War commanders Gen. Colin In the early days, most of the sol- Powell and Gen. Norman Schwarz - diers stationed at Ft. Benning lived in kopf spent time in training at Ft. tents or temporary facilities, and the Benning. Ft. Benning Historic District 23 1 P 2 3 NORTH Ft. Benning Baltzell 1st Division Rd. Historic District 4 20 Lumpkin 24 Ft. Benning Historic District Lumpkin 19

e 18

Sigerfoos Rd Vibbert m

n E 17 5 21

Morriso 6 7 22 16 Ingersoll 15 8

Gillespie Marcha 10 Wold 11 181

12 Vibbert

Edwards 14 13 Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 25 - Historic Columbus 2nd proof CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

From the waning days of World at Ft. Benning as commander of the War I to present-day conflicts in far- 29th Armored Division, has been re- away places like Iraq, Somalia, and located to the grounds of the museum Kosovo, soldiers trained at Ft. Ben- and is undergoing restoration. Admis- ning have served their country with sion is free. Hours: 8 A.M.–4:30 P.M., honor, upholding the Infantry motto, Mon.–Fri.; 12:30–4:30 P.M., Sat.–Sun. “I am the Infantry, the Queen of (706) 545-6762. Battle. Follow me!” 2. Sacrifice Field—Baltzell St. across from the museum. This open WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN field is dedicated to the soldiers who The post sits amidst rolling hills have made the ultimate sacrifice for above the Chattahoochee River, their country. Monuments located on and the 3.5-mile loop through the the field include the 11th Airborne historic district has an abundance of Memorial (World War II), the 119th shade trees and sidewalks. Light Infantry Memorial (Vietnam), and the SS Leopoldville Memorial (ded- SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY icated to soldiers who died aboard a 1. National Infantry transport ship torpedoed off the Museum (1923)—Building French coast on December 24, 1944). 396, Bal tzell St. This rambling com- 3. Rainbow Row (1920s)— plex of buildings served for more Rainbow Rd. Named for the Rainbow than 35 years as the Ft. Benning Division, which earned fame in World Hospital. In 1958, it was converted War I, the Mediterranean-style stucco to an outpatient clinic and, in 1975, houses along this street are painted in became permanent home to the bright pastel colors. National Infantry Museum. Displays 4. Patch School (1931)—Baltzell trace the role of the infantry from the St. at Lumpkin Rd. This was Benning’s earliest colonial period to the present first permanent school building for day. Artifacts include weapons, uni- use by military families. It is named 182 forms, and equipment from every war for Gen. Alexander M. Patch, com- in which American soldiers have been mander of the U.S. 7th Army in World involved. There is a large auditorium War II. for films, a gallery of military art, and 5. Eisenhower Marker—Vibbert a gift shop. Tanks, artillery pieces, and Ave. at Austin Loop. This marker other heavy equipment are displayed identifies the residence at 206 Austin on the grounds. Recently, the building Loop occupied in 1926–27 by future that served as Gen. George Patton’s General of the Army and Pres. Dwight headquarters while he was stationed D. Eisenhower. He was, at the time, Ft. Benning Historic District

representing many infantry divisions. Gen. John J. Pershing, commander of U.S. Forces in World War I, turned the first shovel of dirt in the stadium’s construction. 9. Fire Station No. 1 (1939)—Vib- bert Ave. at Ingersoll Rd. This building re- Tanks on display at the National Infantry Museum placed an earlier station built shortly serving as a major in the 24th Infantry after the post opened. (one of the Army’s premier regiments 10. Railroad Station (1919)— composed primarily of African- Ingersoll Rd. at the railroad tracks. American soldiers). From 1919 until 1946, Ft. Benning 6. Riverside (1909)—Vibbert Ave. operated its own narrow-gauge across from Austin Loop. The main railway with more than 27 miles of house of the Bussey Farm from 1909 track and 18 locomotives. One sur- to 1918, this rambling house has viving locomotive is on display at the served as the residence of the post’s Infantry Museum. commanding general for many years. 11. Cooks’ and Bakers’ School It is not open to the public. (1939)—Building 89, Vibbert Ave. It is 7. Office of the Judge Advocate an old saying that an army “marches (1915)—Vibbert Ave. at Sigerfoos Rd. on its stomach,” and this building was Built as the creamery for the Bussey used to train hundreds of Army cooks farm, the building first housed the to serve the many thousands of sol- post headquarters and quarter- diers in World War II. The school 183 master’s office. It serves now as the closed after the war, and the building legal affairs office. was converted to financial offices. 8. Doughboy Stadium (1924)— 12. Gymnasium (1928)—Building Vibbert Ave. at Ingersoll Rd. Built by 358, Vibbert Ave. This was the first infantrymen, the 8,000-seat football gym built for use by the soldiers stadium was constructed as a memo- stationed at the fort. rial to comrades killed in World War I. 13. Cuartels (1920s)—Vibbert Lining the exterior walls are symbols Ave. between Gillespie and Anderson CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

Sts. These three enormous U-shaped 1925, and the ceremony was followed buildings were completed in the 1920s by an exhibition game between the to house entire regiments of soldiers New York Giants and the Washington (nearly 3,000 men). The buildings Senators. were featured in the 1941 edition of 16. Officers’ Club (1934)— Ripley’s Believe It or Not because they Morrison Rd. Though the club was were believed to have the longest con- organized at the fort in 1919, continuous porches (more than 2,500 ft.) struction on the present building did in the world. not begin until 1932. The project was Two of the three cuartels are seen supervised by Lt. Col. George C. Mar- on this walk. As you pass them on Ed- shall (see #23). wards St., Olson Hall is on the left and 17. Old Infantry School (School Henry/Wilkins Hall is on the right. of the Americas) (1935)—Morrison 14. Airborne Training Center Rd. Construction of this enormous (1942)—Edwards at Marchant Sts. Neoclassical-style building solidified Three 250-ft.-high, red-and-white Ft. Benning’s role as the Army’s pri- metal towers dominate the open mary infantry training center. The field across Marchant St. The towers building housed the school and the were erected in the early days of post headquarters until 1964 when a World War II to provide student new school building was completed paratroopers with experience in para- on Burr St., south of the Airborne chute descents. They continue to Training Center. In 1986, this struc- serve the same purpose today. Beyond ture reopened as the School of the the towers are lower jump buildings Americas, a center for training mili- where students practice proper tary officers from Central and South landing techniques. On display be- American countries. The facility is hind the field is a World War II–era controversial because of human rights airborne troop transport aircraft. concerns associated with a number of 15. Gowdy Baseball Field these countries. In 2001, the school’s 184 (1925)—Wold Ave. at Ingersoll St. Sgt. name was changed to the Western Harry Gowdy, for whom the field was Hemisphere Institute for Security named, was a professional baseball Cooperation. player who served in the 166th In- 18. Chinese Arch (1925)—Mor- fantry, 42nd Division, during World rison Rd. The simple arch was a gift War I. Gowdy was captain in charge of from the people around the Chinese athletics and physical training at Ft. city of Tientsen to the 15th Infantry Benning during World War II. The Regiment in appreciation for the field was dedicated on March 31, soldiers’ protection of the city’s Ft. Benning Historic District inhabitants during the Chinese Civil 23. Marshall House (1920s)— War in 1924. The 15th Infantry was Baltzell Ave. at First Division Rd. stationed in China from 1912 until Named in honor of five-star General 1938. The arch was placed perma- of the Army, George C. Marshall, who nently at Ft. Benning in 1938. served as assistant commandant of 19. Doughboy Statue (1958)—In the Infantry School in 1932–37, this front of Building 35 on Lumpkin Rd. house is now used for visiting digni- Dedicated on April 1, 1958, the statue taries. Marshall went on to serve as is a memorial to the soldiers of World chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff War II. It is a duplicate of the original during World War II and as Secretary sculpted by German artist Ernst Kunst of State under Pres. Harry Truman. shortly after the war as a token of rec- He authored the Marshall Plan, a pro- onciliation. The original still stands in gram to rebuild war-torn Germany Berlin. The six stones supporting the and Japan that earned him the Nobel soldier are from the Remagen Bridge, Peace Prize. the first bridge over the Rhine River 24. Main Post Cemetery (1920s)— captured by American troops in 1945. Lumpkin and Custer Rds. In addition 20. Kashita Town Monument— to the many American soldiers buried In the field between Lumpkin and in the cemetery, 70 Italian and Ger - First Division Rds. This tablet marks man POWs who died while impris- the location of the Creek peace town oned at Ft. Benning during World of Kashita. War II also rest here. 21. Field of Four Chaplains (c. 1944)—Wold Ave. at Sigerfoos Rd. NOTES This green space near the Infantry Chapel is dedicated to four chaplains who were lost at sea on February 3, 1943. 22. The Infantry Chapel (1934)— Sigerfoos Rd. The simple Georgian 185 Colonial–style chapel is an interdenominational house of worship. The Liberty Carillon in the belfry was a gift of industrialist Harvey Firestone and was first played during the Vic- tory Day Celebration on August 14, 1946. CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY C H A P T E R 2 8

idence Canyon is a testament to Providence human impact on the natural landscape. Like its more famous and much Canyon State larger namesake in Arizona, the steep walls and deep chasms of Providence Conservation Canyon were carved by the forces of wind and water. However, while it Park took the Colorado River countless millions of years to wear away the hard stone of the Grand Canyon, Providence Canyon was created in a little more than a century. LOCATION Before settlers moved into this area Providence Canyon State Conser- of western Georgia in the early 1830s, vation Park, established in 1971, the region was a vast forest of shortleaf is about 36 miles south of Columbus. and loblolly pines, oaks, hickories, and Travel south to Lumpkin via U.S. 27, dogwoods, punctuated by the flaming then west on GA 39C for about colors of the now rare Plumleaf Azalea 8 miles to the park entrance. The (Azalea prunifolia), all clinging to the walk begins at the visitor center. thin topsoil above the sands of the an- Information: (229) 838-6202; cient Coastal Plain. Native Americans www.gastateparks.org. hunted and traded throughout the area and grew a few crops, but agricul- PARKING ture really began after the land was 186 There is a parking area adja- ceded to the state of Georgia by the cent to the visitor center and another Creeks in the 1820s. Settlers cleared by the picnic ground on the north the forests and prepared the land for side of the canyon. A daily parking fee farming. The common method of is charged. planting at the time was to plow straight rows of deep furrows instead BACKGROUND of the contour farming practiced Long known as “Georgia’s today. These furrows channeled rain- Little Grand Canyon,” Prov- water down the treeless, sloping Providence Canyon State Conservation Park Park Entrance 3 39C 2 2 4 1 P Visitor Center STATE PARK Providence Canyon State Conservation Park k e e r PROVIDENCE CANYON C r e n r u T

187 39C NORTH Providence Canyon State Conservation Park Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 27 - Providence Canyon SP 2nd proof CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

Providence Canyon

hillsides and accelerated erosion. usual for fossilized remains of sea Before long, the furrows became creatures and marine organisms to gullies, gullies later became ravines, be exposed. and ravines eventually turned into Geologists have identified three canyons. The rapid pace of the erosion distinct soil formations exposed in was a direct result of poor farming the walls and floor of Providence practices and the composition of the Canyon. As you descend on the trail subsoils, which are soft sands of the into the canyon, you first pass Coastal Plain (which makes up nearly through the Clayton Formation. This 60 percent of Georgia), laid down is a red-orange, sandy clay that was during a 20-million-year period be- laid down during the latter part of 188 ginning about 85 million years ago. the period. The reddish color of the These soils were deposited as sedi- soil here is a clear indication that it is ments in the ancient shallow seas that rich in iron. covered the lower half of the state The next level, the Providence several times during what geologists Sand, is the thickest layer in the refer to as the Tertiary and Quar- canyon, at some places extending ternary periods. As erosion continues down nearly 120 feet. The buff- to slowly remove soil from the walls colored sand of this formation reveals and floors of the canyon, it is not un- much of the geologic evolution of the Providence Canyon State Conservation Park area. Visible in some places are thin aggressively growing pine trees. sedimentary layers called “cross-beds” Nonetheless, Providence Canyon where the sands were deposited from continues to change and evolve, fast-flowing streams. The Providence making each visit a different visual Sand is, in fact, a mixture of sand and experience. kaolin, a white clay-like mineral used in many products including paper TRAIL DISTANCE AND TERRAIN coatings, paint, detergents, and fertil- The Canyon Trail is a white- izers. Georgia’s Coastal Plain is the blazed, 3-mile loop that de- world’s richest source of commercial scends from the visitor center on kaolin. switchbacks to the ﬂoor of the The oldest level of the wall, dating canyon, then climbs again to follow back more than 85 million years, is the north rim along its return to the the Perote Member located near the starting point. At the bottom of the canyon floor. It is a mixture of sand, canyon, the red-blazed, backcountry silt, and clay with a texture similar to trail veers west and south on a 7-mile putty. loop, reconnecting with the canyon At the bottom of the canyon, trail near the eastern rim. There are hikers may wander along streambeds six overnight campsites, and permits to nine different canyons stretching are required for hiking and camping northward like bony fingers. Hiking on this trail. through the narrow canyons offers a Hikers venturing up the canyons close-up look at the brilliant colors should have waterproof boots or and textures of the steep canyon walls. shoes, as much of the travel is through Along the return loop, the trail fol- soft sand and along shallow, silt-laden lows closely along the canyon rim streams. At most times, the water is providing a completely different per- only a few inches deep, but may be- spective on this unique geological come impassable after heavy rains. A anomaly. round-trip up any canyon will add Human intervention during the about a one-half to three-quarters of 189 last 60 years has slowed, but not a mile to the trail distance. stopped, erosion of the canyon. One of the first concerted attempts to SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY arrest the deterioration occurred in 1. Visitor Center (1970s)— the1930s when CCC workers planted This low building just west of kudzu to hold the soil. In recent the canyon rim offers displays on years, the canyon floor has been canyon geology and history. Staff are planted with more stable and less available to provide information, CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

answer questions, and accept registra- NOTES tions for backcountry travel. Hours: 8 A.M.–5 P.M., daily. 2. Abandoned Automobiles (1950s)—On the eastern rim. As the adjacent signs explain, these wrecks were left in place when the park was established because they had become habitats for a wide variety of plant and animal life. 3. Site of the Rev. David Walker Lowe House (c. 1825)—On the park entrance road by the picnic area. Pio- neer settler David W. Lowe was a circuit-riding Methodist minister who settled in this area shortly after the land was ceded by the Creek In- dians. He donated land on which the original Providence Methodist Church and school were built. This site is now within the canyon. Lowe died in 1843 and is buried in a nearby family cemetery. 4. Providence United Methodist Church (1859)—On the park road, north of the picnic area. The original church was constructed south of the park road in 1833, but the rapid erosion of the soil forced its abandon- 190 ment in the late 1850s. The present structure was completed just before the Civil War and is still occasionally used for services. Many pioneer families are buried in the adjacent cemetery. CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY C H A P T E R 2 9

seemingly untouched by the passage Historic of time, with dirt streets and no electricity, and where the newest Westville building was completed before the Civil War. In the living-history village of Westville the town’s motto pro- claims, “It is always 1850.” The dream to create a place where visitors could experience the pace of life in the pre–Civil War South was the vision of Col. John Word West, historian and longtime president of North Georgia College in Dahlonega. West, a native of rural Georgia, spent LOCATION much of his academic career studying Historic Westville is on Martin the era and building an extensive col- Luther King Jr. Dr., 1 mile south lection of period artifacts. At the time of the Lump kin town square. Lumpkin of his death in 1961, his will stipu- is 35 miles south of Columbus via lated that his private collection be U.S. 27, and 60 miles west of I-75 on used to re-create an authentic, func- U.S. 280/GA 30 at Cordele (exit 101). tioning village of antebellum Georgia. Information: (800) 733-1850; A few years later historian Dr. www.westville.org. Joseph Mahan approached the Stewart County Historical Commis- PARKING sion with a proposal to found such a 191 There is a large, unpaved living-history museum near the small parking area adjacent to the village’s town of Lumpkin. Mahan planned to entrance gates. locate and acquire authentic antebellum structures, relocate them to a BACKGROUND central site where they would be re- Nestled deep in the rolling stored, furnished, and opened to the pine hills of southwestern public. To honor Col. West’s memory, Georgia, there is a community the village would be called “Westville.” CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

Westville Historic Handicrafts, the years before the Civil War. As you Inc., was established to raise funds meander through town, let the aroma and begin the search for suitable of fresh-baked biscuits, the heat from structures. The Singer family, promi- the blacksmith’s furnace, the squeak nent residents of Lumpkin since of the wheels on a mule-drawn 1838, donated 58 acres of property wagon, and the clanging of the just south of town to the project. schoolhouse bell draw you back to Planners were determined that this another time. site would not just be an assortment Historic Westville has received nu- of buildings but would be a working merous historical preservation awards town, filled with the necessary busi- and is open 10 A.M.–5 P.M., Tues.– nesses and services—blacksmiths, Sat.; and 1–5 P.M., Sun. coopers, apothecaries, a school, and a court house—that would have been WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN important to the prosperity of an ac- Westville is located on a gently tual antebellum community. It would sloping hillside and creek also be a town that was always bottom. The dirt streets are level growing; as additional structures with occasional board sidewalks. were found, they would be added to There is an abundance of shade trees Westville’s mythical community. through out the village, and there are In January 1968, the first building numerous places to sit and relax and was relocated to the site, and, as the watch time go by—as they may have planners had hoped, once word of the done 150 years ago. A meandering project spread, more contributions of walk through the village is a distance funds, furniture, tools, and buildings of about 1.5 miles. came pouring in from across Georgia. A formal town-founding ceremony SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY was held on August 31, 1968, and on 1. Randle-Morton Store April 2, 1970, Westville welcomed its (c. 1850)—Outside the 192 first visitors. village gates. Relocated from Webster Westville continues to grow, and County, the old general store now the town now includes more than 30 houses the Westville ticket ofﬁce and a buildings reflecting the styles and so- shop selling gifts and crafts, many cial strata of the times. Staff and vol- made by Westville artisans. unteers don period clothing and 2. Singer Gates (1960s)—Irwin work in the village, demonstrating and Troup Sts. The formal entrance the crafts and trades that made up to the village, these gates are repro- daily life in a small Georgia town in ductions of those that surround Historic Westville

P 1 Historic Westville 2 Irwin St.

26 Historic Westville

25 4 3

Lamar St.

24 upi St. Lumpkin

ru St. Troup

5 23

6 7 8

Forsyth St. 21 22 9

imrSt. Gilmer St. Clark

10 20 19

Crawford St.

18 11

12 16 13 17

Cuthbert St. 193 14

NORTH 15

Berrien St.

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 28 - Westville 2nd proof CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

the old State Capitol grounds in George Singer when his shoemaking Milledgeville. business outgrew his house and shop 3. Stewart County Academy next door. The second story of the (c. 1832)—Troup and Lamar Sts. Built shop served as lodgings for Singer’s to house a private academy, this struc- apprentices in the cobbling trade. ture was later converted for use as a 8. Singer House (1838)—Forsyth Masonic lodge. The 2-story building is St. Originally built on the Lumpkin furnished with desks and benches do- square by Johann Singer for both his nated from a school in Eufaula, Ala. residence and cobbler’s shop, the house 4. Grimes-Feagin House (1842)— is notable for its two entrances—one Lamar and Lumpkin Sts. Built by for family and another for customers. John Grimes for his son-in-law, The large 12-over-12–pane windows Henry Feagin, this 1-story, Greek offered both light for living quarters Revival–style house is typical of and display space for Singer’s wares. By middle-class homes of the period. the end of his first year in Lumpkin, 5. McDonald House (1843)— Singer’s business required more space, Troup St. between Lamar and Forsyth. so he built the shop next door. This The largest house in Westville, this building was put to good use as Singer elegant Greek Revival house began and his wife, Louisa, filled it with 11 as a modest, 2-room cabin built near children. Singer’s son, George, appren- Cuthbert, Ga., by Scottish immigrant ticed to the cobbler’s trade, while an- Edward McDonald. As both his wealth other son, John, became a leather and the size of his family grew (Ed- tanner and tailor (see #6). ward and his wife, Elizabeth, had 9. Doctor’s Office (c. 1845)— seven children), McDonald completed Troup and Forsyth Sts. Built by Dr. the transformation of the cabin into William L. Paullin, a physician in this large mansion in 1859. nearby Fort Gaines. the office is filled 6. Cabinet Shop (c. 1836)— with period instruments, medicine Forsyth and Troup Sts. Built by John bottles, and textbooks. 194 Singer III for use as a tailoring and 10. Chattahoochee County Court- leather goods shop, the building was house (1854)—Troup St. This large, 2- moved here from the Lumpkin town story frame structure was the original square and is furnished as a period courthouse built when Chattahoochee cabinetmaker’s business. County was established in 1854. It 7. Shoemaker’s Shop (c. 1838)— was in active use until 1975. The Forsyth St. Built in nearby Lumpkin building was relocated to Westville by German-born immigrant Johann from its original site in Cusseta and Historic Westville

McDonald House, Westville dedicated by presidential candidate nated this old church building to Jimmy Carter during the Westville Westville at that time. Bicentennial Celebration on July 4, 12. Rawson House (c. 1850)— 1976. Pres. Carter’s great-grandfather Troup and Cuthbert Sts. Built by and grandfather served as Chatta- William Rawson, the house now hoochee County tax collector and serves as the manse for the adjacent clerk, respectively, and had ofﬁces in Presbyterian church. It houses West- this building. With its original court- ville administrative ofﬁces and is not room furnishings and woodwork, the open to the public. building is the center for educational 13. Bryan-Worthington House programs at Westville. (c. 1831)—Troup and Cuthbert Sts. 11. Climax Presbyterian Church Furnished to represent the house of 195 (c. 1850)—Troup and Crawford Sts. the owner of the cotton-ginning busi- This simple frame structure was built ness across Cuthbert St., the house was in nearby Lump kin and served the originally constructed in rural Stewart congregation of Curry Presbyterian County by cotton planter Loverd Church for more than 120 years. The Bryan. A notable feature of the 2- congregation merged with Bainbridge story, Plantation Plain–style house is Presbyterian Church in 1970 and do- the Federal-style portico. CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

14. Bagley Gin House (c. 1840s)— lowing the Indian removal in the Cuthbert St. The building houses the 1830s, it was acquired by the Wells equipment necessary for successful family who occupied it for more than cotton harvesting and marketing. The a century. cotton gin (engine) removed seeds 18. Kiser House (c. 1850s)— and husks from the raw cotton, and Berrien St. between Clark and Gilmer. the screw press compressed the fibers Relocated from Marietta, this cottage into 600-lb. bales ready for transport with its wide front porch has been re- to the market in nearby Columbus. stored as the village’s restaurant, The cotton gin building was con- serving authentic Southern cooking. structed near Cusseta by plantation 19. Blacksmith Shop (c. 1850)— owner William Bagley. Crawford and Gilmer Sts. A small 15. Pioneer Log Cabins (c. 1820s) town could not survive without a —Berrien and Clarke Sts. These blacksmith. Here, the smith would rough-hewn wooden structures repre- manufacture and repair farm tools sent the primitive houses built by the and household items of all kinds. region’s earliest white settlers. Typi- 20. Carriage Shelter (c. 1850)— cally, these cabins served as temporary Gilmer St. The shed protects the shelter while the family built a more wagons and carriages used at West- permanent house. ville. Included in the collection of 16. Patterson-Marett Farmhouse horse- or mule-drawn vehicles are a and Outbuildings (c. 1850)—Clarke fine black carriage once owned by St. The living areas of this simple log Gov. George Towns and a packet that structure with its clapboard addition once hauled the mail between are separated by a breezeway often Gainesville and Dahlonega. called a “possum-trot” or “dog-run.” 21. Adams Store (c. 1850)—Gilmer The house is oriented to capture and Forsyth Sts. Built as a stagecoach summer breezes and hold warmth in stop near Lumpkin, the building winter. The surrounding outbuildings served as a travelers’ rest, general store, 196 and equipment include a pantry, mule and local gathering place. barn, cane mill, syrup kettle, and 22. Lawson House (c. 1835)— whiskey still. The complex represents Forsyth and Clarke Sts. Originally the rugged, self-sufficient life of a rural erected as a simple log cabin in rural farmer of a century-and-a-half ago. Stewart County by Davenport and 17. Wells House (c. 1825)—Clarke Margaret Lawson, the rough wood has and Cuthbert Sts. The oldest house been covered with clapboard. The in the village, it was built by a Yuchi house is notable for the fine quality of Indian family near Buena Vista. Fol- its workmanship. Historic Westville

23. Yellow Creek Tabernacle sites around rural Stewart County, in- (1840)—Clarke St. This shed-roofed, cludes a pottery pug mill for mixing open-sided building was constructed clay and a wood-burning kiln for for religious camp meetings and was ﬁring the completed pieces. originally located at the Yellow Creek 26. West House (c. 1850)—Gilmer Campground in Hall County. Camp and Irwin Sts. Included in Col. West’s meetings were popular annual events extensive collection was this simple in the antebellum South that usually frame house that once belonged to his took place in late summer and lasted a grandparents. week or more. Families would travel from many miles away, set up camps NOTES around the tabernacle, and spend their days and evenings hearing preachers, listening to religious music, and singing hymns. 24. Moye-White House (c. 1840) —Gilmer and Lamar Sts. Considered the ﬁnest Greek Revival–style house in Westville, the structure was relocated to the village from its original site near Cuthbert, where it was the main house for a 3,000-acre plantation. In the 1880s, the rear portion of the house was moved and used by the owners as rental property. In 1970 the Moye family donated the front half of the house to Westville, and they donated the rear half a decade later. The two halves are now connected by a breezeway. 197 25. Potter’s Mill and Shop (c. 1850s)—Gilmer and Lamar Sts. Another essential tradesman in 19th-century rural communities, the potter made jugs, pitchers, churns, tableware, bricks, and other important items for everyday life. This complex of buildings, assembled from CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY C H A P T E R 3 0

BACKGROUND Kolomoki The earliest evidence of mound building in the Mounds State Southeastern United States dates to the rise of the Mississippian Culture Historic Park around 700 C.E. This culture descended from the Hopewell Culture, which spread from the Ohio Valley, and was also strongly influenced by the Aztec people of Mexico. By 900 C.E., the Mississippian Culture had spread throughout the Lower Mississippi Valley and beyond. The first permanent settlers ar- LOCATION rived in the area of Kolomoki around Kolomoki Mounds State Historic 750 C.E., traveling inland along the Park is located about 85 miles Chattahoochee River and its tribu- south of Columbus via U.S. 27. To taries. They gradually adopted a blend reach the park from I-75, exit at of two local Woodland subcultures— Tifton (exit 62) and travel west on the Swift Creek of the southern Ap- U.S. 82/GA 520 to Albany. Turn south palachians and the Florida Gulf on GA 91, then west on GA 62 to coast–based Weeden Island. Archaeol- Blakely. The park is about 6 miles ogists were able to draw this conclu- north of Blakely on U.S. 27. Informa- sion after examining pottery styles 198 tion: (229) 723-5296; and types of other early artifacts www.gastateparks.org. found at the Kolomoki site. Small settlements flourished in this PARKING area of the Chattahoochee Valley, and Parking is available at the by 1100, they had come under strong museum and at a small lot near the influence of the Mississippian peo- nature trail. A daily parking fee is ples. For the next two centuries, the charged. social structure and organization of Kolomoki Mounds State Historic Park

a l o To U.S. 27 and To Blakely h

e Camp

Group k

L P Camping Ball P Field Playground

i NORTH k o

m o l o Camping K e k L a Kolomoki Mounds State Historic Park P P 2 .7 mile 3 (see inset below) 4 7 5 199 1.3 miles Open Plaza 6 1 Museum Trails Area Trails Kolomoki Mounds State Historic Park To Blakely To To Fort Gaines To Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 29 - Kolomoki Mounds SP 1st proof CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

the people of Kolomoki changed dra- mounds at the site were each built as matically. The population of the cen- a monument to hold the remains and tral village, never more than a few earthly possessions of a single indi- hundred inhabitants, swelled to more vidual, probably a priest-chief. The than 2,000 people, with an equal nature of the burials suggests that the number living in smaller satellite people believed in some form of an farming settlements. These people afterlife. Also found in the mounds were part of a regional variation of were other human remains, possibly the Mississippian Culture that came those of servants, slaves, or spouses to be known as the “Southern Cult.” whose lives were sacrificed so that This larger population, combined they might continue to accompany or with the more elaborate religious life serve their master after death. of the Mississippians, led to the con- Mound building did not spread struction of the ceremonial mounds further south from Kolomoki. By at Kolomoki. The massive temple 1300, the village and culture had mound, the smaller ceremonial shifted to the Lamar Culture, then mounds, and the burial mounds here prevalent at Ocmulgee, and were al- represent the work of a tightly knit ready in decline. When the first society heavily influenced by strong Europeans arrived, probably Spanish religious beliefs and powerful ceremo- explorers in the 1500s, the region’s nialism. The religious and political natives knew little about the myste- structures were intertwined, with rious mounds or the ancient people enormous power vested in influential who had built them. clans who controlled nearly every as- The first archaeological work at pect of village life. Kolomoki was carried out by Dr. The tremendous labor resources Charles A. Woodruff in 1847. This was required to construct the temple followed by more extensive research mound and the increasingly intricate conducted as part of the American pottery and tools suggest a reliance on Ethnological Survey in the late 1800s. 200 advanced hunting and agricultural The most current knowledge about the techniques permitting relatively few mounds of Kolomoki and the area’s people to supply the sustenance, inhabitants was the result of careful housing, and support for all those in- excavations of the site during the 1940s volved in the construction work. and 1950s by a team of researchers The burial mounds also provide from the University of Georgia’s clues to the religious life and social Department of Anthropology. organization of the people of The area around the Kolomoki Kolomoki. The two large burial Mounds was given to the state of Kolomoki Mounds State Historic Park

across the ancient plaza, including a climb to the top of the temple mound, is about 1.3 miles. A hike on the nearby nature trail will bring the total walk distance to about 2 miles. The plaza area is mostly level and open, while the nature trail traces a loop through a mature Southern hardwood forest. Bro chures with descriptions of natural features along the trail are available at the museum.

SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY 1. Kolomoki Visitor Center/Museum—Exhibits depict our interpretation of life at Kolomoki during the era of the mound builders. Enclosed within the museum is a scientiﬁcally excavated Atop one of the Kolomoki mounds burial mound (Mound E) just as the Georgia by the citizens of Early archaeologists left it when they com- County in 1933. Scientists and histo- pleted their work in the 1950s. Hours: rians continue to sift through the arti- 9 A.M.–5 P.M., Tues.–Sat.; 2–5 P.M., facts at Kolomoki, now designated a Sun. (912) 723-5296. (After visiting National Landmark, and other sites, the museum, you may walk or drive interpreting the lives of these early in- to the starting point of the walk, near habitants. In addition to the preserva- Sight 2.) tion of the mounds, the 1,293-acre 2. Mound A, Temple Mound park features a campground, picnic (c. 1100s)—Believed to be the oldest 201 areas, and a wide variety of recre- mound of its type in Georgia, this ational facilities, including two fishing 325 ft. x 200 ft. mound is about lakes, two swimming pools, and a 56 feet high. The ﬂat top appears to be miniature golf course. on two levels, suggesting that a ceremonial structure may have stood on WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN the highest point. Archaeologists esti- From the parking area east of mate that more than 2 million basket- the temple mound, a walk loads, each holding one cubic foot of CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

earth, were required to construct the treasure of artifacts including pottery, mound. Historians believe that this decorative beads, log supports, and mound was the religious center of both complete and partial human re- Kolomoki and the surrounding vil- mains. Archaeologists have suggested lages, and was the site for rituals and that this may have been the burial ceremonies. The temple mound is lo- mound for a ceremonial leader of the cated at the eastern end of a large Late Kolomoki period who was in- plaza that contains several smaller terred with female companions, mounds. The plaza may have been slaves, and “trophy” skulls of enemies. used for gatherings and ceremonies Some of the remains are intact while and was likely surrounded by the others appear to have been cremated. thatched-wood dwellings of the vil- This is the most recent of all of the lage’s 2,000 inhabitants. mounds at the site. 3. Mound B (c. 1100s)—This 6. Mound F (c. 1100s)—This unusual, small mound is roughly oval-shaped, 6-ft.-high mound 50 feet in diameter and about 5 feet contains pottery shards from the high. It contains evidence of a series earlier Weeden Island period (c. 900– of wooden posts that may have sup- 1000s C.E.), but archaeologists date ported a pavilion or served some construction in the later Kolomoki other unknown purpose. Pottery period. The purpose of the mound is shards unearthed during excavations unknown. of the mounds date its construction 7. Mound H (c. 1000s)—Similar in to the Kolomoki period. proportion to Mound F, this mound 4. Mound C (c. 1100s)—Another also contains a few pottery shards that small Kolomoki-period mound of un- may have been dumped on the site certain purpose, it has roughly the during the mound’s construction. same dimensions as Mound B. After While archaeologists are uncertain as excavation revealed no artifacts, some to the purposes of Mounds F and H, archaeologists speculated it may have they have speculated—given their 202 simply been a pile of earth accumu- proximity to Burial Mounds D and E lated from cleaning and leveling the —that they may have been con- adjacent plaza. structed for funeral ceremonies. 5. Mound D, Burial Mound (c. 1200s)—At 20 feet in height and 100 feet in diameter, this is one of the largest and most elaborate burial mounds in the southeastern U.S. Excavations in the 1950s revealed a CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY C H A P T E R 3 1

south of Cordele, and traveling south- Albany and west for about 40 miles to U.S. 82. Turn right and go about 3 miles, Chehaw Park crossing the Flint River, to Wash- ington St. Turn right and travel about half a mile to Roosevelt Ave. and the entrance to Thronateeska Heritage Center.

PARKING In downtown Albany, curbside LOCATION parking is available at Thronateeska Albany is about 90 miles south- Heritage Center and along other city east of Columbus. Travel south streets. At Chehaw Park, there is on U.S. 280 to GA 520. At Dawson, ample parking in the picnic area adja- continue south on GA 520/U.S. 82 cent to the nature trails. to Roosevelt Ave. (GA 234). Turn left and travel about 2 miles to the BACKGROUND Thronateeska Heritage Center. Infor- Albany mation: Albany Convention and Kick the dirt around Albany Visitors Bureau, (800) 475-8700; and you ﬁnd rich, loamy, sandy soil, www.albanyga.com. the remnants of the sediments laid To reach Chehaw Park from down by an ancient, shallow sea that downtown Albany, travel north about once covered what geologists identify 2 miles on Jefferson St. (GA 91), as Georgia’s ancient Coastal Plain. 203 crossing Liberty Expressway (U.S. 19), Over many millennia, the Earth’s then turn right on Philema Rd. (con- water levels have risen and fallen. In tinuation of GA 19). Chehaw Park its retreat, the water left behind will be directly ahead on the left. rolling sand dunes, some of which are Information: (229) 430-5275; still visible east of the city, nearly www.parksatchehaw.org. 50 million years removed from, and Albany may also be reached from 200 miles west of, the present Atlantic I-75 by exiting on GA 300 (exit 99), Coast. CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

More than 10,000 years ago semi- Col. John Baker. The county, nestled nomadic groups survived by hunting on the Indian frontier, was the site of wild game and fishing in the abun- a major engagement, the Battle of dant rivers and streams of the area. By Chickasawhachee Creek, during the the time of the arrival of the first Eu- Creek Indian War in 1836. At war’s ropean explorers in the 1500s, people end, the Creeks were forced to cede all of the Yuchi Indian Tribe (part of the their remaining lands in Georgia and Creek Nation) lived near the present move to new homes west of the Mis- site of Albany. They called their village sissippi River. “Thronateeska,” which meant “the A short time after the Indian place where flint is picked up.” removal, land lots for a new settlement In the early years of the 19th cen- were purchased by Alexander Shot - tury, as settlers moved deeper into well, a New Jersey Quaker, who com- Georgia’s interior, the Creek Indians missioned a surveyor to lay out the were forced to cede more of their an- site for an as-yet-unnamed town. cestral lands to the state and relocate That same year, Col. Nelson Tift, a farther to the west. Despite the fer- Connecticut-born businessman from tility of the soil, the Indians held on to Augusta and later Hawkinsville, trav- their lands in southwestern Georgia eled by barge up the Flint River from longer than in other sections of the Apalachicola, Fla., to the site of the state. This was probably due, in large rough, new settlement. Tift saw imme- part, to the heat, humidity, and re- diately that the village had potential moteness of the region—an area and, without hesitation, he built a log viewed by many settlers as filled with home and store on the banks of the marshes, impenetrable forests, and in- river and put down roots. A visionary, cessant malarial mosquitoes. Tift believed that the community Despite the rigors of the climate, could, someday, become the commer- settlers did begin moving into the re- cial and industrial center for the entire gion in the early 1800s and, in 1819, region. Considering his Northeastern 204 engineer D. W. Porter surveyed a tract roots, he suggested that the town be known as “Land Lot 324.” In a lottery named “Albany” for the city in New held in 1821, Gov. John Clark granted York that was itself a regional trade rights to this parcel of land to Orren center on the Hudson River. In 1841, a Wiggins. It was one of the four original charter was granted to the new City of land lots for the future city of Albany. Albany by the Georgia legislature. The first county in the region was In 1845, Tift began publishing the Baker County, chartered in 1825 and Albany Patriot, a newspaper that he named for Revolutionary War hero circulated widely. He used the paper

Albany and Chehaw Park

t n i l F Albany NORTH 133 19

23 24 Front S. 1 A B 22 C

28 27 25 .Washington N. 29 26

31 35 .Jackson N. 21 4 5 32 33 34 20 3 133

19 W. Society 6 Jefferson N. 91 91 91 18 2 7 8

Pine

W. Flint

W. Broad

W. Roosevelt W. Tift W. Residence Monroe N. 9 11 16 10 15 19 12

14 .Madison N.

13 .Davis N. 205 Albany Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 30a - Historic Albany 2nd proof CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

to promote the new town and debunk events. Among the actors who per- the widely believed stories that the formed at the Bridge House in the late southwestern Georgia climate was un- 1850s was Laura Keane, who would healthy. Eventually, the rich soil later be on the stage at Ford’s Theater brought wealthy planters who devel- in Washington, D.C., when Pres. oped large cotton plantations worked Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. by thousands of slaves. For most of With the outbreak of the Civil War the planters, the climate was not an in 1861, many of Albany’s and sur- issue. They retreated to homes in rounding Dougherty County’s young northern Georgia during the sum- men enlisted in the Confederate army mers, leaving their laborers to battle and marched off to battlefields from the heat, humidity, and insects. Virginia to Tennessee. Back home, In 1853, Dougherty County local plantations and farms provided (named for Judge Charles Dougherty cotton and food supplies to the gov- of Athens, Ga.) was carved out of ernment. Tift’s Bridge House was con- Baker County and Albany was selected verted into a packing plant where as the county seat. The city was rapidly thousands of cattle and hogs were developing into the major cotton slaughtered, pickled, and placed in bar- transportation and trade center that rels to feed sailors in the Confederate Tift had envisioned. The Flint River Navy. Interestingly, Tift sold his goods waterfront bustled with traffic and the to the Confederate government at cost, adjacent commercial district thrived unlike many business owners, both with a mix of mercantile businesses North and South, who sought to earn and professional offices. enormous profits from the conflict. Ever the entrepreneur, Tift oper- After the Confederacy’s defeat in ated the first ferry across the Flint 1865, Albany like so many communi- River and, in 1857 contracted with a ties across the South, found its slave- black freedman, Horace King of based, agricultural economy in ruins. Columbus, to build the first bridge Thousands of freed slaves still lived on 206 across the river. Tift built the Bridge the old plantations where they worked House on the western bank of the for their former owners as tenant river with a central archway that led farmers, laborers, or sharecroppers. to his toll bridge. The ground floor Others flocked to Albany in search of contained Tift’s office and the toll- jobs. On the surface, there appeared collector’s station, while the second to be a degree of harmony between floor housed a gaily decorated ball- the races, but strict segregation laws room that hosted theatrical perfor- enacted throughout the South in the mances, masked balls, and other social late 19th century planted seeds of Albany and Chehaw Park

MountainMountain k Bike Park e r e C 41

e Parks at Chehaw l e k a u c M

oad 39 40 ailr e R Chehaw Cir. tur nia Mi 38

Chehaw Park Rd.

k a

L NORTH 36

Philema Rd. 207 91 Parks at Chehaw

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 30b - Parks at Chehaw 2nd proof CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

racial unrest that would thrust Albany year during hunting season (October– into the national spotlight years later. March). Much of southwestern Georgia Another draw for tourists was Ra- rests atop rich deposits of limestone— dium Springs, located just across the fossilized remnants of the ancient Flint River from downtown Albany. seabed. Encased in the porous stone is The largest natural spring in Georgia, a vast reservoir of fresh water, believed the water bubbles up from the lime- to be one of the largest underground stone at nearly 70,000 gallons a aquifers in North America. This water minute and maintains a constant gave a significant boost to the area’s year-round temperature of 68°F. agricultural economy in 1881, when Touted as both a tourist attraction John P. Fort drilled Georgia’s first arte- and a health resort, the springs each sian well just outside Albany. The well year attracted thousands of people provided local citizens with fresh, pure who came to “take the waters.” In water and offered area farmers an op- 1926, stone walls were built to encase portunity to tap this vast reservoir to the pools, and the elegant Radium irrigate their fields. Springs Hotel was erected to provide At about the same time, Albany vacationers with luxurious accommo- began draining the surrounding dations. The hotel thrived for many marshes and floodplains that were years before falling into decline and breeding grounds for disease-bearing closing in the early 1960s. The mosquitoes. By the 1890s, the city, like building and grounds were restored Thomasville to the south, had become and reopened for a period of time but a winter resort for wealthy Northern are currently closed. families seeking respite from the harsh A decade before the Great Depres- weather back home. Many bought up sion gripped the nation, Albany and old cotton plantations, assembling vast the surrounding farmlands were dev- tracts of land that would eventually be astated by the boll weevil infestations developed as quail hunting reserves. that destroyed cotton crops across the 208 This sport, with the development of South. Georgia farmers and the busi- sporting shotguns and the breeding of nesses that supported them found hunting dogs in the early years of the themselves in a deep, unrelenting 20th century, became an immensely economic recession that the rest of popular activity among the wealthy. the country would soon share. These While it may no longer be the sole do- hard times would last until the late main of the super rich, the quail plan- 1930s when the country began to gear tations of southwestern Georgia still up industrial production for World draw many thousands of hunters each War II. Albany and Chehaw Park

After the war, the local economy, Martin Luther King Jr. to come to bolstered by new agricultural crops Albany. Originally planning only to like peanuts and pecans (Albany is preach at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, now the self-proclaimed “Pecan Cap- King decided to stay in Albany and ital of the World”), Albany rebounded, join the protests. During a march in attracting new industries and busi- downtown Albany, King and several nesses to the area. At the height of the other Civil Rights Movement leaders Cold War in the 1950s, the U.S. were arrested and jailed for a short Marine Corps established a facility time. King’s participation brought na- outside the city to coordinate the tional media attention to the city, and shipment of supplies and equipment eventually, brought about sweeping to Marine units around the world. The changes in local segregation laws. The Marine Corps Logistics Base is the restored Mt. Zion Church houses the county’s largest employer and a key Albany Civil Rights Museum profiling component of the local economy. the powerful story of the Albany Move- Other businesses have also grown and ment and its impact on the achieve- thrived. Among these are Bob’s Can- ment of civil rights across the nation. dies, a small company that started Through the 1970s and 80s, with the sale of pecan and peanut con- Albany solidified its position as the fections and is now the world’s largest business and cultural center of south- manufacturer of candy canes. Also, western Georgia. Among the many Miller Brewing Company, attracted by facilities and programs fostered and the abundance of fresh water, built a developed during this time were the large production facility just north of highly regarded Albany Museum of the city in the 1970s. Art, the Albany Symphony, Theatre While Albany returned to pros- Albany, and the Thronateeska Her- perity in the 1950s, the benefits to its itage Center. citizens were uneven as many black By the early 1990s, Albany was in citizens still struggled against discrim- the preliminary stages of a major revi- ination. In 1961, local civil rights talization of the downtown business 209 leaders met at Shiloh Baptist Church district when disaster struck. On a to form the Albany Movement, an ef- sultry summer day in July 1994, fort to actively protest continued seg- Tropical Storm Alberto stalled over regation and promote voter registra- southwestern Georgia, filling the tion among local black citizens. After sky with dark clouds and rain. What an Albany protest march during which was at first an annoyance became a nearly 500 people were arrested, the catastrophe as the rain continued movement’s leaders invited the Rev. unabated for several days, dropping CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

record amounts of rainfall across the few miles north of downtown to region. Before long, the Flint River Chehaw Park. This 800-acre public and its tributaries overflowed their park, originally developed in the banks and deluged the adjacent flood- 1930s by workers from the Civilian plain, where many of Albany’s poorest Conservation Corps as a new state citizens lived. In a flood that a local park, was later turned over to the city writer described as being of “biblical as a local recreation area. Today the magnitude,” the river eventually Parks at Chehaw include an acclaimed crested at 43 feet. More than 23 Wild Animal Park that is the state’s square miles of Dougherty County only American Zoological Association were under water, including down- accredited zoo outside Atlanta, a town Albany and nearby Oakview miniature railroad called the Wire- Cemetery, where long-buried caskets grass Express, a campground, a BMX began to resurface and float away. bicycle track and mountain biking Bridges across the Flint were shut trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, and a down, the campus of Albany State network of hiking trails along the University was inundated, and over shores of Chehaw Lake and Muckalee 23,000 people were driven from their Creek. homes. During and after the flood, called WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN by Georgia Gov. Zell Miller, “the worst The terrain is mostly level or natural disaster in Georgia history,” gently rolling. The city enjoys an citizens of all races truly came to- abundance of shading pines and live gether for the first time to battle a oak trees throughout the downtown common enemy—the rising water. In walk, which traces a 3.5-mile loop many ways, the “Great Flood of 1994” through the commercial district and did more to foster harmony and unity several century-old neighborhoods. within the community than any other The nature trails at Chehaw Park single event in the city’s history. A provide a walk of about 2 miles, a dis- 210 monument erected on the corner of tance that may be doubled if you take Front and Oglethorpe Sts. commemo- a round-trip stroll along the shaded rates the contributions of the thou- park loop road to visit the Wild An- sands of volunteers who joined the imal Park. The nature trails are laid efforts to save the city. out in loops off of a main path and are blazed with different colors of Chehaw Park paint. Park maps, including a layout Visitors in search of a bit of the of the trails, are available at the region’s natural beauty, should drive a entrance station. Albany and Chehaw Park

SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY C. Hilsman Kitchen (c. 1850s)— Downtown Albany Once an outbuilding of a 19th-century 1. Thronateeska Heritage home, it now serves as an office. Center (1910)—100 Roosevelt Ave. D. The Jarrard House (c. 1850s), Built as Albany’s railroad passenger believed to be the oldest existing house depot, this long, single-story, red- in Albany, has been relocated to the brick structure features elements of complex from its original site on the Prairie style popularized by noted Broad Ave. and is awaiting restoration. architect Frank Lloyd Wright. (NR) Heritage Center hours: 10 A.M.– At the time of its construction, the 4 P.M., Mon.–Fri.; 12–4 P.M., Sat. depot and surrounding businesses Information: (229) 432-6955; bustled with passengers arriving or www.heritagecenter.org departing on more than 30 trains a 2. Patterson House (1871)— day. Passenger rail service to Albany 415 Jefferson St. Built by local ceased many years ago, and the depot foundry owner Thomas Patterson, closed in 1971. A few years later, the this residence features ornate metal- complex was acquired by the Throna- work on the porch that was produced teeska Heritage Foundation, a in his factory. The house now serves nonprofit organization dedicated to as attorneys’ offices. preserving the history of Albany and 3. St. Theresa’s Roman Catholic southwestern Georgia. Among the Church (c. 1861)—313 Residence Ave. facilities here are the Discovery Construction of this simple, brick Depot History Museum, the Wether - Gothic-style church was begun with bee Planetarium, and the Children’s slave labor in 1859, and the exterior Discovery Center. The complex was finished in 1860. According to includes several historic buildings, local lore, interior plaster work had some moved to this location from just begun in January 1861 when word other parts of the city. Among came that Georgia had seceded from them are: the Union. Plasterer Thomas Churchill A. Tift Warehouse (c. 1859)— immediately put down his trowel and 211 Albany’s first railway depot, this enlisted in the Confederate army, and building was converted for use as a the church remained unfinished until storage building for Tift Grocery. after the war ended. Dur ing the war B. Wetherbee Planetarium the building was used as a hospital. St. (c. 1900s)—The planetarium is lo- Theresa’s is the oldest Catholic Church cated in the former Railway Express in continuous use in Georgia. NR Agency office. For times of plane- 4. J. W. Gillespie House (1896)— tarium shows: (912) 432-6955. 509 Jackson St. One of the city’s CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

most elegant Victorian homes, this 7. Dr. William L. Davis House 3-story house features two porches, (1892)—611 Jefferson St. Built by Col. a square tower, and ornate woodwork. Ed White, a former Confederate The house was built by A. W. Muse as ofﬁcer and early mayor of Albany, this a wedding gift to his daughter, Mary large, white brick house was later pur- Muse Gillespie. chased by Dr. Davis, one of the 5. Charles Tift House (c. 1885)— founding physicians of nearby Phoebe 603 Jackson St. Charles Tift, brother Putney Hospital. of Albany’s founder Nelson Tift, built 8. Parker-Malone House this large home after moving to the (c. 1880s)—407 Society Ave. Built city from Florida. According to local by Knott Parker, this was later the lore, when the Tift family moved out home of Dougherty County judge many years ago, the original sur- Hudson Malone. The gables and veyor’s chains used to lay out the ornate woodwork are notable archi- town, were found in the attic. The tectural features. house is currently undergoing 9. Spence House (c. 1890s)— restoration. 425 Society Ave. Built by the Arthur 6. Woolfolk House (c. 1880s)— family, this large, white frame Victo- 604 Jefferson St. The longtime home rian house was purchased by Judge W. of Nelson Tift’s daughter Clara and N. Spence in 1919. her husband, T. N. Woolfolk, the resi- 10. Mamie Brosnan School dence later served as a music school. (1915)—601 Monroe St. This large,

212

Wild Animal Park in Parks at Chehaw Albany and Chehaw Park red-brick schoolhouse was named for as a replacement and now houses a popular teacher of the day. The school system administrative offices. facility now houses the Oak Tree 14. Keaton House (c. 1860)— educational program for disadvan- 526 Pine Ave. This large frame house, taged children. notable for its second-story columned 11. Vason Jones House (c. 1850s) portico, is now an antiques shop. —405 Monroe St. This New Orleans– 15. Theatre Albany (1857)— influenced Greek Revival house was 514 Pine Ave. Built by Martha Ryals as acquired in 1947 and completely re- a gift to her son, Newton Brinson, the stored by renowned, Albany-born ar- large Neoclassical-style mansion was chitect Edward Vason Jones, designer acquired by Capt. John Davis in 1860. of the American Wing of the Metro- Davis entertained former Confederate politan Museum of Art in New York, Pres. Jefferson Davis in the home in the Diplomatic Reception Room at 1888, and a chair occupied by the ex- the U.S. State Department, and var- ecutive is now on display. For many ious projects at the White House. years, the house served as a Masonic 12. Capt. William Smith House lodge until it was given to the Albany (1860)—516 Flint Ave. The first brick Little Theatre Company for use as a house erected in Albany, this hand- performing arts center. Renamed some 2-story home with columned “Theatre Albany” in the 1990s, the portico and Italianate detailing was company continues to put on produc- built from bricks hauled by wagon tions in an enlarged auditorium skill- from Macon. The house had several fully attached to the back of the advanced features for its day in- house. Information: (912) 439-7193. cluding an indoor water system sup- NR plied by attic reservoirs. Smith was a 16. Pray House (1905)—501 Pine local civic leader, Confederate officer Ave. This large, Victorian Gothic–style and legislator, and later a Georgia home was built by John Pray, co- state senator. The house is now founder of the Citizens National Bank owned by the Albany Junior League. in Albany. 213 NR 17. Cochran-Morrison House 13. Albany Academy Building (c. 1860)—422 Pine Ave. Considered a (1919)—601 Flint Ave. Albany’s first superb example of the transition public school, Albany Academy, between the Federal and Victorian opened on this site in 1886. That eras of architecture, this carefully structure burned in 1888 and was re- preserved 1-story cottage displays built. The present masonry and sand- elements of the Greek Revival and stone brick building was constructed Italianate styles. The ornately carved CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

woodwork of the full-length front This modern facility, the largest of its porch is notable. kind in southwestern Georgia, fea- 18. First Baptist Church (c. 1890s) tures a 10,000-seat performing arts —400 Pine Ave. One of the oldest re- center and a large exhibition space for ligious congregations in Albany, the conventions and trade shows. Infor- church was organized in 1839 and mation: (912) 430-5200. began meeting on this site in 1844. 23. Veterans Park and Amphi - The present Gothic Revival–style theater (1988)—200 Front St. Carved church is notable for its stained glass. into a wooded hillside above the Flint 19. Old Federal Building and Post River, this green space commemorates Office (1912)—345 W. Broad Ave. De- area residents who saw military service signed in the Renaissance Revival style, dur ing the nation’s wars. The 1,200- this sandstone brick building features seat outdoor amphitheater is a popular polished oak interior woodwork. Post- venue for festivals, plays, and concerts. mistress Nellie Brimberry, the first 24. Bridge House (1853)—112 N. woman to hold that post in a major Front St. This whitewashed brick U.S. city, served here for many years. A building was constructed by Nelson new courthouse building opened in Tift to serve as his office and the en- 2001 at Broad Ave. and Washington St trance to his toll bridge across the (no. 26). This structure will continue Flint River. The theater on the second to serve as a community center. NR floor was the social center of early Al- 20. Farkas House (1889)—328 W. bany. Note the now-sealed brick arch Broad Ave. This large, French Second that was once the entrance to the Empire–style house, with its distinc- bridge. During the Civil War, this tive mansard roof and elegant iron- building served as a meat-packing work, was built by local businessman plant for the Confederate navy. NR Samuel Farkas. NR 25. Exchange Building (c. 1900s) 21. Ritz Cultural Center (c. 1930) —100 S. Washington St. At the time of —225 Jackson St. Originally built as a its construction, this 6-story tower was 214 movie house, the theater was restored one of the largest office buildings in and reopened in 1991 as a multipur- southwestern Georgia. NR pose cultural center for Albany-area 26. C. B. King Federal Courthouse youth. The facility includes an audito- (2000)—Washington St. at Broad Ave. rium, exhibit area, gallery, and class- A significant part of the revitalization rooms. Gallery hours: 9 A.M.–6 P.M., of Albany’s downtown district, this Mon.–Fri. (912) 889-1473. new stone and glass complex replaced 22. James H. Gray Civic Center the 1912 courthouse a few blocks west (1988)—100 W. Oglethorpe Blvd. on Broad Ave. It is named for an early Albany and Chehaw Park leader of the Albany Civil Rights 32. Old Carnegie Library (1906)— Movement. 215 N. Jackson St. One of the many 27. Mayer-Cline-Brown Building public libraries around the nation (1886)—112–116 Washington St. erected through the philanthropy of Built of multitextured red brick and industrialist Andrew Carnegie, this at- stone, this 3-story office building may tractive Neoclassical building served as be considered Albany’s first “sky- Albany’s main library for more than scraper.” The mixed pattern of arches 70 years. It has been restored as offices is a notable architectural feature. for the Albany Area Arts Council. 28. The Albany Herald Building The building is open to the public. (c. 1900s)—128–130 Washington St. Hours: 9 A.M.–5 P.M., Mon.–Fri. (912) Built as a department store, this 439-2787. NR Renaissance Revival–style building, 33. Municipal Auditorium (1916, with its distinctive arched windows, restored 1990)—200 N. Jackson St. has served as home to Albany’s daily The cultural heart of Albany for more newspaper for many years. than three-quarters of a century, this 29. Gordon Hotel Building (1925) large, red-brick building also served as —205–209 Pine Ave. Only two blocks a shelter for hundreds of families from the railway depot, this 6-story whose homes were destroyed in a dev- structure was one of Albany’s two astating 1940 tornado, and as a pop- major hotels for many years. In 1978, ular USO venue for World War II the building was converted for use as soldiers training nearby. The restored offices for local government. Note the 965-seat theater is home to the Albany painted, terra-cotta designs along the Symphony and Chorale and is a reg- exterior roofline. ular venue for productions by Theatre 30. Dougherty County Court- Albany and the Albany Ballet. Infor- house and Judicial Center (1966)— mation: (912) 430-5200. NR 225 Pine Ave. This large, sandstone 34. Dougherty County Library brick building houses county govern- (1985)—300 Pine Ave. Occupying a ment offices and courtrooms. restored automobile dealership 215 31. Government Center (1992)— building, this large facility replaced 222 Pine Ave. Directly across from the old Carnegie Library located a the courthouse, this modern glass- block north on Jackson St. and-brick tower houses additional 35. Albany Chamber of city and county offices. The construc- Commerce and Welcome Center tion of this building in the early 1990s (1915)—225 W. Broad Ave. The direc- marked the beginning of downtown tors of the Citizens First National Bank Albany’s renewal movement. envisioned a 7-story “skyscraper” as CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

their signature headquarters, but cost facility serves as a state-of-the-art out- estimates were prohibitively high and door education center for both youth they settled on this elegant, 2-story and adult programs. Greek Revival build ing designed by 40. BMX Bicycle Track—With its renowned Atlanta architect A. Ten hills and banked curves, this compact Eyck Brown. In 1940, it became Al- track is a popular venue for local bi- bany’s first air-conditioned building. cycle competitions. In 1990, the building was acquired by 41. RV Area and Campground— the Albany Chamber of Commerce In the shade of loblolly pines and live and carefully restored. The interior is oaks, this facility offers full hook-up notable for its vaulted ceiling and spaces for trailers, motor-homes, and beautiful murals. Hours: 8:30 A.M.–5 tent campers. P.M., Mon.–Fri. (800) 475-8700. 42. Wild Animal Park—Set in a shaded location along the creek Chehaw Park banks and floodplain, Chehaw’s Wild The nature trail begins a short dis- Animal Park was laid out by well- tance past the park entrance station known naturalist and Albany native behind the playground and picnic Jim Fowler (star of Mutual of area on the right. Hours: 9 A.M.–dusk, Omaha’s Wild Kingdom) and features daily. (229) 430-5275; www. habitats for such wildlife as bald ea- parksatchehaw.org. gles, African elephants, monkeys, 36. Boat Dock—Adjacent to a cheetahs, and American black bears. picnic area, this dock is a place for Other facilities in the park include a ﬁshing or launching small boats on reptile and small-animal house, a gift Lake Chehaw. shop, snack bar, and picnic area. 37. Site of CCC Structures Hours: 9 A.M.–6 P.M., daily. (c. 1930s)—A solitary chimney and 43. Wiregrass Express Train— a low stone wall and steps are evi- This miniature train travels a loop dence of the work performed here by from the zoo area through other parts 216 workers from the Civilian Conserva- of the park. Tickets available at the tion Corps during the Depression. Zoo station. Seasonal. 38. Staff Ofﬁce Building (c. 1930s) —This small, cabinlike structure was NOTES built for the original state park. 39. Creekside Education Center (2000)—With porches and balconies overlooking the nature trails and the waters of Muckalee Creek, this large CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY C H A P T E R 3 2

historical and architectural treasure Thomasville set in a forest of pines and live oaks. The city’s broad avenues, flower-filled parks, and elegant antebellum and Victorian homes make it an ideal place to explore on foot. For the first half-century after the city’s founding in 1831 as the seat of Thomas County (named for Gen. Jett Thomas, a hero of the War of 1812), Thomasville was an agricultural center LOCATION surrounded by the fertile fields of vast Thomasville is about 150 miles cotton plantations worked by thou- southeast of Columbus via sands of slaves. Before the coming of U.S. 280, GA 55, and U.S. 82 to Al- the railroads to the city in the late bany, then south from Albany on 1850s, the harvested cotton was hauled U.S. 19. Thomasville may also be by wagon from the isolated commu- reached by traveling west from I-75 at nity to Tallahassee, Fla., and on to Valdosta via U.S. 84/GA 38 (exit 16). ports on the Gulf of Mexico. The Welcome Center is located in the From the outset, Thomasville was old post ofﬁce building at 135 North marked by fine homes, many designed Broad Street. Information: Thomas - by English architect and master builder ville Tourism Authority, (800) 704- John Wind, who came to the area in 2350; www.thomasvillega.com. the 1840s to design and build the plantation of early settler Jefferson Jackson 217 PARKING Marsh. Wind remained in Thomasville There are commercial lots and for more than a decade designing plan- metered curbside parking in the tation homes, townhouses, and the ele- downtown area. gant Thomas County Courthouse, all notable for their classical styling. Be- BACKGROUND cause Thomasville was spared destruc- Tucked deep in southwest tion during the Civil War, many of Georgia, Thomasville is an these structures still stand. CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

The region’s plantation economy black to attend the U.S. Military was almost solely dependent on slave Academy at West Point. Despite severe labor, so the area’s young men rushed racial abuse from fellow cadets, to join the Confederate army after Flipper graduated in 1877 and served Georgia seceded from the Union in as a cavalry officer on the Western early 1861, enthusiastic to protect frontier (one of the famed “Buffalo their way of life from outside inter- Soldiers,” as the Indians called the ference. They quickly formed military black troops). In 1880, Flipper was companies with such colorful names charged by a white officer with em- as the Dixie Boys and the Thomas bezzlement, court-martialed, and dis- Dragoons. Of the 1,600 men from honorably discharged from the army. Thomasville and surrounding The charges later proved to be racially Thomas County who marched off to motivated and untrue, but Flipper war, nearly a third never returned. died in 1940 with this tarnish on his While Thomasville was spared record. In 1978, Flipper’s body was re- from combat during the Civil War located from Atlanta to Thomasville (Union troops did not occupy the city and buried at Magnolia Cemetery until May 8, 1865), local citizens got a with full military honors. Two decades close-up look at the war’s horrors later, Pres. Bill Clinton gave Flipper a when 5,000 prisoners from Anderson- posthumous pardon. To commemo- ville were temporarily relocated to the rate Lt. Flipper, students at West Point city in early December 1864 to pre- give the Flipper Award each year to vent their liberation by Gen. William the cadet who has displayed the most T. Sherman’s invading Union army. courage and perseverance in the face With the war’s end and the eman- of adversity. cipation of the slaves, the region’s While cotton still contributed to plantation agricultural system was de- the revitalization of the area’s postwar stroyed, leaving both owners and economy, Thomasville found another, former slaves in a desperate situation. even more lucrative, path to pros- 218 Many former slaves remained on the perity—tourism. Shortly after the land working for wages or as tenant war, local physician Dr. T. S. Hopkins farmers and sharecroppers. With pa- began promoting the city as a health tience and perseverance, they strug- resort. Citing the therapeutic benefits gled to forge a new place for them- of the area’s mild climate and fresh selves in Southern society. air, he published a pamphlet called One former Thomasville-area slave “Thomasville as a Winter Home for became a true pioneer and hero. Invalids,” which was distributed Henry O. Flipper became the first throughout the North. By the Thomasville

E. Walcott

43 Thomasville

42 Thomasville

41 N. Hansell 40 39 Hardaway E. Jerger

N. Young 38 E. Webster 37 44 N. Dawson 30 N. Crawford 36 35 E. Calhoun E. Monroe 31 84 N. Broad 319 34 33 45 E. Clay E. Washington 49 N. Stevens 46 32 48 29 47 50 28 27 E. Jefferson 1 23 2 24 E. Jackson 26 22 122 21 3 5 25 20 7 ngton Ave. 4 Remi 19 84 6 18 17 Smith Ave. 84 8 16

Metcalf 15 10 9 14 Victoria 13

NORTH Hansell 11 219 319 Bartow 12

S. College

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 31 - Historic Thomasville 2nd proof CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

mid-1870s, Thomasville was enter- the Civil War were still fresh. Along taining several hundred tourists each Hansell St., Northerners built their winter, including many Union vet- homes on the west side of the street erans who recalled the pleasant cli- and locals built on the east side. Many mate from the March Through in town still refer to Hansell St. as Georgia with Gen. Sherman in 1864. A Thomasville’s “Mason-Dixon Line.” decade later, winter visitors more than Tourism peaked in the early 1900s, doubled the resident population (from then virtually disappeared with the 5,500 to more than 12,000), and the development of resort communities city’s renowned “Hotel Era” began. further south in Florida. By the time Within a few years, ten large hotels of the First World War, Thomasville and more than two dozen boarding had returned to the ways of a sleepy houses offered visitors comfortable, Southern town. Many wealthy owners sometimes luxurious, accommoda- of plantations around Thomasville, tions and fine dining. Possibly the however, stayed and developed their most elegant was the Queen Anne– holdings into hunting preserves with style Piney Woods Hotel, whose name vast wooded tracts that were ideal belied its luxurious amenities that in- grounds for raising game birds such cluded an Otis elevator, suites with as ducks and quail. Sports enthusiasts private baths, a bowling alley, from around the world continue to billiards, and tennis courts. come to Thomasville for sport While many winter visitors were shooting. content to stay in hotels, some of the The region’s climate offers a long wealthiest built grand Victorian “cot- growing season, and the city is awash tages” along city lanes or purchased in color nearly all year—much of it antebellum plantations, turning them coming from the many varieties of into opulent estates. By the end of the roses that thrive in the mild climate 19th century, Thomasville was the and rich soil. In the early 1900s, winter playground of some of county home demonstration agent 220 America’s wealthiest businessmen, in- Lilla Forest won a $25 prize in a com- dustrialists, celebrities, and politi- petition and decided to use the money cians. The prosperity rubbed off on to develop a flower show in Thomas - local businessmen who grew wealthy ville. Forest, along with Mrs. W. M. satisfying the needs of their Northern Harris, founder of the Thomasville guests, and many built homes that Garden Club, and Sam Hjort, co- equaled those of the visitors in their founder of Thomasville Nurseries, elegance. While the Northerners were was instrumental in staging the first always treated cordially, memories of Thomasville Rose Festival in 1922. Thomasville

The event, held each April, has grown building is from the rear parking area. larger and more popular each year. 4. Thomas Drug Store (c. 1869)— Never resting on their laurels, re- 108 S. Broad St. Located in one of the searchers continue to experiment with oldest commercial buildings in new varieties of flowers at the Rose Thomasville, Thomas Drug has been Test Gardens near downtown. Today in operation since 1881. Prescriptions Thomasville proudly claims the title from this pharmacy have been filled “Rose Capital of the World.” for such notables as Presidents William McKinley and Dwight Eisen- WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN hower and the English Duke of The walk route from the Windsor. The building was badly Thomas County Courthouse damaged in a 1982 fire but has been forms a 4-mile loop. The terrain is restored. mostly level with sidewalks along 5. The Gift Shop (c. 1885)—103 S. many streets and an abundance of Broad St. Believed to be the work of shade trees. architect T. J. P. Rommerdall, architect of the eccentric Lapham-Patterson SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY House (see #39), this building reflects 1. Thomas County Court- some of the same mix of unusual de- house (c. 1858)—N. Broad St. sign features and styles. Especially Set on the highest point in south- striking is the bay window over the western Georgia (330 feet above sea store entrance. level), this stately 3-story Greek Revival 6. Jerger-Johnson Jewelers building, designed by John Wind, is (c. 1884)—130 S. Broad St. Estab- topped with an ornate clock tower. NR lished in 1857, Jergers is the oldest 2. Izzo’s Pharmacy (c. 1890)— continuously operating business in 122 N. Broad St. A trio of arched win- Thomasville. The attractive, brick Vic- dows and a patterned belt course are torian building has long been a Broad the outstanding architectural details St. landmark. Especially noteworthy of this late 19th-century pharmacy. are the beautiful cherrywood display 221 Locals still flock to the soda fountain cabinets, which are original. for sodas and milkshakes. 7. WPAX Radio Station (1930)— 3. Neel’s Department Store 117 Remington Ave. WPAX is the (c. 1883)—101 N. Broad St. The store third-oldest station in Georgia and incorporates portions of the Mitchell the twentieth oldest in the nation. House Hotel, the only one of the fine Founder Hoyt Wimpy also built and hotel buildings that still exists. The sold radios so that locals would listen best view of the original part of the to his station. One of Wimpy’s early CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

sound trucks was used by Franklin stayed in the luxury hotels nearby. D. Roose velt for a speech in Warm The park was so popular with Springs during the 1932 presidential Northern visitors that locals referred campaign. to it as “Yankee Paradise.” John Philip 8. Site of Piney Woods Hotel Sousa’s band once performed in the (c. 1885)—Dawson and Broad Sts., park’s Strawbridge Bandstand. north of Paradise Park. The most luxu- 11. Bailey-Willett House (1900)— rious accommodations in town dur ing 110 W. Hansell St. Built for the Bailey Thomasville’s “Hotel Era,” the Piney family of Boston, Mass., this was the Woods stretched more than 400 feet ﬁrst house constructed on this block. across the front and featured long Especially notable are the Palladian- porches and decorative towers. The style windows ﬂanking the front en- hotel burned in 1906. trance portico. 9. Neel House (1907)—502 S. 12. Strawbridge House (1899)— Broad St. This stately Neoclassical- 704 S. Broad St. Built for Justus Straw- style house was built by Elijah Leon bridge, a Philadelphia, Pa., clothier Neel, founder of Neel’s Department who wintered in Thomasville for Store. As teenagers, Elijah Neel and many years. The Strawbridge family his brother, John, left Thomasville to were active in local affairs and do- serve in the Confederate army. They nated the bandstand in Paradise Park. both survived to return and build 13. Forbes Cottage (1891)—717 E. their fortunes. This was, for many Hansell St. Designed in the Queen years, the family home of Marguerite Anne style, this shingled structure is Neel Williams, a founder of the reminiscent of an English country Georgia Trust for Historic Preserva- cottage. tion and a driving force in the preser- 14. Charles Hebard House (1899) vation movement both in Georgia —711 E. Hansell St. Called “Park and in the nation. The house has been Front” when it was built, because it adapted for use as a restaurant and faced Paradise Park, this imposing, 222 inn. (229) 228-0334. 19,000-sq.-ft. Neoclassical-style house 10. Paradise Park (1889)—Bor- was built for Hebard, a lumber com- dered by S. Broad, S. Hansell, and pany owner from the upper Midwest. Metcalf Sts. This 26-acre wooded After wintering in Thomasville for a park, crisscrossed by trails, was pur- few years, Hebard purchased vast chased by the city from Dr. Alex tracts of the Okefenokee Swamp and Smith for $500 an acre. It was a pop- harvested many of its rich stands of ular gathering place for guests who cypress trees. A notable interior Thomasville feature of the home is a large second-story ballroom. 15. Charles S. Hebard House (1899)—701 E. Hansell St. Built by Hebard for his son, the house was designed to resemble the barges that carried lumber across the Great Lakes. Consequently, it was nicknamed “Steamboat.” A distinctive feature of the house is the 2-story rounded front porch. The large dormers are modern additions. 16. State Farmer’s Market— 502 Smith Ave. This second- largest (after Atlanta) fresh produce market in the Southeast offers a rich variety of regional fruits and vegetables in season. All Saints Episcopal Church The Market Diner, featuring fresh produce prepared country style, is a tion from the assassination of Pres. local favorite. Market hours: 8 A.M.– Kennedy in 1963. 5 P.M., Mon.–Sat. (912) 225-4072. 18. Balfour House (1900)—435 17. All Saints Episcopal Church S. Hansell St. This eclectic Neoclas- (1881)—443 S. Hansell St. Origi- sical residence features a pedimented nally constructed to serve the local bay on one side and a rounded, 2- Roman Catholic congregation, this story porch on the other. The original quaint Queen Anne and Colonial owner, R. C. Balfour, was the propri- Revival– style sanctuary is the oldest etor of a Thomasville saloon and a existing church in Thomasville. crate-manufacturing company. 223 Slated for demolition in the 1970s, 19. Augustin Hansell House the building was instead moved to (c. 1853)—429 S. Hansell St. One of this site and preserved by Thomas - the oldest existing homes in Thomas - ville Landmarks. When it was still ville, the house was designed by John a Catholic church, Jacqueline Wind for Judge Augustin Hansell. Kennedy attended services here Hansell served as a delegate to while recovering at a nearby planta- Georgia’s Secession Convention in CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

Milledgeville in 1861 and as a delegate one of the most photographed build- to the convention that voted to rejoin ings in town. the Union after the Civil War. NR 25. John Dyson House (c. 1854)— 20. James Watt House (1893)— 406 Remington Ave. Built as a honey- 421 S. Hansell St. Originally topped moon cottage, the house was once with an ornate tower, this Victorian flanked by giant magnolias planted by home was built by Watt, the owner of Dyson and his bride. The twin trees hardware stores in Thomasville and fell together in a 1985 storm. several surrounding communities. 26. Ransom Reid House (c. 1857) Some historians believe Watt’s may —331 Remington Ave. Built with have been the first hardware chain in slave labor, the house was renovated Georgia and possibly the nation. in the Classical Revival style at the 21. David Harrell House (c. 1853) turn of the 20th century. —420 S. Hansell St. The original 27. First Presbyterian Church structure was a small cottage that (1889)—Dawson and Jackson Sts. faced Remington Ave. When a portion Pres. Dwight Eisenhower attended of the property was sold, the house this rough-hewn brick and stone, Ro- was expanded and the front entrance manesque Revival sanctuary when he moved to its present location facing visited Thomasville on golf and Hansell St. hunting trips. 22. Bruce-Driver House (1885)— 28. Hawkins House (1891)— 403 S. Hansell St. A frame Victorian 108 N. Dawson St. This house and the house with large front porch, the struc- Ball house next door are almost iden- ture was the residence of Dr. Bruce, a tical in design. The builder of this local physician who tragically drowned house liked the style of the adjacent trying to ford a rain-swollen stream in house and asked permission from the his buggy after visiting a patient during owner to copy it. an outbreak of typhoid fever. 29. Ball House (1889)—116 N. 23. Paxton House (1884)— Dawson St. This house became one 224 445 Remington Ave. This Victorian of the first in Thomasville to be con- Gothic house with a central tower was nected to the city water system when built for Col. J. W. Paxton, a winter its owner requested permission to tap resident from West Virginia. The into the pipes behind his home that house is now a bed-and-breakfast inn. supplied water to the nearby Piney 24. Burbank Cottage (c. 1875)— Woods Hotel. 437 Remington Ave. Built for Evelyn 30. Thomasville Cultural Center Burbank, a winter resident from Wis- (1915)—600 E. Washington St. The consin, this quaint Victorian cottage is former East Side Public School Thomasville building was saved from demolition cottage, this is the oldest 1-story and adapted for use as the commu- house in Thomasville. A few years nity’s cultural and performing arts ago, the house was threatened with center. It houses a 500-seat audito- demolition. It was relocated and re- rium, library, gallery space, studios, stored by Thomasville Landmarks and and classrooms. Hours: 9 A.M.–5 P.M., is now used for office space. Mon.–Fri.; 1–5 P.M., Sat.–Sun. (912) 35. Brown-Cooper House (1885) 226-0588. —420 N. Dawson St. Built from a pre- 31. Joanne Woodward House fabricated kit assembled on the site, (1925)—528 E. Washington St. This this house was placed on the extreme comfortable Craftsman-style house right side of the property. The owners was the childhood home of the planned to expand the house but Academy Award–winning actress. never did, so locals have long referred Woodward made her acting debut in a to it as the “Half House.” play at nearby East Side School. 36. B. P. Walker House (1884)— 32. Royal Miller House (1903)— 503 N. Dawson St. Once an ornate 216 N. Dawson St. This Classical Victorian, this house was remodeled Revival–style house was patterned with simpler lines several years ago. after Greenwood Plantation, a Thom as 37. Hardaway House (c. 1856)— County mansion that many believe 522 N. Dawson St. Designed by John was the inspiration for “Twelve Oaks” Wind, this Classical Revival house was in Margaret Mitchell’s novel Gone with built for Thomasville’s first mayor. the Wind. The structure is now owned by the 33. Ephraim Ponder House Colonial Dames and is used as a spe- (c. 1856)—324 N. Dawson St. A large cial events facility. Classical Revival antebellum home, 38. Ainsworth House (1882)— the building was constructed to serve 603 N. Dawson St. Ainsworth owned as the dormitory for Young’s Female the largest livery stable in Thomas - College, a school for the wealthy ville. The city’s first telephone system daughters of local plantation owners. connected the stable with the Mitchell 225 It was later converted to a private resi- House Hotel so that carriages could dence and purchased by Ephraim be summoned to pick up arriving Ponder, who owned the Flipper family hotel guests at the railway station. of slaves, one of whom, Henry, was 39. Lapham-Patterson House the first black graduate from West (1885)—626 N. Dawson St. Winter Point. NR visitor Charles W. Lapham, a shoe 34. Seixas House (c. 1835)— manufacturer from Chicago, Ill., built 403 N. Dawson St. A simple, raised this rambling Queen Anne–style CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

house for the then-enormous sum of house, it was the winter residence for $45,000. Very modern for its time, the many years of Ohio industrialist Mark house featured gas lights, hot and Hanna. Hanna was influential in cold running water, indoor plumb - national politics and at a gathering in ing, and numerous closets. Lapham this house in 1896, William McKinley survived the Great Chicago Fire of was offered the Republican nomina- 1871 and remained deathly afraid tion for the presidency. McKinley of being trapped by fire. To allay promised to make a return visit to his fears, he had the house built with Thomasville if he was elected and was 45 exterior doors. By the 1960s, the again a guest of Hanna’s in 1899. house had fallen into disrepair. It was During the visit, locals referred to the acquired by the city, with the help of Hanna residence as the “White House Thomas ville Landmarks, in 1970 and of the Nation.” later deeded to the state, restored, and 43. Eaton House (c. 1856)—912 N. opened to visitors as a state historic Dawson St. This Classical Revival– site. Hours: 9 A.M.–5 P.M., Tues.–Sat.; style house with its large central por- 2–5:30 P.M., Sun. (912) 226-0405; tico was originally a much smaller, www.gastateparks.org NL slave-built cottage. 40. Thomas County Historical 44. Old City Cemeteries (c. 1850s– Society and Museum (1923)—725 N. present)—N. Broad at Webster Sts. The Dawson St. Exhibits, artifacts, and northernmost burial ground is Mag- restored buildings tell the story of nolia Cemetery, one of the city’s oldest Thomasville and its surrounding area. burial grounds for blacks. A state his- The main building, constructed in torical marker notes the location of the 1923, replaced an original 1893 struc- grave of Lt. Henry Flip per. Just south of ture that burned. A single-lane bowl ing Magnolia Cemetery is the Old alley survived the fire and is believed to Thomasville Cemetery, the city’s ear- be the oldest in Georgia. Hours: liest public burial ground; the earliest 10 A.M.–12 P.M., Mon.–Sat.; 2–5 P.M., interments date to the 1840s. 226 Sun. (229) 226-7664. 45. Amason House (1910)— 41. Stevens-Butler House (c. 1857) 503 N. Broad St. This large, Classical —803 N. Dawson St. This Classical- Revival–style house was constructed style house was used for many years as with distinctive local materials. a winter rental cottage for Northern 46. First United Methodist visitors. Church (1885)—425 N. Broad St. The 42. Hanna-McKinley House original, wooden church on this site (1883)—830 N. Dawson St. An elegant was used as a hospital during the Civil Victorian Renaissance Revival–style War. The present, Victorian Gothic Thomasville sanctuary is the third church on the NOTES site. Pres. William McKinley attended services here during his visit to Thomasville. 47. Hayes House (c. 1858)— 329 N. Broad St. Originally, this was a Georgian-style cottage built by Tom Jones, owner of Greenwood Plantation, as a wedding gift to his daughter. In the 1870s, the house was purchased, expanded, and remodeled in the Second Empire style by the Hayes family. 48. The Big Oak (c. 1680)— Monroe and Crawford Sts. At more than 300 years of age, this massive tree is believed to be one of the oldest and largest live oaks in Georgia. It has a trunk that is more than 8 feet around and a limb span greater than 160 feet. Many limbs are supported by steel ca- bles so that the tree will not topple in high wind. 49. William Miller House (1888)— 216 Monroe St. Miller worked tirelessly to beautify Thomas ville by planting trees along city streets. Locals affectionately called him the “Johnny Appleseed of Thomasville.” 50. Hardy Bryan House (c. 1833) —312 N. Broad St. Built by Bryan, a 227 pioneer settler to Thomasville, this Classical Revival–style structure is the oldest 2-story house in the city. It is now headquarters for Thomasville Landmarks, Inc., the local historic preservation organization. Hours: 2–4 P.M., Fri.; and by appointment. (229) 226-6016. NR CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY

CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY ANNUAL EVENTS

January July u Frontier Festival (Chehaw Park) u Independence Day Celebration (Westville) March u Surf and Sand Spectacular u Spring Celebration (Callaway Gardens) (Callaway Gardens) u Independence Day Celebration u Dulcimer Festival (Westville) (Columbus) u Easter Egg Hunt u Independence Day Festival (March or April, Kolomoki (Thomasville) Mounds State Historic Park) u Fiddlers Contest (Westville) u River Days (Chehaw Park) August April u Kudzu Takeover Day (Providence u Spring Celebration Canyon State Conservation Park) (Callaway Gardens) u Azalea Festival (Pine Mountain) September u FDR Commemorative Ceremony u Sky High Hot Air Balloon (Warm Springs) Festival (Callaway Gardens) u Riverfest Weekend (Columbus) u Fiddlers Competition (Westville) u Wildﬂower Hikes (Providence Canyon State Conservation Park) October u Spring Festival (Westville) u Harvest Festival (Pine Mountain) u Rose Festival (Thomasville) u Columbus Day Celebration (Columbus) May u Fall Wildﬂower Hikes (Providence u Masters Water Ski Championship Canyon State Conservation Park) (Callaway Gardens) u Kolomoki Festival (Kolomoki 228 u Great Southern “Ham-It-Up” Mounds State Historic Park) Parade (Columbus) u Boo at the Zoo (Chehaw Park) u May Day (Westville) u Zoo Appreciation Day (Chehaw Park) Chattahoochee Valley Annual Events

November u Southwest Georgia Fair (Albany) u Steeplechase (Callaway Gardens) u Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival (Thomasville) u Candlelight Tour (Warm Springs)

December u Yuletide Season Celebration (Westville) u Christmas Festival of Lights (Pine Mountain) u Fantasy in Lights (Callaway Gardens) u Christmas Lights at Kolomoki (Kolomoki Mounds State Historic Park) u Lemurs and Lights (Chehaw Park) u Holiday Tour of Homes (Albany) u Celebration of Lights (Albany) u Holiday Homecoming and Candle- light Tour of Homes (Thomasville)

229 Monument to Bibb County’s Confederate dead, downtown Macon

Old Governor’s Mansion, Milledgeville H E A R T O F GEORGIA

Georgia’s heartland is a broad and varied region stretching from the Piedmont Plateau to the ancient Coastal Plain. While Macon, located at nearly the geographic center of the state, is the largest city in the region, the area is ﬁlled with sites of distinctive natural beauty and small towns rich in Southern charm and history. Geologically, the Piedmont Plateau was formed by erosive forces on the Appalachian Mountains over hundreds of millions of years. The wide plateau stretches from just north of Atlanta to the fall line, then west to east from Columbus, through Macon, and on to Augusta. At the fall line, the terrain drops off noticeably to the Coastal Plain. Rivers that ﬂow from north to south cut more deeply into the sandy soils of the Coastal Plain and have created waterfalls along the line. These drops in elevation are especially notable on the Chattahoochee, Ocmulgee, and Savannah Rivers. The softer soils also contribute to the rivers’ broadening and deepening south of the fall line, a characteristic which makes these waterways navigable by barges and boats below the line, but not above it. Early settlers found the waterfalls to be excellent sources for generating power to run mills and factories. Even before the arrival of the European settlers, the region was an important cultural center. Evidence unearthed during excavations at Ocmulgee National Monument outside Macon showed that this site along the banks of the Ocmulgee River was occupied for more than 10,000 years. The monument’s major features are the large ceremonial mounds constructed by Mississippian-period Indians around 1000 C.E. At its peak, Ocmulgee may have been one of the largest and most culturally important communities in the Southeast. Another site of great national importance, but for a very different reason, is Andersonville National Historic Site. Here in early 1864, the Confederate government established a primitive prison camp for Union soldiers being relocated from Virginia and for those captured during fighting in northern Georgia. Originally intended to house about 12,000 men, the camp was forced to hold more than 30,000, a condition that led to widespread outbreaks of disease, starvation, high mortality, and practically unbearable conditions. Today, the former prison site is preserved as a reminder of the terrible human cost of war. On the grounds are the Andersonville National Cemetery and the new National Prisoner of War Mu- seum, a facility chronicling the stories of American prisoners of war (POWs) in all the nation’s conflicts from the Revo- lution to the Persian Gulf War. Not far from Andersonville is the historic city of Americus. While the city is a treasure of Victorian architecture, its The Johnston-Hay House, Macon focus is not just on its past. A restored downtown building serves as international headquarters for Habitat for Humanity, the charitable organization committed to building homes for needy people around the world. It is not uncommon to see Habitat’s best-known volunteers and residents of the nearby community of Plains, Pres. Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter, coming to town to shop or attend meetings. There are several other fascinating destinations in the heartland. East of Macon is the city of Milledgeville, one of only two cities in the nation founded to serve as capitals (the other is Washington, D.C.). Established in 1807, the city served as Georgia’s capital until the government moved to Atlanta in 1868. Still located here are the unusual Gothic-style capitol building, now part of Georgia Military College, and the Old Executive Mansion, completed in 1838 and considered one of the state’s finest examples of Greek Revival architecture. Further south is the small city of Fitzgerald. Born during the era of reconciliation following the Civil War, the town was founded as a colony for Beautiful aging Union soldiers anxious to escape the harsh win- turn-of-the- ters of the North and Midwest. Located at the southern 20th-century boundary of the heartland, Valdosta is an important homes lining regional business and educational center. Its Victorian South Main downtown has been preserved and the Spanish Street in Mission–style campus of Valdosta State University downtown draws students from throughout the state. Fitzgerald This region is nearly bisected by Interstate 75 and many of the destinations are just a short drive from the highway, offering an enjoyable side-trip for those who wish to explore the scenic and historic Heart of Georgia. HEART OF GEORGIA C H A P T E R 3 3

BACKGROUND Macon Situated on the Ocmulgeee River midway between the mountains and the sea, Macon may be both geographically and symboli- cally the heart of Georgia. Although evidence exists that Hernando de Soto and his explorers visited this area in the 1540s (possibly even conducting the first recorded baptism in North America along the banks of the Oc- mulgee), there was no permanent non-native settlement here until 1806. That year a crude fort was constructed on the southern boundaries LOCATION of the Creek Nation. Commanding Macon is adjacent to the inter - the soldiers stationed there was Capt. section of I-75 and I-16 about Benjamin Hawkins, an Indian agent 85 miles south of Atlanta. Exit on originally appointed by Pres. George Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (exit 2 Washington. The soldiers named their off I-16) and travel south to Cherry small garrison “Ft. Hawkins” in his St. The walk begins at the Welcome honor. Over the next decade and a Center in the old railroad station at half, troops from the fort took part in Cherry and 5th Sts. Information: the War of 1812 and in various con- 234 Macon–Bibb County Convention flicts with native tribes. By the early and Visitors Bureau, (800) 768-3401; 1820s, additional treaties with the www.maconga.org. Creeks opened more land in Georgia’s interior for settlement, and pioneers PARKING homesteaded the fertile Ocmulgee Street parking and commercial River valley. In 1822, Bibb County was lots are available throughout the created, and surveyor James Webb was downtown area. retained to lay out a town site across Macon

To I-16 To r e v Macon i R

e 4 e l g u

m .

c d

v 2

O l

r 3

NORTH M 62 5

Macon

7 4th

61 6 3rd 60 9 8 58

59 Riverside Dr. 2nd 10 57 56

Walnut St. 55

54 1st

Walnut St. Ln. e Ln. New 12 11

Mulberry53 S New Cherry 13

St. Ln.

Ln. .

49 Spr Cherry Poplar St.

52 pigSt Spring 51 Hill 16 14 30 Coleman 46 45 17 50 15 31 47 48

Bond 18

32 . t S

olia m

lu Orange P 19 33 34

Magn

Washington 35 20

21 ia Ave.

h St. 235 College 24

44 High

36 Georg

37 Forsyt 43 22 29 42 41 25 23 40 28 26 38 39 27 To I-75 To Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 32 - Historic Macon 2nd proof HEART OF GEORGIA

the river from Ft. Hawkins. Citing an- and militia, waited for an anticipated cient Babylon as his inspiration, Webb’s attack that never came. Instead, town plan included wide bou levards, Sherman divided his army. The main parks, and gardens. Today, broad thor- body followed an easterly route to- oughfares such as Mulberry and ward the state capital at Milledgeville, Cherry Streets and green spaces like while a second, smaller wing pro- Coleman Hill and Washington Park are tected the western flank. reminders of Webb’s vision for the That smaller force reached the out- “Queen Inland City of the South.” skirts of Macon in late November Within a few years flatboat traffic 1864 and fired a few artillery shells on the river and the expansion of the into the city from the bluffs north of fledgling railway system through the Ocmulgee River. One shell Macon into the Deep South made smashed through the walls of Judge the town a center of commerce, from Asa Holt’s home earning the structure which agricultural products from lasting recognition as “The Cannon- farms and plantations could be ball House.” Federal troops never cap- shipped to markets throughout the re- tured the city, apparently content to gion. The decade before the Civil War occupy the attention of the Rebels and was a time of prosperity for Macon, allow Sherman’s main force to march and homes such as the Hay House, the south virtually unopposed. Shortly Woodruff House, and several others before the fall of Milledgeville in No- reflected the wealth accumulated by vember 1864, Gov. Joseph Brown re- some of the city’s business leaders. located the government to Macon, During the war, Macon continued and the city served as the temporary to supply both agricultural products state capital until war’s end. and manufactured goods to the Con- Due in part to the city’s stout de- federacy, with textile mills providing fense as well as Sherman’s strategy on clothing and local factories turning the March to the Sea, Macon was out rifles and sabers. Many of these spared wholesale destruction, and 236 goods were shipped to the arsenals in many antebellum homes and build- Atlanta for later distribution to Con- ings remain. In addition, the city federate armies in the field. boasts important regional museums, The invasion of Georgia in 1864 by fine institutions of higher education, Union armies commanded by Maj. and various outdoor festivals. Gen. William T . Sherman led to fierce fighting through the summer and the WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN destruction of Atlanta in the fall. The 3.8-mile route traces a loop Macon’s defenders, a mix of regulars through the historic downtown Macon district and nearby residential area. of the Underground Railroad that The area southeast of First Street is aided slaves in their escape to freedom fairly level with a gradual, at times before the Civil War, the museum is steep, ascent of Coleman Hill along dedicated to preserving Macon’s and Georgia Ave. and Magnolia St. There America’s African-American history are good sidewalks throughout most through art and historical exhibits. of the route and an abundance of Especially notable is the 63-ft.-long shade trees in the residential areas. wall mural From Africa to America by Macon artist Wilfred Stroud. A new SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY museum building is scheduled to 1. Macon Welcome Center open in 2004. Hours: 10 A.M.–5 P.M., (1916)—200 Cherry St. This Mon.–Fri.; 2–5 P.M., Sat. (478) 743- Roman Classical–style building long 9740. served as Macon’s railway station. 4. Georgia Music Hall of Fame Today it houses Georgia Power Co. (1996)—200 Martin Luther King Jr. ofﬁces as well as the Macon–Bibb Blvd. Georgians have contributed County Convention and Visitors much to America’s rich musical tradi- Bureau. Hours: 9 A.M.–5:30 P.M., tions. Artists performing in such Mon.–Sat. (800) 768-3401. varied areas as Gospel, Blues, Soul, 2. Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Country, Classical, and Rock-and-Roll (1999)—301 Cherry St. This museum are highlighted in this 43,000 sq. ft. celebrates the accomplishments of museum, which features such re - many of Georgia’s ﬁnest amateur and nowned performers as “Ma” Rainey, professional athletes including Hank Jessye Norman, Brenda Lee, Billy Joe Aaron, Herschel Walker, Bill Elliott, Royal, Lena Horne, and Robert Shaw. and dozens more. The 43,000 sq. ft. of A highlight is a Georgia village called exhibit space features photographs, “Tune Town,” where there is always memorabilia, and interactive exhibits. a music festival going on. Hours: Films are shown in a 205-seat theater 9 A.M.–5 P.M., Mon.–Sat.; 1–5 P.M., designed in the style of an “old-time” Sun. (888) 427-6257; www. 237 ballpark. Hours: 9 A.M.–4:30 P.M., gamusichall.com. Mon.–Sat.; 1–4:30 P.M., Sun. (478) 5. William A. Bootle Federal 752-1585; www.gshf.org. Building (1908)—475 Mulberry St. 3. Harriett Tubman African- This impressive granite building is in American Museum (1981)—Cherry the Beaux Arts style. It was recently at 5th St. (planned relocation from dedicated to Judge William Bootle, 340 Walnut St.) Named to honor who was appointed to the bench by Tubman, a former slave and founder Pres. Dwight Eisenhower in 1954 and HEART OF GEORGIA

served as Federal District Court judge Particularly notable is the massive during the turbulent Civil Rights era colonnade supported by Doric of the 1960s. Bootle retired in 1981. columns and the large copper dome. NR In the Great Hall hangs a mural of 6. Christ Episcopal Church Macon history painted by Don Carlos (1852)—Walnut St. between Second Dubois and Wilbur Kurtz. NR and Third Sts. This Gothic-style 12. Volunteer Armory (1884)— building is the oldest church still First and Poplar Sts. Note the busts of standing in Macon. The poet Sidney Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee Lanier (see #21) was married here in above the doorway of this brick Victo- 1867. NR rian building. 7. Baber House (1831)—577 Wal - 13. City Hall (1836)—700 Poplar nut St. Built for Dr. Ambrose Baber, St. Originally built for a bank, this the home was occupied during the building served briefly as the state Civil War by Maj. Gen. Howell Cobb, capitol when Milledgeville was threat- commander of the state militia during ened by the invading Union army in the Union invasion of 1864. The late 1864. The Confederate Congress building now houses attorneys’ of- met here while in flight from Rich- fices. NR mond, Va., in 1865. 8. Bibb County Courthouse 14. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church (1926)—Second and Mulberry Sts. (1903)—830 Poplar St. This congre- The building, with its large domed gation was established in 1840. The clock tower, occupies the site of the Romanesque brick church features a former courthouse constructed in beautiful stained-glass rose window. 1870. NR St. Joseph’s was designed by Br. Cor- 9. Washington Block (1854)— nelius Otten, architect of Sacred Heart Second and Mulberry Sts. These Cultural Center in Augusta. NR buildings are an excellent example 15. First Baptist Church (1887)— of Macon’s antebellum commercial behind St. Joseph’s at 595 New St. 238 architecture. This African-American church grew 10. Willingham Building (1860s) from the slave congregation that wor- —Second and Cherry Sts. In an up- shiped at the First Baptist Church on stairs office, Sidney Lanier studied law High St. The land was provided for with his father, Robert, and his uncle, the church in 1845. Clifford Anderson (see #22). 16. Green-Poe House (1840)— 11. Municipal Auditorium (1925) 843 Poplar St. Built by Dr. Mercer —First and Cherry Sts. This structure Green, surgeon in charge of Macon is designed in the Greek Temple style. hospitals during the Civil War, the Macon

slaves in 1865. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached here in 1957. 20. Monroe-Dunlap-Snow House (1857)—920 Plum St. This attractively restored antebellum cottage is noted for it gingerbread trim. NR 21. Lanier Cottage (c. 1830s)— 935 High St. Writer and musician Sidney Lanier, now best known for such poems as “Song of the Chatta- hoochee,” was born in this simple, Gothic-style frame cottage in 1842. Today it is headquarters of the Middle Georgia Historical Society and is open to the public. The park across the street from the house contains a live oak reminiscent of those described in one of Lanier’s most famous poems, “The Marshes of Glynn.” Hours: 9 A.M.–1 P.M. and 2–4 P.M., Downtown Macon Mon.–Fri.; 9:30 A.M.–12:30 P.M., Sat. (478) 743-3851. NR home is an excellent example of the 22. Judge Clifford Anderson House Federal style. NR (1859)—642 Orange St. This large 17. First Baptist Church (1887)— clapboard house with its notable square 511 High St. Macon’s earliest Baptist central tower was built for Anderson, a congregation was organized in 1826. Confederate congressman, judge, and The present Victorian Gothic church later Georgia attorney general. NR was completed in 1887. 23. The Navarro Apartments 18. Ruth Haitly Mosely Memor ial (c. 1900s)—Orange St. west of High 239 Women’s Center (c. 1880)—626 Spring St. Situated on the ridge at the top of St. Named in honor of one of Macon’s High Street, this large, 3-story apart- most prominent African-American ment building combines elements of women, the center provides a variety of Federal and Dutch Colonial architec- community and family services. tural styles. 19. Steward Chapel A.M.E. Church 24. John H. Lamar House (1889)—887 Forsyth St. This congre- (c. 1830s)—544 Orange St. This large, gation was established by emancipated frame house, designed in the Greek HEART OF GEORGIA

Revival style, was the home of Sidney stained-glass windows. The congrega- Lanier’s fiancée, Mary Day. tion was organized in 1859. 25. Washington Memorial Library 31. Edward Dorr Tracy House (1920)—1180 Washington Ave. The (c. 1830s)—974–80 Cherry St. at library is widely known for its archives Magnolia Ln. Once located on the site and genealogical records. Hours: of the Hay House (see #51), this 9 A.M.–9 P.M., Mon.–Thur.; 9 A.M.– house was originally composed of two 6 P.M., Fri. and Sat.; 1:30–5:30 P.M., sides with a dogtrot. It was divided Sun. (478) 744-0800. into two homes when moved, but the 26. Hill-O’Neal Cottage (c. 1880s) structures were later rejoined. —College St. near Hardeman Ave. A 32. Isaac-Scott-Johnston House prominent feature of this Victorian (1846, remodeled 1893)—1073 home is the iron railing, which came Georgia Ave. This residence is an from the balcony of the old Union excellent example of Greek Revival Depot. NR architecture. 27. North-Tinsley House (1854)— 33. Schofield House (1831)— Forsyth and College Sts. This ante- 1074 Georgia Ave. Built by A. D. Scho - bellum cottage was built in the Missis- field, this cottage is one of Macon’s sippi Delta style by Henry North. The oldest surviving structures. second story was added at the turn of 34. Burke House (1901)—1085 the 20th century. Georgia Ave. This distinctive Queen 28. Federal Building (1930s)— Anne–Victorian house with its large, College St. between Georgia and adjoining carriage house was built by Hardeman Aves. This building occu- T. C. Burke. NR pies the original site of Wesleyan Col- 35. Holt-Peeler-Snow House lege, the first college in the world (1840)—1129 Georgia Ave. This at- chartered to grant degrees to women, tractive Greek Revival mansion is and was designed to resemble the notable for its horseshoe-style steps original college. NR and wrought-iron trim. NR 240 29. Washington Park—Magnolia 36. Hatcher-Groover-Schwartz and College Sts. at Washington Ave. House (1880)—1144 Georgia Ave. The focal point of this small hillside This mansion, in French Second park is a spring that once served as Empire style, features an intricate Macon’s main water supply. wrought-iron porch and patterned 30. Temple Beth-Israel (1902)— shingle roof. NR 892 Cherry St. This well-proportioned 37. Raines-Miller-Carmichael masonry structure is notable for its House (1840s)—1183 Georgia Ave. large central dome and beautiful Built in the shape of a Greek cross, the Macon home dominates a small hillside. Note 44. 1860 House (1860)—315 Col- the curved portico. Inside, a free- lege St. Originally built as a plain standing, spiral stairway leads to the 2-story frame house, it was remodeled rooftop cupola. NR in the Greek Revival style in 1901. A 38. Walter T. Johnson House popular restaurant for several years, (1911)—1238 Jefferson Terr. Situated it has recently undergone adaptive on a small triangular lot, this Neel restoration as an office building. NR Reid–designed house has been de- 45. Zettler-Nisbet-Robertson scribed as “English Medieval” in House (1880s)—1019 Bond St. This style. beautiful Queen Anne Victorian over- 39. Nisbet-Budsey-Domingos looks Coleman Hill. NR House (1843)—1261 Jefferson Terr. 46. 1013 Bond Street (1880s)— This excellent example of Greek Re- This rambling, 3-story Queen Anne vival style has a Doric-columned por- house perched atop Coleman Hill has tico. Note the inverted laurel wreath a panoramic view of downtown along the entablature. NR Macon. NR 40. Randolph-Whittle-Davis 47. Cowles-Bond-Woodruff House (1837)—1231 Jefferson Terr. House (1836)—988 Bond St. De- This unusual antebellum structure signed and built by architect Elam features a mixture of round and Alexander for wealthy Macon banker square columns. NR Jerry Cowles, this house is an excellent 41. Schinholzer House (1890, example of the Greek Revival style. In remodeled 1911)—397 College St. A 1877, the house was sold to Col. once-rambling Victorian, this home Joseph Bond, one of the South’s was masterfully remodeled in the richest plantation owners. A grand French Neoclassical style by architect ball was held here to honor Winnie Neel Reid. Davis, daughter of Confederate Pres. 42. 1842 Inn (1842)—353 College Jefferson Davis. The home is now St. This restored Greek Revival–style owned by Mercer University and is house is now a bed-and-breakfast inn used for special functions. NR 241 with elegant Victorian furnishings. 48. Walter F. George School of 800-336-1842; www.the1842inn.com. Law of Mercer University (1950s)— 43. Massee Apartments (c. 1910s) Bond St. and Georgia Ave. Named —347 College St. An imposing, for U.S. Sen. Walter F. George, the 8-story building set amidst single building is designed to resemble Inde- family homes, the structure’s Geor- pendence Hall in Philadelphia. From gian design is attributed to noted ar- the Marshall Johnston home previ- chitect Neel Reid. ously on this site, Jefferson Davis HEART OF GEORGIA

reviewed a parade of Confederate made by the ball is still in the wall, veterans in 1887. while the ball remains in the living 49. Coleman Hill Park (1830s)— room where it rolled to a stop. The at- Georgia Ave. and Spring St. The green tractive Greek Revival structure is slopes of this hillside park feature a now home to the Sidney Lanier monument honoring longtime Chapter of the United Daughters of Georgia Congressman Carl Vinson the Confederacy and houses a mu- and memorials to Macon citizens seum. Hours: 10 A.M.–4 P.M., killed in both World Wars. Mon.–Sat. (478) 745-5982; www. 50. Harris-Pliny House (1902)— cannonballhouse.org. NR 990 Georgia Ave. This home sits atop 54. Mulberry Street Methodist a spring that once provided water to Church (1928, remodeled 1967)— the nearby Hay House. 713 Mulberry St. Organized in 1826, 51. The Johnston-Hay House the congregation originally built on (c. 1855)—934 Georgia Ave. This this site in 1828. The Georgia Confer- magniﬁcent Italian Renaissance Re- ence was organized here in 1831, and vival home, built by wealthy Macon the church is considered the mother businessman William Butler John- church of Georgia Methodism. ston, is considered an architectural 55. First Presbyterian Church masterpiece. It was owned for many (1858)—690 Mulberry St. The con- years by the P. L. Hay family. Espe- gregation was organized in 1826 and cially notable are the 500-pound, hosted formation of the Georgia hand-carved front doors, the stained- Synod in 1844. The Rev. Francis glass windows, and ornate trim. The Goulding, author of The Young Ma- home is administered by the Georgia rooners, preached here during the Trust for Historic Preservation and is Civil War, and Sidney Lanier was a open to the public. Hours: 10 A.M.– member. NR 5 P.M., Mon.–Sat.; 1–5 P.M. Sun. (478) 56. Old Macon Library (1889)— 742-7155; www.hayhouse.org. NL 652 Mulberry St. Notable for the 242 52. Middle Georgia Art Associa- high-vaulted ceiling in the reading tion (c. 1880)—372 Spring St. This room, the building is now home to Victorian-era building houses a non- the Macon Heritage Foundation. NR proﬁt gallery of work by local artists. 57. Grand Opera House (1906)— 53. Cannonball House (1853)— 651 Mulberry St. Built on the site of 856 Mulberry St. Built by Judge Asa the 1884 Academy of Music, the Holt, the house was struck by a Fed- building has one of the largest stages eral cannonball during an artillery in the south. The theater has been re- bombardment in July 1864. The hole stored and now serves as the Mercer Macon

University Performing Arts Center. NOTES Tour information: (478) 749-6580. NR 58. Hardeman Building (1850)— 303 Cotton Ave. This antebellum commercial building, with its second- and third-story bay windows, once housed a concert hall. The pharmacy on the ground floor has been in business for more than a century. NR 59. Confederate Monument (1879)—Second and Mulberry Sts. Created of Italian marble with a base of Georgia granite, this monument is a memorial to Bibb Countians who died fighting for the Confederacy. 60. Brown Stone Front (1859)— 564 Mulberry St. This narrow 3-story brick structure was built by Dr. George Emerson as an office and residence. The ornate trim, round- head windows, and balcony are in the style of an Italian villa. 61. William Wadley Monument (1886)—Median of Third and Mul- berry Sts. The monument was erected in memory of a founder and president of the Georgia Railroad. 62. Douglass Theater (c. 1920s)— 361 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Built 243 as a vaudeville and movie house for Macon’s African-American community, the Douglass was a popular venue for many great artists including Macon-born Otis Redding. The theater was restored in 1996. Informa- tion: (478) 742-2000. HEART OF GEORGIA C H A P T E R 3 4

BACKGROUND Ocmulgee The mysterious mounds at Ocmulgee National Monu- National ment, as well as companion sites at Etowah and Kolomoki, speak to us of Monument a remarkable era in social development and cultural evolution. Although archaeological evidence shows that nomadic Ice Age hunters traveled through this region during the last ice age about 10,000 years ago (the first Ice Age “Clovis” spearhead found in the southern U.S. was found on the Macon Plateau), the story of LOCATION Ocmulgee truly begins with the estab- The national monument is lo- lishment of the Hopewellian and, later, cated on the northern banks of the Mississippian Cultures in the the Ocmulgee River a short distance Middle Mississippi Valley around from downtown Macon. It may be 700–800 C.E. Unlike earlier loose reached by taking Emery Highway bands of nomadic hunter-gatherers, (GA 22) east from I-16 (exit 1-B) the Mississippians were an agricultural and following the signs. The park is people who built permanent settle- open 9 A.M.–5 P.M., daily, with ex- ments in fertile river valleys and sup- tended summer hours. Information: plemented hunting and fishing with 244 (478) 752-8257; www.nps.gov/ocmu. skillful cultivation of beans, squash, pumpkins, tobacco, and other crops. PARKING Their agricultural contributions may There is a large parking area at have been more significant, but their the visitor center and smaller lots ad- most tangible links to us are the un- jacent to the park’s signiﬁcant sites. A usual mounds they constructed. 2-mile road connects the center with It isn’t known exactly when the site the parking area at the Great Temple at Ocmulgee was settled, but archaeo- Mound. logical evidence shows that the village Ocmulgee National Monument

NORTH

129 Emery Highway ALT

11 10

4 Ocmulgee National Monument

1 3

8 9 5

7 6

Swampy lowlands k ree t C lnu Wa 245

O 16 Ocmulgee c m u National Monument lg e e R iv e r

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 33 - Ocmulgee NM 2nd proof HEART OF GEORGIA

was bustling with activity by 1000 C.E. explorers, Hernando de Soto and his Excavations at the site indicate that soldiers, on their expedition north one of the mounds was used as a from Florida in 1540. burial site, probably for religious or Ultimately, contact with the Euro- political leaders, while the other peans proved catastrophic for the mounds likely served as locations for indigenous people. Disease, political religious or secular ceremonies. Also, entanglements, and pressure for lands careful digging revealed that the destroyed their way of life. The na- mounds were built gradually over a tives, now known as the Creeks, period of years, possibly representa- found themselves trapped between tive of some cycle of cultural change. the Spanish in the south and the en- Another significant structure from croaching English on the east. In the the height of the Mississippian Cul- late 1500s, the Spanish, from their ture at Ocmulgee, the Earth Lodge, settlement in St. Augustine, sent has also been excavated and carefully priests accompanied by soldiers into restored. Here, the present-day visitor Georgia’s interior intent on con- enters what may have been a council verting the Indians to Christianity— house where village leaders gathered either by choice or by force. The Eng- to govern or conduct religious cere- lish established the city of Charles monies more than a millennium ago. Town (Charleston, S.C.) in 1670 and By 1150 C.E., the large village at set up a trading post at Ocmulgee in Ocmulgee was in decline and eventu- 1690. ally abandoned. Over the next two Conflict spread between the native centuries, the Lamar Culture (named tribes and the competing European for the family on whose land the vil- invaders. Twenty-five years later, in lage sites were excavated), evolved in 1715, the Creeks attacked British set- the area. The Lamar people estab- tlers in middle Georgia in protest lished several small villages nearby against the taking of Indians to work and reoccupied the old Ocmulgee vil- as slaves on Caribbean sugar planta- 246 lage site. These people, known as the tions. The conflict, known as the Ya- Southeastern Ceremonial Complex, massee War, ended with the British or “Southern Cult,” blended the cul- burning Ocmulgee Town and driving tures of the earlier Woodland period other Creeks from the area. and the Mississippian, developing re- With the establishment of the ligious ceremonies and artworks filled Royal Colony of Georgia in 1733, with flamboyant motifs and special- colony founder Gen. James Ogle - ized objects. These were likely the na- thorpe established friendly relations tives who greeted the first European between the Creeks and the English Ocmulgee National Monument colonists. Oglethorpe proved so suc- negotiated with the Creeks for nearly cessful in earning the allegiance of the all of their lands in Georgia. In the Creeks that most served as allies to the 1805 treaty, the Creeks excluded a British during the American Revolu- 3- by 5-mile strip of land known as tion. the Ocmulgee Old Fields Reserve, just Just prior to the Revolution, pio- north of the river. On this parcel of neer naturalist William Bartram land, in 1805, the Creeks permitted passed through the old Ocmulgee vil- the government to construct an ex- lage site during his journey through tension of the Federal Road (eventu- the South to collect botanical speci- ally connecting Washington with New mens. In his diary he wrote, “On the Orleans) along the route of the Old east bank of the [Ocmulgee] river lie Lower Creek Trading Path (GA 49 fol- the famous Ocmulgee fields, where lows this route) and, in 1806, to con- are yet conspicuous very wonderful struct a blockhouse fort, to be called remains of the power and grandeur of Ft. Hawkins. At the time, this pioneer the ancients in this part of America.” outpost was along the southwestern After the Revolution, the new State border of the United States. Within a of Georgia exerted increasing pressure few years, the frontier settlement that for expanding settlement into the grew around the fort became the Creek Nation, especially along the fer- bustling city of Macon. tile river bottomlands. The Creeks Over the years, the ancient mounds yielded slowly to these demands, con- at Ocmulgee were neglected and for- tinuing to claim sovereignty over their gotten. Prior to the Civil War, much of ancestral homelands, and Pres. George the old village land was purchased by Washington initiated a policy of pur- Samuel Dunlap for his plantation, and chasing lands from the Indians. Several he built his main house between the Creek chiefs, recognizing that opposi- mounds and the Federal Road. More tion to American expansion was fruit- than a half-century later, land from less, urged that the tribe negotiate for one of the mounds was removed for the sale of their lands, with an ex- use in grading Macon’s Main St. This 247 change for lands elsewhere, before it event galvanized a small group of local would be taken from them by force. citizens to call for preservation of the Col. Benjamin Hawkins, a Revolu- ancient mounds. The group asked the tionary War veteran, was appointed Smithsonian Institution in Washing - by Washington as Federal agent for all ton to examine the site to determine of the Indian tribes south of the Ohio its historical significance. In 1934, the River. In the Treaties of Ft. Wilkinson Smithsonian, in what became the (1802) and Washington (1805), he largest archaeological excavation in HEART OF GEORGIA

ern portion of the trail and the spur Loop Trail wind through river bot- tomland and marsh areas.

SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY 1. Visitor Center (1930s)—Designed and built by Civilian Restored Earth Lodge Conservation Corps the United States, unearthed nu- workers in the 1930s, the building’s merous objects and artifacts reflecting unusual design—Art Deco/Temple the rich history of the area. Mound—is eye-catching. The center In 1936, legislation created the contains extensive exhibits on life at Ocmulgee National Monument. Ap- Ocmulgee over the past 10,000 years. proximately 700 acres have been A theater screens a regular schedule of preserved, and some of the ancient films about Ocmulgee National Mon- structures (including the 1,000-year- ument, while the gift shop offers old Earth Lodge) have been restored. handcrafts and books on Native Ocmulgee National Monument stands American and regional history. as a tangible link to the ancient peo- Hours: 9 A.M.–5 P.M., daily; extended ples who have inhabited this fertile hours in summer. river valley. 2. The Earth Lodge—Recon- structed by the CCC workers in the WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN 1930s, the lodge depicts the ceremo- 248 The round-trip from the visitor nial building that archaeological evi- center along the Opelofa Trail dence indicates was on this site about is about 2.5 miles. A side trip to the 1000 C.E. The clay floor encircled by a McDougal Mound will add about low bench with molded seats, the fire- 1.7 miles to the walk. Much of the ter- pit, and the central platform in the rain is rolling, forested land with large shape of a raptorial bird with forked open spaces around the mounds and eyes, are original. the Earth Lodge. Steps make ascent of 3. Cornfield Mound—This small the larger mounds easier. The south - mound once stood about 8 ft. high Ocmulgee National Monument and probably served as a platform for than 100 human burials, thought to a ceremonial building. Archaeologists be of village leaders, in this mound, discovered evidence that the mound which was also built in seven stages. was built over previously tilled farm Like the Lesser Temple Mound, parts fields. of this mound were destroyed by 4. Prehistoric Trenches—These railway construction. shallow trenches may have served a 9. Southeast Mound—The signifi- defensive purpose or simply as cance of this small mound, like several “borrow pits” from which the soil was others on the property, is not known. taken to construct nearby mounds. 10. McDougal Mound—Little is 5. Trading Post Site—About 1690, known about the purpose of this English traders from Charleston, S.C., small mound at the far-northern edge built a wooden structure here. Mer- of the village site. chants exchanged firearms, cloth, and 11. Dunlap House (c. 1840s)— other goods for furs and deerskins. Once the main house of the Samuel Disease and conflict led to abandon- Dunlap plantation, this house served ment of the post and the village as Federal cavalry headquarters dur - around 1715. ing a 1864 raid on Macon. It is cur- 6. Great Temple Mound—The rently the residence of the park largest Mississippian mound on the superintendent and is not open to Macon Plateau, this mound was prob- the public. The woods behind the ably once topped with a building used house still contain evidence of Civil for religious ceremonies. Archaeolog- War artillery fortifications. ical evidence indicates that the mound was constructed in seven stages, likely NOTES over several years. During each stage, the mound was topped by wooden buildings probably used for religious ceremonies. 7. Lesser Temple Mound—Like its 249 larger neighbor, this mound was used for ceremonial purposes and had a building atop its summit. Portions of the mound were destroyed during construction of the railroad in the 1840s. 8. Funeral Mound—Archaeolog- ical excavations have unearthed more HEART OF GEORGIA C H A P T E R 3 5

BACKGROUND Milledgeville By the close of the 18th century, an increasing number of people were pushing farther into the interior of Georgia in search of land for farming and settlement. To avoid conflicts with the Creek Nation, Pres. George Washington in 1790 and, later, Pres. Thomas Jefferson in 1802, dispatched Federal officials to negotiate treaties with the Indian inhabitants for land cessions to the state. Following the 1790 treaty, a wooden stockade called Ft. Fidius was LOCATION constructed on the banks of the Milledgeville is located on U.S. Oconee River to protect the frontier. 441 about 39 miles south of I-20 By the mid-1790s, it was home to the (exit 114). It may also be reached from largest garrison of soldiers south of I-16 by exiting on U.S. 129/GA 22 the Ohio River. In 1797, the original near Macon (exit 1A). Go north on fortification was replaced by the larger U.S. 129/GA 22 to GA 49 and follow Ft. Wilkinson where, in 1802, chiefs this road east for about 25 miles to from 32 villages met with government Mill edge ville. The walk begins at the officials and reluctantly agreed to fur- Tour ism and Trade Building on W. ther land concessions. 250 Hancock St. Information: Milledge - With the land openings leading ville-Baldwin County Convention and to both an increase and a shift in the Visitors Bureau, (800) 653-1804; www. location of the population, Georgia milledgevillecvb.com. recognized the need to move its capital from the town of Louisville to a PARKING more central location. In 1803, the On-street parking is plentiful, legislature established a commission and there are several surface lots near to select an appropriate site near the the Tourism and Trade Building. head of navigation of the Oconee Milledgeville 112 22 14 49 Milledgeville 13

S. Jefferson 441 10 11 15 N. Jefferson 12 6 441 6

9 McIntosh 7 6 8 22 8b 6 8c

N. Wayne on S. Wilkinson 6 8a 16 5 4

.Franklin W. 1 W. Washingt 3 26 N. Wilkinson S. Liberty 42 21 19 25 24 23 22 20 18 2 27 29 441 31 28 30 441 441 34 32 36

41 35 .Greene W.

N. Columbia 33 38 37 40

441 McIntosh 39 N. Jackson 251 Milledgeville 49 NORTH 22 Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 34 - Historic Milledgeville 2nd proof HEART OF GEORGIA

River, and in 1804, work began to successive modest frame houses. carve a new capital city out of the Eleven governors would occupy these wilderness. simple homes until, in 1838, Gov. Three 16-acre squares were George Gilmer moved into the mag- planned, one for the State House, one nificent Greek Revival Governor’s for the Governor’s Mansion, and one Mansion. for a penitentiary or other suitable During its tenure as state capital, purpose. A fourth square, for a ceme- Milledgeville was the focal point for tery, was added a short time later. Two significant events both glorious and main streets, both 120 ft. wide, were tragic. Here, in 1825, the entire town laid out and 4-acre land lots in the welcomed the Marquis de Lafayette community were created and sold by on his grand tour in celebration of lottery. By popular choice, the new the 50th anniversary of the American town was named in honor of the cur- Revolution; while, in 1831, the legisla- rent governor, John Milledge. ture, bending to enormous pressure Milledgeville and Washington, D.C., from settlers greedy for gold, revoked are the only two cities in the nation the sovereignty of the Cherokee created and developed specifically to Nation, in violation of Federal serve as capitals. treaties, setting in motion the Indian On October 8, 1807, 15 wagons nation’s removal west on the infa- containing the state’s records and mous Trail of Tears. treasury left Louisville with a military Shortly after the election of Abra - escort and headed for the new seat of ham Lincoln to the presidency in government. Shortly before the move, November 1860, several Southern Milledge vacated the governorship to states, led by South Carolina, seceded fill a vacancy in the state’s delegation from the Union. In January 1861, the to the U.S. Senate, and Jared Irwin nation’s attention focused on Mill - was elected to fill out the unexpired edgeville, where Georgia’s secession term. So Irwin became the first chief convention was being held. Many 252 executive to preside in Milledgeville. believed that, as the largest and most For a number of years after the populous state in the Deep South, move, the legislature met in an unfin- Georgia’s decision would determine ished State House while workers the fate of the newly formed Confed- sought to complete and, later, expand eracy. After lengthy and heated de- the building to meet the government’s bate, the Ordinance of Secession was growing needs. Irwin’s first executive passed on January 19. Georgia had mansion was a simple log home that cast her lot with the Rebel cause and was replaced a short time later by two would pay dearly. Milledgeville

Over the course of the war, Nellie Womack Hines wrote, Georgia sent more young men to “Milledgeville was born a capital city battle than any other Southern state, in the fading light of an Indian War and, during Sherman’s famous March dance; it died as a capital city in the to the Sea over the course of nearly fading light of a burning bridge as 8 months—from May to December Sherman passed on.” 1864—Federal troops carved a 60- Although Milledgeville faded from mile-wide path of destruction the limelight, it remained a regional through the heart of the state. economic hub and a center of higher The state government departed education. The city also gained dis- Milledgeville for Macon as the Union tinction as the home of noted writer army approached, and the town was Flannery O’Connor (1925–64), au- left to be defended by an assortment thor of several award-winning books, of militia and students from Georgia including Wise Blood and The Violent Military Academy who had fled south Bear It Away. The Flannery O’Connor from Marietta. This meager force of- Room in Georgia College and State fered little resistance to the advance University’s Ina D. Russell Library elements of the Union army that en- contains copies of her works and arti- tered Milledgeville on November 22, facts from her life. 1864. The next day, the main body of For the casual tourist or the se- the Federal force marched down Main rious student of Georgian history, Street with flags unfurled, and Milledgeville, with its grand homes Sherman established his headquarters and historic buildings, remains a trea- at the vacant executive mansion. sured link to the past. During their brief stay, Federal troops held mock sessions of the leg- WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN islature to repeal the Ordinance of Se- Winding along tree-shaded cession. Surprisingly, they did not streets, the gently rolling trail burn the capital, and left most of follows an approximately 3-mile- downtown undisturbed. long loop through the city. Well- 253 Following the war, the government maintained sidewalks are plentiful returned to Milledgeville, but only along the route. briefly. In 1868, at the urging of Mili- tary Governor George Meade (the SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY Union hero of the Battle of Gettys- 1. Tourism and Trade burg) and others, the civil govern- Building (1900s)—200 W. ment was relocated to Atlanta. When Hancock St. This turn-of-the-century the change was made, local author building houses the local tourism HEART OF GEORGIA

office. Maps and guides are available. brick and masonry building with A guided trolley tour, offered on central clock tower, designed in the Tuesday and Fridays at 10:00 A.M. Georgian style, now houses county begins here. Hours: 9 A.M.–5 P.M., offices and courtroom facilities. On Mon.–Fri.; 10 A.M.–2 P.M., Sat. (800) display in the lobby on Wilkinson St. 653-1804. are early photographs of Milledgeville 2. Georgia College and State Uni- and a replica of the Liberty Bell. versity (GCSU) (1889)—W. Hancock Hours: 8 A.M.–5 P.M., Mon.–Fri. St. Founded as the Georgia Normal 5. Campus Theater (1930s)—137 and Industrial College for Women, W. Hancock St. This Depression-era the name changed to Georgia College movie house still retains its original for Women in 1922. The school be- marquee and facade. It closed in the came coed in 1968. The attractively early 1980s, but there are plans for its landscaped campus has several signifi- reopening as a cinema and restaurant. cant buildings including magnificent, 6. Commercial District (c. 1880s– Neoclassical-style Parks, Atkinson, 1910s)—Hancock and Wayne Sts. The and Terrell Halls, three massive red- heart of Milledgeville’s downtown is a brick structures with columned por- treasure of Victorian-era commercial ticos and ornate balconies. Atkinson, buildings. Many have been preserved built in 1896, is the oldest building or adaptively restored for retail and on the campus and is listed on the dining establishments. National Register of Historic Places. 7. Masonic Hall (1832)—Hancock Ina D. Russell Library hours: 8 A.M.– and Wayne Sts. This Federal-style 5 P.M., Mon.–Fri.; 1–5 P.M., Sat.; and building with Italianate details was de- 2–5 P.M., Sun. (478) 453-4047. signed by John Marlor (see #8) and 3. Old Baldwin County Court- made from locally produced, hand- house (1883)—W. Hancock St. at made bricks. The fine wrought-iron Wilkinson St. This large brick Neo- work, which features the Masonic em- classical building, topped with a blem, is notable, as is the 87-ft. unsup- 254 Second Empire–style clock tower, is ported, circular interior stairway. NR the fourth courthouse on this site. 8. John Marlor House and Arts After completion of the new court- Center (1830)—201 N. Wayne St. house across the street, the building Designed in the Milledgeville Federal was conveyed to GCSU; style with Greek Revival influences www.gcsu.edu. NR by Marlor, an English-born architect 4. New Baldwin County Court- and master builder, the house was a house (1997)—W. Hancock St. at wedding present for his second wife. Wilkinson St. This imposing 4-story It is now part of the Milledgeville– Milledgeville

Baldwin County Al- lied Arts Center and houses the Elizabeth Marlor Bethune Art Gallery. (478) 452- 3950. Other properties that are part of the Marlor Arts Center include: A. Allan’s Market Building (1911)— This 2-story brick building is used for additional gallery and studio space. B. Marlor Cottage Stetson-Sanford House (c. 1820)—Marlor’s residence while the from 28 different kinds of wood and main house was under construction features the Masonic symbol. now houses a pottery studio and living 11. Sacred Heart Roman Catholic quarters for an artist-in-residence. Church (1874)—Hancock and Jeffer - C. Griffin-Baugh Cottage son Sts. This small Gothic-style (c. 1810)—This small New England church was designed to complement saltbox-style cottage is one of the the nearby state capitol building. It oldest structures in Milledgeville. It occupies the site of the elegant was relocated to the center from its Lafayette Hotel completed in 1824, at original site south of downtown. which Lafayette was a guest during his 9. Delaney-Joseph-Hobbs House grand tour of the U.S. in 1825. (1825)—151 Montgomery St. John 12. Milledgeville City Hall Marlor designed this white clapboard, (1907)—Hancock St. between Wayne Greek Revival–style house, one of Mill - and Jefferson Sts. Designed in the 255 edgeville’s oldest existing residences. Beaux Arts style, the red-brick building 10. Breedlove-Scott-Tate House is notable for its large, ornate portico (1838, remodeled 1887)—201 N. Jef- supported by four Corinthian columns. ferson St. Originally designed in the 13. Confederate Memorial Georgian style, the home underwent (1912)—Jefferson St. Median. This extensive changes, including addition large granite sculpture commemo- of the Mansard roof, in the 1880s. rates local men who fought for the Note the front door, which is made Confederacy. HEART OF GEORGIA

14. Old State Capitol (1807)— 17. Stovall-Conn-Gardner House 201 E. Greene St. Constructed by (1825)—141 S. Wilkinson St. Designed army engineers Jett Thomas and John by John Marlor, the house was built Scott, the building is one of the oldest in the Federal style with later Greek Gothic-style public structures in the Revival additions. The house has nation. This was the seat of Georgia’s 13 columns, reputed to represent the government from 1803 to 1868. The original 13 colonies. north and south gates were built in 18. Gordon-Cline-O’Connor the late 1860s from the rubble of the House (1820)—311 W. Greene St. nearby Confederate arsenal. The capi - This 2-story clapboard house repre- tol building and grounds now house sents another example of the Mill - Georgia Military College, chartered in edge ville Federal style. It briefly 1879. The building has undergone a served as the governor’s residence recent restoration to return it to its while the nearby executive mansion original 1807 appearance, and a Mu- was under construction. It was seum of Milledgeville and Baldwin the longtime home of Flannery County History is planned for the O’Connor’s mother, Regina Cline building’s main lobby. A marker by O’Connor. the north entrance gate commemo- 19. Bell-Martin House (1898)— rates the visit to Milledgeville of 200 S. Liberty St. Constructed as a French aristocrat and writer Alexis de simple, 2-story clapboard house, it Tocqueville during his 1831 –32 tour was later remodeled in the Neoclas- of America. NR sical style. 15. St. Stephens Episcopal Church 20. Paine-Jones House (1820)— (1841)—220 S. Wayne St. Described as 201 S. Liberty St. Built by early Carpenter Gothic, the church origi- Milledgeville resident Dr. Joshua nally had a flat roof that was destroyed Paine, the plain 2-story clapboard by fire when the nearby arsenal was house was similar in design to houses blown up during the Civil War. The in Paine’s native Connecticut. The 256 beautiful chancel window was a gift house has undergone several renova- from the members of Christ Episcopal tions and additions. Church in Savannah. 21. Myrick-Jenkins-Switch House 16. McComb-Holloman-Waddell (1890)—220 S. Liberty St. This asym- House (1879)—138 S. Wilkinson St. metrical Victorian house is notable An unusual feature of this asymmet- for its ornately carved exterior trim. rical, brick Victorian house is its or- 22. Pound-Flemister-Alton House nate, rooftop steeple. The house now (1893)—221 S. Liberty St. Built by serves as attorneys’ offices. J. B. Pound, this large, frame Victorian Milledgeville house with two squared turrets features 28. Newell-Watts House (1825)— a wraparound porch with rounded cor- 201 S. Clarke St. Built in the Georgian ners and ornate woodwork. Early style, the house was later renovated owners named it “Buena Vista.” and the Greek Revival portico added. 23. Alling-Bethune-Combs House 29. Sanford-Powell-Binion-Mara (1895)—231 S. Liberty St. This hand- House (c. 1825)—330 W. Greene St. some Victorian was designed by archi- Originally built in the Federal style for tect E. T. Alling for his own residence. Gen. W. A. Sanford, the house started It later served as parsonage for the with four columns with more added First Baptist Church. as the porch was extended around the 24. Bearden-Montgomery House structure. The house was remodeled (1898)—241 S. Liberty St. An attrac- in the Neoclassical style by Dr. T. O. tive, asymmetrical 2-story Victorian Powell in 1890. It is now “Mara’s with wraparound porch, this house Tara,” a bed-and-breakfast inn. (478) was also designed by Alling. 453-2732. NR 25. Orme-Sallee House (1822)— 30. Museum and Archives of 251 S. Liberty St. An excellent ex- Georgia Education (1900)—131 S. ample of the Milledgeville Federal Clarke St. The building is ornate style, this residence is attributed to ar- Greek Revival Renaissance style with chitect Daniel Pratt and is listed in the Corinthian columns and Palladian Historic American Buildings Survey. windows. The museum is operated by 26. Williams-Ferguson-Lewis the Georgia College School of Educa- House (1818)—240 W. Washington St. tion and is open 1–4 P.M., Mon.–Fri., Known locally as “The Homestead,” and by appointment. (478) 445-4391. this is the oldest Milledgeville house 31. Old Governor’s Mansion built in the transitional Georgian- (1838)—120 S. Clarke St. Exquisite ex- Federal style. Adjacent to the house is ample of Greek Revival style, the de- the original brick kitchen building. sign is attributed to architect Charles The boxwood and wisteria surround - Clusky. It served as the executive man- ing the house were planted by the first sion in 1838–68. The mansion is open 257 owner. to the public. Guided tours: hourly, 27. Blount-Parks-Mara-Williams 10 A.M.–4 P.M., Tues.–Sat.; 2–4 P.M., House (c. 1818)—220 S. Clarke St. Sun. (478) 453-4545. NL This superb example of the Milledge - 32. Compton-Fowler-McKnight ville Federal style was originally lo- House (c. 1815)—McIntosh at N. Co- cated at the northeast corner of lumbia St. This clapboard structure, Clarke and Greene Sts. It was moved designed in the style of a New Eng- in 1901 and again in 1991. land cottage, is one of the city’s oldest HEART OF GEORGIA

buildings. The porch was a Victorian- modern addition, is now The Guest era addition. House bed-and-breakfast inn. (478) 33. Roberts-Jones-Johnson/ 452-3098. Thompson House (1890)—200 N. 39. Stetson-Sanford House Columbia St. Designed by E. T. Alling, (c. 1825)—Jackson and W. Hancock this large frame house displays ele- Sts. This house was designed by John ments of the Victorian and Greek Marlor and was originally located on Revival styles. It is now the Ante- Wilkinson St. near the courthouse. bellum Inn, a bed-and-breakfast Notable features include the Palladian lodging. (478) 454-5400. double portico and fanlights with or- 34. Howard-Jarratt-Garrard namental trimwork. In the early House (c. 1823)—131 N. Columbia 1950s, the house was converted into a St. Locally known as “The Cedars,” the tea room. In 1966 it was acquired by home is another excellent example of the Old Capital Historical Society and the Milledgeville Federal style. The moved to its present location. A tour design is attributed to Daniel Pratt. of the home is included in the Trolley 35. Trippe-Bell-Speer House (1821) Tour, and the house is also open by —140 N. Columbia St. This 1-story, appointment. (478) 452-4687. Greek Revival–style clapboard house 40. Beeson-Andrews House has remained virtually unchanged since (1898)—210 N. Columbia St. The de- before the Civil War. A notable feature sign of this attractive 2-story Victorian is the row of ﬂoor-length windows is believed to be based on the Admiral along the front of the house. Raphael Semmes House in Mobile, Ala. 36. DuBignon-Brown-Massee- The original owner was J. L. Beeson, Moore House (c. 1850)—N. Co- ﬁrst president of Georgia College. lumbia St. at Hancock St. Intricate 41. Harris-Vinson-Snead House woodwork frames the porch of this (c. 1825)—421 W. Montgomery St. A well-preserved antebellum cottage. recently restored Federal-style home 37. Cathy Alumni Center (1921) with Victorian enhancements, the 258 —517 W. Hancock St. Built as a pri- house was for many years the resi- vate residence, this attractive English dence of Carl Vinson, a U.S. con- Tudor–style house now serves as gressman for more than 50 years. headquarters for the GCSU Alumni 42. Memory Hill Cemetery Association. (c. 1803)—Liberty and Franklin Sts. 38. Gobert-Baston-Snyder House Milledgeville’s oldest burial ground is (c. 1850)—520 W. Hancock St. De- the resting place of Georgia gover- signed by E. T. Alling, this single-story nors, legislators, Confederate soldiers, clapboard cottage, with a period-style, and slaves. HEART OF GEORGIA C H A P T E R 3 6

BACKGROUND Piedmont “This land has changed more in the last 200 years National than in the previous 10,000 years....” This statement from an exhibit in the Wildlife refuge visitor center is a serious com- mentary on human impact in the Refuge area. The first human beings entered the hardwood forests of the Piedmont (the word literally means “foot of the mountains”) more than 10,000 years ago. These nomadic Paleo-Indians trod lightly on the land, building no LOCATION permanent settlements and subsisting The refuge is about 25 miles on edible plants and what fish and north of Macon via I-75. In For - game they could kill. Little evidence syth, follow Juliette Road (exit 186) remains of their passage. for 18 miles, passing the small com- The Archaic Indians of 5,000 years munity of Juliette and crossing the ago built semipermanent villages and Ocmulgee River. After crossing the practiced primitive agriculture. They, river, the refuge headquarters will be too, left only scattered artifacts such as about 5 miles ahead on the left. The spear and arrow points, pottery refuge is open 8 A.M.–5 P.M., daily. shards, and other small items to mark Information: (478) 986-5441; their tenure on the land. Their de- 259 http://piedmont.fws.gov. scendants, the Mississippians, the great mound builders, lived in large PARKING towns of several thousand inhabitants There is a parking lot adjacent and practiced more advanced agricul- to the headquarters/visitor center and ture. While they hunted and traveled a smaller lot at the end of the road through the rugged Piedmont forests, above Lake Allison. they, too, left much of it unchanged. HEART OF GEORGIA

The arrival of the first European who gave up and left the land in settlers to Georgia in the mid–18th record numbers. century was the watershed event in The century-long devastation also the history of the once-vast wilder- destroyed important wildlife habitat. ness of Georgia’s interior. By the early By the 1930s, there was little forage 1800s, pioneer farmers, taking advan- left to sustain even a population of tage of treaties with the Creek Indian squirrels, much less white-tailed deer descendants of the mound builders, or migrating birds on their seasonal moved into the fertile hills and river journeys. valleys of the Piedmont Plateau and The Federal Government acquired began carving farms and plantations much of the abandoned land and, in from the wild country. So rapid was 1939, established the 35,000-acre the influx of settlers anxious to build Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, a life on the frontier, that by 1820, operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Jones County (where the refuge is Service. As a tangible demonstration located) was the most populous in in land reclamation, the property was Georgia. retired from agriculture. Ponds and The land was ideal for cotton, and lakes were built, and the forest, with enormous tracts were cleared for its important wildlife habitats, slowly large-scale planting and harvesting began to renew itself. The despoiled made possible by thousands of slaves. countryside has now been replaced by By the time of the Civil War, most of a healthy intermediate forest of the ancient forests were gone, and, at loblolly pines along drier slopes and harvest time each year, the rolling hills, ridges and hardwoods in creek valleys covered in white cotton bolls, resem- and coves. Unhindered, the forest will bled a winter snow scene. By the 1870s, slowly evolve to its ancient status of a the last remnants of the virgin forest climax hardwood forest, just as the had fallen to the lumberman’s ax. first occupants found it more than a Such intensive farming and tim- hundred centuries ago. 260 bering led to severe erosion and loss As trees and plants have returned of the topsoil on more than 90 per- in profusion, the refuge has again be- cent of the land. Nearly impenetrable come a haven for wildlife, filled with hardwood forests had been trans- more than 200 species of birds and a formed into treeless hills and widen - wide variety of mammals, reptiles, ing gullies. This destruction of the and amphibians. Scientists estimate landscape, followed in the 1920s by that the populations may now even boll weevil infestations and then the exceed the numbers that were here Great Depression, wiped out farmers, when the pioneer settlers arrived in Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge Rock Springs 1 To Juliette Road To P 2 Piedmont NWR 3 Lake Allison P Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge Red-cockaded Trail Woodpecker Allison Lake Trail Creek Trail Pine Trail 5

261 NORTH 4 Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 35 - Piedmont NWR 2nd proof HEART OF GEORGIA

the early 1800s. Two wildlife species, the shores of the small lake, offering once plentiful in the region, have re- several vantage points for observing ceived special attention. First, wild waterfowl and other wildlife. Two turkeys were returned to the refuge other trails, the .8-mile Creek Trail lands in 1944, when nine nesting pairs and the .5-mile Pine Trail, combine to were transplanted from South Car- explore the marshy lowlands, with olina’s Cape Romaine National their ferns and hardwoods, and the Wildlife Refuge. Second, the endan- drier upland slopes beneath a canopy gered red-cockaded woodpecker, a na- of evergreens. Along all of the trails tive of the South’s old-growth pine there are benches where hikers may forests, most of which were wiped out pause to rest or quietly observe the during the period of intensive agricul- surroundings. ture and logging, have reestablished a The terrain is heavily wooded and foothold. Today, several family groups rolling with some moderately stren- inhabit nesting sites in the refuge. uous climbs along upland slopes. All Visitors are welcome to enjoy the trails are identiﬁed with either exhibits in the visitor center, hike metal or wooden directional markers. refuge trails, tour by automobile The Red-Cockaded Woodpecker and along the 6-mile Little Rock Wildlife Allison Lake Trails also feature de- Dr., and observe wildlife from a pho- scriptive markers offering details tography blind overlooking Lake Al- about the surrounding fauna or lison. Today, the Piedmont National wildlife habitats. There is also a short, Wild life Refuge is a functioning, wheelchair-accessible pathway behind healthy ecosystem—a true success the visitor center that leads to a bird story in environmental restoration nesting and feeding area. and protection. Occasionally, some sections of the trails may be closed during the lim- WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN ited deer and wild turkey hunting sea- Three connecting loops com- sons in the refuge. 262 bine to provide about 5 miles of Note: In winter, after the leaves fall, hiking trails. The longest trail, the some sections of the trails may be ob- 2.9-mile Red-Cockaded Woodpecker scured and difﬁcult to follow. The Trail, ascends from the Allison Lake markers are spaced about 25–50 yards dam into the loblolly pine forest and apart. If you travel for more than a through prime woodpecker habitat, few minutes without seeing a marker, before descending to follow the creek you may want to retrace your steps to valley back to the trailhead. The determine if you have strayed from .9-mile Allison Lake Trail winds along the trail. Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge

The nearby Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge opened in 2000 and features an expanding network of trails. The refuge is on U.S. 23 southeast of Macon.

SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY 1. Refuge Headquarters and Visitor Center (1970s)—The build - Pioneer Cemetery ing houses staff ofﬁces and exhibits 4. Red-Cockaded Woodpecker tracing the natural and human history Colony Site—Several nesting pairs of of the refuge lands. The center ex- woodpeckers have made their homes hibits were completely updated in in the old-growth pines along this sec- 2000. Maps and information are avail- tion of the trail. The birds bore holes able at the center. Hours: 8 A.M.–4:30 in the trunks of live trees and build P.M., Mon.–Fri.; 9 A.M.–5 P.M., Sat. and their nests in the cavities. They then Sun. (478) 986-5441. drill holes around the nest so that 2. Old Cemetery (c. 1800s)—As resin coats the surrounding wood. the fading inscriptions indicate, this Ornithologists believe they do this to was the burial ground for members of protect the nest from snakes and the Gunn and Bradley families. The other predators. Trees with known earliest interment was of Daniel Gunn nesting cavities are marked with a who died in 1825. white horizontal stripe, and spring is 3. Allison Lake Wildlife Observa- the best season for observing the 263 tion Blind (1960s)—Perched on the birds. shores of the small pond, this blind al- 5. Pioneer Cemetery (c. 1800s)— lows bird-watchers and photographers A low, ﬁeldstone wall surrounds two to observe waterfowl on the lake long-faded tombstones marking the without being detected. The blind is an burial site of early settlers to the area. especially popular destination during the spring and fall bird migrations. HEART OF GEORGIA C H A P T E R 3 7

dozens of small towns across the Fitzgerald South. Farmers in dusty pickups sidle up to the feed store; mechanics tinker at the corner auto shop; merchants greet customers they have served for generations; and retirees relax beneath stately shade trees on the courthouse lawn. A stroll across that lawn yields an important clue to Fitzgerald’s unique place in Georgia’s, and perhaps, America’s history. A clue revealed not from what is there, but from what is missing. Survey the scene and you will LOCATION find no marble soldier from the Con- Fitzgerald is located about federacy’s “Lost Cause,” facing north- 110 miles south of Macon via ward in a defiant pose. In Fitzgerald, I-75. Exit the interstate at Ashburn this is no oversight. Instead, it is part (exit 78) and travel east on GA 112 of the marvelous story of Georgia’s and GA 107 for about 25 miles to the “Colony City.” town center. Information: Fitzgerald The story began in 1893–94 when Tourism and Visitors Association, the nation was in the grips of a deep (800) 386-4642; www.ﬁtzgeraldga.org. recession. Summer droughts, followed by brutal winters, ravaged the Mid- 264 PARKING west, leaving many farm families on There is ample curbside the brink of starvation. When calls for parking throughout the central busi- help spread across the nation, Geor- ness district and on nearby residential gians were among the first to respond, streets. sending trainloads of grain, supplies, and clothing to the sufferers. BACKGROUND This generosity, from a state still At ﬁrst glance, Fitzgerald recovering from the devastating ef- seems little different from fects of defeat in the Civil War, caught Fitzgerald

W. Altamaha Fitzgerald Fitzgerald

W. Oconee E. Oconee

1 129

10 41 3 6 11 12 W. Central 319 40 39 2 4 9 7 5 8 13

23 21 2019 18 15 14 W. Pine E. Pine 22 38 24 16 17 37 25 W. Magnolia E. Magnolia 26 36

S. Lee S. Main S. Sherman S. Jackson 35 28

W. Jessamine S. Johnston E. Jessamine

30 29 S. Sheridan

31 Pylon E. Palm

W. Orange E. Orange NORTH 34

E. Cypress W. Cypress 265

W. Lemon E. L emon 32

W. Roanoke E. Roanoke 33

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 36 - Historic Fitzgerald 2nd proof HEART OF GEORGIA

the attention of Philander H. Fitz ger - chose a tract of dense pine forest in ald, a Union Army veteran, Indiana southern Georgia about 100 miles pension attorney, and editor and south of Macon. publisher of the American Tribune To finance the purchase of about newspaper. 50,000 acres of this land, Fitzgerald In his legal work with the Grand formed the American Tribune Sol- Army of the Republic—the national dier’s Colony Company. Through the association of Union veterans of the sale of stock in the company, the war—Fitzgerald saw firsthand how money was raised and the land ac- many of the aging soldiers and their quired. Shares in the company were families were suffering from the ef- of two kinds: investment stock and fects of the economic hard times and allotment stock. Both types sold for the harsh northern climate. Several $10 per share, and no family could years before, he had proposed the idea purchase more than ten shares. Allot- of establishing a community where ment stock could be redeemed for a the old veterans could work and live lot or tract of land in the colony at the in more comfortable surroundings. company’s cost. If the family moved Watching waves of immigrants arrive to the colony and built on their land, in America and continue on to the the money would be refunded. A western frontier, Fitzgerald initially 1,000-acre square in the center of the considered locations in the West and property was set aside for a planned Southwest for his planned colony. He city. This tract was surveyed and di- ultimately rejected several possible vided into 4 wards, each containing sites due, in large part, to their re- 4 blocks with 16 squares in each moteness. With the humanitarian ges- block, yielding 256 squares of equal ture of the Georgians fresh on his size. One block in each ward was set mind, he considered for the first time aside for a school, and 3 for parks. In the possibility of establishing his the heart of the city, 36 blocks were colony in the Deep South. subdivided into business lots, and the 266 In a letter to Georgia’s governor, remainder were available for residen- William J. Northen, Fitzgerald outlined tial development. Bisecting the city his idea and inquired about possible were two grand thoroughfares: Cen- sites. Northen responded enthusiasti- tral Avenue was laid out east to west, cally, and in the summer of 1894, and Main Street, north to south. Fitzgerald and several of his associates At the time the land was acquired rode by train to Atlanta, where they by the company, the only people were met by the governor, and after living in the area were a handful of exploring several locations, they finally residents of the backwoods village of Fitzgerald

Swan, located on the northern edge of blocks, commonly called “granitoid,” the property. By the summer of 1895, were notable because they were even before a survey of the land was smooth on three sides and rough on finished, people began coming by the the fourth—giving the impression of hundreds, then the thousands—by hewn stone. Not surprisingly, Fitzger - rail, wagon, or on foot—to start a new ald has a large number of buildings life in the colony to be carved from constructed of this unusual material. the trackless woods. At first they made As the city was surveyed, colonists their homes in a vast tent city while chose to use the newly laid out streets streets were laid out, timber was cut as symbols of reconciliation by nam - and milled, and the first permanent ing them for Union and Confederate buildings erected. generals. Confederates Lee, Johnston, While the property was initially in- Jackson, Bragg, and Longstreet par- tended as a home for Union veterans, allel Main Street to the west, while the colony’s charter stated that owner- Federals Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, ship was “open to all good people.” Thomas, and Logan parallel it to the Soon, native Southerners, many of east. Interestingly, the fire station is on them Confederate veterans, purchased Sherman Street. Another example of shares and joined the colony. Past ani- the sense of reconciliation of past ene- mosities were set aside as everyone mies that filled the town was the es- pitched in to build a city. Many of the tablishment of Blue and Gray Park, town’s settlers were craftsmen and ar- not by the Colony Company, but by tisans, and they worked both quickly the Blue and Gray Association, a and skillfully to create a complete city group composed of veterans from in an extraordinarily short time. By both sides. the time Fitzgerald was incorporated Probably the grandest display of on Dec. 2, 1896, many of the early peace and harmony among former wooden structures were already giving adversaries occurred in 1897 during way to permanent buildings con- the festival celebrating the first an- structed of brick and stone. The con- niversary of the town’s incorporation. 267 tinued immigration of settlers and the According to plans, the festival’s many pace of construction was such that the events were to culminate with two pa- growing town soon boasted 13 saw rades accompanied by a band playing mills, a brickyard, and an ironworks. martial music. The first parade would Within a few years, the city also had feature Confederate veterans; they two factories producing distinctive would be followed by marching masonry blocks for residential and Union veterans. But the old soldiers commercial construction. These had another idea. As the band started, HEART OF GEORGIA

the men of both sides joined together the early 1970s. Of all the early struc- and marched as one behind the Stars tures built in Fitzgerald, none was and Stripes. When Fitzgerald saw this grander than the 4-story, wood frame, from his seat in the reviewing stand, 150-room hotel (the largest wooden he turned to Gov. Northen and pro- building in Georgia when completed). claimed, “We are watching our nation Colonists initially planned to call the reunite before our eyes.” hotel the “Grant-Lee,” but in deference to their new Southern friends WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN and neighbors, changed the name to Located along the upper edge of the “Lee-Grant.” Georgia’s ancient coastal plain, 3. Central United Methodist Fitzgerald is situated on level, rolling Church (1920)—W. Central Ave. at terrain. Most residential streets have N. Lee St. This large Georgian-style good sidewalks and an arching canopy church was erected by a local Metho - of shading pines, hardwoods, and live dist Episcopal congregation. In 1939, oak trees. The distance of the loop when the Southern and Northern through the downtown business dis- branches of the denomination consol- trict and close-in neighborhoods is idated, the congregation reorganized about 2.5 miles. as a Methodist church. 4. Old Federal Building (c. 1930s) SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY —W. Central Ave. and S. Lee St. Built 1. Blue and Gray Museum in the Georgian style, this single-story (1902)—116 Johnston St. brick building once housed local Fed- Located in the municipal building, eral agency ofﬁces and the post ofﬁce. which is housed in the Spanish Mis- 5. Old Carnegie Library (1915)— sion–style Atlanta and Birmingham 116 S. Lee St. Built with funds do- Railroad depot, the museum offers a nated by industrialist Andrew Car ne - rich collection of photographs and gie, the building served as the local artifacts tracing the history of the col - library until a new facility was com- 268 ony and its people. The museum was pleted in 1984. The building is owned renovated in 2002. Hours: 10 A.M.–4 by the city, and its planned renovation P.M., Mon.–Fri.; weekends by appoint- will be part of the Historic Pine Street ment. (229) 426-5069. Development project. 2. Site of Lee-Grant Hotel 6. Mother Enterprise Monu- (1897)—W. Central Ave. at S. Lee ment—Median of S. Main St. St. A grocery store and shopping at Central Ave. This small monument center now occupy the site of the ele- commemorates the work of Nettie gant hotel, which was torn down in C. Hall (1841–1908), editor of the Fitzgerald

Enterprise, one of the city’s first news- building is notable for its distinctive papers. The very literate population of brickwork and ornate cornices. It has Fitzgerald once supported seven daily served numerous purposes through newspapers. the years including use as an athletic 7. The Grand Theatre (c. 1920s, club, dry goods store, Dr. Pepper bot- rebuilt 1936)—115 S. Main St. The tling plant, and furniture store. present structure replaced the original 10. Herald-Leader Building theater badly damaged in a fire in (1897)—202 E. Central Ave. One of 1935. The Grand operated as a movie the oldest and most distinctive build- theater until it closed in 1977. It was ings in Fitzgerald, this 2-story structure purchased by the city a year later and originally housed a grocery store on was eventually restored and converted the first floor and rooms of the to an 847-seat state-of-the art per- Windsor Hotel on the second floor. forming arts center. Today, with its It was later converted for use as a hard- distinctive Art Deco facade and mar- ware store. It was acquired by the quee, the theater is again the cultural Fitzgerald Herald-Leader in 1991 and heart of the city, featuring a variety of extensively renovated. Noted for its or- dramatic and musical productions nate metal cornices, brackets, and each year. Plans currently in develop- finials (manufactured by the Fitzger ald ment include installation of the latest Ironworks), the building won an award in conferencing equipment for meet- for its restorers from the Georgia Trust ings, and the restoration of a roof for Historic Preservation. garden for special events. The facility 11. Fire Station (c. 1902)—302 E. is managed by the Fitzgerald–Ben Hill Central Ave. Originally built to house County Arts Council whose offices are City Hall, the building once included located next door. Information: (229) a 3-story clock tower (plans are under 426-5033. consideration to restore the tower). 8. Home Savings Bank (1908)— The building was expanded in 1938. 114 S. Grant St. This unusual Roman - The city owns several pieces of an- esque Revival–style building with dis- tique firefighting equipment, and 269 tinctive marble facade was built for a there are plans to use a portion of the local bank. The original bank closed building for a small museum. in 1928, and the building has served 12. Standard Supply Company numerous functions since that time. (c. 1897)—406 E. Central Ave. Built in 9. Kruger-Davis Building the Spanish Mission style, this long, (c. 1898)—S. Grant St. at E. Central 1-story, painted brick building is the Ave. Built to house a hardware store, oldest, continuously operating family- this large, 2-story painted brick owned business in Fitzgerald. HEART OF GEORGIA

13. Ben Hill County Courthouse 18. Colony Art Gallery (c. 1910s) (1909)—E. Central Ave. at S. Sheridan —126 E. Pine St. This former retail St. Notable for its large Corinthian building now houses a gallery fea- columns, this Greek Revival sandstone- turing works of local and regional brick building was recently restored artists. Hours vary. Information: and modernized. NR (229) 426-5035. 14. Ben Hill County Jail (c. 1909) 19. Holzendorff Building (1905)— —402 E. Pine St. The city’s first jail is Mid-block of E. Pine St. between significant as Fitzgerald’s only Gothic Grant and Main Sts. The unusual Revival–style structure. The building roughened exterior and three-sided was restored and modernized in 2000. bay window on the second floor are 15. Corbutt-Donovan Building distinctive features of this building (1897)—128 S. Grant St. This large, built by Dr. Holzendorff, a local den- 5-story building featuring elegant iron tist. The first floor has housed Dock’s cornice work, was completed only two Jewelry Store for many years. years after the city’s founding. It origi- 20. Haile Drug Store (c. 1900)— nally provided space for professional 114 E. Pine St. This building originally offices on the upper floors and retail housed the apothecary of Dr. Haile, businesses at street level. The building one of Fitzgerald’s first druggists. was renovated in the 1980s and now 21. Third National Bank (c. 1900) houses several county agencies. —102 E. Pine St. Originally con- 16. First National Bank Building structed to house a bank and the local (1902)—102 W. Pine St. Originally Elk’s Club, the building was later con- constructed for use as a bank, this verted for use as a hotel. It now houses building has also housed the Blue and retail businesses on the first floor. Gray Museum and, most recently, an 22. Jay, Sherrell, and Smith Law insurance company. The structure is Offices (1920)—101 E. Pine St. Built notable for its brickwork and the to house a bank, this brick structure marble steps leading to an ornate en- with distinctive Ionic columns has 270 trance facade with arched transom. served as attorneys’ offices for many 17. Martin Insurance Building years. (1901)—207 S. Grant St. Built of the 23. Holzendorff Apartments distinctive granitoid blocks manu- (1915)—105 W. Pine St. Also built by factured in Fitzgerald, this building Dr. Holzendorff (see # 19), this has served a variety of uses through building is distinctive for its second- the years. story recessed porch. NR Fitzgerald

24. Swan Laundry Building residence also features elements of the (1920s)—Pine and S. Lee Sts. This Georgian style. former laundry and dry-cleaning busi- 29. Jessamine Place (1910)— ness is scheduled for future use in the 402 S. Main St. Originally constructed historic downtown development plan. by the Littleﬁeld family, this brightly 25. W. R. C. Building (c. 1898)— painted, Georgian-style frame house 215 S. Main St. One of the early struc- features a 2-story porch beneath a tures erected in town, the building central portico. was constructed by the Union vet- 30. Broadhurst-Paulk House erans and their sons to serve as head- (1920)—409 S. Main St. One of the quarters for the Grand Army of the newer residences on Main St., this is Republic’s Women’s Relief Corps, an elegant, Neoclassical-style mansion which provided services and support with a large shed porch supported by for veterans and their families. Note Ionic columns. the distinctive carved “WRC” beneath 31. Maffett-Ritter House (c. 1900) the roof gable. —507 S. Main St. Distinctive features 26. Paulk Funeral Home (1925)— of this Georgian-style house are the 301 S. Main St. This elegant Greek diamond-paned casement windows Revival–style structure, featuring four and the unusual hipped dormer. The large Doric columns, was built origi- house was originally constructed on nally as a residence. It was later an adjacent lot and moved on logs to adapted for use as a funeral home and its current location in 1905. the adjacent chapel was constructed 32. McLendon-Walker House in the 1960s. (1912)—801 S. Main St. This large 27. Ware-Mashburn House frame house is typical of many of (1906)—315 S. Main St. Designed in Fitzgerald’s early residences. It is no- the Georgian style, this brick resi- table for the large, 2-story bay front dence is noted for its stained-glass and hipped roof. windows and porch supported by 33. Farmer House (1915)—100 W. Doric columns. The building was Roanoke Dr. An elegant, Georgian- 271 converted for use as attorneys’ ofﬁces style mansion with a semicircular in 1986. NR porch, this former residence has 28. Bowen-Sheppard House served as headquarters for the (1900)—327 S. Main St. Constructed Fitzgerald Elks Club for many years. by the same family that erected the 34. Russell-Harris House adjacent Ware-Mashburn House, this (1905)—605 S. Lee St. A rambling, HEART OF GEORGIA

Dorminy-Massee House Queen Anne–style structure with a built by the Methodist Episcopal con- central turret and full-length front gregation (see #3), the sanctuary was porch, the house was built for the acquired by members of Fitzgerald’s family of a Dr. Russell. It was later Jewish community in 1939 and re- subdivided into apartments, and, modeled as a Hebrew synagogue. most recently, has been restored for Today, the synagogue serves Jewish use as a personal care home. families from around southern 35. Faith Baptist Church (1906)— Georgia. 326 S. Lee St. Built by the congrega- 37. Philip Jay House (1905)— tion of Central Christian Church, the 225 S. Lee St. Constructed of grani- 272 sanctuary was acquired by the Baptist toid blocks, this Greek Revival–style congregation in the late 1980s. The house is notable for having only three building is constructed of the distinc- Doric columns, instead of the usual tive granitoid blocks manufactured in four, to support the central portico. Fitzgerald. Notable are the rich According to local stories, the house stained-glass windows. was erected by a thrifty Scottish 36. Fitzgerald Hebrew Congrega- family who believed that the portico tion (1906)—302 S. Lee St. Originally could be supported by three columns, Fitzgerald rendering the fourth an unnecessary designed to handle heavy snowfall, expense. The ivy surrounding the was common throughout the Midwest house is said to have originated with in the 1880s–90s, and brought south cuttings from the garden of Scottish with the colonists. poet Robert Burns. 38. Episcopal Church (1905)— NOTES 212 W. Pine St. Designed in the Gothic style, this small church is notable for its rock-faced bell tower and extensive use of stained glass. 39. Glover-Smith House (1900)— 412 W. Central Ave. This rambling Queen Anne–style house with large wraparound porch and Victorian turret, is constructed largely of granitoid blocks. 40. Dorminy-Massee House (1915)—516 W. Central Ave. An elegant Greek Revival mansion, the house was built by banker, business - man, and lumber company owner Capt. Jack Dorminy. The Dorminy family had lived in the area since antebellum times and were among the first to welcome and join the colony. Considered one of the grandest homes in town, it is now a bed-and- breakfast inn operated by Dorminy’s great-grandson and his family. (229) 423-3123. 273 41. Fitzgerald “T” House (c. 1900) —401 Jackson St. This carefully preserved residence is an excellent example of a “T” house (with the front porch extending from the main part of the house to form a rough “T”). The style, with its steeply pitched roof HEART OF GEORGIA C H A P T E R 3 8

many settled in the pine woods of Little what became Telfair County. The economy, dependent on agriculture Ocmulgee and timber, thrived until the early years of the 20th century when pro- State longed drought and the infamous cotton infestations by the boll weevil Park brought hard times to much of rural Georgia. Failed crops and worn-out lands left residents with an unsure future. In the depths of the Great Depres- sion, the citizens of the area sought LOCATION assistance from one of Pres. Franklin Little Ocmulgee State Park is lo- D. Roosevelt’s most popular New Deal cated about 80 miles southeast of agencies, the Civilian Conservation Macon via I-16 and U.S. 441 (exit 51). Corps (CCC). CCC camps offered It is about 2 miles north of the town employment opportunities for of McRae, the seat of Telfair County. healthy young men and local adults Information: (229) 868-7474; with necessary work experience. www.gastateparks.org. With the help of Gov. Eugene Tal- madge, a McRae native, a CCC camp PARKING was established in 1933 to carry out A large parking area ajoins forest recovery and soil conservation 274 the trailhead. There is a daily parking work in an area called Shamrock fee, and annual state park passes are Springs. Located just east of the Little available. Ocmulgee River, Shamrock Springs had once been a popular spa and local BACKGROUND citizens believed that with the help of In the early 1800s, immi- CCC workers, the scenic area could be grants moving inland came an attraction once again. In early 1935, to the lands of central Georgia only re- local citizens raised the funds to pur- cently ceded by the Creek Indians, and chase more than 1,000 acres around Little Ocmulgee State Park

Little Ocmulgee State Park 3 4

NORTH Little Ocmulgee State Park

To P Dublin 1

319 441 265-Acre Lake P 3

To McRae 275

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 37 - Little Ocmulgee State Park 2nd proof HEART OF GEORGIA

the springs for the creation of a new elevation change along the trails, park. Later that same year, a second which travel through pines, magno- camp, composed of unemployed lias, and live oaks heavily draped in World War I veterans, began work on Spanish moss. the newly created recreation area. The park is prime habitat for the For nearly five years, workers built endangered gopher tortoise. The tell- roads, carved trails, constructed rustic tale signs of the animal’s burrow log buildings, and planted nearly (which can reach 30–40 ft. in length 100,000 trees. The centerpiece of the beneath the ground) may be seen park was the 265-acre lake created by along the route. The tortoise and an- the fabrication of a 1,500-ft. concrete other rare and endangered animal, the dam, much of it mixed and poured by nonvenomous indigo snake, often hand. In 1940, with the approach of share a burrow. Both are very reclu- World War II, the camp closed and sive and unlikely to be seen by hikers. the land was turned over to the state. Little Ocmulgee, with its variety of SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY amenities, is one of the most popular 1. Lakeside Pavilion units in Georgia’s state park sys tem. (1930s)—South side of the Visitors flock to the park to enjoy parking area adjacent to the lake. This 18 holes of golf on the Wallace Adams large, rustic wooden building was Memorial Golf Course, dine in constructed by CCC workers from the restaurant, stay overnight at the heavy cypress logs culled from the 30-room Pete Philips Lodge or the plains flooded to create the lake. The shaded campground, play tennis on fieldstone used for the foundations two lighted courts, or to hike, boat and chimneys of this and the other on the lake, swim in the pool, or CCC-era buildings was brought from simply relax as their grandparents did Fort Mountain in northwestern years ago. Georgia because there is no stone suitable for this purpose in southern 276 TRAIL DISTANCE AND TERRAIN Georgia. Behind the pavilion is a The park’s Oak Ridge Trail fishing dock and playground. (Note: carves a 3-mile loop through There are alligators in the lake and the sandy, tree-shaded hills of the nearby swamp, so swimming is not upper coastal plain. The Magnolia permitted and pets should be kept on Trail is a shorter loop (1.7 miles) cre- a leash.) ated by a connecting path between the 2. Outdoor Amphitheater eastern and western sides of the Oak (1997)—Located west of the trailhead. Ridge Trail. There is only a moderate This open-air stage each September Little Ocmulgee State Park

Little Ocmulgee State Park hosts the drama, The Lightered Knot, NOTES tracing the tumultuous history of the timber barons of the Dodge family and the land wars fought in this part of the state in the late 1800s. 3. Oak Ridge—This area along the northern edge of the loop is unusual for its open sand dunes and trees that may be centuries old but whose growth has been stunted by the nu- trient-poor soil, clear reminders that in ancient geological times, this land 277 was on the bottom of a shallow ocean. 4. Lake and Marsh Overlook— This short boardwalk leads to a platform overlooking the northern edge of the lake and surrounding marsh, an ideal place to watch for waterfowl and migratory birds. HEART OF GEORGIA C H A P T E R 3 9

BACKGROUND Andersonville Two years deep into the Civil War, the pine hills of National southwestern Georgia remained far from the horrors of the battlefield. Historic Site Yet, when Confederate soldiers and slave laborers arrived near the small community of Andersonville in Jan- uary 1864 to begin construction of a prisoner-of-war (POW) camp, the in- calculable human cost of the war would soon be evident to all. Since the war’s outbreak in April 1861, most soldiers captured by either LOCATION side had been paroled (sent home Andersonville is located about with a promise not to take up arms 58 miles southwest of Macon. again) or exchanged for a like number Travel south on I-75 to GA 26 (exit of prisoners from the opposing army. 127). Follow this highway west to Consequently, most POW camps were Montezuma, then travel south on small and soldiers stayed only a short GA 49 to the park entrance. The time. This situation irrevocably grounds and National Cemetery are changed in the early spring of 1864 open daily 8 A.M.–5 P.M. The walk be- when the new Union commander, Lt. gins behind the National Prisoner of Gen. Ulysses Grant, ended the ex- 278 War Museum. Information: (229) change system. He argued that most 924-0343; www.nps.gov/ande. exchanged Rebels quickly returned to combat, so it would be better to hold PARKING prisoners because the South had few There is a large parking area men to replace them. He firmly be- adjacent to the museum. There are lieved this strategy would decimate smaller lots near the Star Ft., near the Confederate armies and shorten Providence Spring, and at the Na- the war. As a result of Grant’s order, tional Cemetery. POW camp populations, on both Andersonville National Historic Site

Andersonville

F National B Historic Site H G E

C D Andersonville Andersonville 12 National National Cemetery B A NORTH

National Prisoner Prisoner Andersonville National Historic Site of WarW ar Museum

2 1 Town of 2 Andersonville 2 11 3 228

One way 10 The Church St. Prison 9 2 Site

8 4 St oc 7 ka d e

B ra 6 n 2 ch 279 5

49 5

Creek er twat Swee

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 38 - Andersonville Natl. Hist. Site 2nd proof HEART OF GEORGIA

sides, exploded, and in most camps, rived each day, swelling the prison conditions were poor and prisoners population to nearly twice its in- suffered horribly. tended capacity. Many more would In the fall of 1863, two significant soon come. events occurred that hastened the In May 1864, Maj. Gen. William T. need for a POW camp in south- Sherman launched his invasion of western Georgia. First was the Battle Georgia with Atlanta as his objective. of Chickamauga in northwestern The fighting yielded thousands more Georgia, where several thousand Union captives for the bleak stockade Union soldiers were captured and at Andersonville. To accommodate held at temporary camps close to the these new arrivals, Andersonville’s battlefield and outside Atlanta. stockade was expanded in June 1864 Second was Gen. Robert E. Lee’s de- to 26.5 acres. By the end of that feat at Gettysburg and retreat to Vir- month, the prison incarcerated almost ginia. When Union armies began 26,000 soldiers, with more arriving massing in northern Virginia, the each day. The prison population Confederate government decided to peaked at 32,000 in August 1864. move many of the Union prisoners Then, with impending threats of at- held near Richmond to locations far- tack from Sherman’s cavalry, many ther from the battle fronts. Because prisoners were transferred to other southwestern Georgia was considered camps in eastern Georgia and in the “breadbasket” of the Confederacy, South Carolina. a prison site there would be secure While Sherman’s troops marched and have readily available food for through Georgia, there was one both the prisoners and the soldiers aborted attempt by Federal cavalry to guarding them. free the prisoners at Andersonville. In In January 1864, slaves began July 1864, as the main body of the felling pine trees along the banks of a Union army surrounded Atlanta, Gen. small stream just east of the Ander- George Stoneman and a cavalry 280 sonville railway station. By the end of brigade rode southwest to destroy rail the month, a rectangular, 15-ft.-high lines and attempt an attack on Ander- wooden stockade enclosed an open sonville. Outside Macon, Stoneman space of about 16.5 acres. The prison, and 600 troopers were captured. The called Camp Sumter by the Confeder- general was held in Macon, but his ates, was intended to house 10,000 men finally made it to Anderson- prisoners and the first began arriving ville—as prisoners. in early February 1864. Until June, While conditions at nearly all Civil about 400 additional prisoners ar- War–era POW camps were terrible by Andersonville National Historic Site modern standards, the conditions at prisoners, was a muddy, slow-moving Andersonville made this small camp a stream that meandered on an easterly true hell-on-earth. Overcrowding, course through marshy “sinks.” While lack of shelter from the brutal the official camp latrines were posi- summer sun, contaminated water and tioned on the downstream side of the almost nonexistent sanitation, a dete- creek, the water was little more than a riorating Confederate economy, and fetid cesspool harboring disease. De- the failing transportation system, all spite the risks, men routinely drank conspired to make interment at An- from and bathed in the stream, and dersonville a death sentence for more many came down with severe, water- than 12,000 prisoners, most suc- borne illnesses. cumbing to disease and malnutrition. On August 15, 1864, at the height Not all the privations suffered by of summer’s most ferocious tempera- the prisoners came at the hand of tures, a heavy thunderstorm struck their captors. Within the stockade it- the camp. Amidst heavy rains, fresh self, gangs of thugs preyed on their water began gushing from a hillside fellow prisoners. They even resorted just south of the stockade’s North to beatings and murder to take what Gate. John Maile of the 8th Michigan few possessions a man had. These Infantry witnessed the event and gangs, called “Raiders” by other pris- wrote in his journal, “A spring of oners, numbered in the hundreds purest crystal water shot up into the and, for several months, their brutal air. Looking across the dead line, we behavior went unchallenged. Finally, beheld with wondering eyes and in July 1864 a band of soldiers calling grateful hearts the fountain spring.” themselves the “Regulators” stood up Unfortunately, the spring flowed to the predators and succeeded in from the hill inside the dead line, a rounding up six of their leaders. With wooden barrier 19 ft. inside the the approval of prison commander stockade wall. Prisoners crossing the Maj. Henry Wirz, these men were put line were shot. At first, men tied on trial before a jury of other pris- strings to tin cups and tossed them to- 281 oners. They were found guilty and ward the spring to get water. Eventu- hanged. Their bodies were buried in ally, Maj. Wirz permitted construction dishonor, their graves set apart from of a trough to channel the water to a those of other prisoners. safe place within the stockade. As if it Lack of access to clean water was were the answer to a thousand prayers one of the most serious problems from parched throats, the prisoners within the stockade. A shallow creek, dubbed the water “Providence dubbed “Stockade Branch” by the Spring.” HEART OF GEORGIA

At first at Andersonville, there were Union soldiers. In July 1865, Atwater only a handful of deaths each day, but and Barton traveled together to An- as conditions worsened, the number dersonville accompanied by a group rose to nearly 100 per day. Detach- of army clerks and laborers under the ments of soldiers, many of them command of Capt. James Moore. Negro troops who were being held Their task was to replace the crude prisoner at the camp, worked full- stakes on each grave with lettered, time digging shallow, trenchlike wooden markers containing the infor- graves. The loved ones of many of mation on Atwater’s list. When the those who died might never have task was completed, all but 460 graves known their fate if it were not for the were identified. The burial ground efforts of one prisoner, Dorence At- at Andersonville was designated a Na- water, who fell ill and was sent to the tional Cemetery on July 26, 1865, and, camp hospital. The prison surgeon, in a solemn ceremony on August 17, Dr. White, noted Atwater’s excellent Clara Barton raised the American flag handwriting and arranged for him to over the hallowed ground. remain at the hospital as a records In 1890, the prison site was pur- clerk. In this capacity, he was respon- chased by the Georgia Chapter of the sible for maintaining the register of Grand Army of the Republic (an asso- deaths in the camp. Each record listed ciation of Union veterans) and then the soldier’s name, his company and sold to the association’s Women’s Re- regiment, cause of death, and a chro - lief Corps (WRC) for $1.00. The corps no logical number corresponding to a undertook a nationwide fund-raising numbered wooden stake marking campaign to preserve the site as a per- each grave. Realizing the value of this manent memorial to the men who list to relatives and friends of the de- had suffered and died there. Pecan ceased, Atwater secretly made a dupli- trees were planted on the grounds and cate record. When he was exchanged the fruit harvested and sold as a in February 1865, he carried his list, means of raising money. Eventually, 282 containing the names of 12,165 men, more than a dozen states erected hidden in the lining of his coat. monuments at the prison site or In April 1865, Atwater offered the cemetery to honor their native sons record to the government if they who had been held captive at Ander- would publish it. Receiving no prom - sonville (prisoners at the camp came ise of immediate publication, Atwater from 26 different states, including sought out Clara Barton, the famous Union loyalists from Virginia, North Civil War nurse, who was herself at- Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and tempting to locate missing and dead Louisiana). Andersonville National Historic Site

In 1901, the WRC erected a marble the cemetery: pavilion over Providence Spring to “.. . and while the stars their vigil permanently preserve the flow of life- keep, across the silence of the sky, saving water. Nine years later, the The Nation’s love for those who corps donated the prison site to the sleep at Andersonville shall not die.” people of the United States as a per- petual memorial. The site was admin- WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN istered by the War Department and A loop hike from the museum later the Department of the Army along the stockade road and until it was made a National Historic through the cemetery is about Site and transferred to the National 3.7 miles. The ground around the Park Service in 1971. prison site is open. The Congressional legislation that formalized the establishment of the SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY National Historic Site stipulated that 1. National Prisoner of War Andersonville would be set aside to Museum/Visitor Center honor the memory of all American (1998)—This brick-and-masonry prisoners from every war in which building is designed to give the ap- they fought. In the beginning, little at- pearance of a prison as visitors must tention was paid to this larger mis- pass through gates in front of low sion, but in the 1990s, representatives towers before entering the lobby and from ex-POW associations, veterans exhibit areas. Inside, large clerestory groups, and the Park Service staff windows bathe the building in planned and raised funds for the light—a stark contrast to the dark- National Prisoner of War Museum. ness of most prison cells. Exhibits It was dedicated on April 9, 1998, starkly proﬁle, in sight and sound, the 56 years to the day after beleaguered experiences of the nearly 800,000 U.S. soldiers on the island of Bataan Americans who have been prisoners in the Philippines surrendered to the of war. Artifacts on display include Japanese. Today, visitors come to An- journals kept by captured soldiers, 283 dersonville from around the nation to homemade clothing, hand-stitched remember the sacrifices of all Amer- ﬂags, and numerous other items men ican POWs—from the Revolution to and women used to survive their cap- the Persian Gulf War. It seems fitting tivity. Behind the museum is the that this important museum be lo- Commemorative Courtyard with its cated at Andersonville, for it makes powerful bas-relief sculpture of true the wish inscribed on the Penn- massed prisoners behind a free- sylvania Memorial on the grounds of standing statue of a captive with his HEART OF GEORGIA

arms finally unshackled. According to the only source of drinking water for sculptor Donna Dobberfuhl, the mes- the entire prison population until sage she sought to con vey in the work August 1864. is “the price of free dom fully paid.” 5. Hospital Sites (1864)—Pine The visitor center also houses a woods and open fields were once the small theater and a gift shop. Hours: location of two large hospitals where 8:30 A.M.–5 P.M., daily. (478) 924-0343. doctors feebly attempted to treat pris- 2. Confederate Earthworks oners’ illnesses with only the most (1864)—Located at the four corners meager medical supplies and equip- of the stockade, these fortifications ment. Many soldiers who fell ill held artillery that pointed into the refused to go to the hospital, prefer- prison to prevent disturbances and ring to die among their friends. outward to repel possible attacks. 6. Star Fort (1864)—This was the 3. Reconstructed Stockade—This largest fortification at the prison. Maj. recently built corner section of the Wirz’s headquarters was located here. prison depicts the layout of the pine- 7. Site of South Gate (1864)— log walls, the guard’s “crow’s nest,” Fieldstone pillars mark one of the two prisoners’ crude shelters called “she- gates of entry into the stockade. bangs,” and the placement of the 8. Site of the Dead House dead line. (1864)—The bodies of soldiers who 4. Stockade Branch—Located at died in the prison were brought to a the lowest point between two hills, log shelter here prior to being trans- this slow-moving, shallow creek was ported to the cemetery for burial.

284

Some of the more than 16,000 Civil War POW graves at Andersonville Andersonville National Historic Site

9. Providence Spring (1864, and other prisons—were reinterred building 1901)—Fresh water from here. Andersonville continues to be an this underground spring surfaced on active cemetery open to military vet- August 15, 1864. The ornate marble erans. The cemetery is divided into spring house was erected by the 17 sections, arranged alphabetically Women’s Relief Corps of the Grand A–R (there is no section O). Notable Army of the Republic. sites within the cemetery include: 10. North Gate Reconstruction— A. The Georgia Monument Archaeological excavations identified (1976)—Commissioned by then-Gov. the location of this main gate, Jimmy Carter, this powerful sculpture through which new prisoners entered captures the essence of the captive’s the stockade after their arrival at the experience, depicting three weary Andersonville railway station a half- prisoners supporting each other. In- mile away. Recalling his own arrival, scribed in the base is a scriptural pas- Pvt. John McElroy, 16th Illinois Cav- sage, “Turn you to the stronghold, Ye alry, wrote in his journal: prisoners of hope” (Zechariah 9:12). “.. . five hundred weary men B. Union POW Graves (1864–65) moved along slowly through double —Located in sections E, F, H, J, and K, lines of guards. Two massive wooden these closely spaced graves mark the gates, with heavy iron hinges and mass interments of the prisoners who bolts swung open as we stood there died at Andersonville. The wooden and passed through into the space markers placed here by Barton and beyond. We were in Andersonville.” Atwater were replaced by stone 11. Escape Tunnels (1864)— markers in the 1870s. Evidence of escape tunnels remains at C. Raiders Graves (1864)—These several locations among the trees and six graves of prison gang leaders were monuments at the northern end of placed just outside section J as a mark the stockade. of shame. 12. Andersonville National Ceme- D. Memorial to Prisoners at tery (1864)—Set aside in February Stalag 17 B—This large monument 285 1864 as a burial ground for prisoners commemorates American fliers held who died in captivity, the cemetery prisoner by the Germans during eventually contained the remains of World War II at a camp in Austria. 12,636 prisoners. After the Civil War, Stalag 17 was featured in a popular the ground was designated a National movie filmed in the 1950s. Cemetery, and the remains of nearly E. Rostrum (1941)—This marble 800 other Union soldiers—many structure is used for funerals and spe- from field hospitals, battlefield graves, cial ceremonies. HEART OF GEORGIA

F. Andersonville’s Dove (18??)— Perched on the section H headstone of L. S. Tuttle of Maine (#12196) is a carved stone dove. No one knows when the dove was placed on the marker, who did it, or why. G. Park Headquarters (1878)— This 2-story house was constructed as the cemetery caretaker’s residence. Hours: 7:30 A.M.–4 P.M., Mon.–Fri. H. National Cemetery Office and Information Center—Staff provide assistance to visitors or relatives searching for the grave of a loved one or ancestor.

NOTES

286 HEART OF GEORGIA C H A P T E R 4 0

the Treaty of Washington in 1831, all Americus of the Indians living in western Georgia were forced to give up their ancestral lands and relocate to the western territories. Even before the removal was finalized, settlers had moved into the western part of the state and established counties and towns. Sumter County, named for Col. Thomas Sumter of South Carolina, a hero of the French and Indian War and the Revolution, was created in 1831, and a year later, the new county LOCATION seat of Americus was laid out. Ac- Americus is about 75 miles south- cording to a popular story, a drawing west of Macon via I-75. Exit on was to be held to name the town GA 27 (exit 112) and travel west for when a man stepped from the crowd about 30 miles to downtown Americus. and suggested the village be called The walk begins in front of the Windsor “Americus” to honor the Italian navi- Hotel on W. Lamar St. (U.S. 280). gator and mapmaker Amerigo Information: Americus–Sumter Vespucci. The townspeople liked the County Tourism Council, (888) 278- name so much that they canceled the 6837; www.therealgeorgia.com. drawing and immediately adopted it. The surrounding land proved ideal 287 PARKING for growing cotton, and soon Amer- Streetside parking is available icus was the center of Georgia’s in downtown Americus and along “Cotton Kingdom,” an area of vast nearby residential streets. plantations worked by thousands of African slaves. The town prospered as BACKGROUND a regional center for the cotton trade, Following the Treaty of In- and many planters built elegant town dian Springs in 1825 and homes, a few of which still stand. HEART OF GEORGIA

During the Civil War, three large Former Pres. Jimmy Carter grew Confederate hospitals were located in up near the tiny community of Plains, Americus. Some of the patients were 9 miles west of Americus, and traveled guards stationed at Camp Sumter, the frequently to Americus to shop with large prisoner-of-war camp located his family, to attend educational pro- near Andersonville a few miles north- grams, and to take in movies at the east of Americus. Nearly a third of the Rylander Theater. According to one prisoners died from disease and mal- story, Carter lost his place as senior nutrition, and hundreds of Rebel sol- class valedictorian at Plains High diers guarding them succumbed to School as punishment for skipping the same illnesses. school one day to go to a matinee at In the latter years of the 19th cen- the Rylander. The future First Lady, tury, many communities in southern Rosalynn Carter, also grew up in Georgia boomed as winter retreats for Plains and attended college at Georgia wealthy Northerners. Americus set Southwestern College (now Univer- out to compete for this lucrative busi- sity) located in Americus. ness, and several wealthy investors In the early days of World War II, raised the funds to construct an ele- Christian missionaries Clarence and gant hotel in the center of the city. Florence Jordan and Mabel and Mar - Unlike many hotels of the period, tin England came to rural Sumter which were built of wood and conse- County to establish Koinonia Farms, quently fire hazards, the new Windsor a Christian commune intended as “a Hotel was constructed of locally made demonstration plot for the kingdom brick. In 1884 much of downtown of God.” Dedicated to peace and Americus had been razed by a devas- racial harmony, Koinonia was a rad- tating fire that destroyed many of the ical and, at times, highly unpopular antebellum buildings. Most were re- departure from the social norms of placed by the late-19th- and early- racial segregation. 20th-century commercial structures In the late 1960s, Koinonia Part- 288 that remain today, giving Americus ners began a housing ministry by the atmosphere of a Victorian city. building modest homes on their 1,500 While Americus began in the midst acres of land. These homes were built of the tragedy of slavery, this area has by volunteers and sold to selected become best known as the home of families who paid 20-year, no-interest leaders dedicated to peace and racial mortgages. Two partners who had equality and as the headquarters for a been involved in this program, Mil- humanitarian organization that builds lard and Linda Fuller, left the farm in houses around the world. 1976 to develop their own housing Americus 21 22 20

19 Elm Americus 23 Americus 18 Taylor 280 280 24 16

17 Brown

25 E. College 15 26 27 28

Brannan

Taylor 34 29 33 32

E. Church 377 31 35 30 377 Randolph

12 Finn 14 13 11 10 2 9 36 1 8

37 .Jackson S. 6 7 38 280 3

Forrest 289 280 4 W. College

W. Church

NORTH

5 .Hampton S. Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 39 - Historic Americus 2nd proof HEART OF GEORGIA

The second-floor grand balcony of the Windsor Hotel ministry. Their program, Habitat for SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY Humanity, has gone on to construct 1. Windsor Hotel (1892)— thousands of houses for needy fami- 125 W. Lamar St. The castle- lies in more than 44 countries. like Windsor Hotel with its turrets, Habitat’s international headquarters towers, dormers, and grand balcony, is located in a restored building in occupies the heart of Americus’s com- downtown Americus, and Pres. and mercial district. Designed by Atlanta Mrs. Carter are two of their most architect Gottfried Norrmann, the famous volunteers. red-brick Victorian structure was Today, Americus is a widely recog- built to accommodate business trav- nized architectural treasure, filled elers and to attract a share of the with superb 19th- and early-20th- North ern winter-resort trade. century commercial buildings and While the Windsor did not keep 290 houses that are easily enjoyed on foot. Northern tourists from continuing on to Florida, it hosted a number of fa- WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN mous guests including statesman and The 3-mile loop from the orator William Jennings Bryan, Pres. Windsor Hotel winds through Franklin D. Roosevelt, and notorious the restored commercial district and gangster John Dillinger. Despite being along nearby residential streets. There the center of Americus social life for are good sidewalks and shade trees many years, the Windsor fell into de- along most of the route. cline and closed in the early 1970s. Americus

After an award-winning renovation, it families, was once an automobile reopened in 1991 and is again the dealership. It was creatively restored place to see and be seen in Americus. in 1996, and the atrium-like lobby is The Americus welcome center is crafted to resemble the surroundings adjacent to the hotel lobby. Hotel: of a small home. Building hours are (888) 297-9567; www.windsor- 8 A.M.–5 P.M., Mon.–Fri., and guided americus.com. tours are available. These tours 2. Allison Building (1907)— include the building and the nearby 124 W. Lamar St. This well-preserved, international village that contains 3-story sandstone building is notable reproductions of the different types of for its large arched windows. houses built by Habitat volunteers 3. Empire State Bank Building across the globe. (800) 422-4828; (c. 1910)—Forrest Ave. and W. Lamar www.habitat.org. St. The entrance to this imposing 6. Barlow Block (c. 1890s)— former bank building is flanked by Jackson St. across from the Windsor massive columns, reflecting the Hotel. This block of ornate buildings importance of the local bank in small reflects the architectural style common town life. in late-19th-century commercial build- 4. Rylander Theater (1921)— ings. During the Civil War, a large 308–20 W. Lamar St. This elegant Confederate hospital occupied this site. 630-seat theater served as both a 7. Thomas Block (1890s)—W. For - vaudeville and cinema house when it syth and Jackson Sts. Another of the first opened. It was a popular gath- late-19th-century commercial build- ering place until it closed in 1951. ings flanking the Windsor Hotel block. Shuttered for almost 50 years, the Ry- 8. 1889 Building (1889)—124 W. lander was recently restored and is Forsyth St. A former retail shop sitting now one of the premiere performing in the shadow of the Windsor Hotel, arts centers in Georgia. It is also the the building now houses a restaurant. home of two powerful dramas: And 9. Thornton-Wheatley Building Grace Will Lead Me Home, a POW (1892)—122 W. Forsyth St. This red- 291 story, and The Jimmy Carter Story. brick Victorian building, with its Event information: (229) 931-0001; granite and terra-cotta exterior fea- www.rylander.org. tures and rounded corner with a cir- 5. Habitat for Humanity cular window, is believed to have been International Headquarters designed to complement the Windsor (1920s)—322 W. Lamar St. The home Hotel and to serve as the model for of this renowned organization, dedi- other downtown buildings of the pe- cated to providing housing for needy riod. The building was once called HEART OF GEORGIA

“Pythian Castle” when it served as the style structure features several meeting place for the Knights of stained-glass windows attributed to Pythia fraternal order. Louis C. Tiffany. The house was built 10. Byne Block (1887)—105 W. by local businessman Lee Council, Forsyth St. This was one of the first owner of the Planters’ Bank. Today, commercial blocks rebuilt following the house serves as headquarters for the 1884 fire. the Sumter Historic Preservation 11. Citizens Bank Building Council and is available for use as a (c. 1900)—120 N. Lee St. This 4-story special-event facility. The house is structure opened as the Planters’ occasionally opened to the public for Bank, owned and operated by Lee tours. (229) 924-1163. Council. Council was so rich that he 16. 406 E. Church St. (1890)— once purchased the Windsor Hotel as In Neo-Jacobean style, this house a Christmas gift for his wife. The features shingle siding and a wide, building is now a restaurant. circular verandah. 12. Old Fire Station (1890)— 17. 405 E. Church St. (1890)— 107 N. Lee St. Designed by Windsor This Italian Renaissance-style house Hotel–architect Gottfried Norrmann, features a campanile tower. this red-brick double-bay station once 18. 234 Taylor St. (1850)— Origi- housed horsedrawn fire wagons. It has nally located in Oglethorpe, Ga., this been restored as lawyers’ offices. antebellum cottage was moved to 13. Americus City Hall and Americus to serve as a planter’s town Municipal Building (1910)—101 W. house. Lamar St. Built as the Federal Build ing, 19. Rees Park (c. 1880s)—One of this Italian Renaissance–style structure the first public parks in Americus, was acquired by the city in 1969. Today Rees Park quickly became the center it houses offices of city government as of an affluent residential district of well as nonprofit community service the same name. The north side of the and cultural organizations. park features the Confederate 292 14. 102–6 Lamar Building (1890) Memorial while the south side con- —Rounding out the tour of the com- tains the “Spirit of the American mercial district is this 2-story, blue- Doughboy” statue sculpted by Amer- painted brick building noted for its icus artist E. M. Visquesney and ornate, arched windows. unveiled on Armi stice Day, Nov. 11, 15. Lee Council House (1902)— 1921. The statue was originally lo- 318 E. Church St. Considered the cated at the intersection of Lamar “most beautiful house in Americus,” and Lee Sts., and local veterans A. B. this brick and terra-cotta Victorian- Turpin and Walter Rylander served as Americus models. Nearly 140 life-sized copies style house now serves as headquarters of this statue have been placed as of the local chapter of the Daughters World War I monuments in 35 other of the American Revolution. states. 27. 144 Taylor St. (c. 1850)—This 20. Americus Garden Inn (c. 1848) small antebellum cottage features —504 Rees Park St. This elegant ante- sidelights, transom, and pediments bellum house, with its Italianate-style typical of the Greek Revival style. front portico and verandah, has been 28. Charles F. Crisp House beautifully restored as a bed-and- (1893)—139 Taylor St. This finely breakfast inn. (888) 758-4749; crafted frame house was built by Crisp, www.americusgardeninn.com a British native and former Confed- 21. 602 Rees Park St. (1890)— erate officer. Crisp served as Federal This eclectic Victorian house has sev- judge and later as a U.S. congressman. eral notable features including a 2-tier He was Speaker of the House of Repre- portico and corner porch. sentatives during the 1880s and was 22. 606 Rees Park St. (1905)— elected to the U.S. Senate in 1896, but Another elegant Victorian-style home died before he could serve. His son, overlooking the park, this structure Charles R. Crisp, was appointed to fill is notable for its tower, columns, and his seat and later won election to Con- ornate baluster. gress in his own right. 23. Rees Park School (1910)—409 29. Walter B. Hollis House Rees Park St. Built as Americus High (c. 1850)—133 Taylor St. Hollis built School, this Greek Revival–style this house shortly before the Civil building now houses a theater troupe, War, and it was occupied by his the Sumter Players. daughter “Miss Florence” Hollis until 24. 217 Taylor St. (1859)— An her death in the 1960s at the age of excellent example of Greek Revival 106. Miss Hollis told stories of car- architecture, this antebellum house is rying food in horsedrawn wagons to distinguished by its Greek entablature the Union prisoners at Camp Sumter and Doric columns. (Andersonville). 293 25. 201 Taylor St. (1907)— This 30. 401 S. Lee St. (c. 1840)—One early-20th-century house was de- of the oldest houses in Americus, this signed in a style reminiscent of the Greek Revival–style cottage now nearby antebellum Greek Revival serves as a medical office. structures. 31. Calvary Episcopal Church 26. D.A.R. Chapter House (1893) (1919)—408 S. Lee St. This simple —155 Taylor St. This Neoclassical– brick church in Carpenter Gothic style HEART OF GEORGIA

is the work of Ralph Adams Cram, one 35. 202 W. College St. (c. 1860)— of the nation’s most renowned archi- This small cottage has excellent exam- tects of church and academic build- ples of the Gothic style, most notably ings. Accustomed to much larger com- the trefoil and delicate bargeboard. missions (Cram designed buildings for 36. 309 W. College St. (c. 1850)— Princeton and Rice Universities, and This house is a ﬁnely crafted ante- he served as dean of the architecture bellum Greek Revival cottage. school of Massachusetts Institute of 37. 317 W. College St. (c. 1840)— Technology), Cram accepted this pro- This antebellum cottage is a simple ject following a direct appeal from the and well-proportioned residence. church’s pastor. 38. Presbyterian Church (1884)— 32. Hancock Funeral Home 125 S. Jackson St. This frame church is (1892)—427 S. Lee St. Built as a pri- designed in the Carpenter Gothic vate residence, this Victorian-style style. structure is noted for its corner tower and dormers. 33. 1906 Pathway Inn (1906)— NOTES 501 S. Lee St. An elegant, Victorian house featuring a 2-story central portico with rounded balcony, this is now a bed-and-breakfast inn. (800) 889-1466; www.1906pathwayinn.com. 34. Cobb House (c. 1823)—505 S. Lee St. This structure is one of nearly 100 antebellum houses moved from Oglethorpe, Ga., following a devastating smallpox epidemic there. The house was purchased by Col. Charles Malone in 1855 and moved to this site 294 by oxcart. It was acquired in 1883 by Capt. John Cobb, son of Confederate general Howell Cobb. His descendants lived in the house until 1963. It was purchased in 1975 by the late Dr. Henry King Stanford, retired president of the University of Miami and one-time interim president of the University of Georgia. HEART OF GEORGIA C H A P T E R 4 1

St., just north of the campus on Valdosta and Georgia Ave.

Valdosta State BACKGROUND At the time of the ﬁrst Euro- University pean contact, this area was the home of the Lower Creeks, an advanced culture that lived in permanent villages, hunted game, ﬁshed, and cultivated crops of beans, corn, and squash. Despite persistent legends that Hernando de Soto passed through this area, the earliest recorded contact with LOCATION European settlers occurred in the late Valdosta is 152 miles south of 1600s when Spanish priests from Macon via I-75 (exit 16) and Florida traveled north into Georgia’s U.S. 221 and 84 and GA 38. Follow interior to convert the “savages” to U.S. 84/GA 38 (Hill Ave.) east to Christianity. downtown. The walk begins at the Their missionary trail, locally north side of the Lowndes County known as the “Saint Augustine Road,” Courthouse. Information: Valdosta– was soon followed by traders who es- Lowndes County Convention and tablished a lucrative commerce with Visitors Bureau, (800) 569-8687; the natives, seeking every opportunity www.valdostatourism.com; to take advantage of them. By the late Valdosta State University, (229) 333- 1700s, the Creeks had sold many 295 5980; www.valdosta.edu. thousands of acres of their lands as payment for debts incurred in ac- PARKING quiring manufactured goods from Metered, on-street parking traders and merchants. and commercial lots are available in Following the American Revolu- the downtown area. Visitor parking tion, the government of the new state is available at the Valdosta State of Georgia faced unrelenting pressure University Center on N. Patterson to acquire more Creek lands and to HEART OF GEORGIA

remove the Indians from Georgia. about four miles east of the town. The After three decades of conflict and citizens of Troupville established a various short-lived treaties, the Fed- new county seat adjacent to the rail eral government succeeded in re- line in 1860. They called this settle- moving the Creeks from Georgia and ment “Valdosta,” a name drawn from Alabama and turned the land over to Gov. George Troup’s estate, “Val the states. The fertile lands drew thou- d’Osta,” which is thought to have been sands who came to establish small derived from “Val de Aosta,” an espe- farms, to build mills for grinding corn cially scenic area in the Italian Alps. or harvesting lumber, and to carry With the election of Abraham Lin- goods to ports along the Flint and coln in November 1860, Georgia fol- Chattahoochee Rivers. lowed several other Southern states Cotton thrived in the sandy soil into secession from the Union in early and, in the decades prior to the Civil 1861. When the war ended, the fields War, wealthy landowners assembled were overgrown and the slavery-based vast plantations, importing thousands agricultural economy in ruins. But, of slaves to work the fields. In many the fertile soil remained, and through southern Georgia counties, including tenant farming and sharecropping Lowndes, slaves often greatly out- with former slaves, cotton farmers numbered the white population. were soon thriving again. The key markets for the cotton In the years after the war, a young were in New England and in Europe, Valdostan named John Holliday de- but the plantation owners found the veloped a modest dental practice in primitive roads and limited river ac- town until he contracted tuberculosis. cess increasingly ill-suited to getting In 1872, he left for the drier climates their products to coastal ports for of the West where he ultimately shipping. A railroad was the answer, traded his dental tools for a six-gun, and by the late 1850s, work was under gaining immortality as the famous way on the construction of the At- gambler and gunfighter “Doc” Holl- 296 lantic and Gulf Railroad line con- iday. At the same time that Holliday necting Thomasville, Albany, and was practicing dentistry, a young other towns in southern Georgia with composer named James L. Pierpont ports on both the Atlantic and Gulf was teaching music in Valdosta. He coasts. would later gain fame as the author of Railroad surveyors determined “Jingle Bells,” one of the nation’s fa- that the terrain around the county vorite Christmas songs. seat of Troupville was unsuitable for By the 1890s, Valdosta was a major railway construction and built the line center for producing and shipping Valdosta and Valdosta State University

84 Smithland NORTH

N. Lee 2 4 6 4

5 .Central E. 4 4

41 .Valley E. 3 Ashley St. 41 7 84 1 Valdosta—Downtown Walk 41 8 7A 9 24 22 21

em Aly Benme .Magnolia E. 23

Patterson St.

.Central W. E. Rogers 7A 10

Toombs

.Rogers W. .Valley W.

11 Jackson 84

N. Oak

Varnedoe 297

20 W. Magnolia 19 12 13

Valdosta

River W. Central Downtown Walk 18

15 .Wells N. 17 14 16 Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 40a - Valdosta: Downtown Walk 2nd proof HEART OF GEORGIA

highly prized Sea Island cotton. The opened a junior college for men a trade made many local citizens so short distance from GSCW. The two wealthy that a 1910 survey recognized schools thrived until 1950, when Valdosta as the richest city (per capita) GSCW became coed and changed its in the United States. Many elegant name to Valdosta State College. With Victorian homes were erected near males now able to attend that school, the heart of the city, while the stately Emory-Valdosta’s enrollment declined Lowndes County Courthouse, com- and the school closed its doors in pleted in 1905, was surrounded by a 1953. Its classroom and administra- bustling business district. In 1910, the tion buildings were given to the world’s second Coca-Cola Bottling Co. University System of Georgia and are (the first was in Chattanooga, Tenn.) now part of the campus of Valdosta opened in Valdosta. State University (the college was In 1899, Valdosta constructed an granted university status in 1993). electric trolley system that carried During the prosperous years of passengers from downtown to the the first quarter of the century, Val- grounds of the Georgia State Fair in dostans undertook a remarkable ef- Pine Park (near the present site of fort to beautify their city. With the Valdosta State University). After the strong encouragement of R. J. Drexel, fair, the system expanded to serve superintendent of Valdosta’s parks downtown businesses and the resi- depart ment, citizens began planting dential areas to the west and north of azalea shrubs by the tens of thou- the city, making Valdosta the smallest sands. Public parks and private yards town in the nation to have its own exploded with color each spring, and public transportation system. The Valdosta became widely renowned as trolleys operated until 1924. the “Azalea City.” A large public park Shortly after the turn of the 20th near the Valdosta State campus is century, Valdosta became a regional named in honor of Drexel, and the center for higher education. In 1906, “Azalea Trail” is a popular driving 298 the South Georgia State Normal tour of some of the city’s most col- College was established in Valdosta orful neighborhoods. Maps are avail- for the education of women. In 1922, able at the Welcome Center at I-75 the name was changed to the Georgia and GA 133 (exit 18). State College for Women (GSCW), Like much of the South, Valdosta and the Spanish Mission–style build- and Lowndes County suffered terribly ings on its campus in the northern during the late 1920s as an agricultural suburbs became a Valdosta landmark. recession brought on by drought con- Six years later, Emory University ditions and boll-weevil infestations of Valdosta and Valdosta State University

30 E. College

Jeanette

NORTH 31

32 E. Brookwood Pl. 33

29 28 Valdosta State University 34 37

c h 27 a n d Dr. 35 B r l e m i n e O E. Brookwoo

25 W

i l l i a 26 m s

E. Jane S l a N. Patterson ter

41 E. Ann

N. Oak 38

N. Toombs 7A

W. Mary

W. Force 299

Valdosta State 40 University on Uptown Walk W. Gord

W. Adair 7A

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 40b - Valdosta State University: Uptown Walk 2nd Proof proof HEART OF GEORGIA

cotton crops devastated the local follows a meandering 3-mile route economy. The hard times were com- through the campus of Valdosta State pounded when the nation plunged University and past elegant, older into the depths of the Great Depres- homes along N. Patterson St. and sur- sion in 1929. The failure of cotton rounding side streets. You may choose forced local farmers to turn to corn, to connect the two routes by walking tobacco, and pine products as replace- about a half-mile up Patterson St. The ments. Through the years these Valdosta State University Admissions crops—and the revived cotton in- Office offers campus walking tours at dustry—have been staples of the local 10:30 A.M. and 2 P.M., Mon.–Fri., and agricultural economy. at 11 A.M. on Sat. Information: (478) For many people in southern 618-1878. Georgia and around the country, Val- Valdosta is situated on the Coastal dosta may be best known for high Plain, and the land is predominantly school football. Beginning in 1942 flat with some gentle hills. The resi- when young Wright Bazemore took dential areas are shaded by live oaks over as head coach of the local team, and other stately old trees. There are Valdosta High School embarked on an sidewalks throughout much of the annual journey to become the top walk route. football team in the state, if not the nation. During Bazemore’s nearly SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY 30-year tenure (1942–71), followed by Downtown Walk 20 years under coach Nick Hyder 1. Lowndes County Court- (1974–95), the Valdosta High School house (1914)—Patterson St. between Wildcats won 22 state football cham- E. Valley St. and Central Ave. The im- pionships and 6 national high school posing Neoclassical structure, de- championships. Under coach Mike signed by Frank P. Milburn, is the O’Brien, the Wildcats won a 23rd state third courthouse on this site since the championship in 1998. original was built in 1860. It is notable 300 for its central tower and corner domes, WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN and has been the anchor of downtown There are two distinct walks. Valdosta’s business and government The first traces a 2.5-mile loop community for nearly a century. NR through the historic downtown area 2. Federal Building/City Hall and nearby Fairview Residential Dis- (1910)—216 E. Central Ave. Comple- trict. Both are notable for their rich menting the nearby courthouse, this mix of Victorian and early 20th- 3-story, Italian Renaissance–style century structures. The second walk building originally served as the Valdosta and Valdosta State University

Federal courthouse and post office. It 112 N. Ashley once held the offices of was sold to the city in 1968 and was the Valdosta Daily Times. damaged in a 1987 fire. It received an 5. European House Hotel (c. 1884) award from the Georgia Trust for His- —100 N. Ashley St. This Victorian-era toric Preservation for its 1989 restora- brick building with central pediment tion. Open 9 A.M.–5 P.M., Mon.–Fri. was constructed by the Sloat Brothers 3. Dosta Theatre (1941)—122 N. as a retail shop for their popular Veg- Ashley St. This Art Moderne–style etable Bitters. W. P. Renfroe operated structure served as a local movie a small hotel on the second floor. house for many years before closing in Today it houses professional offices. 1977. After an award-winning restora- 6. Daniel Ashley Hotel (1926)— tion, the auditorium reopened in 1993 109 E. Hill Ave. For many years, the and now houses the Valdosta Theatre Daniel Ashley was Valdosta’s premier Guild. Information on upcoming pro- hostelry. After years of decline, the ductions: (478) 247-8243. 7-story building was rehabilitated and 4. Commercial Buildings (c. 1900) now serves as a retirement residence. —100 block of N. Ashley St. Both 7. McKey Building (1906)— sides of the street are lined with well- 135 N. Patterson St. This 4-story preserved and adaptively used turn- building in the Italian Renaissance of-the-20th-century commercial style was constructed by T. S. McKey buildings notable for their distinctive from profits earned in Florida’s or- Victorian style and ornamentation. ange groves. The building is noted for The second floor of the building at its rounded top-floor windows and

301

Ceremonial entrance gate, Valdosta State University HEART OF GEORGIA

entablature. It now houses a mix of home to the Historical Society in offices and retail businesses. 1976. The museum houses an exten- 8. C. C. Varnedoe Building sive collection of artifacts and pho- (c. 1880)—134 N. Patterson St. tographs chronicling the history of the Varnedoe’s has been providing retail county and the city of Valdosta. Hours: goods and clothing to Valdostans 10 A.M.–5 P.M., Mon.–Fri.; 10 A.M.– since 1871. After a 1979 fire, the store 2 P.M., Sat. (478) 247-4780. NR purchased this 2-story Victorian 12. Dasher House (1901)—413 building, with central turret, that had Central Pl. This restored cottage in been built as a buggy and harness the heart of the Fairview Historic Dis- shop. It had been operated as a ladies’ trict is an excellent example of the clothing shop for more than 60 years. Queen Anne style. It is one of the 9. Peeples Building (c. 1885)— “Five Sisters’ Houses” in the neighbor- 200 N. Patterson St. This Victorian hood built by J. A. Dasher for his commercial structure was built by daughters. Judge R. A. Peeples to house Val- 13. Varnedoe-Scott-Man House dosta’s first insurance agency. Since (c. 1890)—404 Central Pl. Originally the 1940s, it has been operated as built by James Oglethorpe Varnedoe King’s Grill, one of the city’s land- as a small cottage, the house was mark eateries. moved by Luther Scott to this loca- 10. First Baptist Church (1899)— tion in 1906. Scott remodeled and 200 W. Central Ave. A blend of Queen expanded the house into a large Anne and Romanesque styles marks Victorian-style home. this church designed by architect 14. Wisenbaker-Roberts House Stephen Fulghum. The church’s inte- (c. 1840)—206 Wells St. The oldest rior is noted for its rich use of wood structure in Valdosta, this house was and stained glass. The church bell built by pioneer settler William came from the congregation’s original Wisenbaker. The simple “Plantation 1850 sanctuary. Plain” cottage was purchased by J. T. 302 11. Lowndes County Historical Roberts in 1900 and greatly remod- Society and Museum (1913)—305 W. eled with the addition of the wings Central Ave. Designed by local archi- and gingerbread ornamentation. tect Lloyd Greer, this building served 15. Monroe-Sutton House for many years as the public library—a (1896)—303 Wells St. Considered the gift from philanthropist Andrew Car - finest example of Queen Anne style negie. In 1968, the library moved into architecture in Valdosta, this house a new facility. This building became was designed by Stephen Fulghum for Valdosta and Valdosta State University

W. F. Monroe, a local druggist and 22. Converse-Dalton-Ferrell patent-medicine salesman. It later House (1902)—305 N. Patterson St. served as a boarding house and was This carefully restored Neoclassical eventually abandoned before being re- house now serves as headquarters for stored in 1979. the Valdosta Junior League. It is occa- 16. Winn-Wilson-Hamm House sionally opened to the public for spe- (1917)—208 Wells St. A rare example cial community functions. NR of the Prairie style popularized by 23. First Presbyterian Church Frank Lloyd Wright, this house was (1909)—313 N. Patterson St. Designed designed for Abial Winn by Lloyd as a Romanesque variation of a Greek Greer. temple, the church is noted for its 17. Pardee-Cranford-Cribbs large portico supported by Corinthian House (1903)—418 River St. This columns. NR residence is a superbly restored Folk 24. Barber-Pittman House Victorian house. (1915)—416 N. Ashley St. Designed 18. Myddelton-Green House in the Neoclassical style by Lloyd (1895)—416 River St. This squarish, Greer, this house was built for E. R. vernacular Victorian house was built Barber, owner of the Valdosta Coca- for R. T. Myddelton. Cola Bottling Company. The house 19. Sam’s Place (c. 1850)— was bequeathed to the people of 410 River St. This simple cottage, be- Valdosta by Barber’s daughter, Ola lieved to have been built in Troupville, Barber Pittman, and restored in 1979. was purchased by Sam Myddelton and Today it houses the Valdosta moved to this site in 1852. Known Chamber of Commerce. Hours: throughout the county as “Sam’s 9 A.M.–5 P.M., Mon.–Fri. (478) 247- Place,” the house features hand-hewn 8100. NR beams and heart-pine flooring. 20. Hunt House (1906)— Valdosta State 402 River St. This fine example of University/Uptown Walk Queen Anne style has remained in the 25. Valdosta State University 303 Hunt family since it was built. (VSU) Plaza And Information Center 21. First United Methodist (1995)—Brookwood Dr. at N. Pat- Church (1909)—220 N. Patterson St. terson St. This large modern building An excellent example of the Roman - houses recreational facilities, offices, esque Revival style, this church is classrooms, dining facilities, meeting noted for its rich interior woodwork rooms, and the campus information and stained-glass rose window. center. Hours: 8 A.M.–8 P.M., Mon.–Fri.; HEART OF GEORGIA

10 A.M.–2 P.M., Sat.; 2–4 P.M., Sun. and Mrs. A. B. Whitehead. Mrs. (478) 333-5980. Whitehead designed the trail and con- 26. VSU Fine Arts Center tinued to add plants for many years. (1969)—Brookwood Dr. at N. Oak St. By the time of her death in 1972, the The Fine Arts Center houses the trail was 1,700 feet long and con- music, art, and commercial art de- tained more than 500 camellia plants. partments. The art gallery and The construction of campus buildings Georgia Sawyer Theater offer a full in the 1970s required shortening the schedule of exhibitions and musical trail to 1,310 feet. The concrete and dramatic performances. pathway was added In 1984. 27. Georgia State Women’s Col- 31. West Hall (1917)—1500 N. lege Chimney (c. 1910s)—Between Patterson St. Named for U.S. Sen. the Fine Arts Building and Odum Li- William West, this large Spanish brary. Once part of the original Mission–style building was the second campus power plant, this tall red- building completed on the campus brick chimney still has “GWSC” in and is still one of the largest. With its stenciled white paint along its shaft. fountain and palm tree-lined walkway 28. Odum Library (1972)—East to N. Patterson St., it is a campus of the old gymnasium. The main landmark. cam pus library houses nearly a half- 32. Valdosta State College Trolley million volumes. Included in its Station (1917)—1500 N. Patterson holdings are the Archives of Contem- St., just south of West Hall. This porary South Georgia History and small, stucco, open-sided structure the Southern History Collection. was built for the electric trolley line 29. University Union (1966, that ran from downtown to the col- expanded 1976)—North of the old lege and uptown residential areas gymnasium. The main student gath- from 1899 until 1924. This station is ering place on campus, the Union the only tangible reminder of the houses the bookstore, post office, trolley car system. 304 snack bar, student association offices, 33. Women’s Club Building and the studio of radio station WVVS. (1925)—1409 N. Patterson St. This 30. Jewel Whitehead Camellia red-brick structure, with a central Trail (1944)—VSU campus between pedimented porch, was designed by Georgia Hall and Georgia Ave. This Lloyd Greer. The building was con- winding path lined with winter- structed to house local women’s clubs, blooming camellia plants, grew from a function it still serves today. NR 150 plants given as an unusual 1944 34. Drexel Park (1916)—N. Pat- Christmas gift to the college by Mr. terson St. and Brookwood Dr. Several Valdosta and Valdosta State University local families donated land for what Beautiful show in 1925. A notable fea- was known for many years as Brook- ture is the wing-shaped stairway along wood Park. In 1925, Robert Drexel the front of the house. began work as Valdosta’s parks super- 39. Rose House (1899)—1007 N. intendent and spent many years Patterson St. Originally a 1-story beautifying these public spaces with house, the second floor and ornate varieties of colorful camellias and portico with Ionic columns were azaleas. To commemorate his work, added in 1910. The house reflects the this park was renamed for him in elegant style that once marked N. Pat- 1979. terson Street as Valdosta’s premier res- 35. Bazemore-Hyder Stadium/ idential address. Cleveland Field (1923)—Brookwood 40. The Crescent (1898)—900 N. Dr. at Williams St. The stadium is Patterson St. Possibly the most lavish home to the Valdosta High School home in Valdosta, this grand Neoclas- Wildcats and the Valdosta State Uni- sical mansion with its curving front versity Blazers, who play NCAA Divi- portico was built for Sen. West. The sion II football. The field is named for massive portico is supported by Dr. A. G. Cleveland, longtime superin- 13 Doric columns, representing the tendent of Valdosta schools, while the original American colonies. Shortly stadium is named for the high after World War II, the structure was school’s two legendary coaches. in a state of decline and slated for de- 36. Miller-Burns-Underwood molition. It was saved by the Garden House (1938)—1407 Williams St. Club of Valdosta and is now the club’s This International-style house, de- headquarters and garden center. It is signed by Lloyd Greer, is the only one open to the public for tours Mon.– of its type in Valdosta. It was commis- Fri., 2–5 P.M. Information: (478) 244- sioned by local builder and concrete 4537. NR contractor Leo Miller. 41. Lowndes–Valdosta Cultural 37. American Legion Building Arts Center (1980s)—1204 N. Pat- (1931)—1301 Williams St. Valdosta’s terson St. This converted commercial 305 American Legion Post No. 13 was es- building houses the offices of several tablished in 1919. This building has arts guilds and associations. Informa- served as post headquarters since 1931. tion: (478) 247-2787. 38. Decorator Show House (1925)—1016 Williams St. This whim - sical, Spanish Eclectic–style house was constructed by the Georgia Realty Company for the Valdosta House HEART OF GEORGIA

HEART OF GEORGIA ANNUAL EVENTS

March September u Cherry Blossom Festival (Macon) u Ocmulgee Indian Celebration u Lantern Light Tours (Ocmulgee National Monument) (Ocmulgee National Monument) u The Lightered Knot u Wild Chicken Festival (Fitzgerald) Outdoor Drama u Azalea Festival (Valdosta) (Little Ocmulgee State Park) u Peanut Festival (Plains) April u Sumter Civic Fair (Americus) u Earth Day u Remerton Cotton Patch Festival (Ocmulgee National Monument) (Valdosta) u March for the Parks u Georgia State Fair (Macon) (Ocmulgee National Monument) u Swine Fest (Americus) October u Spring Flower Show (Valdosta) u Brown’s Crossing Fair u Pan African Festival (Macon) (Milledgeville) u Yank-Reb Festival (Fitzgerald) May u Civil War Days u Spring Antiques and Crafts Fair (Andersonville Village) (Andersonville) u Memorial Day Ceremonies November (Andersonville National Cemetery) u American Indian Heritage Month u Remerton “Mayfest” Celebration (Ocmulgee National Monument) (Valdosta) u Veterans’ Day Ceremonies (Andersonville National Cemetery) June u Lowndes County— u Midsummer Celebration (Macon) South Georgia Fair (Valdosta) u Camellia Show (Valdosta) 306 July u White Columns and Holly u Fireworks Extravaganza Christmas (Macon) (Americus) u Fest of Ville (Milledgeville) u Independence Day Celebration (Valdosta, Milledgeville) Heart of Georgia Annual Events

December u Christmas Parade and Tour of Homes (Milledgeville) u Downtown Christmas Open House (Valdosta) u Christmas Arts and Crafts Show (Valdosta) u Wild Adventures Animal Park Festival of Lights (Valdosta) u Christmas Parade (Fitzgerald)

307 Tupper-Barnett House, Washington

The Old Medical College of Georgia in Augusta CLASSIC GEORGIA

Classic Georgia is a region of rolling Piedmont hills, broad and fertile fields, and meandering waterways. In the decades following initial settlement of the new colony of Georgia in 1733, pioneers moved into this area and pushed back the frontier as they cleared the land and built farms and towns. The first city of the region, and the second largest in the state, is Augusta. Founded in 1736 as a fort on the banks of the Savannah River, Augusta slowly evolved into a major inland port and industrial center, a role strengthened by construction of the 9-mile-long Augusta Canal in the 1840s. While the canal is no longer a vital transportation route, it has been preserved as an engineering landmark and a popular recreational resource for boaters, hikers, and bicyclists. A decade before the Revolution, homesteaders settled on the edge of the wilderness about 40 miles northwest of Augusta, building a small block-house garrison called Ft. Heard. During the Revolu- tion, these fiercely independent farmers embraced the patriot cause and waged bloody guerilla warfare against the British stationed in Augusta. On February 14, 1779, a British force marched out from the city intent on destroying the rebels. Instead, the king’s forces were ambushed and soundly defeated at the Battle of Kettle Creek a few miles from Ft. Heard. The following year, the settlers living around the fort changed its name to Ft. Washington to honor the Conti- nental Army’s commanding general. As a result, the small community became the first in the nation to be named for the country’s future first president. Confident from victory in the Revolution, Georgia’s leaders and citizens sought more lands for settlement from the native Creek and Cherokee Indians. In a series of treaties, the natives ceded more of their ancestral lands to the state, and by the early years of the 19th century, new communities were thriving. Among them were Athens, founded in 1806 to serve as the home of the new University of Georgia, and Madison, established in 1807 and named for Pres. James Madison. Both cities prospered as mercantile and trade centers during the antebellum years, and many classically styled houses and commercial buildings built by wealthy business owners and planters still stand as evidence of life in the “Old South.” Whether it is the excitement of college football in Athens, a stroll through the State Botanical Garden, or a visit to a restored antebellum home, there is much to see and do in Classic Georgia.

Middle Oconee River at Georgia’s State Botanical Garden near Athens CLASSIC GEORGIA C H A P T E R 4 2

Building, and commercial lots are Augusta available throughout the downtown area.

BACKGROUND Only three years after the Colony of Georgia’s found - ing in 1733, Gen. James Ogle thorpe established a fort and trading post 150 miles up the Savannah River on the colony’s bound ary with the Creek Nation. Ft. Augusta, named for the daughter of England’s King George II, LOCATION began as a crude wooden stockade on Augusta is located adjacent to I-20, the bluffs above the river. Within a few just west of the Savannah River. To years, it was the heart of a thriv ing reach downtown, exit on Washington trading community located between Rd. (GA 28, exit 199) and travel south the English and the Creeks, Chicka- about 2 miles (along the way you will saws, Cherokees, and other tribes who pass the entrance of the famous Au- brought furs from Geor gia’s interior gusta National Golf Club). Washington and the upland Carolinas. Rd. becomes Greene St. on the edge of By the time of the French and In- downtown. Turn left on 8th Ave. and dian War in 1755, Augusta was the follow it to the Cotton Exchange colony’s second largest community Building on Reynolds St. The walk and was situated on the edge of an 311 begins at the Cotton Exchange. Infor- unfriendly frontier, as the Cherokees mation: Augusta–Richmond County were allied with the French. Only iso- Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) lated ﬁghting occurred in the area but 726-0243; www.augustaga.org. this would not be the case 20 years later during the American Revolution. PARKING Early in that war, Augusta was bit- There is limited, metered street terly divided as feuds between Whigs parking around the Cotton Exchange (patriots) and Tories (British loyalists) CLASSIC GEORGIA

erupted in the community. When the toward Ross’s Landing (later Chat- British occupied Savannah they tanooga) in Tennessee. rapidly moved on to capture Augusta Cotton became a major regional as well, holding it against repeated at- product, and Augusta quickly devel- tacks until a Colonial force under oped as a center for both the tobacco command of Col. “Light Horse” and cotton trade. Initially, the raw Harry Lee (father of Gen. Robert E cotton was carried downriver to Lee) liberated the town in 1781. By Savannah for transport to northern war’s end, Augusta lay in ruins, its mills; but by the late 1840s, local tex- trade-based economy in shambles. tile mills began to manufacture their The introduction of tobacco farming own finished goods, signalling the be- into the area after the Revolution ginnings of a pre–Civil War industrial proved the community’s salvation boom. The Augusta Canal was also and, for many years, Augusta was the built around this time to provide safe state’s leading market for the crop. passage for cotton barges and to di- In 1783, Gov. John Martin used the vert water from the river to the mills newly acquired powers of the “sover- and spur more industrial growth. eign State of Georgia” to call a council During the Civil War, Augusta’s meeting in Augusta of the Indian na- industries focused their resources on tions to establish boundaries between war production. Constructed along their lands and the state. Within a few the canal in 1862, the Confederate years, the increasing pressures of Powder Works was, at the time, the western migration forced the Creeks largest munitions factory in the to cede all their lands east of the world. Today, a massive brick chimney Oconee River. A precedent was now is all that remains of this once- established, and within 50 years all the sprawling complex. natives would be forced to give up Although the invading Union their lands in Georgia. armies bypassed Augusta in their By the early 1800s, steamboats March to the Sea, the city suffered 312 replaced flat-bottom barges on the considerable hardship and depriva- Savannah River, and in the 1830s, a tion during the conflict. An eyewit- railway line connected Augusta with ness to these struggles was the young Charleston, S.C. As more Indian lands son of the Rev. Joseph Wilson, pastor opened for settlement, pioneers of the First Presbyterian Church. The moved northwestward and the rails boy, Woodrow, would have a suc- followed. By the mid-1840s, a line cessful career as a lawyer and educator connected Augusta to the new com- before his election to the presidency munity of Atlanta, and was inching of the United States in 1912. Many Augusta 7 NORTH Augusta 11 28 6 12 13 8 9

5 Monument 14 15 4 10

lk 16 a 28

r e 3 6th v

i 25 R 17

SOUTH CAROLINA

2 Savannah River 7th 25 1 26 18 20

19 8th 24 27

Walker 21 23

Reynolds

Ellis 22 2

Greene St. Broad St. Brown James

Telfair 28 33

Riverwalk

28 10th 11th 32 31

29 313 12th Augusta 25 4 25 28 30 Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 41 - Historic Augusta 2nd proof CLASSIC GEORGIA

historians believe that Wilson’s reluc- that was then a defunct nursery. On tance to involve America in the First the rolling grounds, they set about World War and his fervent efforts to creating one of the finest golf courses secure lasting peace through estab- in the world. Today, the Augusta lishment of the League of Nations National Golf Club, with its tourna- were grounded in his memories of the ment known simply as “The Masters,” devastation in his native South after is a mecca for professional golfers the Civil War. from around the world. Augusta’s mills and factories re- On two occasions near the turn of turned rapidly to peacetime produc- the 20th century (1888 and 1912) tion and, by the 1880s, the city’s Augusta suffered devastating floods economy was again prospering. Many that inundated the downtown busi- of the fine homes in the city’s Victo- ness district. Then, on March 22, rian “Old Town” neighborhood date 1916, a fire began in a building at 8th from this boom time. In Old Town’s and Broad Sts. and spread over heyday, locals called it “Pinch Gut” for 40 blocks, destroying nearly 700 the fashionable, tight-corseted waist- structures. Despite these catastrophes, lines of dresses worn by the ladies of the business district was rebuilt and the day. The city also became a pop- prospered until the 1960s when, as in ular winter resort for wealthy North - many other communities, suburban- ern industrialists, and grand hotels ization drained business away from like the Bon Air and the Partridge Inn downtown merchants. were built to accommodate them. In In recent years, active efforts to re- 1910, pioneer aviators Orville and vitalize the area have taken place. The Wilbur Wright opened a flying school growing popularity of such places as in Augusta, and for a brief period in Old Town, with its inns, shops, and 1911, the entire fleet of the U.S. Army Victorian atmosphere; Riverwalk, with Air Force, all six planes, was stationed its promenade; the Broad St. shopping here. The mild climate also brought district fronting the second widest 314 major league baseball teams to Au- street in the country (only Canal St. in gusta for Spring Training. Ty Cobb New Orleans is wider); and the former and the Detroit Tigers worked out Enterprise Mill, adaptively restored as here for many years as did the Na- luxury apartments, are all examples of tional League’s New York Giants. the community’s commitment to re- Golf also grew in popularity, and in maining a vibrant city filled with the 1931, golfing legend Bobby Jones, hustle and bustle that has made along with several associates, acquired Augusta a colorful part of Georgia “Fruitlands,” an antebellum plantation history for more than 250 years. Augusta WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN The loop along the river front, through Old Town, and along Broad St. covers about 3 miles. The sidewalks are sheltered with shade trees and the terrain, for the most part, is level.

SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY 1. Cotton Ex- change Building (1886)—8th and Reynolds Sts. Once the hub of economic activity for one of the world’s largest cotton markets, the building now houses the Augusta Welcome Center, Cotton Ex- change Museum, and Sacred Heart Cultural Center the Augusta–Richmond County Con- Augusta’s “front porch,” the perfect vention and Visitors Bureau. Hours: place for a leisurely stroll, a picnic, 9 A.M.–5 P.M., Mon.–Sat.; 1–5 P.M., or a concert at the Jessye Norman 315 Sun. (800) 726-0243. NR Amphitheater (named for the world- 2. Riverwalk—East of Reynolds renowned opera star and Augusta St. along the Savannah River. Main native). There are children’s playscapes entrance at 8th and Reynolds. This in Ogle thorpe Park near the southern shaded riverside esplanade winds end of the walk and statues of famous along the banks of the Savannah River golfers behind the Georgia Golf Hall from 6th to 10th Sts. Locals call it of Fame at the northern end. CLASSIC GEORGIA

3. Fort Discovery/ gusta’s colorful history. Highlights of National Science Center (1997)— the collection include a 19th-century 1 7th St. This $24-million, hands-on steam locomotive and a replica of a science center invites the curious of “Petersburg” boat, a craft used for all ages to explore nearly 300 interac- many years to float cotton from up- tive exhibits. The center, a joint pro- land plantations down the Savannah ject of the U.S. Army and the Georgia River to Augusta. Hours: 10 A.M.– Department of Education, houses 5 P.M., Tues.–Sat.; 2–5 P.M., Sun. (706) both permanent and traveling ex- 722-8454; www.augustamuseum.org. hibits. Audiovisual programs are pre- 6. Antiques Depot (c. 1866)— sented in the Paul S. Simon Discovery Reynolds and 5th Sts. These 19th- Theater. Hours: 10 A.M.–6 P.M., century cotton warehouses have been Mon.–Sat.; 12–6 P.M., Sun. (800) 325- adaptively preserved and now house a 5445; www.nscdiscovery.org. mix of antiques dealers. 4. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church/Site 7. Haunted Pillar (c. 1820s)— of Fort Augusta (1919)—605 Rey - Broad and 5th Sts. This lonely pillar is nolds St. The first wooden church was all that remains of the thriving Lower built on this site in 1750. It was re- Market which once stood in the mid - placed in 1820 by a brick structure dle of Broad St. According to local that was destroyed in the 1916 fire. legend, in the mid-1870s, a traveling The present church, designed to re- evangelist, upset that local authorities semble the 1820 structure, was com- would not permit him to preach in the pleted in 1919. Of particular note, the market, cursed the city and prophesied original baptismal font, brought from that the market would be destroyed. In England in 1751, is located inside the 1878, a tornado struck Augusta and church foyer. The churchyard contains leveled the market—leaving only this the remains of William Few, a signer pillar standing. In 1879, a new market of the U.S. Constitution, while a crypt was built, and a local businessman beneath the church is the burial site of purchased the pillar and moved it to 316 Leonidas Polk, the Episcopal bishop its present location. and Confederate general who was 8. Phinizy House (c. 1835)— killed in fighting near Atlanta in 1864. 519 Greene St. This house is architec- A Celtic cross behind the church turally significant with features from marks the site of Ft. Augusta. NR both the Federal and Greek Revival 5. Augusta–Richmond County styles. Especially notable are the Museum (1996)—560 Reynolds St. curving, horseshoe steps and ornate The museum utilizes a variety of cre- wrought-iron railings. atively designed exhibits to trace Au- 9. Cullum House (1900)— Augusta

510 Greene St. This well-preserved way to the Georgia Supreme Court, house is an excellent example of the where her rights were upheld. She pur- very ornate and occasionally exagger- chased this house and moved to Au- ated Neoclassical Revival style that gusta in 1886. was popular in Augusta’s (and the na- 13. Brahe House (1850)— tion’s) upscale neighborhoods at the 456 Telfair St. Built by Frederick Adolf end of the 19th century. Brahe, a German-born silversmith, this 10. Signers Monument (1848)— house was the ﬁrst in Augusta to be Greene and Gwinnett Sts. The 50-ft. wired for electricity. The home is now obelisk was erected in honor of owned by the Augusta–Richmond George Walton, Lyman Hall, and County Museum and is open by ap- Button Gwinnett, Georgia’s signers of pointment. Information: (706) 722- the Declaration of Independence. 8454. NR Walton and Hall are interred beneath 14. Gertrude Herbert Memorial the monument. Art Institute (1818)—506 Telfair St. 11. Old Government House Built by one-time Augusta mayor and (1801)—432 Telfair St. Built to house later U.S. Sen. Nicholas Ware, this re- the ﬁrst city government, the building markable house, which cost the then- is constructed of brick overlaid with unheard-of sum of $40,000 to build, stucco to resemble cut stone. The was once called “Ware’s Folly.” Archi- building was used for many years as a tectural details of particular interest private residence. In the 1970s it was include the horseshoe entrance steps acquired by the City of Augusta and and Palladian fanlights and sidelights renovated for use as a special events on three levels. The institute contains facility and conference center. NR exhibit space and offers art classes. 12. Amanda Dickson House Hours: 10 A.M.–5 P.M., Tues.–Fri.; (1851)—452 Telfair St. Born in 1849, 10 A.M.–2 P.M., Sat. Information: (706) Amanda Dickson was the daughter of 722-5495 www.ghia.org. NR wealthy Hancock County planter David 15. Augusta–Richmond County Dickson and his slave Julia. Upon her Planning Commission Building 317 father’s death in 1885, Amanda inher- (1872)—525 Telfair St. Designed by ited the bulk of his estate (estimated to Charleston, S.C., architect D. H. Abra - exceed $500,000), and she spent years ham, this building was originally con- defending against numerous claims structed to serve as the synagogue for against the estate from parties who did the Congregation Children of Israel. not believe that she, as an illegitimate, 16. Old Richmond Academy mixed-race child, could inherit the (c. 1801)—540 Telfair St. The Academy property. Dickson’s case went all the of Richmond County, a secondary CLASSIC GEORGIA

school for boys, was established in home served as the Presbyterian 1783 and occupied this impressive Church manse when the Wilsons oc- Gothic-style building from 1801 until cupied it. It was from a window in 1929, when it moved to a new cam pus. this house that young Woodrow For many years the building housed a Wilson watched as Confederate Pres. library and, until 1996, the Augusta– Jefferson Davis was escorted through Richmond County Museum. It is the city under armed guard after his undergoing renovations. NR May 1865 capture by Federal troops 17. Old Medical College of outside Irwinville, Ga. Restored by Georgia (1835)—598 Telfair St. De- Historic Augusta, Inc., this house and signed by noted Georgia architect the Lamar House next door are open Charles Clusky, this imposing Greek to the public. Hours vary. Informa- Revival building with massive Doric tion: (706) 724-0436. NR columns was the state’s ﬁrst medical 20. Joseph Lamar House (1850)— school and one of the nation’s oldest. 415 7th St. next to the Wilson House. Not surprisingly, the building was This red-brick house was the family used as a hospital during the Civil home of Woodrow Wilson’s boyhood War. The school was located here until friend Joseph R. Lamar. Lamar be- 1912, when it moved to a new campus came a prominent attorney and judge in the suburbs. The building has been and was appointed by Pres. William fully renovated and now serves as a Howard Taft to serve on the U.S. community special events facility. Supreme Court. NR Information: (706) 721-7238. NR 21. Holy Trinity Roman Catholic 18. First Presbyterian Church Church (c. 1856)—720 Telfair St. (1810)—642 Telfair St. The congrega- Home to one of Georgia’s oldest tion was organized in 1804, and the Roman Catholic congregations, estab- cornerstone for this church was laid in lished in the 1790s, this is the oldest 1809. The architect was Robert Mills, existing Catholic church building in designer of the Washington Monu- the state. It served as a hospital during 318 ment and the U.S. Treasury Building, the Civil War. Its rare Jardine organ who won a national design competi- was installed in 1868 and is still tion for this commission in 1807. The played today. NR Rev. Joseph Wilson served as pastor 22. Old Federal Courthouse here from 1858 to 1870. His son, (1916)—Telfair and 8th Sts. Built to Woodrow, went on to become the 28th house the Post Ofﬁce, the building has President of the United States. NR been renovated to serve as the Federal 19. Woodrow Wilson Boyhood Court for the Southern District of Home (1822)—419 7th St. This brick Georgia. Augusta

23. Site of the First Baptist from vaudeville stage to downtown Church of Augusta (1902)—802 movie house. It has been renovated Greene St. On this site, in 1845, the and continues to host both live per- First Baptist Church hosted a meeting formances and films. It is also home to found the Southern Baptist Con- to the August Opera and Ballet. In- vention. This building replaced the formation: (706) 722-8341. original church in 1902, and the con- 27. Modjeska Theater (1916)— gregation moved to a new sanctuary 811–17 Broad St. Like the Imperial, in 1975. The building is now home to this theater replaced the original Mod- the congregation of Grace Way Bap- jeska destroyed in the downtown fire. tist Church. Designed in the Moorish Revival style 24. St. John United Methodist by G. Lloyd Preacher, it operated as a Church (1844)—734 Greene St. theater stage and movie house until Organized in 1798, the Methodist 1977. The theater was named for 19th- congregation built a small wooden century opera star Helene Modjeska. church here in 1801. In 1844 the old 28. Claussen Building (c. 1870s)— building was sold to Springfield Bap- 1002 Broad St. Paine College, estab- tist Church, a congregation of free- lished in 1882 by two congregations blacks (see #32), and moved to its of freed slaves, offered its first acad- present location on 12th St. to make emic classes in this building in 1884. way for construction of the new The college quickly outgrew the fa- church. This elegant Romanesque cility and moved to the site of its Revival structure has been expanded present campus. The building was several times through the years. NR purchased by H. H. Claussen, a baker 25. Confederate Monument from Charleston, in 1888. (1878)—700 block of Broad St. 29. Old Fire Department Head- Nearly 10,000 people attended the un- quarters (1911)—1253 Broad St. veiling of this monument in October Believed to be one of the earliest 1878. To honor the common soldier, buildings designed by architect G. an enlisted man stands atop the Lloyd Preacher, this red-brick 319 column while four Confederate gen- building housed the fire department’s erals—Robert E. Lee, Stonewall offices until 1968. The outbuildings Jackson, T. R. R. Cobb, and W. H. T. behind the main structure were used Walker—flank its base. as stables for the horses that pulled 26. Imperial Theater (1917)— the fire wagons. 745 Broad St. Built to replace an 30. Sacred Heart Cultural Center earlier theater lost in the 1916 fire, (1901)—1301 Greene St. This beautiful the Imperial served a variety of uses twin-spired brick and masonry church, CLASSIC GEORGIA

designed in the Romanesque Revival ican church on its original site in the style, served for more than 70 years as U.S. The current red-brick building home to the Roman Catholic parish of was completed in 1897, but the most Sacred Heart. In the early 1970s, many notable structure is the white clap- parishioners had moved to the suburbs board building behind it that was con- and the congregation chose to build a structed by the congregation of St. new church west of the city. Recog- John’s Methodist Church in 1801 and nizing the beauty of this structure, a sold to Springﬁeld in 1844 to replace private partnership purchased and pre- the congregation’s original small served the building, which now serves wooden building. Morehouse College, as community cultural center with art now located in Atlanta, was founded galleries, meeting spaces, and a gift here in 1867. NR shop. The former sanctuary now hosts 33. Morris Museum of Art wedding receptions, art shows, musical (1997)—1 10th St. Opened in 1992 performances, dances, and other and located in this space since 1997, cultural events. Tours are offered by the museum houses a superb collec- appointment. Information: (706) 826- tion of nearly two centuries of 4700; www.sacredheartaugusta.org. NR Southern art. It is the only museum in 31. Georgia Golf Hall of Fame the nation dedicated to collecting and (scheduled opening Spring 2001)— displaying the works of Southern Reynolds St. between 13th and artists. Galleries are designed to give 11th Sts. Currently under construc- the viewer the feeling that they are en- tion, this $32-million complex will joying the paintings and sculpture in a utilize interactive exhibits and trea- private home. Included in the perma- sured artifacts to trace the rich history nent collection are works by Augusta- of golf in Georgia. Hall of Fame born artists Jasper Johns and Robert inductees are a mix of Georgia-born Rauschenberg. Hours: 10 A.M.– golfers and champions of the fabled 5:30 P.M., Tues.–Sat.; 12:30–5:30 P.M., Masters and other professional tour- Sun. Information: (706) 724-7501. 320 naments. The building will be surrounded by lush gardens modeled after the famous Butchart Gardens in British Columbia. (706) 724-4433; www.gghf.org. 32. Springﬁeld Baptist Church (1801)—114 12th St. This congregation, founded in 1787, is believed to be the oldest independent African-Amer- CLASSIC GEORGIA C H A P T E R 4 3

PARKING: Augusta Parking is available at several locations along the canal route. There Canal are parking lots at the canal dam and head locks, off Riverwatch Pkwy. at the old pumping station, on Goodrich St. east of Riverwatch Pkwy., at Lake Olmstead, around Chaffee Park, at the old canal basin, and at the Riverwalk.

BACKGROUND In the early 1800s, the in- vention of the cotton gin vastly increased production of this LOCATION crop throughout inland Georgia. The The canal forms a linear park ex- bustling river-port city of Augusta, tending from Evans Rd. to Locks 150 miles upriver from the seaport of Rd. and south to the Riverwalk in the Savannah, was the destination for heart of downtown Augusta. To reach much of this cotton. However, treach- the northern trailhead, follow GA 28 erous shoals on the Savannah River (Washington Rd.) northward from (along the Fall Line where the Pied- I-20 (exit 199). In about a mile, the mont Plateau drops to the Coastal road forks and GA 28 becomes Furys Plain) made transportation by barge Ferry Rd. Continue on Furys Ferry for a risky venture. In 1844, Augusta about 2 miles and turn right on Evans businessman Col. Henry H. Cum- 321 to Locks Rd. Follow Locks to its end at ming ﬁrst proposed the idea for Savannah Rapids Park. The southern construction of a canal to bypass the terminus of the canal is located at dangerous rapids and provide safe 13th St. on the edge of downtown, a passage to the city for the cotton and few blocks from Broad St. and the other plantation goods. Riverwalk. Information: Augusta Cumming and other visionaries Canal Authority, (888) 659-8926; saw a canal not just as a safer route to www.augustacanal.com. the sea, but as the ﬁrst step in a bold CLASSIC GEORGIA

move to turn Augusta into a major The next year, with the banks raised to Southern industrial center. Up to that deepen the channel to 7 feet, more point, much of Georgia’s cotton was than 25,000 bales of cotton were being exported to large mills in the shipped to the city via the waterway. North and even across the Atlantic to Now that cotton could be shipped Great Britain for spinning into cloth to Augusta without risking the treach- and finished goods. These entrepre- erous shoals above the city, newly de- neurs rightly reasoned that a canal signed barges, called “Petersburg” could provide the necessary water boats (named for the town where they power to drive textile mills along its were constructed, which is now be- banks and that Augusta could become neath the waters of Lake Thurmond), a final destination for the raw cotton were built for use on the river and and the manufacturer of finished canal. These long, shallow-draft ves- goods to be shipped to the entire sels were particularly suited for car- nation. rying heavy loads in the canal and A short time after the meeting, were widely used for nearly a half- Cumming hired engineers to lay out century. a proposed canal route from Bull The canal helped to turn Augusta Sluice rapids to Beaver Dam Creek. into one of the key inland ports in the With the favorable results of the South and spurred early industrial de- survey, Cumming and several other velopment along the waterway. After investors established the Augusta the outbreak of hostilities between the Canal Company and began raising the North and South in 1861, the Confed- money necessary to begin construc- erate government constructed a mas- tion. Contracts were signed and con- sive munitions factory on the banks of struction crews, composed mostly of the canal as well as other industries slaves, free-blacks, and Irish laborers, that supplied materials throughout worked to build a dam across the Sa- the war. vannah River and carve a canal along In 1872, with renewed growth of 322 the river’s western bank. The first Georgia’s agricultural economy, espe- phase of construction was completed cially cotton production, the Augusta and water flowed for the first time Cotton Exchange was established to through a 7-mile-long, 40-ft.-wide, track cotton markets and prices 5-ft.-deep channel on November 23, worldwide. That same year, the city 1846. Two years later, the canal was ex- acquired the abandoned munitions tended to its present length of 9 miles, factory and demolished the buildings and, in 1849, ownership of the canal to make way for the construction of a was transferred to the city of Augusta. large textile mill. The old factory’s Augusta Canal

2 Dam 3 1 4 Augusta Evans to 230 Locks Rd. Canal North Parking area

SOUTH CAROLINA Augusta Canal—North

S a v a 20 nn ah Riv er

104

5 6 Stallings Island 104

20 7 8

28 323

To Downtown Augusta NORTH

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 42a - Historic Augusta Canal North 2nd proof CLASSIC GEORGIA

octagonal chimney was retained as a When the old textile mills began monument to the South’s “lost cause.” closing in the 1960s and 70s (Sibley It is the only permanent structure Mill and King Mill are still in opera- built by the Confederate government tion), the Augusta Canal became a still in existence. largely forgotten relic of a bygone age. In keeping with Henry Cumming’s In the 1980s and 90s, there was a original vision, the canal was soon renewal of interest in restoring and lined with bustling mills, including preserving the canal as a recreational the Enterprise (1877), the Sibley and historical resource, and the Au- (1881), and the King (1882) textile gusta Canal Authority was established mills and the Granite (1848) and in 1989. In 1996, Congress designated Crescent (1874) grain mills. The City the canal as one of only 16 National of Augusta’s water pumping station, Heritage Areas in the nation. That built on the canal in 1899, still pro- same year, the state Department of vides the city’s drinking water. Community Affairs selected it as Within a few years, Augusta bus- Georgia’s first “Regionally Important tled as the second-largest inland Resource,” a designation earned cotton market in the world (only the through the cooperation of the several port of New Orleans was larger). This communities along the canal that prosperity was reflected in the con- joined together to support and plan struction of the ornate Cotton Ex- its future. change Building completed in 1886 Today, while work continues on (now the Augusta Welcome Center on canal restoration, hikers and bikers 8th St.). In addition to carrying barge enjoy the towpath trail, tourists take traffic, the water flowing through the an excursion on an electrically canal also provided hydroelectric powered replica of a Petersburg boat, power to run businesses and factories, canoeists and kayakers paddle the illuminate the city, and charge local slow-moving waters, schoolchildren streetcars. get hands-on lessons on ecology, his- 324 As with other inland canal systems tory buffs explore, and urban pioneers in the U.S., the canal was eventually set up housekeeping in old mills and made obsolete by the expansion of row houses turned into modern railway lines and construction of homes and apartments. paved roads that made overland de- livery of agricultural goods to markets TRAIL DISTANCE AND TERRAIN quicker and less expensive. The 13th The area through which the St. Dock Basin was closed in 1912, canal passes is part of the Sa- and barge traffic ceased soon after. vannah River flood plain. The 9-mile Augusta Canal

Stallings Island

7 8 Augusta 104 Canal South 9

230

NORTH Augusta Canal—South

i 25 v

t c

k 10 w SOUTH CAROLINA 11 y . 12 25 Lake P Olmstead 104

S 125 a v a n n a h 14 R Broad 13 iv er 28 16

15 17 Waters Edge 25 18

Riv er w alk 20 19 4 25 P 21 P 22 26 28 325 Walton Way 24 27 4 23 25

WWalton Way alto n W 4 ay

University Wrightsboro Rd.

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 42b - Historic Augusta Canal South 2nd proof CLASSIC GEORGIA

route (one-way) is mostly flat, with would travel by carriage for all-day some gentle elevations along the tow- picnics and “lock parties.” path. The canal is divided into three 2. Bull Sluice Rapids and Dam sections. The Upper Reach includes (c. 1852, extended 1875)—Avoiding the head gates, dam, and inlet where these and other treacherous rapids pro- the water flows from the Savannah vided the impetus for building the River into the canal. This area is the canal. The rapids mark the change in least developed, with views of the nat- Georgia’s geological landscape where ural river front and Stallings Island, the Piedmont Plateau drops to the one of the nation’s richest Paleo- Coastal Plain, an area know through out Indian archeological sites the state as the fall line. The dam, ex- Beyond Warren Lake, the Mid- tending across the river to South Car- Reach marks the beginning of the in- olina, creates a pool above the rapids dustrial section of the canal with views and diverts water into the canal gates. of the Augusta Pumping Station and 3. Head Gates and Locks (1845 Sibley Mill. Located along this stretch and 1875)—These gates and locks at is recently refurbished Chaffee Park. the canal opening controlled the flow The Urban Reach is the heavily of water into the basin. The original industrialized portion of the canal. gate and lock used a wooden drop- The Confederate Powder Works was gate that limited the size of boats that located in this area, and visitors can could enter the canal. In 1875, the see structures of the Sibley, King, and original gate was replaced with a Enterprise Mills. Across the canal, an swing-gate that permitted larger craft inlet leads to Lake Olmstead, center- to use the waterway. The present con- piece of the city’s largest public park. crete abutment and retaining wall At the site of the old Canal Basin on were constructed by the Works 13th St., signs mark the walking/ Progress Administration (WPA) in biking route along downtown streets the 1930s. to the Riverwalk. 4. Lockkeepers Cottage (c. 1870s) 326 Parking areas located at several in- —The lockkeeper was responsible for tervals along the canal make it easy to controlling the opening and closing of arrange shuttles for hikers and bikers. the locks for canal traffic. This cottage served as home for the keeper and his SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY family. A nearby springhouse captured 1. Savannah Rapids Pavilion water from the river for the family’s use. (1994)—Evans to Locks Rds. 5. The Clearing—Today, this open This modern shelter recalls the early area serves as a gathering place for days of the canal when Augustans bikers and hikers and as a launchpoint Augusta Canal for canoeists and kayakers. Archaeolog- ical excavations here and at nearby Stallings Island (in the river a short distance southeast) suggest that people have been meeting and living in this area for nearly 10,000 years. 6. Warren Lake— This lake is located on Augusta Canal’s old locks on the Savannah River property once owned by Judge Benjamin Warren. It was local tourist attraction complete with during an 1844 reception in Warren’s zoo, amusement park, and a private home, attended by Henry Cumming, lake club. The lake was named for that Whig presidential candidate Charles Olmstead, an engineer who Henry Clay may have first suggested worked on the Erie Canal and was su- the idea for the construction of a canal. perintendent on the Augusta Canal ex- 7. WPA Spillway (1930s)—The pansion project. It remains a popular stone revetment along the river side of recreation area and includes Lake the canal was constructed by WPA Olmstead Stadium, home of minor workers as an emergency overflow in league baseball’s Augusta Greenjackets. the event of flooding. 11. Aqueduct (1840s–70s)—In the 8. Water Pumping Station (1899, design of the original canal, a wooden several expansions during the years) aqueduct atop stone piers carried —The turbines inside this complex canal water over Rae’s Creek, while pump water from the canal into the draw-gates controlled the flow of city’s reservoir and treatment plant water through the creek. The original 327 for use as drinking water. wooden aqueduct was replaced in 9. Electric Pumping Station 1850 by a larger masonry structure, (1919)—Equipment in this build - faced with Stone Mountain granite. ing provided water for Augusta’s During the 1872–75 canal expansion, hydroelectric power. Olmstead raised the canal bank and 10. Lake Olmstead—Constructed closed off the gates to allow Rae’s as a reservoir during the canal’s expan- Creek to flow into the canal. A 1936 sion in the 1870s, Lake Olmstead was a flood broke through the 1875 dam and CLASSIC GEORGIA

destroyed portions of the canal bank and artistic embellishments of this and spillway. WPA workers repaired large cotton mill reflect the architec- the damage and realigned the bank to tural styles of the late Victorian its present configuration. Today, a dirt period when it was built. It is similar path crosses the old aqueduct. in style to the Confederate Powder 12. Levee (1913–18)—From this Works complex that previously stood point to Savannah Bluff Lock and here. The mill continues in service, Dam, 7 miles downriver from Augusta, producing cotton denim fabric. the raised levee was constructed to 15. Sibley Mill Row Houses protect the city from flooding. There (c. 1880s)—Pearl Ave. and Eve St. are only six breaches and each may be These small cottages were con- quickly closed in the event of flooding. structed to house mill workers and One of these breaches is located at the their families. 8th St. entrance to the Riverwalk in 16. King Mill (1882)—Goodrich downtown Augusta. St. west of Broad St. Named for John 13. Confederate Powder Works Pendleton King, one of the city Chimney (1862)—Goodrich St. in leaders instrumental in construction front of Sibley Mill. The 168-ft. chim - of the original canal, this mill once ney is all that remains of the 26 build- had nearly 2,000 water-powered ings of the munitions factory that lined looms. The mill continues to produce both sides of the canal. During its three cotton products. years in operation, the powder works 17. Ezekiel Harris House (c. 1797) produced nearly three million pounds —1840 Broad St. This raised cottage, of gunpowder, much of it using salt- featuring architecture usually found peter brought from Europe through in coastal areas, was constructed by the U.S. Naval blockade. Other war fac- Harris, a tobacco merchant. The tories along the canal produced items house is open to the public. Hours: ranging from baked goods to uniforms 9 A.M.–4 P.M., Tues.–Fri.; 10 A.M.– and hospital supplies. 3 P.M., Sat.; and 1–4 P.M., Sun. (706) 328 When the city purchased the aban- 733-6768. NR doned powder works from the Federal 18. Augusta Railway Power Sta- government in 1872, local citizens tion Gate (c. 1900s)—Canal west of urged that at least the chimney be 15th St. This gate controlled the flow preserved as a “monument to the dead of water from the first to the third heroes who sleep on the unnumbered levels of the canal that generated hy- battlefields of the South.” droelectric power for the city’s 14. Sibley Mill (1881)—Goodrich streetcar system. St. at the canal. The ornate brickwork Augusta Canal

19. Butt Memorial Bridge (1914) supplies from barges for transport —15th St. at the canal. Dedicated by either to local factories or to the Pres. William Howard Taft, the bridge Savannah River wharf for continued was named in memory of Augusta transport to the seaport in Savannah. native Archibald Butt, military aide to In 1912, the basin was closed and the both Theodore Roosevelt and Taft. docks removed, bringing an end to Butt died in the sinking of the Titanic barge traffic on the canal. in 1912. 25. 13th St. Gatehouse (1910)— 20. Enterprise Mill (1877)— 13th St. at Walton Way. The gates lo- Greene St. east of 15th St. This former cated here continue to regulate the textile mill recently underwent an flow of water between the canal’s first award-winning renovation and con- and second levels. The ornate design version to a loft apartment complex. of the house and gate structure is typ- A canal interpretive center is sched- ical of the “City Beautiful” style pop- uled to open at the mill in 2003. ular at the time. 21. Granite Mill (c. 1848)—Adja- 26. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet cent to Enterprise Mill. Built as a flour School (c. 1880)—West of 12th St. mill, this is the only structure still in between Walton Way and Telfair St. existence that was built on the orig- This school incorporates existing inal 1845 canal. buildings from the 1876–80 Globe 22. Sutherland Mill (c. 1880s)— Mill. This was the first Augusta mill On the canal east of Calhoun Expy. to have electric lights. Nearby, the Originally the Dartmouth Spinning school’s Visual Arts Building occupies Mill, the looms were once powered by the former Georgia Iron Works a 13-ft. waterfall from the first to the Pattern Shop, located on the site of a second level of the canal. factory that made pistols for the 23. Meadow Garden (c. 1794)— Confederacy. 1320 Nelson St. This Sand Hills–style 27. 12th St. Gates (1852)— cottage was the home of George 12th and Telfair Sts. These gates con- Walton, a Georgia signer of the Decla- trol the flow of water through the 329 ration of Independence. It is now a canal’s third level east of this point. museum. Hours: 10A.M.–4 P.M., Note: Sights along the remainder Tues.–Sat.; 1–4 P.M., Sun. (706) 724- of the route to the Riverwalk are 4174. NR found in the previous chapter, 24. Site of Canal Basin (1850s)— “Augusta.” 13th St. at the canal. From the 1850s until it was closed in 1912, docks on this pond were used for unloading CLASSIC GEORGIA C H A P T E R 4 4

divided as the King’s soldiers, sup- Washington ported by loyal citizens, sought to re- tain control of the colony and brutally suppress the rebellion. On February 14, 1779, a pivotal battle was fought near the confluence of the Broad and Savannah Rivers in the hills above a slow-moving stream called Kettle Creek. There, a ragged band of Pa- triots, led by John Dooley, Andrew Pickens, and Elijah Clarke, defeated a large British force that had marched out from Augusta to secure the back- LOCATION country. The battle was described by Washington is about 52 miles Pickens as “the severest check and northwest of Augusta via I-20. chastisement the Tories ever received Travel west about 30 miles to U.S. 78 in South Carolina or Georgia.” Victory (exit 172), then north for 22 miles in the Battle of Kettle Creek proved a to the town square. The walk begins turning point. Although two more in front of the Wilkes County Court- years of bloodshed remained, the house. Information: Washington– British were never again able to con- Wilkes County Chamber of trol Georgia’s interior. Commerce, (706) 678-2013; www. In 1780, the new state of Georgia, washingtonga.org. still in the midst of war, laid out plans 330 for a new town to be the seat of PARKING Wilkes County (named for John There is ample street parking Wilkes, a pro-American member of by the Wilkes County Courthouse on Parliament). So proud of their claim East and West Square. for independence were the local citizens that they chose to honor the BACKGROUND commander of the Continental army During the American Revo- by naming their community for him. lution, Georgia was bitterly Thus, it became the first city in the Washington 21 17 20 Washington 19 78 22

Alexander Washington 17 18

23 .Alexander N. 14 15

16 North

Sims St. Court 13

24 .Jefferson N. 12

25 atSq. East 11

Water 1

Liberty etSq. West 2 10

9 .Allison N. 3 331 78 4

8 NORTH Pope 6 7 Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 43 - Washington 2nd proof CLASSIC GEORGIA

nation to be named for General, and May 4. Shortly afterward, Davis and future president, George Washington. his party left Washington. A week In July 1781, Patriot troops mus- later, they were captured by Union tered in Washington for the assault on cavalry outside Irwinville, Ga. British-held Augusta. Augusta’s recap- Only a small quantity of gold was ture, followed by the fall of Savannah, found with Davis. When Federal highlighted a triumphant summer troops had arrived in Washington on that culminated in Gen. Washington’s May 5, a mere $100,000 in bullion was stunning victory over Lord Cornwallis found in the bank vault. For more at Yorktown, Va. than a century, historians and treasure Following the Revolution, the hunters alike have speculated that the small town of Washington grew to “lost gold of the Confederacy” re- prominence as the center of an ex- mains hidden somewhere in or near panding agricultural region built on Washington; yet no clue has ever re- cotton and slavery. During the first vealed its location. half of the 19th century, wealthy Today, Washington is a village de- planters built many fine town homes lightfully suspended in time. Many of in Washington. Here they socialized, its ﬁnest homes and buildings have politicked, raised families, and trans- been carefully preserved and restored acted business. This aristocratic style for visitors to enjoy. of life ended forever on January 19, 1861, with the arrival of a messenger WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN from the capitol in Milledgeville car- The walk is a 3-mile loop along rying news of Georgia’s secession downtown streets and quiet res- from the Union. idential lanes. There are good side- Although Washington escaped the walks along most of the route. The fighting, it still had its share of Civil terrain is gently rolling with a mod- War excitement and lingering mys- erate climb to a hill overlooking tery. In early May, 1865, Jefferson downtown. 332 Davis, his cabinet, and military escort arrived in Washington on their flight SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY southward from Richmond. Included 1. Wilkes County Court- in their baggage were, as the story is house (1903)—Court St. An told, millions of dollars in gold, prac- unusual Romanesque Gothic struc- tically all that remained of the Rebel ture, the courthouse is built on the treasury. The funds were secured in site of the bank building where Jef- the vault of a local bank, while Davis ferson Davis held his ﬁnal cabinet held his final cabinet meeting on meeting. NR Washington

2. Fitzpatrick Hotel (1898)— This early 19th-century home was W. Square at Toombs Ave. This mas- erected on land set aside in the orig- sive red-brick structure, with its turret, inal town charter for use as the bay windows, and cast-iron entrance militia’s drilling ground. columns, was once one of the grand est 7. Lane-Cheney-Lindsay House hotels between Augusta and Atlanta. (1820)—Pope and W. Liberty Sts. Vacant for more than 25 years, plans This frame structure was originally for its restoration are under develop- located at a site near the square. ment. 8. Poplar Corner (1810)—210 W. 3. Tupper-Barnett House Liberty St. One of the town’s most (1853)—101 W. Toombs Ave. This historic homes, the original house, magnificent Greek Revival house en- built in 1810 by Oliver Hillhouse circled by 18 Doric columns was built Prince, was a simple Federal-style by Dr. Henry Tupper, pastor of the structure. In 1820, Alexander Pope Baptist Church nearby. Tupper was a purchased and enlarged it, adding two member of a wealthy family and never rooms that had been part of the orig- accepted any salary from his congre- inal county courthouse. It was later gation. Tupper’s granddaughter mar- remodeled in the Greek Revival style ried Gen. George C. Marshall, chief of popular with wealthy landowners and staff during World War II and secre- businessmen. The house has been oc- tary of state under Pres. Harry cupied by members of the Pope Truman. NR family for four generations. A cottage 4. First Baptist Church (1884)— behind the house is open to overnight W. Toombs Ave. Established in 1827, guests. (706) 678-2453. NR the congregation’s first pastor was the 9. Walker House (1793)—W. Lib- Rev. Jesse Mercer for whom Mercer erty and Allison Sts. One of the town’s University was named. Henry Tupper oldest homes, it is now the Liberty served as pastor here for 20 years. Bed and Breakfast Inn. 5. New Haywood (1887)— 10. First Methodist Church W. Toombs Ave. at Pope St. Designed (1900)—100 W. Liberty St. Established 333 by Atlanta architect E. G. Lind for T. in 1819, this congregation traces its M. Green, the house, with its expansive roots to one of Georgia’s earliest porch and 3-story cupola-topped Methodist churches, built just north turret, is a superb example of Queen of Washington in 1787. Anne–style architecture. 11. City Hall Annex and Chamber 6. Hynes-St. of Commerce (1912)—104 E. Liberty Gaudens-Standard-Barnett House St. The former Zirbes-Ledbetter house (c. 1800s)—Pope and W. Liberty Sts. now serves as government offices and CLASSIC GEORGIA

welcome center. Hours: 9 A.M.–5 P.M., from Georgia on the infamous Trail of Mon.–Fri. (706) 678-2013. Tears. His son John A. Campbell, who 12. Mary Willis Library (1889)— was born in the house, served as a E. Liberty and S. Jefferson Sts. Built by U.S. Supreme Court justice and later Dr. Francis T. Willis in memory of his as assistant secretary of war for the daughter, this beautiful red-brick Confederacy. NR Victorian-style structure was the first 17. Washington Presbyterian free library in Georgia. Inside there is Church (1825)—206 E. Toombs Ave. a portrait of Mary created in Tiffany The congregation was established in stained glass. NR 1790 and the present building, erected 13. Allied Bank Building in 1825, is Washington’s oldest (1980s)—Between E. Liberty St. and church. Its original pastor, the Rev. E. Toombs Ave. Although new, this John Springer, was the first Presby- building was designed to resemble terian minister ordained in Georgia. the Georgia Bank building originally Young Woodrow Wilson attended ser- located on the square where Confed- vices here when his father, the Rev. erate Pres. Jefferson Davis held his last Joseph Wilson, came from his church cabinet meeting in May 1865. in Augusta to preach. 14. Holly Court (c. 1840s)—301 S. 18. Hillhouse-Toombs House Alexander Ave. The present house is (c. 1814)—E. Toombs and Alexander actually the marriage of two earlier Aves. This was once the home of structures, an 1817 residence built on Sarah Hillhouse, Georgia’s first this site and a farmhouse relocated woman newspaper editor and pub- from rural Wilkes County by Dr. lisher. In 1869, it was acquired and Fielding Ficklen in the 1840s. Jef- enlarged by Gabriel Toombs, brother ferson Davis’s wife, Varina, and their of Robert Toombs. children were guests of Dr. Ficklen in 19. Robert Toombs House State May 1865 as they awaited the presi- Historic Site (c. 1797)—216 E. dent’s arrival from Richmond. NR Toombs Ave. This structure was pur- 334 15. Carroll-Colley House (1810) chased and remodeled by Toombs in —Water St. at Alexander Ave. This 1837. A noted lawyer and politician, Federal-style structure was built in the Toombs served in the U.S. Senate country and later moved into town. from 1853 to 1861, resigning when 16. Aiken-Griggs House (c. 1786) Georgia seceded and accepting ap- —208 E. Liberty St. This home was pointment as Confederate secretary of once owned by Duncan Campbell, a state. After frequent disagreements state legislator and author of the with Pres. Davis, he left the post and treaty that removed the Cherokees entered military service as a brigadier Washington

Hours: 9 A.M.–5 P.M., Tues.–Sat; 2–5:30 P.M., Sun. (706) 678-2226; www.gastateparks.org. NR 20. Washington Historical Museum (1836)—308 E. Toombs Ave. Located on land once owned by Micajah Williamson, the town’s original surveyor, the present structure was built in 1836 by Albert Semmes, cousin of the swashbuckling Raphael Semmes, Confederate sea-raider and captain of the CSS Alabama. Many of the museum’s furnishings belonged to Dr. Francis Willis and were donated by his grandson Holly Court Edward Willis. The upper general under Gen. Robert E. Lee’s floors contain display cases reflecting command. the area’s Indian heritage, the Civil When Federal troops came to ar- War period, and other facets of local rest Toombs in 1865, he narrowly es- history. Hours: 10 A.M.–5 P.M., caped from the back of the house Tues.–Sat.; 2–5 P.M., Sun. (706) 678- while his wife stalled the soldiers at 2105. 335 the front door. He fled to France, re- 21. Dugas House (c. 1790)—E. turning to Washington only after the Toombs Ave. at Poplar Dr. Set back in 1867 death of his daughter. Stub- the trees, this elegant Greek Revival bornly refusing to sign the oath of house was originally a simple frame loyalty to the United States, Toombs structure built by Louis Dugas, a preferred to spend the remainder of refugee from Santo Domingo. It was his life an “unreconstructed Rebel.” remodeled in the current style in the CLASSIC GEORGIA

1830s. For many years, Mrs. Dugas located on the site of the original operated a school for girls in the frontier stockade built in the 1770s. In home. Their son, Dr. Louis Dugas, a corner of the park is the “Nelson born here in 1806, was a founder of Stone,” an inscribed granite boulder the Medical Association of Georgia that once marked the boundary of and the Medical College of Georgia in land granted to John Nelson by King Augusta. George III in 1775. It was moved to 22. Gilbert-Alexander House the park from its original site in rural (1808)—Alexander Dr. at Alexander Wilkes County. Ave. Set well back from the street, this was the ﬁrst brick house built in NOTES Georgia’s interior. It was the home of Confederate general E. P. Alexander, commander of artillery for Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. 23. Gaines House (1827)— Alexander Ave. at North St. Built to serve as the Female Seminary, it was converted to a private home when the school for girls closed in 1895. 24. The Cedars (1800)—Sims St. at Jefferson Ave. This house sits on land once owned by George Walton, a Georgia signer of the Declaration of Independence. The builder was Frenchman Anthony Poulain, who came to the colonies to ﬁght in the Revolution. His son, Dr. T. N. Poulain, 336 served as the Marquis de Lafayette’s physician during Lafayette’s 1825 tour of Georgia. The house was remodeled in the Victorian Italianate style in the 1880s. 25. Fort Washington Park— Jefferson Ave., behind the courthouse. This pleasantly shaded green-space, with a nature trail and picnic tables, is CLASSIC GEORGIA C H A P T E R 4 5

commercial parking lots offer daily Athens and rates. There are also visitor parking lots on the university campus: on the University North Campus on Thomas St., adjacent to the Tate Student Center and of Georgia Bookstore off Lumpkin St., next to the Center for Continuing Education Campus on Lumpkin, and near the Georgia Museum of Art and Performing Arts Center on E. Campus Dr.

BACKGROUND Athens and the University of LOCATION Georgia offer a marvelous Downtown Athens is located mix: brash young college students and about 100 miles northwest of Au- active senior citizens, raucous rock gusta via I-20 and U.S. 78 (exit 172). music and marching bands, roaring Travel north on U.S. 78 through Wash- football Saturdays and quiet Sunday ington and Lexington to Athens. In afternoons. To many people, Athens downtown Athens, U.S. 78 becomes and the university are inseparable— Broad St. Athens is also about 70 miles the perfect blend of “town and gown.” northeast of Atlanta via I-85 and While proud Georgians boast that GA 316 (exit 106: University Pkwy.). the University of Georgia, chartered The walk begins at College Square by the legislature in 1785, is the oldest on Broad St. Information: Athens Con- state college in the United States, the 337 vention and Visitors Bureau, (800) school truly existed only in name 653-0603; www.visitathensga. com. until 1801, when a search committee University of Georgia, Visitors Center, ﬁnally chose a permanent site for con- (706) 542-0602; www.uga.edu. struction of the campus. The land, situated on a wooded bluff above the PARKING conﬂuence of the North and Middle There is metered street parking Oconee Rivers near an old Indian set- along several downtown streets, and tlement called “Cedar Shoals,” was still CLASSIC GEORGIA

wilderness, only recently ceded by who built fine Federal-style and, later, treaty from the Cherokee Indians. The Greek Revival homes along winding, school’s founders, among them shaded lanes. By the time of the Civil Abraham Baldwin and Gov. John War, enrollment at the college re- Milledge, believed the school’s loca- mained small (around 100 students), tion was ideal—far from the cor- but Athens was a thriving city of 4,000 rupting influences of city life. and the seat of Clarke County. As work began on the college’s In addition to businesses estab- buildings, a small village began to lished to support the college, Athens grow on a hill just north of the was also home to a foundry and tex- campus. Though it was rough in ap- tile mills (Georgia’s first cotton mill pearance, early settlers dubbed it was established here in 1829). During “Athens,” envisioning the commu- the Civil War, the Athens Foundry nity’s future role as a seat of classical cast a unique double-barreled education. Land for the town was cannon, designed to fire two cannon purchased from the university by Gov. balls connected by a chain and “mow Milledge, lots were created, streets laid down Yankees like a scythe cuts out and, by the time the first classes wheat.” However, when the gun was were held in a crude log cabin, a small tested, the two barrels would not reli- town had been established. ably discharge simultaneously and the The school’s first permanent cannon was never used in combat. Al- building, Old College, was completed though it was a failure, the cannon in 1806. It was called Franklin College has long been an object of curiosity, and served as both dormitory and occupying a prominent place on the classroom. In 1832, Alexander Ste - lawn of Athens’ City Hall. phens (future U.S. congressman, Con- Following Sherman’s capture of federate vice-president, and Georgia Atlanta, the Union Army moved governor) and Crawford Long (physi- southeastward toward Milledgeville cian and discoverer of ether anesthesia) and bypassed Athens. As a result, 338 were roommates there. Construction of many of the town’s exquisite ante- other structures followed, including lit- bellum homes and buildings were erary halls, a chapel, and faculty resi- spared destruction. dences. Today, the shaded grounds of With Georgia’s economy in ruins, the old North Campus contain eight financial difficulties plagued the uni- historic 19th-century buildings. versity during the years of Recon- Like most college towns, as the struction. The school’s survival was school grew so did Athens. It attracted greatly aided by grants awarded scholars, lawyers, and businessmen through the terms of the Morrill Act, Athens and the University of Georgia Campus

E. Campus Rd. 78 75 76 NORTH 8 53 7 UGA

N. Thomas 65 67

66 Baldwin St. 68 54 64 9 69 10 70

62 Sa

21 nford Dr. 63 11 P 52 80 1 4,5,6 61 71 12 13 72 74 2 N. Jackson 73 20 3 22

College 60 57 58 78 14 56 59 55 19 23

16 pkin 15 N. Lum 24

77 78 79 oget St. Dougherty Lumpk in St. 17 81 18

S. Hull ra St. Broad

Pulaski 26 25

N. Newton

28 Baxter 47 27 46 Athens and the University of Georgia Campus

N. Finley 45 44

Prince St. N. Pope Waddell 43 30

29 Reese

Dearing .Hancock W.

Meigs N. Church 31 50 15 36 41 51

N. Harris 49 48

40 339 l

32 l i

39 H 38 78 37 15 and the

35 Cobb Franklin

N. Chase University of Athens Georgia Campus 82 34 33 Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 44 - Athens U of GA 1st proof CLASSIC GEORGIA

a Federal law enacted in 1862 to pro- roll (Athens is the birthplace of vide for the establishment and main- R.E.M. and the B-52s), world-class art tenance of public, land-grant colleges exhibitions and theatrical perfor- across the nation. mances, NCAA championship gym- The postwar years also saw the in- nastics or tennis—whatever your introduction of social fraternities at the terests, there is an extraordinary university. (Sororities followed with variety of activities that make Athens the change to coeducation in 1918.) a lively place to visit and explore. As time passed, many of the fine old Today, the university’s enrollment houses near the campus, particularly approaches 30,000, and the once- along Milledge Ave., were transformed small college town is a bustling met- from private homes to chapter houses. ropolitan area of more than 150,000 Despite the wear and tear college stu- (a population that nearly doubles on dents inflict, the change served to pre- football Saturdays). From the white- serve many historic structures that columned antebellum mansions might otherwise have been lost. lining Athens’ tree-shaded streets to While few could imagine the im- the ultra-modern buildings that dot pact at the time, college life at Georgia the university campus, the city and changed forever when, in 1892, Pro- school, both carved from the rugged fessor Charles F. Herty introduced to frontier, share a colorful history and a a handful of students the new game of promising future. football. A team was formed and began playing in a field behind the WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN college. The sport caught on with a This winding route around passion (a near-riot erupted following the heart of downtown and the 1893 contest with rival Georgia through historic residential areas Tech) that continues unabated to the traces a 4.5-mile loop. The downtown present day. area is hilly with Athens City Hall The early years of the 20th century occupying the highest point. There is 340 were a time of rapid growth for both a steep descent along Baxter St. to the the university and the town. As the university campus and a moderate university has continued to grow in climb through the old North Campus enrollment and academic standing, back to the starting point. Athens has prospered, enjoying the many cultural and intellectual bene- SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY fits associated with an academic com- 1. The University Arch munity. Poetry readings, chamber (1858)—Broad St. at College music recitals, cutting-edge rock-and- Ave. This three-columned, wrought- Athens and the University of Georgia Campus iron arch, patterned after the Great this building contains fine Greek Seal of the State of Georgia, has long Revival details. It was renovated in the served as the ceremonial entrance to 1970s and now serves as commercial the campus. offices. NR 2. College Square Building 8. Classic Center (1996)—300 (1845)—Broad St. at College Ave. Orig- N. Thomas St. Athens’ civic center is a inally known as the Newton House, it venue for a wide variety of cultural was once considered Athens’ finest events, trade shows, and conventions. hotel. The building was remodeled in Information: (706) 357-4444; the Colonial Revival style dur ing the www.classiccentertheater.com. 1920s and, today, houses a vari ety of 9. Michael Brothers Building shops, restaurants, and offices. (1922)—320 E. Clayton St. Designed 3. Myers Building (1892)— by noted architect Neel Reid, this 171 College Ave. Designed in the retail store is built in the Second Victorian Romanesque style, the Renaissance Revival style. building is highlighted by an orna- 10. Heery Building (1890)—361 mental tower. E. Clayton St. Designed in the Victo- 4. University Bank Building rian Romanesque style, the small com- (1885)—279 E. Broad St. Built by the mercial structure is noted for the University Bank of Athens on the site beautiful Gothic arches over the of one of the town’s first pharmacies, second-floor windows. the building now houses retail shops 11. Victorian Building (1885)— and restaurants. 264 E. Clayton St. This commercial 5. Parrott Building (1885)—283 structure is designed in the Victorian E. Broad St. Designed in the Victorian Romanesque style. Romanesque style, it served for many 12. Moss-Heery Building (1880) years as the Athens Savings Bank. —216 E. Clayton St. Originally built The building now houses street-level to house a print shop, this Victorian- shops and restaurants. NR era building is noted for its unusual 6. National Bank Building pressed-tin facade, the last of its type 341 (1866)—295 E. Broad St. This Goth- in Athens. ically inspired commercial building 13. Georgia National Bank with its crenelated parapets and Building (1909)—202 College Ave. arched windows was built as the Constructed by the Southern Mutual bank’s headquarters. Insurance Company, this 7-story 7. Franklin House (1845)— building was Athens’ first “skyscraper.” 464–80 E. Broad St. Originally built as 14. Moss-Scott Building (1910)— a hotel, with street-level retail space, 164 E. Clayton St. Designed in the CLASSIC GEORGIA

served a variety of purposes including use as a YMCA, hotel, and vaudeville theater. In 1935, it was remodeled in the Art Deco style and converted to a movie theater. 18. Morton Building (1910)— 199 W. Washington St. This building houses the 550-seat Morton Theatre, one of the first vaudeville theaters built, owned, and operated by African- Americans. Closed for many years, the theater was restored and reopened as a performing arts center in 1994. Information: (706) 613-3770; www.mortontheatre.com. NR 19. Athens City Hall (1904)— College Ave. at Washington St. Sitting atop the city’s highest hill, this Beaux Arts Classical building, designed by Athens City Hall and double-barreled cannon Augusta, Ga., architect L. F. Goodrich, Beaux Arts Classical style, this is a local landmark. The building building has served many functions, houses offices for the consolidated from pool hall and soda fountain to government of Athens and Clarke furniture store. County. The unique double-barreled 15. Haygood Building (1885)— cannon is located at the northeast 151 E. Clayton St. This 3-story brick corner of the building. structure contains architectural fea- 20. Georgian Hotel (1909)— tures of the Victorian Romanesque 247 E. Washington St. Designed by style. Especially notable are the stone Atlanta architect A. Ten Eyck Brown 342 window moldings. in the Georgian Revival style, this 16. Citizens & Southern National was Athens’ first modern luxury hotel. Bank Building (1915)—110 E. Clay - It is now used for offices and apart- ton St. Athens’ tallest building, it was ments. originally built as a hotel. During the 21. Clarke County Courthouse 1960s it was remodeled in the Colo- (1914)—Washington and Jackson Sts. nial Revival style. Also designed by Brown, the court- 17. Georgia Theatre (1889)— house is in the Beaux Arts Classical 215 N. Lumpkin St. This building has style. Athens and the University of Georgia Campus

22. First American Bank and Trust was purchased by the Sigma Alpha Building (1906)—300 College Ave. Epsilon Fraternity for use as a chapter Originally built to house the post office house in 1929. NR and Federal court, the building was de- 27. James Camak House (c. 1830) signed in the Second Renaissance Re- —279 Meigs St. Built in the Federal vival style by James Knox Taylor, archi- style, this was the residence of James tect for the U.S. Treasury Department Camak, who originally came to building in Washington, D.C. The Athens in 1817 to teach mathematics structure’s 1978 conversion to a bank at the university. By the 1830s, Camak was Athens’ first historic-building, had turned to business for his liveli- commercial adaptive, reuse project. hood. In 1834 a meeting was held in 23. Tinsley-Stern House (1830)— this house to organize the Georgia 193 E. Hancock Ave. The second Railroad, the state’s first. Camak was oldest residence in Athens, this home selected as its first president. NR was built in the Federal style by pio- 28. Joseph H. Lumpkin House neer citizen Dr. James Tinsley. It is (c. 1837)—248 Prince Ave. Originally currently used for offices. built as a small frame house, the 24. First Presbyterian Church structure was greatly enlarged by (1855)—185 E. Hancock Ave. De- Lumpkin, who purchased it in the signed in the style of a Greek Revival early 1840s. A noted attorney, Temple, the church still contains its Lumpkin was one of the first three original pews. The beautiful marble men elected by the legislature to serve pulpit is an especially notable feature. on the State Supreme Court, be- The original church bell is displayed coming chief justice in 1863. The on the lawn by the main entrance. house is an excellent example of 25. First Baptist Church (1920)— Greek Revival architecture. NR Hancock Ave. and Pulaski St. Also in 29. Fire Hall No. 2 (1901)— the Greek Revival Temple style, this 489 Prince Ave. This unusual trian- imposing building houses one of gular brick building was constructed Athens’ oldest religious congregations, to house a single horse-drawn fire 343 established in 1830. wagon. It was an active fire station 26. Ross Crane House (1842)— until 1979 and has now been adapted 247 Pulaski St. Many of the fine for use as headquarters for the antebellum homes in Athens and Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation. around Georgia were the work of ar- The building is occasionally open for chitect Ross Crane. He built this well- tours. (706) 353-1801. appointed Greek Revival house for 30. Howell Cobb House (1835)— his personal residence. The house 698 Pope St. Another prominent CLASSIC GEORGIA

Georgian who called Athens home, Revival home, with its unusual Cobb served as Georgia governor, twisted-wire railing between Doric secretary of the treasury under Pres. columns, was built by wealthy busi- James Buchanan, president of the nessman and planter Robert Taylor. In Georgia Secession Convention in 1863 the house was purchased by Maj. 1861, and as a general in the Confed- William Grady while on furlough erate army, commanding “Cobb’s from the Confederate army. Grady Legion” in the army of Northern was fatally wounded at the Battle of Virginia. This attractive Greek Revival Petersburg, and his widow and five home was the first of two residences children did not occupy the house in Athens owned by Cobb. until after the war. Their oldest child, 31. University of Georgia Presi- Henry, attended the university, gradu- dent’s Home (1857)—570 Prince Ave. ating in 1868. A professional jour- This imposing Greek Revival house nalist, he became editor of the has 14 Corinthian columns extending Atlanta Constitution and a nationally around three sides of the structure renowned spokesperson for the and Doric columns across the back. It post–Civil War “New South.” Today, was built by Col. John T. Grant, an the house is owned by the Junior 1833 graduate of the university and a League of Athens and serves as a spe- successful civil engineer and railroad cial events facility. It is open for tours contractor. After the war, Grant 10 A.M.–1 P.M. and 2:30–5 P.M., moved to Atlanta, and the home was Mon.–Fri. (706) 549-8688. NL purchased by noted lawyer and Con- 33. E. K. Lumpkin House (1858)— federate legislator Benjamin H. Hill. 973 Prince Ave. Begun by Gen. Robert Hill later served for many years as a Taylor, whose father built the nearby U.S. senator from Georgia and was in- Taylor-Grady House, this residence strumental in persuading Pres. was unfinished when the younger Rutherford Hayes to end the Recon- Taylor died in the Civil War. The struction period throughout the house was completed by the general’s 344 South in 1877. The house had a suc- son, Richard. Following several subse- cession of owners until 1949, when it quent owners, the house was pur- was purchased by the University of chased by Judge E. K. Lumpkin, Georgia and renovated for use as the grandson of Joseph Lumpkin (see official residence of its president. It is #28). It was in this house, in 1891, occasionally opened to the public for that Lumpkin’s wife, Mary, organized special events. (706) 542-0602) NR the Ladies Garden Club of Athens, the 32. Taylor-Grady House (1840)— first garden club in the U.S. The house 634 Prince Ave. This beautiful Greek is now owned by Young Harris Athens and the University of Georgia Campus

Memorial Methodist Church. until 1986. The house is especially 34. Moss Side (1838)—479 Cobb notable for its intricate wrought- St. This simple, frame Greek Revival iron work. house was built by Hiram Hayes and 38. Lucy Cobb Institute (1858)— sold to Joseph Maxwell in 1846.The 200 N. Milledge Ave. These buildings, house was purchased by John Moss notable for their exquisite wrought- and his son Rufus in 1863. At the iron scroll work, housed a school for time, the younger Moss was in charge young ladies established by T. R. R. of the Confederate Commissary in Cobb, younger brother of Howell. The Atlanta. Rufus Moss returned to school was named in memory of one Athens after the war and had a highly his daughters who had died of scarlet successful career in textiles and rail- fever. T. R. R. Cobb was a prominent roading. His youngest child, William, lawyer and a founder of the univer- born in the house in 1876, went on to sity’s law school. He was killed in a renowned career in medical research December 1862 at the Battle of Fred- and is best known for developing the ericksburg after taking command in world’s ﬁrst system of blood typing. November of his brother’s “Cobb’s In 1931 William returned to Georgia Legion.” to serve as dean of the Medical Col- The institute operated as a girls’ lege of Georgia in Augusta. preparatory school until 1931, when 35. DeRenne-Berry House (1843) the property was acquired by the —573 Hill St. One of Athens’ most university. The main building was unique antebellum homes, this Greek converted for use as a women’s dor- Revival–style house features a massive mitory. The institute’s classroom columned portico of heart pine. build ing and the adjacent chapel un- 36. Cobb-Bucknell House derwent extensive renovations in the (1850)—425 Hill St. Howell Cobb’s late 1980s and now house the univer- second residence in Athens (see #30), sity’s Carl Vinson Institute of Govern- this Greek Revival house was built ment, named for the Milledgeville shortly before Cobb was elected gov- native who was a powerful member 345 ernor in 1851. of the U.S. Congress for more than 37. Phinizy-Hunnicutt House 50 years. NR (1855)—325 N. Milledge Ave. Built by 39. Seney-Stovall Chapel (1885)— prominent businessman John Phinizy, Milledge Ave. and Reese St. This the house was one of the ﬁrst in the chapel was built with funds donated city designed in the Italianate style. It to the Lucy Cobb Institute by New was purchased by Dr. John Hunnicutt York businessman George Seney, who in 1873 and remained in the family also contributed money to build CLASSIC GEORGIA

Seney Hall at Oxford College of and built by Athens architect Ross Emory University. The unusual Crane, the house was purchased by double-octagon structure, designed Young Harris in 1843. The Victorian by Athens architect W. W. Thomas, is porch was a later addition, and the an Athens landmark. NR house was moved to this location 40. Hamilton-Hodgson House from its original site on Pope St. in (1861)—150 S. Milledge Ave. This the early 1900s. antebellum house with features of 45. Meeker-Pope-Barrow House the Italianate style was built by (1857)—197 Dearing St. Called Athens physician and planter Dr. “Boxwood” by it current owners, this James Hamilton. It was purchased by attractive home with Italianate fea- Edward Hodgson in 1902 and sold to tures was built as a summer residence the Alpha Delta Pi Sorority in 1939. for the cotton planter Christopher The house’s ornamental ironwork was Meeker. It was purchased by Dr. John manufactured in England and arrived Pope in 1873 and acquired by James in Athens on the last train from Barrow in 1936. The formal boxwood Philadelphia before the outbreak of garden is one of only two antebellum the Civil War. gardens still in existence in Athens. 41. Sylvanus Morris House 46. Cobb-Ward House (c. 1828)— (c. 1860s)—458 Dearing St. Morris was 126 Dearing St. The original house the dean of Lumpkin Law School for was built by John A. Cobb as a wed- many years. The house has been remod- ding gift for his sister at the time of eled several times, and it is believed that her marriage to William Jackson, son the original structure was brought to of Gov. James Jackson. In 1832 the the site from the Macon area. home was purchased by university 42. Rucker-Teague House (1790)— professor Malthus Ward, curator of 328 Dearing St. Originally built in the school’s botanical garden, which Oglethorpe County, the house was covered an adjoining hillside. moved to Athens by Richard Wilson in 47. The Tree That Owns Itself 346 the late 1850s. The side addition and (1875)—Dearing and Finley Sts. porch were added at that time. William Jackson was so fond of a 43. Yancey House (c. 1850)— magnificent oak tree growing on this 243 Dearing St.—This architecturally site that he purchased the tree and the interesting house features characteris- land around it in 1875. In his will, tics of the Italian Villa and Gothic Re- Jackson bequeathed title to the tree to vival styles. the tree itself. The tree on the site 44. Young Y. G. Harris House today has grown from a sapling culti- (c. 1830s)—220 Dearing St. Designed vated from the original tree and was Athens and the University of Georgia Campus planted in 1946 by the Junior Ladies style with its abundance of classical Garden Club of Athens. features was built by William W. 48. Hamilton-Phinizy-Segrest Thomas, a local businessman and House (1858)—250 S. Milledge Ave. first chairman of the Clarke County This antebellum home is notable for Commission. Thomas was also an its unusual double-tiered portico and architect and designed the unusual intricate wrought-iron railings. The Seney-Stoval Chapel (see #39). The house was built by Thomas Hamilton, house was purchased by state senator who died before it was completed. His James Carithers in 1913 and re- widow completed construction and mained in his family until it was sold lived here for 18 years. In 1964, the to the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority house was purchased by the Phi Mu in 1939. Through the years, the home Sorority, which added the two side has become popularly known as the wings and curving stairway. “Wedding Cake” house. NR 49. Albion P. Dearing House 52. Tate Student Center (1983)— (1856)—338 S. Milledge Ave. Consid- Baxter and Lumpkin Sts. A low red- ered one of the finest examples of brick structure, the Tate Center is a pure Greek Revival architecture in busy student gathering place with the nation, this house was built by dining facilities, TV and reading Dear ing, whose father, William, had rooms, 500-seat movie theater, post amassed a fortune in manufacturing, office, game rooms, and offices. The railroads, and real estate. Albion died campus bookstore (1968) is adjacent in 1885, but his widow, Eugenia to the center. Hamilton Dearing, lived in the house 53. Sanford Stadium (1929, until her death in 1912. The house re- numerous expansions)—Sanford mained in the family until it was pur- Dr. across from the student center. chased by the Kappa Alpha Theta As the popularity of college football Sorority in 1938. NR grew, the university constructed a 50. Wilkins House (1860)—387 S. 33,000-seat stadium in a natural Milledge Ave. Built by Alfred Dearing, valley between the northern and 347 son of Albion, the home was later southern sides of the campus. The owned by university professor Leon first game played at the stadium, on Charbonnier. In 1909, it was pur- Oct. 12, 1929, matched Georgia chased by John Wilkins, who added against a mighty Yale team. Georgia the Classical Revival colonnade. NR defeated the Ivy League power 17-0. 51. Thomas-Carithers House Many great teams and players have (1895)—530 S. Milledge Ave. This competed on this field. The stadium marvelous example of Beaux Arts also hosted the Gold Medal soccer CLASSIC GEORGIA

match during the 1996 Olympic Georgia in 1939 by Hubert Owens, Games. After many expansions, the professor of landscape architecture. stadium now seats in excess of 90,000 They surround an 1857 faculty house fans who come to watch their Bull- that served for many years as a small dogs play “between the hedges.” museum and headquarters for the 54. Memorial Hall (1925)— Garden Club of Georgia, which Sanford Dr., just north of the stadium. recently relocated its headquarters This building, housing a variety of to the State Botanical Garden of student services, registrar’s office, and Georgia, a short distance south of faculty dining facilities, was built to the campus. NR commemorate the ultimate sacrifice 58. Candler Hall (1902)— paid by the 47 Georgia students and Lumpkin St., north of Gilbert Hall. alumni who died in World War I. Named for Georgia governor Allen 55. Fine Arts Building (1941)— Candler, this Neoclassical-style Baldwin and Lumpkin Sts. Housing a building is notable for its twin, 750-seat theater, studios, rehearsal fa- columned porticos and symmetrical cilities, and classrooms, this building design. It was originally constructed served as the university’s main per- to serve as a dormitory and later forming arts facility until completion housed university offices. of the new arts center on E. Campus 59. Meigs Hall (1905)—Lumpkin Dr. This building remains the home St., adjacent to Candler Hall. This of the Drama Department and the 2-story, red-brick building with UGA Theater Company. Its Cellar rounded windows and a small, col - Theater hosts smaller experimental umned entrance portico, was origi- and classical theater performances. nally called LeConte Hall. It was Information: (706) 542-2838. renamed in honor of Josiah Meigs, 56. Joseph E. Brown Hall (1932) — the university’s second president. For Baldwin at Lumpkin Sts. Originally many years, the building housed sev- constructed as a dormitory, Brown Hall eral foreign language departments. 348 now contains classrooms and offices. 60. Moore College (1874)—Herty 57. Old Garden Club Headquar- Dr., just east of Meigs Hall. Athens ters and Founders Memorial Garden physician Richard Moore, a member (1857, 1939)—Lumpkin St., north of of the university’s board of trustees, Brown Hall. The grounds and gardens persuaded the city of Athens to appro- commemorate the founding of the priate the funds needed to construct Athens Garden Club, the nation’s first this classroom building, the only per- garden club, in 1891. The gardens manent structure built on the campus were designed for the Garden Club of in the period between the Civil War Athens and the University of Georgia Campus and the turn of the 20th century. The 63. Hirsch Hall (1932)—Southwest French Second Empire–style building, of Old College. When the University notable for its sloping mansard roof, of Georgia’s Law School was founded was designed by Leon Charbonnier, a in 1859 by local attorneys Joseph professor of engineering and mathe- Lumpkin and T. R. R. Cobb, students matics at the university. were taught in their private law offices. 61. New College (1823)—East of Through the early years of the 20th Herty Dr. Originally completed in century, as enrollment grew, the 1823 and rebuilt after an 1830 fire, the school moved into rented space on structure housed classrooms, dormi- Broad St. across from the campus. Fi- tory rooms, and the library. Over the nally, in 1932, after a successful fund- years, New College has fulfilled many raising campaign, this permanent purposes, including service as a snack home for the university’s law school bar, bookstore, and home to the uni- was completed. Several modern addi- versity’s school of pharmacy. It now tions have been made to the building houses administrative offices. and the nearby law library. 62. Old College (1806)—Southeast 64. Little Library (1953)—South- of New College. The university’s first west of the law school. This grand, permanent building, Old College is columned building houses the univer- modeled after Connecticut Hall at Yale sity’s main library. Funds for its con- University. When built, Old College struction came from a 1944 gift from served mainly as a dormitory. Two no- Ilah Dunlap Little. The building has table Georgians—Alexander Stephens been expanded several times to ac- (U.S. Congressman, Confederate vice- commodate the university’s growing president, and Georgia governor) and collections, including the Hargett Crawford Long (physician and discov- Rare Book and Manuscript Collection erer of ether anesthesia)—were room- that includes the original handwritten mates in a second-floor room in 1832. Confederate Constitution of 1861. The building was abandoned and The public is welcome to view the li- nearly demolished in the early 1900s brary’s collections and utilize its re- 349 but was saved and restored through do- sources for study. Information: (706) nations from alumni and others. The 542-7501; www.libs.uga.edu. build ing’s interior was completely re- 65. Peabody Hall (1913)— modeled to house flight-training cadets Northeast of the library. George during World War II. Today, Old Col- Foster Peabody, a wealthy New Eng- lege contains administrative offices. Just land merchant, made provisions in his south of the building is the English- will for much of his wealth to go style President’s Club Garden. NR toward improving public education, CLASSIC GEORGIA

especially in the South, which was still house serves as the office of the uni- in ruins from the Civil War. Shortly versity president. after the turn of the 20th century, the 68. North Campus Office Building university received a $40,000 gift from (1905)—North of the Lustrat House. the Peabody estate, using it to com- Originally constructed to serve as the plete this building, which for many university library, the Neoclassical– years housed the university’s school of style building was a gift from George education. The school moved into Foster Peabody (not the same Pea body larger quarters many years ago and whose estate provided funds for the building now houses other acad- nearby Peabody Hall), a native of emic departments. Columbus, Ga., who moved to New 66. Waddell Hall (1821)—North York after the Civil War and earned a of Peabody Hall. This whitewashed fortune in banking. Like his contem- Federal-style building is the second porary Andrew Carnegie, Peabody oldest on campus. It was originally supported many academic institutions known as Philosophical Hall and around the nation. He may be best housed scientific books and equip- known as the benefactor of the ment (at the time, science was often Peabody Awards, one of the highest referred to as “natural philosophy”). honors bestowed on journalists. The Through the years, the building has library outgrew this building, moving housed classrooms, a boarding house, into new facilities in 1953. The and in the 1870s, the university’s building housed the Georgia Museum school of agriculture. More recently, it of Art until it, too, outgrew the space. housed the Dean Rusk Center for In- Today, the building has been reno- ternational and Comparative Law vated for administrative offices. until the opening of the new Rusk 69. Terrell Hall (1904)—North of Center in the mid-1990s. It now serves North Campus Office Building. This as the administrative annex for the of- building is constructed on the foun- fices of the university’s president. dations of the science building that 350 67. Lustrat House (1847)—North burned down in 1903. For many of Waddell Hall. One of two surviving years, this Renaissance Revival–style antebellum faculty houses (the other building housed the school of phar- is in the Founders Garden, #57), it is macy. Today Terrell Hall houses the named for Joseph Lustrat, a professor admissions office. of romance languages who lived here 70. Phi Kappa Hall (1836)—North with his family until 1927. After his of Terrell Hall. This red-brick, classi- death, Mrs. Lustrat rented rooms in cally styled, 2-story structure with a the home to students. Today, the columned portico was constructed to Athens and the University of Georgia Campus house the Phi Kappa Literary Society, the Federal style and notable for its a student club organized in 1820 to symmetry and the grand Palladian compete with the nearby Demos- window over the entrance. The thenian Society. When Federal troops Demosthenian Society still exists and occupied Athens at the end of the Civil uses the building for meetings. War, the building was used as a stable. 73. Holmes-Hunter Building The Phi Kappa Society is long gone, (1905)—North of Demosthenian Hall. but the building still serves the univer- The building, as currently configured, sity as offices and gathering place. dates to 1905, but is actually the 71. Chapel (1832)—North of merging of two antebellum buildings, New College. The finest building on Ivy Hall (1831) and a wooden library campus at the time of its construc- building, completed in the 1870s on tion, this Greek Revival Temple–style the site of the Presbyterian church building reflects the era when reli- (c. 1820s). At the turn of the 20th gious instruction and mandatory at- century, Charles Strahan, a professor tendance at worship services were of engineering, combined the two old part of everyday student life—even at buildings into a single structure by a public university. For many years, constructing the elegant Corinthian university commencement cere- portico and rooms to fill the space. monies were held here. Today, the Today, the building houses university chapel is most often used for musical offices. In 2001, this building long recitals and weddings. The interior of known as the “Academic Building” was the building contains a beautiful renamed to honor Hamilton Holmes painting of the interior of St. Peter’s and Charlene Hunter, two African- Basilica in Rome, Italy, a gift to the American students who peacefully university from industrialist Daniel integrated the university in 1961. Pratt in 1867. Behind the building is 74. Lumpkin House on “Ag Hill” the chapel bell that once tolled for (1844)—Cedar St. at Brooks Dr., south class changes and worship services; of Sanford Stadium. Before the Civil now it is used to celebrate athletic vic- War, the land south of the university 351 tories and other special occasions. campus was rolling farmland owned by 72. Demosthenian Hall (1824)— Wilson Lumpkin, brother of Joseph North of the Chapel. The Demos- Lumpkin. Wilson was the Georgia thenian Literary Society was founded governor responsible for the tragic in 1803, and this chapter house was removal of the Cherokees on the Trail constructed in 1824. It is one of the of Tears. In 1907, Wilson’s descendants finest remaining buildings from the gave the land and the family home atop early campus, featuring elements of the hill to the university for campus ex- CLASSIC GEORGIA

pansion. One condition of the gift was led campus tours are offered daily that if the family home, known as the (reservations required). Hours: “Rock House,” were ever torn down, 8 A.M.–5 P.M., Mon.–Fri.; 9 A.M.–5 P.M., the land would revert to the Lumpkin Sat.; 1–5 P.M., Sun. (706) 542-0842; family. The 2-story, stone farmhouse, www.uga.edu/uga/visitor_info. surrounded today by classroom and 77. Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall dormitory buildings, has served a va- (1987)—Lumpkin and Pinecrest Sts. riety of purposes including use as a res- The University of Georgia’s rich ath- idence hall, classroom building, and letic history is chronicled in exhibits headquarters for the school of agricul- contained in this hall named in honor ture’s Cooperative Extension Service. It of legendary football coaches Harry now houses university offices. Mehre (1928–37) and Wallace Butts 75. Georgia Museum of Art and (1939–60). Displays include athletic Performing Arts Center (1996)— equipment from the turn of the 20th E. Campus Rd. at Carlton St. The mu- century to the modern day, the seum houses more than 7,000 works Heisman Trophies earned by football in this state-of-the-art, 52,000-sq.-ft. players Frank Sinkwich (1942) and facility with more than 9,000 sq. ft. Herschel Walker (1980), and national of gallery space. There are also class- championship trophies won by the rooms, studios, an auditorium, gift football, baseball, tennis, and women’s shop, and café. Hours: 10 A.M.–5 P.M., gymnastics teams. The hall also con- Tues., Thurs., Fri., Sat.; 10 A.M.–9 P.M., tains offices of the UGA Athletic Wed.; and 1–5 P.M., Sun. (706) 542- Association, coaches’ offices, locker 4662; www.uga.edu/gamuseum. On rooms, and athletic ticket offices. River Rd., just north of the museum, is Hours: 8 A.M.–5 P.M., Mon.–Fri.; the new UGA Performing Arts Center, 2–5 P.M., Sat.–Sun. 706-542- 9036; considered one of the premier theaters www.sports.uga.edu. in the state. The center features two 78. Dan McGill Tennis Complex performance halls: 1,100-seat Hugh (1977, 1984)—Brooks Dr. south of 352 Hodgson Hall and 360-seat Ramsey Butts- Mehre Heritage Hall. Consid- Hall. Information: (888) 289-8497; ered one of the finest collegiate tennis www.uga.edu/pac. facilities in the nation, the complex 76. University Visitors Center— has hosted the NCAA men’s and College Station Rd. just west of GA 10 women’s national championship tour- (Athens Loop Rd.). Housed in the naments many times. An outdoor sta- Four Towers Building, the center of- dium seats 4,500, and the indoor fers maps and information about stadium seats 1,200. Adjacent to the campus facilities and events. Student- courts is the Intercollegiate Tennis Athens and the University of Georgia Campus

Association Hall of Fame, which is owned by the Athens Recreation and open during events at the complex. Parks Department and is used as an Information: (706) 542-8064. arts center featuring the works of 79. Stegman Coliseum (1964, local artists and artisans. Information: renovations 1995)—Carlton St. at (706) 613-3623. Brooks Dr. This 11,000-seat arena is 82. U.S. Navy Supply Corps home to the men’s and women’s bas- School and Museum (1954)— ketball teams and the women’s gym- Oglethorpe and Prince Aves. Before nastics team. The coliseum also served the Civil War, the university proposed as a gymnastics and volleyball venue relocating freshman and sophomore during the 1996 Olympic Games and students to this location, then known has hosted the NCAA gymnastics na- as “Rock College.” Student opposition tional championships. and the war intervened and the plan 80. Church-Waddell-Brumby was dropped. After the war, the orig- House (1820)—280 E. Dougherty St. inal buildings were used for preparing Designed in the Federal style, this Confederate veterans to take college- house was begun by Professor Alonzo level courses. In the late 1800s, the Church, mathematics teacher and, buildings were used for the State later, university president (1829–59). Normal School (a college for women). Before the house was completed, In 1933, the campus, known as the Church sold it to Dr. Moses Waddell, Coordinate College, began housing who was then president of the school freshman and sophomore women at- and who lived here until 1829. It was tending the university. This continued sold to the Brumby family, and in for nearly 20 years, until dormitory 1971, following nearly 140 years of space was provided for women on the ownership by them, the house was main campus. acquired by the Athens–Clarke In 1954 the U.S. Navy Supply Corps County Heritage Foundation and purchased the property for use as a restored for use as the Athens Wel- school. Several original buildings were come Center. Hours: 10 A.M.–5 P.M., demolished and new ones constructed. 353 Mon.–Sat.; and 2–5 P.M., Sun. (706) The oldest remaining structure is 353-1820. NR Winnie Davis Hall (1902) and the 81. Lyndon House Arts Center Carnegie Library (1910) (NR), which (1856)—293 Hoyt St. Built of locally now houses a museum featuring ship made red-clay bricks, this simple model displays, memorabilia, and uni- home was built by Dr. Edward Ware forms. Hours: 9 A.M.–5:15 P.M., Mon.– and later sold to Athens druggist Dr. Fri. (706) 354-7349. Edward Lyndon. Today, the house is CLASSIC GEORGIA C H A P T E R 4 6

Information: (706) 542-1244; State www.uga.edu/botgarden.

Botanical PARKING There are large parking areas Garden of adjacent to the Garden Club of Geor - gia headquarters and by the visitor Georgia center/conservatory complex. There is a small parking area by Day Chapel.

BACKGROUND Nearly two centuries ago tiny Franklin College, located in rolling Piedmont woodlands LOCATION only recently ceded from the Creek The State Botanical Garden is Indians, set aside a portion of its 3 miles south of downtown campus as a garden for the preserva- Athens on S. Mil ledge Ave. It may be tion and study of native plants and reached from Augusta by traveling trees. As the small school grew to be- northwest via I-20 and U.S. 78 come the sprawling campus of the (exit 172), through Washington and University of Georgia, this plot of Lexington to Athens. Travel west on land was lost to development and GA 10 (Athens Bypass), then south long forgotten. on Milledge Ave. to the garden’s en- However, in 1968, the university 354 trance. The botanical garden is about returned, ﬁguratively, to its roots by 75 miles northeast of Atlanta via I-85 setting aside nearly 300 acres of old and GA 316 (exit 106: University farmland and forest along the Middle Pkwy.). From GA 316, travel east on Oconee River as a perpetually pre- GA 10 (Athens Bypass) to Milledge served and strictly maintained botan- Ave. and turn right. The garden’s en- ical oasis. The University of Georgia trance is on the right about a mile Botanical Garden was created so south of the turn. The garden is scholars and scientists could study open daily from 8 A.M. to dusk. the environment and ecology of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia White Trail Orange Trail Other Trails NORTH

South Milledge Ave. 5 P

State Botanical Garden of Georgia

r e

P v

e 2 e P

1 n

4 M

355 of Georgia at the University of Georgia The State Botanical Garden Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 45 - State Botanical Garden 1st proof CLASSIC GEORGIA

Piedmont and conduct botanical re- WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN search on land where human impact In addition to pleasant strolls was carefully controlled. From the be- through the specialty gardens, ginning, the garden’s primary mission the grounds are crisscrossed by a net- has been to collect, preserve, and dis- work of nature trails offering nearly play a rich and diverse collection of 6 miles of wooded paths to explore. native Georgia plants, along with pre- The popular 3.1-mile White Trail be- senting special displays of plants in- gins at the edge of the shade garden troduced to the state from elsewhere, and quickly descends to the river for the dual purposes of scholarly re- bank. It turns northward and follows search and public enjoyment. the waterway for nearly a mile before At the time of the opening of the climbing away to the upland ridges. Conservatory in 1985, the garden’s It descends again to a creek bottom name was changed to the State Botan- where it crosses a small stream several ical Garden of Georgia as a reflection times before ascending on the return, of its broadened purpose. For three past several specialty gardens, to the decades, the garden has benefited visitor center. from the support of Friends of the The 1.5-mile Orange/Purple Trail Garden in close association with the begins behind the Conservatory and Athens-based Garden Club of Georgia near the International Garden. It and its local affiliates. Generous phil- descends southeastward, passing anthropic contributions have helped through an oak/hickory forest before the garden to prosper. Surrounding bearing left at the river (the trail to the visitor center are a number of spe- the right connects with the White cialty gardens created from gifts, and Trail). From that point, it climbs into a serenely beautiful addition is Day a heath bluff forest, an area noted for Chapel, completed in 1994. Today, the rugged rock outcrops along the river’s garden’s exhibit areas, laboratories, re- edge and an abundance of mountain search facilities, classrooms, and li- laurel, before gradually winding 356 brary host conferences and workshops through ravines and small ridges. The for professional scholars as well as path leads past an evolving section of amateur gardeners from across the succession forest before ascending to state and the nation. Whether visitors the large parking area adjacent to the come for an educational event or just Garden Club of Georgia headquar- to wander among the flowers and ters. A small guide book, available at trees, they share a common interest the garden’s gift shop, provides de- in, and love for, Georgia’s rich and tailed information on the plant com- enduring natural beauty. munities found along this trail. State Botanical Garden of Georgia

lunch every day except Monday. 2. The Callaway Building (1975)— The first permanent structure constructed at the gardens, the building houses administrative offices, research facilities, library, conference rooms, classrooms, and a 105-seat audito- Callaway Conservatory rium. The building is The two trails may be combined open 8 A.M.–5 P.M. weekdays and by for a moderately strenuous 5-mile appointment at other times. loop that carries you through the 3. International Garden (1996)— heart of the Piedmont woodland with A landscaped plaza adjacent to the its wide variety of plant and animal visitor center contains 11 botanical life. Throughout the nature trail net- and horticultural collections that work, many trees and plants are la- reflect the origin of selected plants beled for easier identification. and their spread throughout the world. The arrangement of the collec- SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY tions reflects the different eras of 1. The Visitor Center and Western culture’s search for plants. Conservatory (1985)—This For example, the Middle Ages are strikingly modern glass structure, de- represented in the Herb and Physic signed by the firm of Norris, Hall, and Gardens, the Age of Exploration in Marsh, features a large, open atrium gardens of different regions from the 357 as the focal point for the permanent Mediterranean to the Orient, and display of tropical and semitropical the Age of Conservation in such dis- plants. It also houses a reception area, plays as American Indian Plants, a gift shop, classrooms, theater, confer- Bog Garden, and Threatened and ence areas, and the Garden Room Endangered Plants. Café. The center is open 9 A.M.– 4. Specialty Gardens. The fol- 4:30 P.M., Tues.–Sat.; and 11:30 A.M.– lowing specialty gardens are located 4:30 P.M., Sun. The café is open for near the visitor center: CLASSIC GEORGIA

A. Shade Garden—Seven sections G. Trial Garden—Here researchers honor the districts of the Garden plant a variety of trees and shrubs Club of Georgia. A notable feature of to evaluate their adaptability to the the Shade Garden is the John Kehoe south eastern soil and climate as either sculpture, La Grazia Dello Stelo (The landscape plants or food crops. Plants Graceful Stem), at the center of are kept here up to seven years before Mathis Plaza. they are considered for transplanta- B. Native Flora Garden—This tion or removal. garden is home to many species H. Groundcover Garden—From common to the Piedmont woodlands, vinca and ivy to junipers and liriope, including fiddlehead fern, trillium, this area is used to evaluate the suit- bloodroot, and lady slipper. ability of different groundcover plants C. Rose Garden—The Elizabeth to the southeast. Bradley Turner Rose Garden was one I. Native Azalea Garden—Native of the first developed. Prominent azalea species are abundant in the among the many colorful species here southeast, and this colorful collection is the Cherokee Rose, Georgia’s Offi- of flame azaleas, pinxterbloom aza- cial State Flower. leas, and the rare plumleaf azalea, is D. Annual-Perennial Garden— dedicated to author Fred C. Galle. A brilliant palette of color in summer, 5. Day Chapel (1994)—The this garden is alive with bees and birds exquisite, small Cecil B. Day Chapel, when the many species of flowers are designed by Smith Dalia Architects, in bloom. The All-America Selections appears to spring from the surround - Display Garden is located here, as is ing forest. The stone foundation- the Children’s Garden where classes blocks were preserved from the are held throughout the year. original paving used along Atlanta’s E. Rhododendron Garden— Decatur St. shortly after the Civil War Especially associated with colorful and were a gift to the chapel project, mountain ridges and summits, the while the cypress and pine exterior 358 rhododendron blossoms turn this seems to blend with the trees. If the garden, a gift from the Athens Garden chapel is open, step inside to view the Club, into a sea of white, pink, and magnificent sanctuary doors, carved red in the late spring. from dogwood and cherry panels. F. Dahlia Garden—Established The chapel is used for special events, in 1987 as a memorial to Elizabeth recitals, and weddings. It is open to Faust, the garden is a blaze of yellow the public on Thursdays, 12–2 P.M. and orange from early summer until fall’s first frost. CLASSIC GEORGIA C H A P T E R 4 7

BACKGROUND Madison Considered one of the best- preserved antebellum communities in Georgia, Madison retains much of the pastoral beauty that prompted traveler George White to write in his journal in 1845 that it was “the most cultured and aristocratic town on the stage coach route from Charleston to New Orleans.” Almost 20 years later, a writer for Harpers Weekly traveling with Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s invading Union Army, described Madison as “the LOCATION most picturesque town in Georgia.” The historic community of Mad - The seat of Morgan County, ison is located about 100 miles Madison sits on lands ceded to the west of Augusta via I-20 and U.S. 129/ state by the Creek Nation in 1802. 441 (exit 114). The central business Indian “problems” slowed emigration district is about 2 miles north of the until 1809, when plans for a perma- interstate. To reach Madison from nent community were drawn up. Atlanta, travel about 60 miles east of Within a short time, settlers came to the city via I-20 to U.S. 129/441, then the area from Virginia, the Carolinas, follow the directions above. The walk and southern Georgia and, with a begins on the town square. Informa- sense of national pride, named their 359 tion: Madison– Morgan County new town for the country’s president, Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) James Madison. 709-7406; www.tourmadison.com. The site had been chosen for its proximity to the fresh water of “Round PARKING Bowl” Springs (located near Calvary Curbside parking is available Baptist Church on Academy St.), and throughout the downtown business the town was laid out in a series of district and along several side streets. squares. Inns and taverns were built, CLASSIC GEORGIA

and soon Madison was a regular stop It is more likely that prominent Mad - on the stage route from the coast to isonian Joshua Hill, an antisecession - the interior. For most of its early his- ist and former U.S. congressman, tory, the community was the economic implored Sherman to save the town. and cultural center for the surround - While in Congress, Hill had befriended ing cotton plantations, and many Sen. John Sherman, the general’s older planters built fine town homes in the brother. This relationship may have town. Here they could oversee their truly spared Madison. In 1868, Hill business affairs, entertain, and educate returned to Congress as a U.S. senator. their children in one of the several pri- The war had other, long-term dev- vate, church-sponsored, male and fe- astating effects for this area as it did male academies. For sons who chose to throughout the region. The slave-based further their education, the new state economy was dismantled, and many of university was nearby in Athens. the men who fought never returned. The 1840s signaled the coming of To compound the town’s misery, in the railroad, and Morgan County 1869 a fire swept through the heart of cotton was shipped by rail to Augusta town, destroying many of the buildings and loaded on barges for the river trip that had survived the war. to the port at Savannah. From there it New agricultural techniques helped was carried to mills in New England reestablish cotton farming, and by the and abroad. turn of the century, Madison was The concentration of wealth in again thriving. New, Victorian-style Madison produced lavish homes homes were built, and grand hotels lining the tree-shaded streets, from constructed for businessmen and va- the Federal-style houses popular in cationers. The prosperity lasted until the 1820s–30s to the stately Greek Re- the 1920s, when the cotton boll weevil vival mansions more typical of the ruined much of the region’s agricul- 1840s–50s. During the Civil War, tural economy. To many across the Madison lay directly in the path of South, the blight ultimately proved to 360 Sherman’s March to the Sea. Although be a blessing as it forced farmers to many of the town’s commercial and diversify to other crops and products governmental buildings were looted beside cotton. For many Morgan and burned, much of the residential County families, the years before area was spared. World War II saw a major shift to A popular myth maintains that dairy farming, which significantly Gen. Sherman once courted a young helped to restore the local economy. lady from Madison and that he spared Proud of their colorful history as the town in deference to her memory. “The Town Sherman Refused to Madison Madison

361 CLASSIC GEORGIA

Burn,” Madisonians have supported “Editors’ Walk,” a small garden adja- preservation and restoration of many cent to the building. local homes and buildings. Only a few 3. Morgan County Courthouse hundred visitors came to the town’s (1905)—Hancock and E. Jefferson Sts. first annual tour of homes in 1951, Once featured in Life magazine, this but thousands now come each year to building is an excellent example of enjoy the architecture and cultural Beaux Arts Classical architecture. The events and savor the charm of small- building’s grand portico and tower town life in the Old South. are unusually situated diagonally across from the town square. Hours: WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN 9 A.M.–5 P.M., Mon.–Fri. The 3.3-mile loop from the 4. Rogers House and Rose Cottage Welcome Center follows rolling, (c. 1810)—179 E. Jefferson St. This tree-shaded streets. There are side- Plantation Plain–style home was built walks along Main St. (U.S. 129/441) by Reuben Rogers, one of the earliest and on some of the side streets. settlers in Morgan County. The house was purchased by Thomas Norris in SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY 1817. He lived there with his wife and 1. Madison–Morgan County 9 children for a year before he died. Chamber of Commerce and The family remained in the house, Welcome Center (c. 1887)—115 E. and the 1820 census showed that 18 Jefferson St. Originally constructed to people were living in the small house. serve as Madison’s City Hall and volun- The house has been restored by the teer fire station, this 2-story brick City of Madison as it appeared in the building was acquired by the chamber 1870s. Adjacent to the house is Rose of commerce in 1989 and restored as Cottage, a simple cabin once owned chamber offices and visitor center. The by Adeline Rose, a former slave who original fire bell has even been returned earned a living by taking in laundry. to the rooftop cupola. Hours: 8:30 Both houses are open to the public. 362 A.M.–5 P.M., Mon.–Fri.; 10 A.M.–5 P.M., Hours: 10 A.M.–4:30 P.M., Mon.–Sat.; Sat.; 1–4 P.M., Sun. (800) 709-7406. 1:30–4:30 P.M., Sun. 2. Offices of the Madisonian 5. Richter-Dovecoat House (1872)—131 E. Jefferson St. Designed (1840)—201 S. Main St. Built as a in the Federal style, this building has simple, frame cottage by Martin served a variety of purposes. The Richter, the building was extensively Madisonian weekly newspaper, expanded and remodeled in the founded in 1840, has occupied the Victorian style in the 1880s. In recent building since 1967. Pause to enjoy years it was adapted for use as a bank. Madison

6. Heritage Hall (c. 1835)—277 stained-glass windows crafted by S. Main St. Built by local physician Dr. Louis Comfort Tiffany. The Rev. Elijah Jones, the home later served for Samuel Axson, whose daughter Ellen many years as an inn. The house was was the first wife of Pres. Woodrow moved to its present location in 1914 Wilson, was once pastor here. to make room for the Methodist 10. Atkinson-Rhodes House Church. Considered a superb example (1893)—408 S. Main St. Originally a of Greek Revival architecture, the small Victorian cottage, the home has house museum, decorated with au- been expanded numerous times. thentic period furniture, is now head- 11. Foster-Turnbull-Truett House quarters for the Morgan County His- (1830)—390 Johnson St. Built by torical Society. It is reputed to be Nathan Foster, the house was moved to haunted. Hours: 10 A.M.– its present location in the late 1800s to 4:30 P.M., Mon.–Sat.; 1:30–4:30 P.M., make way for the grade school (now Sun. (706) 342-9627. the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center). 7. Madison Baptist Church 12. Madison-Morgan Cultural (1858)—328 S. Main St. Built with Center (1895)—434 S. Main St. bricks made by slaves on the planta- This red-brick, Romanesque Revival tion of John Walker, the church still building with a central bell tower has its original windows, pews, and served for more than 60 years as the slave gallery. According to local histo- local schoolhouse, one of the first rians, Union troops stabled their graded schools in the South. In 1976, horses in the basement. the adaptively restored building 8. The Magnolias House (1860)— reopened as a cultural center. It has 356 S. Main St. Built by a local dentist received several preservation awards who maintained his office in an and is now home to the Piedmont upstairs room, the home was remod- History Museum, an art gallery eled in the Queen Anne style in the and studios, and a theater. Hours: 1880s. Renovations unearthed a trap- 10 A.M.–4:30 P.M., Tues.–Sat.; 2–5 P.M., door leading to a tunnel that ran Sun., (706) 342-4743; www. 363 toward the Presbyterian Church. madisonmorgancultural.org. Some believe the secret passage may 13. Baldwin-Wiliford-Ruffin have been part of the Underground House (c. 1840)—472 S. Main St. Railroad. This is the original, and only remain - 9. Madison Presbyterian Church ing, building of the Georgia Female (1842)—383 S. Main St. Built in the College founded in 1849. The Greek style of an old English church, the Revival–style house once served as the church is noted for its beautiful academy president’s home. CLASSIC GEORGIA

14. Porter-Wade-Fitzpatrick-Kelly 19. Cornelius Vason House House (c. 1850)—507 S. Main St. In (1800)—549 Old Post Rd. One of the late 1800s, the house’s second Madison’s oldest buildings, the house owner, Henry Fitzpatrick, reoriented was built by Vason to serve as an inn the structure to face Main St. and had along the Charleston–New Orleans it extensively remodeled in the Neo- stage road. The gardens surrounding classical style. the house were planted by Vason. 15. Thomason-Miller House 20. LaFlora (1895)—601 Old Post (c. 1871)—498 S. Main St. Con- Rd. This large, wood-frame Victorian structed as a simple farmhouse on the house was built for A. K. Bell. site of the Georgia Female College’s 21. LeSeur-Meacham House classroom building, the house was (1830s)—637 S. Main St. This resi- purchased and redesigned by Robert dence is a remarkably well-preserved Thomason in 1877. The structure, antebellum cottage. noted for its superb interior wood- 22. Hunter House (1883)—580 S. work, has received several preserva- Main St. Considered one of the finest tion awards. examples of high Victorian architec- 16. Stokes-McHenry House ture in Georgia, the home is noted for (c. 1820)—458 Old Post Rd. Once the ornate “gingerbread” trim on its known as “Rose Hill,” the house illus- arched front porch. It is a favorite trates a transition in architecture with subject of photographers. features from both the Federal and 23. Holland-Tipton-Turbyville Greek Revival styles. The only casualty House (1848)—808 S. Main St. This of the fighting around Madison house, an excellent example of a during the Civil War died in a Greek Revival–style cottage, was the makeshift hospital located in the first built on “the hill” south of down- house. town Madison. A stone in the house’s 17. Broughton-Sanders House foundation has “1848” carved in it. (1850)—411 Old Post Rd. Situated 24. “Honeymoon” (1851)— 364 between Old Post Rd. and Academy 928 Eatonton Rd. This large Greek St., this Greek Revival house with Vic- Revival–style house was built by the torian influences was constructed by Rev. Charles Irvin, a Baptist minister W. H. Broughton. It still features the and political leader in antebellum original boxwood gardens. Georgia. The origin of the house’s 18. Joshua Hill House (1830s)— name is unknown. 485 Old Post Rd. During the Civil 25. Bonar Hall (1832)—1000 Dixie War, this Greek Revival–style house Ave. Built by John Walker, this resi- was the home of Joshua Hill. dence is considered one of the finest Madison

Georgian-style houses in the state. 31. Edward Walker House The building is flanked by a brick (1838)—484 Academy St. Built by teahouse, orangery, and kitchen. The Walker as a town house where his ornate porches were added to the family could enjoy the educational house in 1880. and social opportunities in Madison, 26. Thurleston (1800)—847 Dixie the Piedmont Plain–style home was Ave. Originally built by the Walker identical to the main house of his family as a plantation house, the plantation, Walker Rest, which still building was moved to this large lot in stands in rural Morgan County. 1818. A subsequent owner, Dr. Elijah 32. Holly Hall (1830s)— Jones (see #6), remodeled the house 434 Academy St. This attractive Fed- and added the front rooms in 1848. eral-style house with some Victorian The building, situated at the end of a modifications, may, local historians long drive, embodies the stereotypical believe, have housed the nation’s first image of an Old South plantation. kindergarten. 27. Stokes-Barnett House 33. Episcopal Church of the (1830)—752 Dixie Ave. This house is Advent (1842)—338 Academy St. an excellent example of the Raised Built by the Methodists, the church Cottage style popular at the time of its was sold to the Episcopalians in 1960. construction. Interior features of this simple Gothic 28. Trammell House (1898)— Revival building include 200-year-old 617 Dixie Ave. Known by locals as chandeliers and the original slave “Oak House,” this large Greek Revival gallery. structure incorporates the kitchen of a 34. Lakis (1840s)—382 Porter St. house (c. 1800) that burned in 1890. Built as a simple 2-room cottage, the 29. Godfrey House (1850s)— building has undergone several ex- 568 Academy St. This antebellum pansions. Note the walkway built of house was built by Dr. J. E. Godfrey old millstones. and extensively remodeled by his 35. Barrow House (1840)— granddaughter in 1915. 420 Porter St. This house is an excel- 365 30. Carter-Newton House lent example of a New Orleans–style (1849)—530 Academy St. Built on Raised Cottage. Local records show the site of the Madison Male Acad - that the house served as a hospital emy, where future Confederate vice- during the Civil War. president Alexander Stephens once 36. Episcopal Parsonage (c. 1842) taught, this is a well-preserved Greek —338 Academy St. Believed to have Revival–style structure surrounded by been built as part of the Madison luxuriant gardens. Female Institute, the structure was CLASSIC GEORGIA

gardens that surround the house. An enduring reminder of the Union occupation of Madison in 1864 is the name of a Fed- eral soldier etched in the glass by the main door facing Old Post Rd. 38. Foster-Boswell House (1818, 1840)—292 Academy St. Astonishingly, this large house began as a 2-room cabin. Major additions were made by Judge Frederick Foster in 1840. The house was remodeled in the Victorian style in the 1880s. 39. Cooke House (1819)—287 Academy St. Another of Madison’s older homes, this frame house features characteristics of the Roman Classical and Gardens at Boxwood Greek Revival styles. 40. Madison Cemetery converted to a private residence in (1800s)—Central Ave. and Academy the 1870s. It was acquired by the St. The city’s oldest burial ground Episcopal Church as a parsonage and contains the graves of many pioneer 366 extensively remodeled in 1967. citizens and a number of excellent 37. Boxwood (1851)—375 Acad - examples of 19th-century funerary art. emy St. This unusual home, with char - 41. Calvary Baptist Church acteristics of both the Georgian and (c. 1873)—324 Academy St. Origi- Italianate styles, is considered one nally this was the site of a Baptist of the finest antebellum houses in church founded in 1833. After the Georgia. It draws its name from the Civil War, the property was acquired elaborate 150-year-old boxwood Madison for $400 from the Freedman’s Bureau Foster Hall. It now houses retail by a congregation of newly freed shops. slaves. Church members made the 47. Martin-Weaver-Baldwin bricks on the grounds and con- House (1850)—488 N. Main St. Built structed the present building. by Felix Martin, the house was later 42. Morgan County African- owned by Judge H. W. Baldwin, secre- American History Museum (c. 1895) tary to Confederate vice president —156 Academy St. Located in a frame Alexander Stephens. It is considered house built by African-American one of the finest antebellum homes in tradesman Horace Moore, the house Georgia. was moved to its present location near 48. Hill Top (1833)—543 N. Main Round Bowl Spring and opened as a St. This attractive Georgian-style museum in 1993. Exhibits trace the house, situated on a small hill north heritage of African Americans in the of the square, was built by Samuel county from slavery to the present Shields. day. Hours: 10 A.M.–4 P.M., Tues.–Fri.; 49. Jeptha Vining Harris House 12–4 P.M., Sat. (706) 342-9191. (1850)—611 N. Main St. Considered 43. Old Livery Stable (c. 1860s)— a fine example of the Greek Revival 174 W. Washington St. For many years Cottage style, the house is featured in this was Reid’s Stables. It was later the book The Early Architecture of adapted for use as a hardware store. Georgia. 44. Vason Building (c. 1870)— 217 S. Main St. One of the first com- NOTES mercial buildings erected after the devastating 1869 fire, the structure is still owned by the family and has been restored. 45. Fitzpatrick Building (c. 1870) —155 S. Main St. Now a medical office, this building served for many 367 years as Fitzpatrick’s Hardware. 46. Foster-Baldwin Building (c. 1870)—133-137 S. Main St. Built by Judge Foster, the building housed retail stores on the ground floor and lawyers’ offices upstairs. It also contained a public auditorium called CLASSIC GEORGIA

CLASSIC GEORGIA ANNUAL EVENTS

January u Independence Day on the Lawn u Greenhouse Tours (State Botanical (Madison) Garden of Georgia) u Southern National Riverboat Races March (Augusta) u St. Patrick’s Day Celebration u AthFest (Athens) (Augusta) u Arts Festival (Madison) u International Rowing Regatta u Independence Day Celebration (Augusta) (Washington) u Spring Wildﬂower Ramble September (State Botanical Garden u Arts in the Heart of Augusta of Georgia) October April u Mule Day (Washington) u Masters Golf Tournament u North Georgia Folk Music and (Augusta) Harvest Festival (Athens) u Canal Cruise and Cook-Out u Olde Madison Days Harvest (Augusta Canal) Festival (Madison) u Spring Tour of Homes November (Washington, Athens) u Festival of Lights (Augusta) u Earth Day Festival (Athens) u Candlelight Holiday Open House u Rainforest Adventure (Washington) (State Botanical Garden u Christmas in Athens (Athens) of Georgia) December u Twilight Festival and Criterium u Jaycees Christmas Parade (Augusta) (Athens) u Christmas at Sacred Heart u International Street Festival and (Augusta) Brewfest (Athens) u Christmas Tour of Homes May (Washington, Madison) 368 u The Great Savannah u Christmas Parade (Athens) Rubber Duck Race (Augusta) u Classic Christmas Weekend (Athens) u Riverwalk Bluegrass Festival u First Night Celebration (Athens) (Augusta) u Holiday Open House (State u Spring Tour of Homes (Madison) Botanical Garden of Georgia) u Hot Corner Celebration (Athens) u Christmas Parade (Madison) June u Christmas at Callaway Plantation u AthFest (Athens) (Washington) July u Star Spangled Classic (Athens) A carriage ride past the Moss “cottage,” a former retreat of one of the millionaires who came to Jekyll Island in the early 1900s

A working commercial fishing boat at the dock in Brunswick The ornate fountain in Savannah’s Forsyth Park

Ruins of Dungeness, Thomas Carnegie’s mansion, on Cumberland Island H I S T O R I C COAST

Georgia’s barrier islands, tidal rivers, and marshlands offer visitors a glimpse of extraordinary natural beauty and rich human history. Modern-day tourists flock to beachfront resorts that line the Georgia coast, retracing the paths taken by the state’s earliest inhabitants nearly 12,000 years ago. For many centuries, native people, called the Guale (pronounced wähl’-eh), lived and fished along this scenic coast. Their first contacts with Europeans were encounters with explorers like the Frenchman Jean Ribaut and Spaniard Pedro Menendez de Avilles in the 1560s. A few decades later, Spanish priests accompanied by soldiers traveled north from Florida and established missions along the Georgia coast in an effort to convert the natives to Christianity. After a century of nearly fruitless effort, combined with heightened tensions with the English in the Carolinas, the Spaniards abandoned the missions and returned to Florida. Fearful of future conflicts with Spain, England’s King George II granted a charter to Gen. James Oglethorpe to establish the Colony of Georgia along the coast south of the Carolinas. In February 1733, Oglethorpe led the first party of settlers to a site a few miles up the Savannah River from the Atlantic Ocean and claimed the land in the name of the British crown. As the colony grew and prospered over the next four decades, the small wilderness village of Savannah became a major regional trade port for timber, naval stores, tobacco, and other goods shipped from the colonies back to Britain. By the 1770s, British fears of conflict with the Spanish were vastly outweighed by unrest among their own colonists, angry about unfair taxation and lack of fair representation in Parliament. Concerns turned to bloodshed and revolution in 1775, and Georgia found itself embroiled in internecine warfare where allegiance to the patriot and loyalist causes often bitterly divided friends and families. While Britain captured and firmly held Savannah for much of the war, Patriot supporters in the area carried out a vicious guerrilla war against the British. After American victory in 1781, the borders of the new State of Georgia pushed unrelentingly westward. In the early 1790s, on a plantation near Savannah, Eli Whitney perfected the cotton gin (engine) and revolutionized the harvesting of this valuable crop that grew well in Georgia’s climate. Within a few years, cotton became the staple crop grown on vast plantations across the state and the rest of the Deep South. Cotton brought enormous wealth to planters, but misery to the tens of thousands of African slaves forced to plant and harvest it. Coastal plantation owners raised cotton on the uplands and rice in marshes that had been drained and dammed. Evidence of these century-and-a-half-old fields may still be seen in the Melon Bluff Natural Heritage Preserve east of Midway. Much of the highly prized Sea Island cotton grown along the coast and inland passed through Savannah, turning the city into one of the world’s leading seaports. The Southern Confederacy’s defeat in the Civil War ended the slavery-based plantation economy, and coastal communities sought new ways to rebuild and restore their livelihoods. For some, tourism became the answer. Resorts developed to cater to wealthy Northern visitors such as the Pulitzers and the Rockefellers, who came to escape harsh winters amid lush, semitropical splendor. Tourism remains strong, while agriculture has continued to be important, with cotton rising and falling in profitability through the years and the development of timber and other crops. Shipping and commercial fishing, of course, have always been significant economic factors, with their attendant business activities. Visitors are drawn to the state’s seaboard for commerce and for recreation. Few go away untouched by the sheer esthetic experience of Georgia’s hauntingly beautiful coast. HISTORIC COAST C H A P T E R 4 8

parking is difﬁcult to ﬁnd. Parking is Savannah available at the visitor center on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and in commercial lots located throughout the historic district.

BACKGROUND On the cold morning of February 12, 1733, several small boats put ashore at the foot of Yamacraw Bluff. For the weary but ex- cited passengers, the landing marked the end of a long and difﬁcult ocean voyage to begin a new life in the LOCATION North American wilderness. Savannah is located on the Led by Gen. James Edward Ogle - Savannah River about 15 miles thorpe, 40 families, 110 passengers in inland from the Atlantic Ocean. The all, had set out from Graves end, Eng- city is about 10 miles east of the inter- land, four months earlier in the small section of I-95 and I-16. The two merchant ship, HMS Ann. After cross - walks described here encompass the ing the stormy Atlantic Ocean, the northern and southern portions of party had paused brieﬂy in Charles the Savannah National Historic Dis- Town (Charleston) and Beaufort, S.C. trict, one of the largest in the nation. In the latter port, they transferred to Both walks begin at the Savannah vis- smaller boats to navigate 15 miles up- 373 itor center on Martin Luther King Jr. river from the ocean to the chosen site Blvd. Information: Savannah Conven- for their new settlement. Oglethorpe tion and Visitors Bureau, (877) 728- named the new colony “Georgia” in 2662; www.savcvb.com. honor of his sovereign, King George II. At the time of its founding, PARKING Georgia was the southernmost British Many of Savannah’s downtown colony in North America. It was char- streets are narrow, and curbside tered by Parliament and governed by a HISTORIC COAST

board of trustees for two clear pur- clearing the land, laying out roads, poses. First, it was to serve as a buffer and building houses. They were pri- between Britain’s other colonies and marily shopkeepers and tradesmen, their hated rivals, the Spanish, who plus debtors who chose life in the controlled Florida to the south; primitive colony over years in prison. second, the colonists were to cultivate Joining this group were small gar- the vast natural resources of the risons of military troops posted at wilderness, seeking new opportunities Savannah and in wooden forts con- for trade. structed upriver at Augusta and along With the assistance of Mary Mus- the coast at Sunbury, Darien, Fred- grove, a half-English princess of the erica, and elsewhere. Creek Nation, Oglethorpe negotiated The isolation, along with the con- for land with Tomo-chi-chi, chief of stant threat of conflict with the the Yamacraw Tribe of Creeks. Choos - Span ish in Florida or the French in ing a site well situated on a plain above Louis iana, made life in the colony ar- the river, Oglethorpe laid out the vil- duous and recruitment of new settlers lage of “Savannah” in a distinctive grid difficult. Nonetheless, hundreds came. pattern featuring large squares to be Some sought civil freedom and new set aside as marketplaces and com- opportunities, while others, like the mons. Just beyond the town walls Moravians, Jews, Salzburgers, Catho - (Savannah was a walled city until lics, and Anglicans, journeyed to 1790), settlers would have 5-acre lots Geor gia in hopes of escaping religious for vegetable gardens, while 45-acre persecution. Almost from the begin- farms would be created for large-scale ning, the colony was closely linked agricultural production. with the practice of Methodism, which The trustees had grand plans for eventually separated from the Church the colony. They imported mulberry of England and became a new denom- trees for breeding silk worms, and ination. The Rev. John Wesley, an An- they had vineyards planted in the glican priest, was sent to Georgia by 374 hopes of producing wine. They also the trustees in 1736 to serve as a mis- planned to tap the colony’s seemingly sionary, and his brother Charles, the endless forests for naval stores (tur- great hymn composer, came as Gen. pentine and timber) to export back to Oglethorpe’s secretary. They remained England. in the colony less than two years, Ironically, few of the early settlers leaving after several disappointing per- had the skills needed to develop the sonal experiences, but not before industries envisioned by the trustees, firmly establishing Methodism’s roots or even to carry out the basic tasks of in the new land. Savannah 13

15 NORTH Broad E.

16 Houston 17 18

W. River 12

19 20 Price 35 Savannah: 11 21

r Near the River

i R Habersham 36 h 33

a 34 11 n

Savannah—Near the River

37 n E. Bryan E. Congress Lincoln

a E. Bay E. Bay Ln. v

a E. State E. Broughton

E. Factors Walk 22 S 38 E. President39

32 11 40 Abercorn 42 23 41 E. York 10 24 E. Oglethorpe 9

E. York Ln. E. Perry Ln. 25

8 E. Liberty 7

43 26

Drayton 44

31 Bull 45 48 30 47 46 29

W. Broughton Whitaker

6 Barnard 49 6 6

28 27 5 Jefferson

4 375 Montgomery 3

W. Liberty ..Kn Jr. King M.L. 1 2 Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 47a - Savannah 1st proof HISTORIC COAST

Oglethorpe took pride in the good many more acres of the Indians’ an- relations he had fostered with Tomo- cestral lands. chi-chi and the Yamacraw. In 1734, Although the colony’s population the chief sailed to Britain with Ogle - remained small, Savannah slowly grew thorpe to be presented to the king and in importance as an export center. his royal court. Tomo-chi-chi and The primary products were not those Oglethorpe developed such a strong originally planned by the trustees (silk bond of trust and friendship that the and wine), but rice and cotton, which chief, when lying on his deathbed in could be more easily grown in 1739, asked to be buried in the heart Georgia’s climate. of Savannah. As the years went by, Britain’s Georgia’s growth caused alarm American colonies grew more self- among the Spanish who saw the new reliant and less willing to passively English colony as a direct threat to accept the dictates of a government their territorial claims. In 1739, Ogle - 3,000 miles and a long sea voyage thorpe launched a preemptive attack away. In the 1760s and 70s, in Savan - on northern Florida that ended in dis- nah as well as in Charleston, Philadel- aster. The Spanish retaliated with an phia, New York, and Boston, serious invasion of Georgia in the summer talk grew of armed rebellion against of 1742. Spanish soldiers, marching the crown. across St. Simons Island, were am- A group of young men in Savan - bushed and routed by Scottish High- nah, calling themselves the “Liberty landers in the Battle of Bloody Marsh. Boys” and led by Noble Jones, Joseph The Spaniards retreated back to Habersham, and Edward Telfair, Florida and never again seriously began organizing resistance and cor- threatened the colony. responding with similar groups While some colonial threats di min - throughout the colonies, including ished, the settlers’ need for more land the “Sons of Liberty” in Massachu- led to increased conflicts with the setts. When word reached the Liberty 376 Creek in southern and central Georgia Boys of the British attack on colonists and the Cherokee in the northern part at Lexington and Concord in April of the colony. Tensions boiled over 1775, they broke into the Savannah into war with an attempt by several powder magazine and smuggled tribes to destroy Savannah in 1749. A 5,000 pounds of munitions to Boston, combined force of British regulars and hidden in a shipment of rice. local militia drove the warriors back As word of the rebellion in the deeper into the wilderness, and the North spread, irreconcilable divi- colonial government laid claim to sions developed between patriots and

Savannah

Price NORTH Habersham

Savannah—Uptown Savannah Lincoln 61 60 62

E. Hull

E. Perry 63 59

E. McDonough E. Perry Ln. Abercorn E. Liberty 58 57

E. Liberty Ln. 64

E. Jones

E. Harris

E. Charlton Ln. E. Macon Drayton E. Jones Ln.

E. Charlton 65 50

E. Gordon Ln. E. Gaston

E. Taylor E. Wayne

56 E. Gordon 51

69 Bull 66 52 53 71 67 68 70 74 73

75 54 Whitaker 55

76 Bernard 72

Tattnall

Jefferson 377

Montgomery ..igJr. M.L.King Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 47b - Savannah 1st proof HISTORIC COAST

loyalists. In July 1775, Georgia’s royal For nearly nine months, Savannah governor, James Wright, unsuccess- remained under firm British control. fully attempted to convene the colo- Then, in September 1779, Continental nial assembly, while more than 100 troops, with the support of French delegates attended a provincial con- warships anchored off Tybee Island gress called by the patriots at and more than 4,000 French soldiers, Tondee’s Tavern in Savannah. laid siege to the city. By the time the Patriot forces wrested control of patriots began their bombardment of colonial government from Gov. Wright the city several days later, Savannah and placed him under house arrest. In was well provisioned and strongly for- January 1776, with the help of loyalists, tified. After two weeks of shelling, the he escaped to Tybee Island and boarded combined French and American forces a British warship bound for England. attacked the British lines. In a furious That spring, the provincial congress battle that lasted less than an hour, the appointed three delegates to attend the patriots were hurled back with heavy upcoming Continental Congress in casualties. Among their dead was the Philadelphia. The three men, Lyman highly respected and dashing Polish Hall, George Walton, and Button Gwin- cavalry officer, Comte Casimir Pulaski. nett, assured their place in American Savannah would remain firmly in history when, on July 2, 1776, they af- British hands until Lord Cornwallis’s fixed their names to the Declaration of surrender at Yorktown and the with- Independence. The historic document drawal of English troops from the was read to a cheering crowd assembled former colonies in 1781. in Johnson Square on August 10, 1776. Following the Revolution, the seat A new state of Georgia was declared the of government remained in Augusta, following February, officially separating but Savannah retained its importance the colony from England. as a trade port. This role took on a British troops stationed in South dramatic new dimension when Eli Carolina paid no heed to Georgia’s Whitney, a teacher and inventor, built 378 newly declared independence and, in the first cotton gin at Mulberry Plan- December 1778, launched an attack tation outside Savannah in 1793. Al- against Savannah. The seasoned most overnight, the machine made force of nearly 2,500 British regulars large-scale cotton production both overwhelmed the city’s badly out- practical and highly profitable. numbered and poorly trained de- As Savannah became a major port fenders. Savannah fell and the state’s for the export of cotton, it also be- government fled up the Savannah came a major gateway through which River to Augusta. thousands of slaves passed on their Savannah way to years of unrelenting toil in on February 12, 1833, as thousands of Georgia’s vast cotton fields. Even after citizens turned out to toast the city’s the importation of slaves was out- Centennial. lawed in the early 1800s, Savannah As settlers forced the Indians west and the islands along the Georgia and pushed deeper into Georgia’s in- coast became havens for smugglers terior, the state’s first railroad, the bringing in more slaves. (The practice Central of Georgia, was planned to continued until the last slave ship, The connect Savannah with inland agri- Wanderer, was caught in 1861.) cultural centers. Work began on the In 1819, Pres. James Monroe vis- project in 1834, and the line reached ited Savannah and took a short trip Macon in 1843. It connected to the on a newly developed vessel, the small rail hub of Marthasville (soon steamship Savannah, built by Robert to become Atlanta) in 1846, and Fulton. A short time later, Fulton’s branched westward and northward ship made its first trans-Atlantic from there. By 1860, Georgia had crossing, signaling the close of the era more than 1,200 miles of rails of the great sailing ships. Celebration linking cities and towns across the of this accomplishment was short- state with the expanding transporta- lived as the year 1820 bought dual tion hub of Atlanta and the seaport catastrophes to Savannah. First, a of Savannah. massive fire consumed nearly all of In 1855, visiting British writer the old city from Broughton to Bay William Makepeace Thackery de- Streets. This was followed, a short scribed Savannah as “a tranquil old time later, by a deadly yellow fever city, wide-streeted, tree-planted, with epidemic that killed nearly 700 people a few cows and carriages . . . a red and forced most of the 7,000 sur- river with a tranquil little fleet of mer- vivors to flee, leaving Savannah a vir- chantmen . . . no tearing northern tual ghost town. hustle, no ceaseless hotel racket, no As the danger passed, residents re- crowds. . . .” This picture of quiet turned to pick up the pieces of their tranquility would soon be shattered 379 lives and rebuild the city. Before long, by the Civil War. Savannah was again vibrant and Following South Carolina’s exit bustling. In 1825, the visiting Marquis from the Union in December 1860, de Lafayette, on a tour of the U.S. Georgia’s governor, Joseph E. Brown, commemorating the 50th anniversary moved to seize Ft. Pulaski, situated on of his service in the Revolution, was Cockspur Island near the mouth of the feted at grand parties held in the city. Savannah River. A force of volunteers An even larger celebration took place from Savannah’s militia units sailed HISTORIC COAST

downriver to the fort and easily took it While they remained far from the from the small detachment of soldiers fighting, for more than two years stationed inside. This undertaking was Savannahians lived uneasily with their especially risky because Georgia would port closed and Union troops nearby. not secede until January 16, 1861. In May 1864, Maj. Gen. William T. In February 1861, Federal troops Sherman and his army of more than set up an artillery battery at Venus 100,000 men left Chattanooga with Point between Savannah and Ft. Pu- their avowed goal to destroy the rail- laski. This cut off the fort from the road hub of Atlanta and capture city, and a tense waiting game began. Savannah. Sherman firmly believed War became a grim reality when Con- that his March to the Sea would cut federate artillery bombarded Ft. the Confederacy in half and bring an Sumter, in Charleston harbor, on end to the war. April 12, 1861. Following a summer of vicious Soon after the opening battle, Pres. fighting, Atlanta fell in September Abraham Lincoln established a naval 1864. Milledgeville followed in No- blockade of Southern ports, and Fed- vember. Sherman’s troops cut a eral troops fortified artillery positions 60-mile-wide path of destruction on Tybee Island, beyond the reach of through the central part of the state Ft. Pulaski’s aging cannons. In March as they pushed toward the coast. On 1862, the Union soldiers brought in December 11, 1864, Union troops new rifled cannons and began a bom- were within sight of Savannah, and bardment of the brick fortress. For a within a few days, Sherman had the month, the Rebel defenders watched city surrounded. helplessly as the high-velocity shells Resistance was futile, and the fired by the new guns tore away huge Confederates decided to build a plank sections of the fort’s masonry walls. bridge across the Savannah River Finally, a shell explosion near the to Hutchison Island, S.C., as an emer- powder magazine convinced the gency escape route for the 9,000 380 defenders that further resistance was soldiers defending the city. On De- futile, and they surrendered. A little cember 20, the bridge was finished more than a year after the Confeder- and the troops evacuated the city, ates had seized the fort, the Union flag burning the docks and navy yards as again flew above its walls. The fall they departed. of Ft. Pulaski marked the first use of The following day, Savannah mayor rifled cannon against a masonry fort Richard Arnold surrendered the city to and was compelling proof that the Gen. John Geary. Sherman entered the massive structures were now obsolete. city on December 22, 1864, and, with Savannah great satisfaction, wired Pres. Lincoln Foundation was established to “wage offering him the city of Savannah as a war” against what the group called the Christmas present. “demolitionists.” Shortly after the city’s capture, The foundation’s first purchase, Sherman reopened the port and per- in 1955, was the Isaiah Davenport mitted the renewal of trade with the House. Historic Savannah then car- North. While this move certainly ried out a three-year effort to inven- helped to lift spirits and soften hearts tory more than 1,100 buildings toward the conquering general, much worthy of preservation. By 1976, more more would be needed after the war than 900 of these structures had been to restore Savannah’s and the South’s saved, and Savannah’s National His- shattered economy. toric District, one of the nation’s Over time, commerce increased largest, became a mecca for visitors. and Savannah slowly returned to In more recent years, the city’s archi- prominence as a regional trade center. tectural treasures and colorful history, A number of the buildings currently highlighted in the best-selling book lining Factors Walk and Bay St. date and movie Midnight in the Garden from the wave of prosperity brought of Good and Evil, have drawn a new about by the tremendous growth in generation of visitors. the cotton trade in the last quarter of Today, historic Savannah is a city the 19th century and first years of the known for its lively waterfront, its live 20th. Unfortunately, much construc- oak–shaded avenues, its spacious tion encroached on the decaying older squares, and the beautifully restored parts of the city and, one by one, his- houses and buildings that hark back toric structures were demolished to to earlier times. A walk through make way for new buildings. Savan - Savan nah’s Historic District is a nah, like many other cities, was be- journey back in time, thanks to the coming more interested in progress vision of those determined to preserve and growth than in preserving links to the legacy of Georgia’s first city. its past. 381 Finally, in 1954, a small group of WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN concerned citizens banded together to With the exception of a fairly protest the planned demolition of the steep ascent from the riverfront Old City Market for construction of a to Bay St., the terrain is level and parking lot. They lost that battle, but heavily shaded by Spanish moss– their efforts turned into a movement draped live oaks. There are excellent to protect Savannah’s structural her- sidewalks throughout the Historic itage. That year the Historic Savannah District. HISTORIC COAST

Due to the size of the Savannah Railroad Roundhouse Complex National Historic District and the (1850)—601 W. Harris St. Built by large number of sights to see, the dis- the Central of Georgia Railroad for trict is divided into two walks. Walk A storage and maintenance of the rail- begins at the Savannah History road’s rolling stock, the large stone Museum and visitor center and winds complex now houses Georgia’s ofﬁ- along a 5-mile loop through the north - cial railroad museum. Among the ern, and oldest, portion of the city. Walk exhibits is America’s oldest existing B begins at Madison Square and traces a wheeled portable steam engine. 4-mile loop through For syth Park and Hours: 10 A.M.–4 P.M., daily. (912) the southern, mostly Victorian-era part 651-6823. NL of the historic district. 3. Scarborough House (1819)— 41 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY William Jay’s second Savannah com- All of the listed sights are mission, this Regency-style house was within the boundaries of the built for William Scarborough, a Savannah National Historic Land- wealthy businessman and principal mark District, one of the largest in the investor in the steamship Savannah. United States. Pres. James Monroe was entertained Walk A here during his 1819 visit to Savannah 1. Savannah History Museum to see the revolutionary new vessel. and Visitor Center (c. 1860)— For many years, the house served as a 301–3 Mar tin Luther King Jr. Blvd. school for the children of former Built as a depot for the Central of slaves and now houses the Ships of Georgia Railroad, the building now the Sea Maritime Museum. Hours: houses a museum and welcome center 10 A.M.–5 P.M., Tues.–Sun. (912) 232- with maps and information about the 1511. NL city. The Savannah History Museum 4. First African Baptist Church traces the colorful history of Sa- (1861)—23 Montgomery St. The ori- 382 vannah and coastal Georgia. The Rev- gins of this congregation date to the olutionary War Battle of Savannah work of George Leile, a slave and mis- was fought near this site in 1779. sionary who preached at Savannah Visitor Center: 8:30 A.M.–5 P.M., River plantations in the 1740s. The Mon.–Fri.; 9 A.M.–5 P.M., Sat.–Sun. permanent congregation was orga- (877) 728-2662. Museum: 9 A.M.– nized at Brampton Plantation in 5 P.M., daily. (912) 238-1779. 1788 and is believed to be one of the 2. Historic Railroad Shops oldest continuously operating African- Museum and Central of Georgia American churches in the nation. Savannah

Richardson-Owens-Thomas House

5. Franklin Square (c. 1740s)— the beginning of Savannah’s historic Montgomery and St. Julian Sts. Named preservation movement. for Benjamin Franklin, the square 7. City Hall (1905)—Bay at Bull once held the city’s water reservoir. A Sts. Designed in the Neoclassical style, marker placed in the square in 1983 this well-proportioned building sits commemorates the 250th anniversary astride Factors’ Walk. Hours: 9 A.M.– of the founding of the colony of 5 P.M., Mon.–Fri. Georgia. Today, Franklin Square is an 8. U.S. Customs House (1852)— entertainment center surrounded by 1–5 Bay St. Designed by noted archi- nightclubs and restaurants. tect John Norris, this imposing gran - 383 6. Site of the City Market ite building was Savannah’s ﬁrst (c. 1800s)—Jefferson and St. Julian iron-framed structure. This was the Sts. This area of restored commercial site of Gen. Oglethorpe’s ﬁrst Savan - buildings (a parking deck occupies nah residence, erected shortly after the actual market site) is now a the colony’s founding. NR popular dining, shopping, and enter- 9. Washington Guns (1791)—Bay tainment destination. The demolition St. in front of the Cotton Exchange. of the old market in the 1950s marked Captured from the British at the HISTORIC COAST

Battle of Yorktown in 1781, these On the river front is the statue of cannons were a gift to the Chatham Florence Martus, the “waving girl” Artillery from Pres. George Wash- who, from1887 to 1931, greeted the ington during his 1791 visit to Sa- ships passing her family’s home on vannah. During the Civil War, the Cockspur Island. guns were buried to prevent their 12. Emmett Park (c. 1800s)— seizure by Union forces. North side of Bay St. Named by Irish 10. Cotton Exchange (1887)— immigrants to Savannah in memory Bay St. at the head of Drayton St. of Irish patriot Robert Emmett (an Built during the height of the revival 18th-century advocate of Ireland’s of the “Cotton Kingdom” in the late independence from England), the 1800s, the exchange was a center for park offers excellent views of Factors’ the international cotton trade. The Walk and the Savannah River. In the stylish, Romanesque Revival building park are the Savannah Vietnam was designed by William G. Preston. Memorial, the Chatham Artillery Today, the exchange houses offices Regimental Monument, and the and a branch of the public library. harbor light erected in 1858 to help 11. Factors’ Walk and River Street warn river pilots of the dangerous (c. 1850s–90s)—Between Bay St. and wreckage of ships scuttled in the river the Savannah River. Built for the by the British in 1779. booming cotton trade prior to and in 13. Site of Fort Wayne (c. 1770s)— the years after the Civil War, these Bay at E. Broad Sts. Built as part of the long buildings are situated at the crest city’s Revolutionary War defenses and of Yamacraw Bluff where Oglethorpe known at the time as the Trustees’ came ashore in 1733. The lower Garden Battery, the fortifications were floors, adjacent to the wharves, once later renamed to honor Revolutionary served as warehouses, while the upper War hero Gen. “Mad” Anthony Wayne. floors were the offices of the cotton 14. Trustees’ Garden (c. 1733)— factors (brokers). The iron catwalks E. Broad at E. St. Julian Sts. On this 384 connected the buildings with Bay St. site, the colony’s trustees established without creating obstacles to the the first experimental garden in the wharves below. The cobblestone American Colonies. Imported and streets were laid down by slaves using native plants were grown to evaluate ballast stones from sailing ships. their economic potential. Results Today, most of the buildings have from the work performed here been adapted for use as shops, restau- showed that the silk industry would rants, and inns. not likely succeed, but that the climate Savannah and soil were ideal for growing cotton built in early Savannah. The odd-sized and peaches. The land was sold to windows in the front of the house are John Reynolds in the 1750s and the a notable feature. buildings in the current Trustees’ 20. William Pope House (1808)— Garden village date from the 1800s. 419 E. St. Julian St. Built by Pope, a 15. Pirate’s House (1794)— Hilton Head Island planter, the house 20 E. Broad St. Built as a seamen’s was once divided into six tenement tavern, the building has long housed apartments before it was restored. a Savannah landmark restaurant. The 21. John D. Mongin House restaurant’s “Herb Room” is thought by (1793)—24 Habersham St. Mongin some to be the oldest standing structure was the owner of a Dafuskie Island in Savannah. The Pirate’s House is re- (S.C.) plantation and built this for his putedly haunted by the ghost of a sea town home. The house hosted the captain who died there. Marquis de Lafayette during his 1825 16. Washington Square (1790)— visit to Savannah. It later served as the E. St. Julian and Houston Sts. This rectory for Christ Episcopal Church square was laid out and named for and was used as a hospital during the Pres. George Washington before his city’s 1876 Yellow Fever epidemic. 1791 visit to Savannah. 22. Reynolds Square (c. 1730s)— 17. Charles Oddingsell House Abercorn and E. St. Julian Sts. One of (1800)—510 E. St. Julian St. Odd- the city’s early squares, it is named for ingsell was a Skidaway Island planter colonial governor John Reynolds. who also owned nearby Little Wassaw 23. The Pink House (1789)— Island. This Williamsburg-style house 23 Abercorn St. One of Savannah’s was the first constructed on the block. finest remaining 18th-century houses, 18. Hampton-Lillebridge House it was built for James Habersham Jr., (c. 1796)—507 E. St. Julian St. This the youngest son of James Haber- 3-story, clapboard structure is the sham, who came to Georgia in 1738. only 18th-century gambrel-roofed The elder Habersham was one of the house in Georgia. The house also has colony’s wealthiest planters and 385 the distinction of being haunted and served as acting colonial governor was the site of a well-publicized, but from 1771–73. The younger Haber- unsuccessful, exorcism attempt by an sham was a staunch patriot and Episcopal bishop. Speaker of the State Assembly in 1782 19. Colonial-Era House (c. 1750) and 1784. —426 E. St. Julian St. This modest 24. Oliver Sturgis House (1813)— cot tage is typical of the structures 27 Abercorn St. One of a pair of twin HISTORIC COAST

structures (the other was demolished Savannahians first learned of South many years ago), this house was once Caro lina’s secession from the Union at owned by Oliver Sturgis, a major in- a public meeting in the square. vestor in the steamship Savannah. A plaque in the square, placed by 25. Christ Episcopal Church the American Society of Civil Engi- (1838)—East side of Johnson Square. neers, denotes Gen. Oglethorpe’s orig- From the colony’s beginning as an inal plan for the city of Savannah as a Anglican settlement, Christ Episcopal National Historic Civil Engineering Church has been a part of Savannah’s Landmark. religious and cultural life. Among 27. Telfair Academy of Arts and its pastors have been notable cler- Sciences (1819)—121 Barnard St. gymen Henry Herbert, John Wesley, Designed by William Jay for Alexander and George Whitefield. The present Telfair, son of Gov. Edward Telfair, the church building was designed by building is on the site of the colonial James H. Couper and is an excellent governor’s residence. In 1875, the example of the Greek Revival Temple Regency-style mansion was bequeathed style of architecture. The church suf- to the Georgia Historical Society by fered damage in an 1898 fire, but was Mary Telfair for use as a public art mu- fully restored. seum. The museum, the first of its kind 26. Johnson Square (1733)—Bull in the Southeast, opened in 1885. The and E. St. Julian Sts. The earliest of building has undergone several expan- Savannah’s 24 original squares, it is sions through the years. Hours: 12– named for Gen. Oglethorpe’s friend 5 P.M., Mon.; 10 A.M.–5 P.M., Tues.–Sat.; and supporter Robert Johnson, colo- and 1–5 P.M., Sun. (912) 232-1177. nial governor of South Carolina. 28. Trinity United Methodist The centerpiece of the square is the Church (1848)—127 Barnard St. The tomb of Revolutionary War hero oldest Methodist Church in Savan - Gen. Nathanael Greene. The corner- nah, the interior has been modeled stone of the monument was placed after London’s Wesley Chapel. The 386 by Lafayette in 1825. Greek Revival church, with its notable From the beginning, Johnson Corinthian columns, was designed by Square has been Savannah’s gathering architect John Hogg. place. Here, in August 1776, the 29. U.S. Post Office and Court- Declaration of Independence was first house (1895)—West side of Wright read to Georgians. Pres. James Monroe Square. An excellent example of the (1819) and Sen. Daniel Webster Romanesque style, the building was (1847) were entertained here at elabo- designed by Jeremiah O’Rourke. rate receptions; in December 1860, Hours: 9 A.M.–5 P.M., Mon.–Fri. Savannah

30. Wright Square (1733)—Bull out at the end of the 18th century, and President Sts. One of Savannah’s the square commemorates the poetic original squares, it was first named for name for the United States. Bethesda the colony’s supporter John Percival. Gate stood on this site when Savan - The name was changed in 1763 to nah was a walled city (1745–90). honor James Wright, who would be- 34. Isaiah Davenport House come Georgia’s last colonial governor. (1815)—324 E. State St. Constructed by The Yamacraw chief Tomo-chi-chi mas ter builder Isaiah Davenport as his was buried here with great ceremony per sonal residence, the house is an ex- in 1739 (Gen. Oglethorpe was a pall- cellent example of Georgian style. The bearer). In 1883, a monument to structure’s rescue from planned demoli- William H. Gordon, founder of the tion in 1955 drew public attention to Central of Georgia Railroad, was the deterioration and possible loss of erected in the center of the square. many of Savannah’s most historic 31. Lutheran Church of the As- buildings and led to the creation of the cension (1843–79)—Bull and Presi- Historic Savannah Foundation. NR dent Sts. Organized in 1741 by the 35. Second African Baptist Church Rev. John Martin Bolzius of Ebenezer, (1925)—Houston and E. State Sts. a Salzburger settlement just north of Home to a congregation established Savannah, this is the city’s oldest by the Rev. Henry Cunningham, the Lutheran congregation. The first first sanctuary on this site was com- church was built on this site in 1742 pleted in 1802. After that structure was but burned in 1797. NL destroyed by fire, the present structure 32. Richardson-Owens-Thomas was erected. The church still contains House (1819)—124 Abercorn St. the original pulpit and pews. In De- Designed by William Jay for his cember 1864, Gen. Sherman and Sec- brother-in-law, wealthy cotton mer- retary of War Edwin Stanton attended chant Rich ard Richardson, the house is services in the original building. considered one of the finest examples Sherman had the Emancipation of the Regency style of architecture in Proclamation read to Savannah citi- 387 the United States. Lafayette spoke to zens from the church steps. Nearly a enthusiastic crowds from the side century later, Dr. Martin Luther King porch during his 1825 visit. The house Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” sermon is now open to the public as a museum. in this building before repeating it Hours: 10 A.M.–5 P.M., Tues.–Sat.; 2–5 during the March on Washington in P.M., Sun. (912) 233-9743. NR August 1963. 33. Columbia Square (1799)— 36. Frederick Ball House E. President and Habersham Sts. Laid (c. 1814)—136 Habersham St. Ball HISTORIC COAST

was a master carpenter and built Abercorn St. Savannah’s second oldest this wooden house as his personal cemetery, Colonial Park was opened residence. for burials in 1750 and closed in 1853. 37. Abraham Sheftall House Many pioneer settlers are interred (1818)—321 E. York St. This early here, including Declaration of Inde- 19th-century house has been carefully pendence signer Button Gwinnett and restored. the political opponent who killed 38. Judge William Law House Gwinnett in a duel, Gen. Lachlan (1855)—227 E. York St. Law, a McIntosh. The cemetery became a Savannah jurist, rented this house city park in 1896. when it was built as a pair with #39. 43. Lachlan McIntosh House 39. Gen. Alexander Lawton House (1770)—110 E. Oglethorpe Ave. While (1855)—228 E. York St. Lawton McIntosh never owned this house, he served as an ofﬁcer in the Confederate was a frequent visitor and guest in the army and later as the chargé d’affaires home. It was built by John Eppinger to the Austrian Court in Vienna. as an inn and tavern and is one of the Shortly before his death Robert E. Lee oldest brick houses in Georgia. The was a guest in this house in 1870 after ironwork and the third story are a visit to his father’s grave on Cum- 19th-century additions. berland Island. 44. Joseph E. Johnston House 40. Marshall Row Buildings (1821)—105 E. Oglethorpe Ave. John- (1855)—236–44 E. Oglethorpe Ave. ston, the commander of the Confed- These grayish, brick townhouses are erate Army of Tennessee during the notable for their marble steps, porches, 1864 Georgia Campaign, lived in this and other architectural details. house after the Civil War. 41. Conrad Aiken House (c. 1850) 45. Juliette Gordon Low —228–30 E. Oglethorpe Ave. The Birthplace (1820)—142 Bull St. well-known author lived at 228 as a Designed by William Jay, this Re- child before moving to Boston when gency-style mansion was built for 388 his parents died in a murder-suicide. Savannah mayor James M. Wayne. In Aiken returned to Savannah as an 1831, the house was sold to William adult and lived at 230 during some of Washington Gordon, founder of the his most creative years as a poet and Central of Georgia Railroad. Gordon’s writer. In 1973, Aiken was named daughter Juliette was born in the Georgia’s Poet Laureate by then-Gov. house in 1860 and married William Jimmy Carter. Low here in 1886. Juliette was a long- 42. Colonial Park Cemetery time friend of Lord Baden-Powell, the (1750)—E. Oglethorpe Ave. and Englishman who founded the Boy Savannah

Scouts. Building on the foundation of Milledgeville, this house is an excel- that organization, Low founded the lent example of the Greek Revival Girl Scouts of America. In 1953, the style. The third story was an 1895 ad- house was purchased by the Girl dition. Today, the house is headquar- Scouts of America and renovated with ters for the Georgia Chapter of the “pennies” donated from Scouts Society of the Cincinnati, an organi- around the world. Now a museum, zation of descendants of Revolu- the house has been restored to the tionary War veterans. period of Low’s childhood. Hours: 10 A.M.–4 P.M., Mon., Tues., Thurs., Walk B Fri., Sat.; 12:30–4:30 P.M., Sun. 50. Madison Square (1839)—Bull (Closed Wed.) (912) 233-4501. NL and Harris Sts. The square is named 46. Independent Presbyterian for Pres. James Madison. The monu- Church (1889)—Oglethorpe Ave. at ment in the center of the square is a Bull St. Organized in 1755, the orig- statue of Sgt. William Jasper, a hero of inal church on this site was erected in the Battle of Savannah in 1779. 1816 and burned in 1889. The present 51. Sorrell-Weed House (1841)— Georgian Colonial–style sanctuary is a Northwest corner of Bull and W. duplicate of the original. Ellen Axson, Harris Sts. Designed in the Greek daughter of pastor Samuel Axson, Revival style by Charles Clusky, the married Woodrow Wilson in the house was built for prosperous ship- manse in 1885. ping executive Francis Sorrell. His son 47. Chippewa Square (1813)— Moxley Sorrell served as Gen. James Bull and McDonough Sts. The square Longstreet’s chief of staff in the Con- was named to commemorate an federate Army of Northern Virginia American victory in the War of 1812. and was proﬁled in historian W. At the center of the square is sculptor Southall Freeman’s Lee’s Lieutenants. Daniel Chester French’s monumental 52. Green-Meldrim House statue of Gen. Oglethorpe. (1853)—Bull St. on the west side of 48. First Baptist Church (1833)— Madison Square. Built for English 389 West side of Chippewa Square. Estab- cotton merchant Charles Green, this lished in 1800, the church was de- John Norris–designed house is con- signed in the Greek Revival Temple sidered a masterpiece of Gothic style by Elias Carter. Revival residential architecture. Espe- 49. Champion-McAlpin-Fowlkes cially notable are the parapet, oriel House (1844)—230 Barnard St. De- windows, and wrought-iron porch. signed by Charles Clusky, architect of Following Savannah’s capture by the original governor’s mansion in Union forces in 1864, Gen. Sherman, HISTORIC COAST

at Green’s invitation, used the house for use by the college. Today, the old for his headquarters during the city’s armory houses classrooms, studios, occupation. In 1892, the house was gallery space, and a shop featuring purchased by Judge Peter W. Meldrim, student’s works. Gallery hours: former mayor of Savannah and one- 9 A.M.–5:30 P.M., Mon.–Fri.; 10 A.M.– time president of the American Bar 4 P.M., Sat.; 1–6 P.M., Sun. (912) 525- Association. In 1943, the house was 4950. acquired by St. John’s Episcopal 57. Andrew Low House (1848)— Church for use as its Parish House. 329 Abercorn St. This site of a Revolu- The house is frequently opened to the tionary War–era jail was later acquired public. (912) 233-3845. NR by English trader Andrew Low. British 53. St. John’s Episcopal Church author William Makepeace Thackery (1853)—14 W. Macon St. Noted for was a guest in the home during two its beautiful stained-glass windows, visits to Savannah (1853 and 1856). this Gothic Revival church was de- Gen. Robert E. Lee was honored at a signed by architect Calvin Otis. Gen. reception at the house on his last visit Sherman and his staff attended to Savannah in 1870. The house was Christmas services in the church in inherited by Low’s son, William, who 1864. lived here with his wife, Juliette 54. Gen. Francis Bartow House Gordon Low. As a widow, Mrs. Low (1842)—126 W. Harris St. This large, founded the Girl Scouts here in 1912. frame house was once owned by Her niece “Daisy” Low was the ﬁrst Bartow, a Confederate general killed girl enrolled, and the nation’s ﬁrst at the First Battle of Manassas in troop headquarters was located in the 1861. carriage house. In 1928, the house was 55. Pulaski Square (1837)— acquired by the Georgia Chapter of Barnard and W. Harris Sts. The square the Colonial Dames of America as honors Polish-born patriot Gen. their headquarters. It is open to the Casimir Pulaski, killed in the 1779 public as an antebellum period house 390 Battle of Savannah. museum. Hours: 10:30 A.M.–4:30 P.M., 56. Savannah College of Art and Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri., Sat.; and 12– Design (1893)—Bull and Charlton 4 P.M., Sun. (Closed Thur.) (912) 233- Sts. south of Madison Square. This 6854. main building of the school’s complex 58. William Battersby House was built as an armory by the Savan - (1852)—119 E. Charlton St. Battersby, nah Volunteer Guards, the oldest mili- Andrew Low’s business associate, built tary unit in Georgia. In the early this house. A notable feature is the 1980s, the structure was renovated walled garden. Savannah

59. Lafayette Square (1837)— corner of Abercorn and Gordon Sts. Abercorn and Harris Sts. This square The Massie School, one of Georgia’s honors the Revolutionary War hero, oldest educational institutions, is the Marquis de Lafayette. housed in a beautiful Greek Revival– 60. Cathedral of St. John the Bap- style building designed by John tist (1898)—Abercorn and E. Harris Norris. The main building was com- Sts. Organized in the late 1700s, this pleted in 1856 and the wings were is the oldest Roman Catholic congre- added in 1872 and 1886. The Heritage gation in Georgia. The original church Interpretation Center houses exhibits building on this site, erected in 1876, on the history of the school and on was destroyed in a ﬁre. The present Savannah architecture. Hours: 9 A.M.– church sits on the foundation and 4 P.M., Mon.–Fri. (912) 651-7380. NR duplicates its Gothic Revival design. 65. Wesley Monumental United 61. Hamilton-Turner House Methodist Church (1890)—Abercorn (1873)—330 Abercorn St. An excel- and E. Gordon Sts. Built to honor lent example of the Second Empire Methodism’s founders, John and style of architecture popular in the Charles Wesley, the church is an latter part of the 19th century, the excellent example of Gothic Revival house was built for Samuel P. architecture. Hamilton, a banker and Savannah 66. Comer House (1880)— mayor. Today, the home, which was 2 E. Taylor St. This house was built by prominently featured in the best- Hugh M. Comer, president of the selling book Midnight in the Garden of Central of Georgia Railroad. Former Good and Evil, is an elegant bed-and- Confederate Pres. Jefferson Davis was breakfast inn. (888) 448-8849; a guest in the house in 1886 when he www.hamilton-turnerinn.com. came to Savannah to celebrate the 62. Flannery O’Connor House centennial of the Chatham Artillery. (c. 1880s)—207 E. Charlton St. This 67. “Cranes” House (1852)— simple row house was author Flan- 4 W. Taylor St. This attractive brick nery O’ Connor’s childhood home. house is notable for the two wrought- 391 63. Abraham Minis House iron cranes guarding the front entrance. (1860)—204 E. Jones St. Built in the 68. Monterey Square (1847)—Bull style of an English townhouse, the and Taylor Sts. The square was created structure is notable for its Egyptian- to commemorate the American vic- inﬂuenced doorway and cast-iron tory at Monterey during the Mexican moldings. War. At the center of the square is a 64. Massie Heritage Interpreta- monument to Revolutionary War tion Center (1856)—Southeastern hero Gen. Casimir Pulaski. HISTORIC COAST

69. Temple Mickeve Israel oldest organizations of its kind in (1878)—Bull and E. Gordon Sts. the nation. This building, known as Home to Georgia’s oldest Jewish con- Hodg son Hall, was built in honor of gregation (and the third oldest in the Savannahian William B. Hodgson, a nation), the temple was established by scholar and one-time U.S. consul to a group of German and Spanish Jews Turkey. Funds for construction of the who arrived shortly after the colony’s hall were donated by many local citi- founding. The Torah that was brought zens, including members of the Telfair from Europe remains housed in the and Hodgson families. Today the hall synagogue. The present building, houses the society’s collection of his- designed by Henry G. Harrison, is the torical documents and rare artifacts. only Gothic Revival–style synagogue Hours: 10 A.M.–5 P.M., Tues.–Sat. in the U.S. A small museum tracing (912) 651-2125. the history of the congregation is 73. George Armstrong House located at 20 Gordon St. Hours: (1920)—Northwestern corner of 10 A.M.–12 P.M., Mon.–Fri. Bull and Gaston Sts. This home, 70. Oglethorpe Club (1857)—Bull constructed of bricks made from and Gaston Sts. Built as the residence marble dust, was designed for Arm- for British Consul Edward Molyneux, strong by architect Henrik Wallin. In this Classic Revival–style house was 1935, the house was given to the city later expanded and adapted for use by for use as a junior college. In 1964, it the private social club. became Armstrong State College 71. Forsyth Park (1851)—Gaston (now Armstrong State University) and St. between Drayton and Whitaker relocated to a suburban campus. The Sts. Named for Gov. John Forsyth, this house now serves as attorneys’ ofﬁces. 20-acre park was once a drilling 74. Dr. Charles Rogers House ground for the Savannah militia and (1858)—423-25 Bull St. Rogers, a has been a popular gathering place for wealthy planter and Presbyterian more than seven generations of Sa- clergy man, had this double-house 392 vannahians. Notable features of the built. The wrought-iron work is park include the elaborate fountain notable. erected in 1858 and the Confederate 75. Gen. Hugh Mercer House Monument sculpted by Canadian (1870)—429 Bull St. on the west side artist Robert Reed in 1874. of Monterey Square. Designed by 72. The Georgia Historical Society John Norris, work began on this (1875)—501 Whitaker St. Founded Italianate-style house before the Civil in 1839, the society is one of the War but was not completed until Savannah

1870. The house has gained great notoriety in recent years as the home of James Williams, a local antiques dealer who shot and killed his house- mate Danny Hanseford in the house on May 2, 1981. The story of the murder and subsequent trial was captured by author John Berendt in the best-selling book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. In 1997, the book was made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood. 76. Gordon Row (1853)— Southeastern corner of Gordon and Barnard Sts. Stretching a full block, these 15 4-story row houses have been carefully preserved and restored. 77. Savannah Civic Center (1970s)—Orleans Square at Mont- gomery St. This modern structure is home to the Savannah Symphony and Ballet companies. The center also hosts a variety of events, from music and theater to three-ring circuses. Information: (912) 234-6666.

NOTES

393 HISTORIC COAST C H A P T E R 4 9

apart. Here, centuries of human his- Melon Bluff tory have left faint traces on a rugged, almost primeval landscape of live oak Natural and pine forests, marshes, and meandering tidal creeks. A walk along the Heritage preserve’s miles of footpaths is a journey back in time. Preserve More than 10,000 years ago, the first Paleo-Indian settlers came to coastal Georgia. They fished in the sounds and tidal rivers, gathered clams from the marshes, and hunted game in the dense forests. They were nomadic people who left behind little LOCATION evidence of their centuries on the Melon Bluff is located about land. Today, only the occasional dis- 35 miles south of Savannah via covery of an ancient shell tool or a I-95. Take the Midway-Sunbury exit small oyster midden (trash pile) (exit 76), and travel east on Islands marks their long-vanished presence. Highway for about 3 miles. The pre- In the 16th century, during the serve’s visitor center is located in a earliest European explorations of the frame building on the right side of the Georgia coast, this was the home of road. Information: (888) 246-8188; the Guale people, a Muskogean tribe www.melonbluff.com. who were ancestors of the powerful 394 Creek nation. The Guale lived in per- PARKING manent coastal villages from present- There is an unpaved parking day South Carolina to the banks of area adjacent to the visitor center. the Newport River on the Georgia coast. BACKGROUND The Spanish were the first to colo- Just a short distance from nize the area with the founding of busy I-95, Melon Bluff St. Augustine in northern Florida Natural Heritage Preserve is a land in 1563. Choosing to subjugate the Melon Bluff Natural Heritage Preserve 1

Old Ferry Rd. 2

I-95 and Midway Islands Hwy.

Lost Bluff Rd. Preserve Melon Bluff Melon Bluff Natural Heritage

3 r

w Melon Bluff Natural Heritage Preserve

h t r

Old Melon Bluff Rd. (dirt) 5 4 395 Lyon‘s Field Rd. (dirt) 7 6 Rice Lake Lake Hidden NORTH 6 Lost Lake 6 Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 48 - Melon Bluff 1st proof HISTORIC COAST

natives with “crossbow and cross,” the invasion from St. Augustine. After Spanish built a series of Catholic mis- burning farms and plantations, the sions, populated by both priests and Spaniards were soundly defeated at soldiers, near the coastal villages of the Battle of Bloody Marsh on St. the Guale. The principal mission Simons and forced to retreat to (and the only one yet found through Florida. They never seriously threat- archaeological excavation) was lo- ened Georgia again. cated adjacent to the Guale capital vil- A decade later, a small religious lage on St. Catherine’s Island, Georgia group—descended from Puritans (Santa Catalina). The mission, Santa who landed in Massachusetts in 1630 Catalina de Guale, was established in and later moved to South Carolina— the late 1500s and lasted for nearly a purchased 32,000 acres of land about century before being abandoned. 30 miles south of Savannah. The While conversion of the Indians to property, situated between the Med - Christianity was one reason for build - way and Newport Rivers was a mix ing the missions, for Spain a more of lowland marshes and rich alluvial important motive was to solidify its uplands, both extremely fertile soils military position in Georgia against for the cultivation of rice and cotton expansion from the Carolinas by its respectively. hated enemy, the English. It was to The first settlers arrived in 1754 counter this threat that the British and immediately built a log church crown granted a charter to Gen. for worship services. They christened Oglethorpe for the establishment of the area St. John’s Parish, and the sur- the Royal Colony of Georgia in 1732, rounding community was called and the first permanent English set- “Midway,” possibly for its proximity tlers arrived at the future site of the to the Medway (Midway) River, about city of Savannah in February 1733. halfway between the cities of Savan - Anticipating hostilities with the nah and Darien. The town never grew Spanish, Oglethorpe moved to build to have a population beyond a few 396 forts and establish towns as far south hundred, but the richness of the sur- as Cumberland Island. Archaeological rounding land made many of the citi- evidence still remains of garrisons and zens extremely wealthy as owners of settlements on St. Simons Island, prosperous plantations covering many outside Darien (Ft. King George) and thousands of acres. Midway (Ft. Morris), and elsewhere. The crude log church was replaced In 1742, the Spanish made a last by a sturdy wooden sanctuary in attempt to drive the English from 1757 and served the growing congre- Georgia by mounting a military gation well for the next 21 years. As Melon Bluff Natural Heritage Preserve hostilities grew between Britain and the uplands. During the peak of slave- the colonies, the fiercely independent dependent antebellum agriculture, the families of Midway earned a reputa- black population of Liberty County tion as the “Cradle of Revolutionary outnumbered the white population by Spirit in Georgia.” Among the church’s nearly 10 to 1, as the Puritan religious congregation were two signers of the heritage of the people of Midway did Declaration of Independence (Button not prevent them from owning slaves. Gwinnett, then the owner of St. Nor did they call for an end to the in- Cather ine’s Island, and Lyman Hall), stitution (as did the Puritan descen- and two military heroes of the Revolu- dants who remained in New England tion (Gen. Daniel Stewart, great- and became outspoken abolitionists). grandfather of Pres. Theodore Roose - Instead, they believed the slaves to be velt, and Gen. James Screven, killed in their wards to whom they had an fighting against British troops just a obligation to provide “moral welfare short distance from Midway in 1778). and religious instruction.” When English troops occupied One of the most ardent supporters the coast in 1778, they burned the for the moral and religious education church to the ground and ransacked of the slaves was the Rev. Dr. Charles many of the surrounding farms and Colcock Jones, a man often referred to plantations. This destruction failed as the “Apostle to the Blacks.” Jones, to dampen the temperament of the born on a coastal Georgia plantation people, and when the State of Georgia in 1804, attended school at Sunbury was established during the Revolu- Academy before being apprenticed to tion, they quickly adopted Liberty as an accountant in Savannah in 1819. the name for their new county. There, he caught the eye of several After the war, the settlement again local leaders and was nominated for prospered. A temporary church re- appointment to the U.S. Military placed the burned structure in 1784, Academy at West Point. However, and this was supplanted by the pre- shortly before accepting the appoint- sent Midway Congregational Church ment, he became a member of Mid - 397 in 1792. In keeping with the congre- way Church and was influenced by gation’s Massachusetts roots, the its pastor to study for the ministry structure’s design is more akin to a instead. New England meeting house than to After receiving his theology degree other South ern churches. from Princeton in 1830 and marrying For more than 60 years, the area his first cousin Mary Jones, Charles thrived with the cultivation of rice in Jones served for a time at the Presby- the swampy lowlands and cotton in terian Church in Savannah. Within a HISTORIC COAST

few years, Charles and Mary became Jones family were devoted correspon- joint owners of three large Midway- dents. Their thousands of letters, area plantations: Arcadia (1,996 acres), compiled in the book The Children between Midway and McIntosh; Mon- of Pride, offer an extraordinary, first- tevideo (941 acres), south of Riceboro; hand account of life on a Georgia and Maybank (700 acres) on Colonel’s plantation. Island east of Midway. A large part Another large portion of the pre- of the present-day natural heritage serve, and the source for its name, was preserve is composed of lands from Melon Bluff Plantation, developed by Maybank Plantation. Bartholomew Busby in the early Charles chose to give up his church 1800s. While the choice of name is work and return to Midway to man - obscured by time, it is thought that age his family’s plantations. For the Busby may have grown melons on at remainder of his life, he devoted least a part of his property. Melon much of his energy toward support - Bluff Plantation was located on the ing Presbyterian mission work and banks of the North Newport River, a providing religious education to waterway that offered a deep, but slaves, even authoring two books on swift and tortuous, channel running the subject. Jones was an active mem - from Riceboro to Sapelo Sound. ber of Midway Church and fostered Schooners could navigate the channel, friendships with many other notable enabling the plantation to ship goods congregants, including naturalist John destined for Savannah, Brunswick, LeConte and his sons John and Joseph and beyond from its dock at Busby’s (scientists in their own right and, Landing. A ferry also operated on the later, cofounders of the University of river, connecting the port town of California); Pastors Abiel Holmes (fa- Sunbury with the upriver community ther of poet Oliver Wendell Holmes) of Riceboro. A primitive road con- and Jedidiah Morse (father of in- nected Trade Hill Rd. from Sunbury ventor Samuel F. B. Morse); and with the ferry landing, and today, the 398 fellow plantation owner Roswell King, old ferry road is one of the hiking who went to northern Georgia in the paths that crisscross the preserve. 1830s to found a textile mill and town Shortly after the outbreak of the that still bears his name. Civil War in 1861, U.S. Navy ships For the remainder of the ante- blockaded the Southern coast. Many bellum years, through the Civil War area families fled inland, and rivers (Dr. Jones died in 1863), and beyond like the Medway and North Newport to the difficult times that followed became hiding places for Southern the South’s defeat, members of the blockade runners attempting to run Melon Bluff Natural Heritage Preserve the gauntlet of naval ships to bring in of the land, and preserving it as a much-needed supplies. wildlife habitat. By the time of his After the war, Melon Bluff was death in 1969, Stevens had conserved divided into smaller parcels of land. nearly 10,000 acres of land, stretching Many of these tracts were given to from a point just east of the town of freed slaves in compliance with Gen. Midway to Dickinson Creek and Sherman’s Field Order No. 15. (Sher - Colonel’s Island. man proposed that freed slaves be al- The Melon Bluff property passed lowed to establish their own separate to Stevens’ daughter, Laura Stevens nation on Georgia’s coastal islands. Devendorf. She, along with husband The proposal, however, was not Don and daughter Meredith, returned adopted by the government.) For to Midway from California in 1972, to nearly 50 years, a few small farms oversee the family property. In the occupied parts of the once-vast plan- mid-1970s, Melon Bluff was split by tations, but much of the land was the construction of I-95, but one posi- simply abandoned. By the turn of the tive result of the project was the build - 20th century, most of the former rice ing of five spring-fed, freshwater lakes, fields had been transformed into three on the eastern side of the high - forests filled with 40- to 50-year-old way and two on the western side. From pine trees that were ideal for con- 1972 until 1997, the Devendorfs man- struction timber. aged the property as a sustainable- Beginning in the 1920s, intensive yield tree farm committed to careful logging began. Narrow-gauge railroad stewardship of the land. Though ap- lines transported downed trees by the proached by developers interested in thousands to portable sawmills. Fol- suburban or resort development, the lowing the tree cutting, Melon Bluff Devendorfs chose, in 1997, to desig- was again planted in annual crops, nate nearly 5,000 acres of the property notably rice. Then, in the late 1920s, as the Melon Bluff Natural Heritage John Porter Stevens, a wealthy ship- Preserve. Here acres of salt marsh, ping magnate from Savannah, began forest, swamps, tidal creeks, and lakes 399 buying land and reassembling the old serve as both a rich wildlife habitat plantations. Stevens, a native of Lib- and outdoor classroom, where visitors erty County, had grown up in the area can enjoy an irreplaceable vestige of and loved the natural beauty of the Georgia’s vanishing wild coast. forests, tidal marshes, and islands. He On the remaining 5,000 acres, devoted his life to managing the tree much of it stretching along the banks harvests at Melon Bluff, restoring the of Dickinson Creek, the Devendorfs ecological health and natural beauty maintain their own home and operate HISTORIC COAST

two historic properties open to over- This unobtrusive wood-frame night guests. Another guest facility, building contains information and the Ripley Farm, is a 2-bedroom cabin exhibits on the area’s natural and located at the western end of the human history. The second floor nature preserve. serves as a classroom for educational programs. There is a nominal fee for TRAIL DISTANCE AND TERRAIN access to the preserve, and maps are More than 12 miles of primitive available at the center. Hours: 9 A.M. roads and trails span the pre- –4 P.M., Tues.–Sun. (888) 246-8188. serve, and the highlighted route traces 2. Old Ferry Road (c. 1800s)— an approximately 8-mile round-trip Carved from the woods in the early from the visitor center. Visitors are 1800s, this primitive road once led welcome to bring mountain bikes for to the Newport River ferry landing use on the trails, or to rent them from located about 2 miles south of this the center. point. The terrain is sandy, flat, or gently 3. Lost Bluff Outdoor Classroom rolling, and in most areas heavily (1997)—This spot’s name comes from shaded by pines and live oaks. The the site’s scenic beauty, which was un- forest and marsh are prime habitats known, or “lost,” until the trail was for wildlife including more than blazed here in 1997. Today, the out- 300 species of birds, white-tailed deer, door classroom overlooks the marsh raccoons, armadillos, alligators, and and river. The marsh evolved from other creatures. The forest is also abandoned, antebellum rice fields. home to Eastern diamondback rat- The line of cedar trees in the distance tlesnakes so hikers should be obser- to the south marks the location of old vant, especially in warm weather. rice dams. Pumps of fresh well water are located 4. Busby’s Landing (c. 1800s)— at various points in the preserve, as A modern dock marks the spot where are outhouse-style restrooms and Bartholomew Busby shipped his plan- 400 picnic shelters. Comfortable walking tation goods downriver. The Confed- shoes are a must, and hikers should erate blockade-runner Standard was carry rain gear, as storms may pop up scuttled near this site in 1863. Locals along the coast with little warning. say that, during periods of low water, the wooden-ribbed skeleton of the SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY ship is still visible in the murky river. 1. Melon Bluff Visitor Center 5. Busby Barn (1997)—This (1997)—2999 Islands Hwy. shelter may be used for outdoor Melon Bluff Natural Heritage Preserve

Dock at Busby’s Landing education programs, picnics, or a NOTES place to escape an afternoon storm. A freshwater well is located nearby. 6. Rice Lake, Hidden Lake, and Lost Lake (1970s)—These three freshwater lakes were created during the construction of nearby I-95. Today, they offer habitat for many species of animals and birds. 7. Ripley Farm and Meadow (c. 1930s)—Dorchester Village Rd. at the preserve boundary. This cozy, 401 2-bedroom cabin is operated as a guest accommodation by the preserve. HISTORIC COAST C H A P T E R 5 0

BACKGROUND Brunswick Shortly after the founding of Georgia in 1733, Capt. Mark Carr, one of Gen. James Oglethorpe’s military officers, was awarded land grants along the colony’s southern frontier and Oglethorpe Bay. These grants included acreage near Midway and along the Turtle River below the garrison at Ft. King George and the village of Darien. In 1738, Carr constructed a tabby plantation house and began cultivating tobacco on more than 1,000 acres of sandy soil. Carr LOCATION called his plantation “Plug Point,” pos- Brunswick is located about sibly in reference to the “plugs” of to- 75 miles south of Savannah via bacco he sold for export back to Great I-95. Take exit 36 onto US 341/GA 25 Britain. (Newcastle St.) and travel south to In 1770, the Colonial Council, downtown. Turn left on Gloucester meeting in Savannah, recognized the St., then left again on Union St. Travel value of the natural harbor of Ogle - to G St. and park along the square of thorpe Bay and decided to establish a the Old Glynn County Courthouse. port city on its shores. Carr was given The walk begins on the courthouse land elsewhere in exchange for 385 402 grounds. Information: Brunswick– acres of Plug Point land on the penin- Golden Isles Visitors Bureau, (800) sula between the Turtle River and the 933-2627; www.bgivb.com. Atlantic Ocean marshes. The village of Brunswick, named for the ancestral PARKING German home of Britain’s King Curbside parking is permitted George III, was chartered in October on the streets adjacent to the court- of that year. house, and commercial parking facili- The city plan, a grid marked by ties are nearby. broad avenues, squares, and commons,

Brunswick

2 H

1 G 3 25 Brunswick Brunswick F

25 Amherst

Albany

Wolfe 4 Carpenter Norwich 28 Egmont

Ellis

Union

Reynolds 5 25 Richmond

Oglethorpe Monck Grant 27 25

26 24 Mansfield 341

6 23 23 Howe

22 George 20 19 21 18

London 7

r 17

i 16

R 15 e

l Prince

t 8 13

u 9 14 T 10 403 Carpenter

Egmont

Albermarle 12 11 NORTH 341

Dartmouth

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 47b - Savannah 1st proof HISTORIC COAST

was similar to Oglethorpe’s plan for of the Georgia interior. The cotton Savannah. Streets and squares were from these lands could be shipped to named for members of the royal the coastal city of Darien, just north family, other prominent British fami- of Brunswick, by the navigable waters lies, and supporters of the colony. The of the Altamaha River. But Darien did first land lots were sold in 1772, and not have the deep harbor waters nec- the village grew slowly. essary for ocean-going ships, so goods Settlement of Brunswick ceased then had to be transported overland altogether with the outbreak of the from Darien to Brunswick. American Revolution in 1775 and the In the early 1820s, several promi- evacuation of most civilians from nent Brunswick citizens initiated an coastal communities. With the end effort to build a canal connecting the of the Revolution in 1781, people Turtle and Altamaha Rivers so that returned and, unlike their counterparts goods could be shipped directly from in many other communities in the new the plantations to the port. The pro- United States, the people of Bruns wick ject went bankrupt, and in 1834, did not rush to affix “more patriotic or a second attempt to build a canal American” names to their streets and began, this time in conjunction with parks. As a consequence, the historic building a railroad. Anticipating the streets of Brunswick still bear their prosperity the canal and railway original names from colonial days. would bring, the city of Brunswick Brunswick slowly rebounded from was granted incorporation by the the effects of the war, serving the rice, state in 1836. That same year, work indigo, and tobacco plantations that began on construction of the spread along the coast. A major Oglethorpe House, an elegant hotel advancement in education occurred that would rival the finest accommo- in 1788 with the chartering of Glynn dations in Savannah. In the aftermath Academy, today the second-oldest of the Financial Panic of 1837, how- school in continuous operation in ever, the local economy faltered, even 404 Georgia. A year later, development reaching the point where the city’s was further spurred by the legisla- charter of incorporation was returned ture’s selection of Brunswick as a to the state. The bank closed, busi- state port of entry and the relocation nesses shut down, and work on the of the county seat from Frederica on canal project was again abandoned. St. Simons Island (now a national A decade later, the city was slowly monument) to Brunswick. recovering and money again flowed Despite its excellent port, Bruns - into the canal project. On June 1, wick was isolated from the plantations 1854, the Altamaha Canal opened, Brunswick and, two years later, the city was economic consequences of the war rechartered. The following year, the and the physical destruction rendered U.S. government purchased land on by invading and occupying Union Blythe Island for construction of a troops. The city was still in the midst Naval shipyard, a project that marked of rebuilding in the mid-1870s when the beginning of a long relationship it was struck by a devastating Yellow between the port of Brunswick and Fever epidemic that sickened and the U.S. Navy that has only been in- killed hundreds of citizens. terrupted by the Civil War. Again, the region’s rich natural re- By 1860, Brunswick’s population sources facilitated the city’s recovery. topped 2,000 people, and the port was Heavy demand for the long-fiber Sea bustling with activity. But storm Island cotton brought tens of thou- clouds hovered on the horizon, and in sands of acres of this profitable crop January 1861, Georgia seceded from into cultivation, much of it being the Union and joined the Southern shipped through Brunswick’s now- Confederacy. By December 1861, the bustling harbor. At the same time, U.S. Navy was effectively blockading southeastern Georgia’s vast timber Southern ports and Brunswick was resources were being tapped for lum - suffering both from an inability to ber and naval stores, and a fledgling ship goods to markets and from a lack seafood industry was becoming estab- of provisions for inhabitants. Antici- lished along the city’s wharves. pating Union attacks on the port, Brunswick was also becoming a civilians were ordered to evacuate the tourism destination. In the 1870s, city and take refuge in Georgia’s inte- poet Sidney Lanier journeyed to the rior. As the Federal blockade tight- coast to treat his tuberculosis with ened, Confederate troops withdrew doses of the fresh salt air. Gazing from the city, burning the railroad across the seemingly endless ocean of depot and the wharves as they left. grass separating Brunswick from the Unfortunately, the fire spread to the sea islands, he was inspired to pen his elegant Oglethorpe House and it too most famous poem, “The Marshes of 405 burned to the ground. Federal troops Glynn.” By the 1880s, Brunswick’s occupied Brunswick on March 10, population swelled each winter as 1862, and held it for the remainder of Northerners flocked to the Georgia the war. coast to escape the harsh winters back After the war, citizens slowly re- home. In time, with the development turned and began restoring Bruns - of St. Simons Island and Sea Island as wick. The task was difficult, as much resort destinations, Brunswick became of Georgia was in ruins from both the the official gateway to what came to be HISTORIC COAST

known as “Georgia’s Golden Isles.” both fixed-wing aircraft and fleets of During the affluent period of the slow-moving, lighter-than-air dirigi- early 20th century, much of the city’s bles (blimps) that proved ideal for Victorian-style downtown, the old antisubmarine reconnaissance work. city hall and county courthouse, and By war’s end, Glynco was the largest many elegant homes in Old Town blimp base in the world. were built. After the First World War, In addition to this reconnaissance though, prosperity faltered. Boll work, Brunswick was one of 16 cities weevil infestations crippled the cotton chosen by the U.S. Maritime Commis- market, and nearly a century of lum- sion to build new, light, and fast cargo bering had depleted the longleaf pines ships for the hazardous convoy duty that were the foundation of the naval that was providing the tenuous lifeline stores industry. In 1929, on the eve of to Britain. The J. A. Jones Company the Great Depression, Bruns wick was brought 16,000 men and women to struggling once again. their shipyards in Bruns wick to con- One bright spot was the influx of struct these vessels, soon to be known Greek and Portuguese fishermen who as “Liberty Ships.” The keel of the first came to the area in the 1920s to har- Liberty Ship was laid in January 1943, vest the bounty from the rich local wa- and over the next two years, the ship- ters. Soon, fishing and shrimping were yard operated 24 hours a day, 7 days major local industries, turning Bruns - a week, to produce an astounding wick into a national mecca for sea - 99 vessels. These efforts are commem- food. Today, Brunswick boasts of being orated in a 23-ft. scale model of a the “Shrimp Capital of the World.” Liberty Ship on display at the Mary In early 1942, only weeks after Ross Waterfront Park by the harbor. the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor Brunswick is again prospering as brought the U.S. into World War II, a major port, and the city is hard at massive convoys of ships were de- work preserving and restoring its his- parting American ports bound for toric commercial district and nearby 406 England with millions of tons of residential neighborhoods. With its weapons and supplies. German rich history and convenience to U-boats (submarines) prowled coastal tourism destinations, the city America’s coastal waters, and hun- is a popular stop for beach-bound dreds of merchant and naval ships travelers. were torpedoed and sunk. In an effort to safeguard the convoys, the Navy WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN opened the Glynco Naval Air Station The route traces a 3-mile loop in 1943. For two years it was home to from the grounds of the Old Brunswick

Mahoney-McGarvey House Glynn County Courthouse, past the masonry building complements the boat docks, through the heart of architectural style of the older court- downtown, and along nearby residen- house. The two buildings are con - tial streets. The terrain is level, with nected by a plaza shaded by massive sidewalks in the downtown area and live oaks. an abundance of shade trees along the 3. Mahoney-McGarvey House entire walk. (c. 1891)—1705 Reynolds St. Designed by J. A. Wood, architect of the elegant SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY Oglethorpe Hotel, this house is a 1. Old Glynn County Court- superb example of the Carpenter house (1907)—701 G St. Gothic style popularized during the Before construction of the courthouse, late Victorian period. The Mahoney this was Magnolia Square, one of the family bequeathed the house to the commons in the original city plan. The McGar vey sisters, who were early stately Neoclassical-style building, de- leaders in Brunswick’s historic preser- 407 signed by the New York ﬁrm of Gifford vation movement. and Bates, presents an identical en- 4. Ritz Theater (1898)— trance on all four sides. Since construc- 1530 Newcastle St. Constructed by J. tion of the new courthouse, this G. Conzelman as Brunswick’s Grand building houses county ofﬁces. NR Opera House, the building was con- 2. Glynn County Courthouse verted to a movie theater in the 1930s (1991)—Across the plaza from the and renamed the Ritz. Like many old courthouse. This red-brick and downtown, single-screen movie HISTORIC COAST

houses, the theater closed in the 1970s for the Old Town Brunswick Preser- and remained shuttered and in jeop- vation Association and the Main ardy of demolition. In 1990, the city Street Program. The building is un- offered the building to the Golden dergoing renovation. Isles Arts and Humanities Association 7. Burroughs-Hazlehurst House and assisted in its restoration as a per- (c. 1870s)—8 Hanover Square. De- forming arts center. Today, the theater signed by a Dr. Burroughs, the house, hosts performances by local and with mansard roof and arched wood- visiting artists. The lobby houses a work porch, is representative of the visitor center offering local tourism French-inspired Second Empire style. and cultural events information. 8. Wright House (1900)— (912) 262-6934. 905 Union St. Designed by J. B Wright, 5. Mary Ross Waterfront Park— this Queen Anne–style house is rich Bay and Gloucester Sts. An open plaza with the ornamental details made overlooks the docks where visitors may popular by architect Charles Eastlake watch ﬁshing vessels and shrimpers re- (intricate woodwork and stylized ele- turn with their day’s catch. An open- ments like balustrades, posts, porches, air pavilion is the setting for a variety etc.). This house has a mirror-image of community events, and the nearby twin next door facing Prince St. farmers market draws shoppers for 9. Lott-Parker House (c. 1900)— fresh produce. The park is an excellent 827 Union St. Designed as a mix of spot for watching spectacular sunsets. Colonial Revival and Queen Anne 6. Old City Hall (c. 1888)— styles, the house is notable for its 1229 Newcastle St. This rough-stone semicircular front portico and com- and brick, 3-story building is an plementary second-story bay window. excellent example of Richardsonian The house was the work of J. J. Lott Romanesque, a style of architecture and is still owned by his descendants. popularized by architect H. H. 10. DuBignon-McCullough Richard son in the late 19th century. House (c. 1869)—811 Union St. One 408 This building was designed by Albert of the oldest structures in the historic Eichberg and is notable for its arched district, this Second Empire–style entranceway, elaborate use of terra- house was built by Henry Riffault Du- cotta (including gargoyles and an- Bignon as a wedding gift to his bride, gels), interior woodwork, and other Alice Symons. DuBignon died a short details. Built at a cost of $33,000, the time after occupying the house, and it building was constructed to house was later sold to John McCullough. city government ofﬁces and the public 11. DuBignon-Lockwood House library. It now serves as headquarters (c. 1896)—721 Union St. Built by Brunswick

John DuBignon, this Queen oak was once a secret meeting place Anne–style house is notable for its for Native-American warriors and large, wraparound front porch and their maidens. conical turret. The house has the only 17. Nightingale-Hughes House full basement in Brunswick. (c. 1875)—900 Carpenter St. An ex- 12. DuBignon House (c. 1890)— ample of the Eastern Stick style of 716 Union St. This 2-story Folk Victo- Victorian architecture, this clapboard rian house is notable for its detailed house was built for N. H. Nightingale woodwork and second-story gabled and remained in the family for nearly porch. It was built for, and owned by, 80 years. The original kitchen house several generations of the DuBignon still exists as a rear extension of the family. house. 13. Major Downing House 18. McKinnon House (c. 1903)— (c. 1886)—825 Egmont St. Designed 1001 Egmont. L. T. McKinnon, owner and built by John Baumgartner for of a large lumber company, was one of Maj. Columbus Downing, this large, Brunswick’s wealthiest citizens. This brick, 3-story Queen Anne–style large, Queen Anne–style brick home house took two years to finish. The with elaborate detailing reflected his large front porch is not original. The status in the community. Today, it is house is now operated as the the McKinnon House Bed and Break- Brunswick Manor Bed and Breakfast fast Inn. (912) 261-9100. Inn. (912) 265-6889. 19. Scarlett House (c. 1890)— 14. Baker House (c. 1896)— 902 Wright Square. The birthplace of 902 Halifax Square. This Queen Federal Judge Frank M. Scarlett (for Anne–style house is notable for its whom the local Federal building is palladian window, detailed woodwork named), this Folk Victorian–style in the porch gable, and the large front house remained in the Scarlett family porch. until 1970. The original cookhouse is 15. Captain Lamb House (c. 1895) connected to the main structure by —1110 Prince St. Lamb, a sea captain, a “dog trot.” The Atkinson house at 409 built this house as a gift to his new 802 London St. is nearly identical bride. He is credited with importing in design. the first camellias to Glynn County. 20. Burford House (c. 1887)— The house is representative of the 1017 Egmont St. Built by Dr. John plain, Folk Victorian style. Burford in the Queen Anne style, the 16. Lover’s Oak—North end of house is notable for its second-story 800 block of Albany St. According to sleeping porch. Dr. Burford had his local folklore, this centuries-old live medical office in the house, and HISTORIC COAST

patients would enter from the door campus is the Annex, a Richardsonian beneath the porticoed entrance on the Romanesque–style structure con- right side. structed in 1889. 21. Aiken House (1908)— 25. Marlin House (c. 1890)— 1015 Union St. Built by Frank Aiken, a 1325 Egmont St. Designed and built local banker, the low-pitched roof and by L. C. Marlin, this wood-frame porch reflect elements of the Prairie house is notable for its 2-story style, while the stucco finish and red- wraparound porches. tiled roof offer a hint of Spanish 26. Lissner House (c. 1907)— influence. 1319 Union St. Built by J. J. Lissner, 22. Murray House (c. 1896)— this 2-story house features elements of 1112 Union St. This symmetrical the Prairie style (low front porch, use Queen Anne–style house is typical of of natural materials, and floor-to- many tidewater houses constructed ceiling granite fireplaces). The threat along the Atlantic coast during the of destruction of this house by the latter part of the 19th century. Georgia Department of Labor in the 23. McKinnon Houses (c. 1910)— 1970s mobilized local preservationists 1201 and 1203 Union St. Notable for and led to the founding of the their unusual gambrel roofline, these Old Town Brunswick Preservation twin houses in Queen Anne style were Association. built by L. T. McKinnon. 27. Brunswick History Museum 24. Glynn Academy (1889– (c. 1900s)—1327 Union St. This early 1930s)—Mansfield St., between 20th-century building is under reno- Egmont and Albany Sts. Founded in vation to serve with the Lissner House 1788, Glynn Academy has been a fix- as the headquarters for a museum of ture in Brunswick for more than two local history. (912) 265-4032. centuries. The first building on this 28. New City Hall (1901)— campus was constructed in 1840 and 601 Gloucester St. Although nearly a used until 1915, when it was replaced century old, locals still refer to this 410 by a new Classical Revival–style struc- imposing Georgian Revival building ture on the south side of Hillsborough as the “new” City Hall. Originally Square (now the prep school). The built to house the U.S. Post Office and school expanded again in 1923 to Customs House, it was converted for include a building that housed class- use as the city hall in 1964. An inter- rooms and a large auditorium. A third esting characteristic of the building is building, designed in the Georgian the mix of glazed and unglazed bricks. style, was completed in the 1930s. The oldest building on the present HISTORIC COAST C H A P T E R 5 1

BACKGROUND Jekyll Island Caressing Georgia’s 150-mile-long coastline Club Village is a string of barrier islands rich in scenic beauty and human history. Known as Georgia’s “Golden Isles,” Ossabaw, St. Catherine, Sapelo, St. Simons, Sea, Jekyll, and Cumberland Islands—separated from the mainland by blue-water sounds and golden marshes—have drawn people to their shores since the dawn of recorded time. LOCATION Geologically young, these islands Jekyll Island is located about were formed by shifting sea levels 85 miles south of Savannah via during the Ice Ages 35,000 and 10,000 I-95 or U.S. 17. From I-95, take exit years ago. The first known inhabitants 29, SR 520/U.S. 17 (Jekyll Island Rd.), were nomadic people of the Archaic and travel east to the Jekyll Island period (8,000–1,000 B.C.E.) who fished Cause way. To reach the Village Orien- in the shallow waters and hunted tation Center from the island toll- game on the islands. Except for a few booth, travel north on Riverview Rd., spear points and shell mounds, these then east on Stable Rd. The center is people left little evidence of their his- ahead on the right. Information: (877) tory in the shifting sands. 453-5955; www.jekyllisland.com. No island in the chain has a his- 411 tory more colorful than Jekyll. When PARKING the first European explorer, French There is an unpaved parking navigator Jean Ribault, landed in area by the orientation center and an- 1562, the island was inhabited by the other adjacent to the Jekyll Island Guale people, natives of the Muskho - Club Wharf. Parking around the Jekyll gean tribes of the Creeks, who called Island Club Hotel is reserved for hotel their island, “Ospo.” Ribault made no guests. attempt to colonize the area, and his HISTORIC COAST

claim of the island for the French was island was issued to Maj. William soon challenged by the Spanish, who Horton, who arrived on the island in controlled the nearby colony of Flor - 1736 with plans to grow food crops ida. In 1566, Spanish soldiers accom- for the settlers at Frederica. He con- panied Catholic priests to the island structed a 2-story house of tabby to establish the Mission San Buena - (a building material composed of ventura, determined to convert the sand and crushed oyster shells) on the Guale to Christianity and thwart any island (the ruins still stand about a French return. The priests, who found mile north of the village), as well as a the Guale to be reluctant converts, barn and several other buildings. ultimately abandoned their mission - The Spanish governor in St. Au- ary efforts and returned to Florida. gustine soon sent emissaries to the is- Though there were occasional raids land to meet with Oglethorpe and by ocean-going pirates, includ ing the Horton about the two countries’ rival infamous Edward Teach (Blackbeard), claims on the land. Oglethorpe had the Georgia coast remained unsettled arranged for his soldiers at Ft. Fred- by Europeans until the mid-1700s. erica to create the illusion of great Then Great Britain, which already had military strength by firing cannons established colonies in the Carolinas, and marching along the beach on the chartered the new Colony of Georgia southern end of nearby St. Simons Is- to serve as a buffer between its pros- land while discussions with the perous holdings to the north and its Spanish were under way. The visitors historic antagonist, Spain. After Gen. were evidently impressed, and the two James Oglethorpe founded the settle- delegations agreed to allow the Eng- ment of Savannah in 1733, he quickly lish and Spanish royal courts to settle moved to build forts along the coastal the dispute. This decision so angered islands to protect the settlers from the Spanish government that the colo- attack by the Spanish. By 1736, the nial governor of Florida was recalled fortified village of Frederica on nearby home in disgrace. 412 St. Simons was filled with soldiers and But the peace was short-lived. An settlers determined to protect their armed conflict between England and nation’s interests and carve a liveli- Spain, known in the colonies as the hood out of the coastal soils. War of Jenkins’ Ear, broke out in Oglethorpe named the island just 1742. On July 17, a fleet of Spanish south of St. Simons for his friend, warships delivered troops to the supporter, and member of the English southern end of St. Simons Island for Parliament Sir Joseph Jekyll. A grant an attack on Ft. Frederica. While for land on the northern end of the marching north toward the fort, the Jekyll Island Club Village

Stable Rd. Jekyll Island Club Village Stable Rd. 21 James Rd. (dirt) 20 Old Plantation Rd.

.RiverviewN. Dr.

NORTH 22

18 ) t Jekyll Island Club Village ir d ( . 23 n L James Rd. (dirt) p u s Je 17 16

Stable Rd.

.RiverviewN. Dr. 5 4 7 Pier Rd. 3

3 2 1 6 8

Old

l a

n 9 P t a t io .RiverviewS. Dr. n 10 R d J . e Stable Rd.

k y 11 15 l 413 l

C 12 Shell Rd.

k 13

14 Stable Rd.

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 50 - Jekyll Island Village 1st proof HISTORIC COAST

Spaniards were attacked by the British more than 11,000 acres of high-quality garrison at a place known today as Sea Island cotton. He died in 1825, but Bloody Marsh. The Spanish were his family remained in control of the routed with heavy casualties and island for another 60 years. forced to flee across the sound to Jekyll Island made national head- Jekyll Island, where they burned Maj. lines in 1858 when the merchant ship Horton’s plantation before escaping Wanderer, carrying an illegal cargo of back to Florida. African slaves, beached on the island With the Spanish threat dimin- during a storm. The importation of ished and the colony more firmly set- slaves had been illegal since1807, and tled, Oglethorpe returned to England the ship’s owners were arrested, tried, for good. Horton, now in command and convicted in Savannah after a of the troops in Georgia, set out to highly publicized 1860 trial. strengthen coastal forts and to rebuild When Georgia left the Union in his Jekyll Island home. Unfortunately, 1861, the fledgling Confederate Army he died in 1748 before the work was set up gun batteries on Jekyll and completed. neighboring islands to protect access In 1765, King George III granted to the port of Brunswick. After hostil- Jekyll Island to Clement Martin, a ities began at Ft. Sumter, the Federal strong loyalist, who held the property Government established a naval until the outbreak of the Revolution. blockade of the Southern coast, and His claim was forfeited after the war, eventually the Rebel soldiers were or- and the new State of Georgia awarded dered to abandon their positions. In the island to Richard Leake. March 1862, U.S. Marines from the In 1794, the island was sold by USS Mohican came ashore and raised Leake to Le Sieur Christopher Poulain the Stars and Stripes over undefended DuBignon, a monarchist fleeing the Jekyll. horrors of the French Revolution. When the DuBignon family With several other French émigrés, returned at war’s end, they found 414 DuBignon also acquired an island to their property in ruins. For 20 years, the north which he named “Sapelo” Poulain’s great-grandson John Eugene for the ship that had brought him to DuBignon struggled, with modest suc- America. (Sapelo was sold to Thomas cess, to restore the family’s fortunes. Spaulding in the early 1800s.) Then, in 1886, he was approached by a DuBignon restored and expanded group of Northern businessmen with William Horton’s decaying tabby plans to purchase the island for use as house for his large family and set about a private winter retreat. DuBignon earning a sizable fortune cultivating accepted their offer of $125,000 and a Jekyll Island Club Village partnership in the exclusive Jekyll luxurious, rambling, Queen Anne– Island Club, opening what may be the style clubhouse completed in 1889, most colorful chapter in the island’s while a few of the wealthiest members long history. built private residences, mansions Within a few years, the barons of known as “cottages,” on the grounds. American business and industry cre- Nonmember guests, called “strangers” ated an idyllic, secluded paradise set by members, were limited to a max- amidst lush, landscaped grounds imum two-week stay at the resort. carved from the semitropical forest. Business and politics, twin passions Munsey’s Magazine, a popular period- of many club members, followed them ical of the day, described Jekyll in a to Jekyll. In 1899, presidential candi- 1904 article as “the richest, most ex- date William McKinley came to the clusive, the most inaccessible club in island for a meeting with several club the world.” members to plan his campaign. The Financier J. Pierpont Morgan, Federal Reserve Act was drafted at the whose yacht Corsair was so large it club in 1910, and in 1915, American could not dock at the island’s wharf, Telephone and Telegraph Company was a member. So were publisher president Theo dore Vail participated Joseph Pulitzer, for whom the lit- in the nation’s first transcontinental erary prizes are named; tobacco telephone call from the island. Vail was magnate Pierre Lorillard; William at the club recuperating from an ill- Vanderbilt, brother of steel tycoon ness and ordered a thousand miles of Cornelius Vanderbilt; Edwin Gould, telephone cable run to the island so son of railroad mogul Jay Gould; that he might participate in the his- scion of New York society Vincent toric event, which linked him with Astor; retailer Marshall Field; and Alex ander Graham Bell in New York, William Rockefeller, younger brother Bell’s assistant Thomas Watson in San of the famous oil baron. His elder Francisco, and Pres. Woodrow Wilson brother John D. refused to join the in Washington. club. America’s first billionaire con- The Jekyll Island Club prospered 415 sidered the $600 membership fee to through the “Roaring 20s” but suf- be too expensive. fered a decline during the Great De- The club season ran from New pression as many members saw their Year’s Day through Easter. Members fortunes dwindle. Others, whose arrived by private yacht or by train to wealth remained intact, began trav- Brunswick, where they could board the eling to newly developed winter club’s steamer for the short ferry trip to resorts further south in Palm Beach the island. Most guests stayed at the and Miami, Fla. HISTORIC COAST

With America’s entrance into luxury hotel, just in time to celebrate World War II in December 1941, club the building’s centennial. management decided to close indefi- Today, the Jekyll Island Club bus- nitely following the 1942 season due tles again with activity as “strangers” to shortages of supplies and staff. The browse in quaint shops, tour magnifi- war years took their toll. Gardens cent homes, or take “high tea” in the turned to weeds, while wooden build- solarium of the elegant hotel. A stroll ings suffered from termite infesta- around the landscaped grounds offers tions, salt air, mildew, and vandalism. a glimpse back to a time when Amer - At war’s end, the remaining club ica’s richest families claimed a small members chose to delay reopening. island off the Georgia coast as their In 1947, they accepted an offer from own “Golden Isle.” the State of Georgia to purchase the island and all the club’s structures WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN (including the private homes) for A stroll around the village is $675,000. The state had grand plans about 2.5 miles. The grounds to convert the longtime millionaires’ are level with a mix of sunny lawns retreat into a public playground for and live-oak shaded lanes. the enjoyment of all. In 1954, a causeway and bridge connected the SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY island to the mainland, and tourism 1. Museum and Orientation boomed. (The island was so popular Center (1897)—Stable Rd. as a winter retreat for Canadians that, Club members often brought horses for many years, local merchants and carriages to the island, and this accepted Canadian currency.) building was constructed to serve as Most of the club compound re- stables. It originally contained 45 mained closed to the public. Then in stalls and storage space for carriages, 1978, the Jekyll Island Club was desig- tack, and feed. Restored for use as a nated a National Historic Landmark, visitor center in 1985, the building 416 and active restoration began in 1984. houses exhibits tracing the history of The state-initiated program, one of the club, a video theater, and a small the largest preservation projects ever gift shop. Motor-tram and horse- undertaken in the Southeast, has been drawn carriage tours of the historic remarkably successful, with the con- district begin here. Hours: 9:30 A.M.– servation of more than 30 buildings. 4 P.M. daily. (912) 635-2762. The crowning achievement was the 2. Boat Engineer’s House (c. 1900) $19-million restoration and 1987 —Pier Rd. west of Stable Rd. This reopening of the clubhouse as a was the residence of the engineer Jekyll Island Club Village responsible for maintenance of the here from its original site to make way club’s small fleet of ferryboats and for construction of the Sans Souci pleasure craft. It is now a gift shop. Apartments in 1896. Today, the house 3. Dining Room Servants’ displays exhibits of life on the island Quarters (c. 1900)—Pier Rd. These during the club era. modest frame structures are represen- 6. Morgan Indoor Tennis Court tative of the housing provided to the (c. 1900s)—Old Plantation Rd. In its hundreds of staff who attended to the earliest days, the club had outdoor needs of club members. They now tennis courts, but this cypress- house a variety of shops. shingled building housed an indoor 4. Commissary (c. 1900)—Pier court, possibly the first in Georgia. Rd. Staff could draw their personal 7. Jekyll Island Club Hotel (1887) supplies from this club-owned store, —Old Plantation Rd. at Riverview now also a gift shop. Dr. Designed by Chicago architect 5. DuBignon House (1880)—Pier Charles Alexander, the large, rambling Rd. at Old Plantation Rd. Built by Victorian building opened in time for John Eugene DuBignon when his the club’s 1888 season. The clubhouse family owned the island, this Queen contained all the most modern fea- Anne–style house served as the resi- tures of the day, and innovations were dence of club manager E. G. Grob for added as they became available— several years. It was later used as a telephones in 1898, electricity in 1903, guest annex. The house was moved an elevator in 1916. Through the

417

Jekyll Island Club Hotel HISTORIC COAST

years, the building was expanded many deeper waters of Jekyll Creek. Today, times to accommodate more guests, the pier houses a restaurant and gift and the swimming pool was built in shop and provides moorings for water the 1920s. The grand dining room was taxis, charter boats, and private craft. the social center of the island, and 10. Indian Mound (1892)— chefs came from some of New York S. Riverview Dr. The name of this City’s finest restaurants to work at the large, shingle-sided house was drawn club during the winter season. Now from an ancient shell mound that was recognized by the National Trust for once in the front yard. Originally a Historic Preservation as one of the small cottage built for Massachusetts Historic Hotels of America, the dining inventor and industrialist Gordon room, café, and bar are open to the McKay, it was purchased in 1903 by public. Information: (800) 535-9547; William Rockefeller, who expanded it www.jekyllclub.com. to its present 25 rooms. After Rocke- 8. Sans Souci Apartments (1897) feller’s death in 1922, the house was —Old Plantation Rd. and S. River - acquired by his son-in-law Marcellus view Dr. Developed by a syndicate of Hartley Dodge as a residence for his members led by William Rockefeller, aunt, Helen H. Jenkins. The interior the apartments offered larger and (opened for tram-tour participants) is more luxurious accommodations notable for its small elevator, cedar- than were available in the clubhouse. lined safe, and stained-glass window When built, Sans Souci (which in on the stairway landing. An exhibit French means “without care”) had six outside the house, erected by the apartments. Today, they are touted as Telephone Pioneers of America in the nation’s first “condominiums.” 1965, commemorates the first None had a kitchen or dining room so transcontinental telephone call. that guests would be encouraged to 11. Mistletoe Cottage (1900)— take their meals in the club’s restau- S. Riverview Dr. This Dutch Colo- rant. The building presently serves as nial–style house was designed by 418 an annex of suite accommodations Charles A. Gifford for locomotive for the adjacent hotel. manufacturer and U.S. congressman 9. Jekyll Island Club Wharf Henry K. Porter. In 1926, the house (c. 1887)—Pier Rd. at S. Riverview Dr. was purchased by John Claflin, an Nearly all club members arrived by executive with Lord and Taylor de- ferries from Brunswick or aboard pri- partment stores. Today, the cottage vate yachts that moored at this wharf. contains museum exhibits, and a Some of the larger vessels, such as sculpture gallery on the second floor Morgan’s Corsair, anchored in the displays the work of local artist Jekyll Island Club Village

Rosario Fiore. The house and galleries found it too small and immediately are opened for guests on the tram began work on constructing the house tours. described above. In 1929, the Good - 12. Goodyear Cottage (1906)— year family purchased the house and S. Riverview Dr. Built by Frank H. had it moved to its present site to Goodyear, a lumber (not rubber) serve as the club’s infirmary. From executive from Buffalo, N.Y., the 1930 until the club’s closure, the fa- house was designed by Thomas Hast- cility was staffed during the season ings. Today the cottage serves as a by doctors and nurses from Johns gallery featuring the works of local Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore, artisans. Hours: 12–4 P.M., daily. Md. Today, the building is a book- 13. Moss Cottage (1896)— store. S. Riverview Dr. Built by William 16. Faith Chapel (1903)—Old Struthers, a Philadelphia businessman Plantation Rd. This elegantly simple who was an early member of the club, wooden church replaced an earlier, this shingle-style house was typical of smaller sanctuary. Inspired by early some of the earlier cottages built on Gothic-style rural churches of Britain club grounds. In 1910, the house was and Colonial America, this interde- purchased by George Macy, president nominational chapel has two exquisite of the Atlantic and Pacific Tea Com- stained-glass windows. The altar pany (now A&P grocery stores). window, by Maitland and Helen Arm- 14. Site of Pulitzer Cottage strong, depicts the “Adoration of the (1897)—S. Riverview Dr. at Stable Rd. Christ Child,” and catches the morn - An historical marker notes the site of ing light. The large window on the the cottage built by newspaper pub- west end of the chapel, set to glow in lisher Joseph Pulitzer. After Pulitzer’s warm afternoon light, was the work of death, the 26-room house was pur- Louis Comfort Tiffany and is one of chased by coal company executive only five existing windows in the John Albright. The house was lost in a world that bear the artist’s complete fire, but some of the bricks were sal- signature (look in the lower right 419 vaged and used in construction of the corner). The chapel underwent an Old Dunes Golf Course clubhouse. extensive restoration in 1991 and is a 15. Club Infirmary (1891)—Stable popular site for weddings, baptisms, Rd. at Old Plantation Rd. Designed in and seasonal church services. It is the shingle style by owner-architect open daily from 2–4 P.M. Walter Furness, the house originally 17. Crane Cottage (1915)— stood on Riverview Dr. In 1896 it was N. Riverview Dr. This large house was purchased by Joseph Pulitzer, but he built by Richard Crane Jr., son of the HISTORIC COAST

founder of the Crane Company, man- lime, and water. The house has under- ufacturer of plumbing and fluid- gone extensive restoration. control equipment. Not surprisingly, 20. Villa Ospo (1927)—N. River - the house contains 17 bathrooms— view Dr. This Spanish Colonial–style all with Crane fixtures. The Italian residence was one of the last houses Villa–style structure was designed by built at the club. Designed by archi- David Adler and was the largest and tect John Russell Pope for Standard most expensive ($500,000) private Oil Company executive Walter Jen- residence on the club grounds. Today, nings, it is the only cottage in the this house and nearby Cherokee district with an attached garage, as Cottage have undergone adaptive automobiles remained a rarity on the restoration as luxury accommoda- island until construction of the tions managed by the hotel. causeway after World War II. 18. Chichota Ruins (1897)— 21. Gould Casino (1913)—Old N. Riverview Dr. Built by New York Plantation Rd. Built as part of Gould’s businessman David King, the house estate, “Chichota,” the casino housed was sold to Edwin Gould in 1900. the bowling alley, indoor tennis court Gould’s additions to the property (which remains), gymnasium, and included a private dock, bowling alley, greenhouse. The building was con- and an indoor tennis court. Following verted for use as an auditorium in the the death of their youngest son in a 1950s. It has undergone restoration. hunting accident on the island, Gould’s 22. Villa Marianna (1928)—Old wife, Sally, refused to return to Jekyll. Plantation Rd. Built by Edwin and The house fell into disrepair and was Sally Gould’s son Frank, this was the torn down in 1941. Today, all that last cottage built at the club. Today it remains are the foundations, the serves as residential quarters for Jekyll courtyard swimming pool, and two Island Authority staff. stone lions that silently guard the en- 23. Cherokee (1905)—Old Planta- trance of the long-vanished cottage. tion Rd. An excellent example of the 420 19. Hollybourne (1891)—N. River - Italian Renaissance style, Cherokee view Dr. Engineer and bridge-builder was built by Edwin Gould for his in- Charles Maurice worked with architect laws, Dr. and Mrs. George F. Shrady. William Day on this Jekyll Island cot- Shrady was physician to Presidents tage. An innovative house that draws Ulysses Grant and James A. Garfield. on Maurice’s knowledge of structural Today, the building has been remod- strength, this is the only building at the eled to serve as overnight accommo- club made from tabby, a native mate- dations. rial made from sand, oyster shells, HISTORIC COAST C H A P T E R 5 2

BACKGROUND Cumberland Cumberland Island By the numbers, Cumber- Island land Island is the southernmost and largest of Georgia’s nine barrier is- National lands. It is 16 miles long and 3 miles across at its widest point. The seaward Seashore side is remarkable for its miles of nearly unbroken beach, while the lee and side, toward the mainland, is almost continuous marsh. Behind the high St. Marys dunes and above the marsh is the lush, vibrant forest dominated by LOCATION stately live oaks. Historic St. Marys, the gateway A number of distinct, yet inter– to the Cumberland Island related, environments make up a bar- National Sea shore, is located about rier island. The salt marsh is a sea 100 miles south of Savannah via I-95 nursery that is critically important to and GA 40 (exit 3). The island is acces- the health of the world’s oceans. An sible from St. Marys by National Park ideal time to explore the marsh is at Service ferry or by private charter. low tide when fiddler crabs run helter- Information: Cumberland Island skelter from their burrows in search National Seashore, (888) 817-3421; of food and birds like clapper rails, www.nps.gov/cuis. St. Marys Tourism snowy egrets, and Louisiana herons Council, (800) 868-8687; www. peek out from among the tall grasses. 421 stmaryswelcome.com. Cumberland is a stop along the Atlantic Flyway and many migratory PARKING waterfowl winter on the island, mak - Curbside parking is available ing birdwatching especially popular. in downtown St. Marys and at lots The island interior is typical of adjacent to the National Park Service what botanists call a maritime climax visitor center and ferry dock. There is forest. Even on the brightest day, no automobile access to the island. sunlight struggles to penetrate the HISTORIC COAST

interwoven arms of the Spanish moss- introduced. The wild horses that draped live oaks. The understory is some believe are descendents of those filled with laurel oaks, red maples, brought to Cumberland by the sweetgums, and other trees. Where Spanish in the 1500s are more likely storms, fires, or previous timber har- descended from horses used by ante- vesting have destroyed the dominant bellum and Victorian-era landowners; trees, the areas have filled with fast- and hogs are the wild descendants of growing, sun-loving loblolly pines. domestic pigs from the 19th-century Beneath the canopy are a mix of farms and plantations that dotted the smaller trees and shrubs, including island. The National Park Service sycamores, American hollies, magno- schedules controlled hunts of the deer lias, and the pointed fans of the saw and hogs to keep their population in palmetto. (Note: Be alert around pal- balance, but the horses are protected metto thickets; they are a popular and allowed to roam freely. denning site for the island’s diamond- While fresh water is not plentiful back and canebrake rattlesnakes.) on the island, there are low areas or Wildlife abounds here, but quiet “sloughs” where years of rainfall and patience is essential to capture a runoff have collected to form shallow glimpse. The woods are home to the ponds that, with the lands around island’s many native white-tailed deer them, form a distinct plant and animal (smaller than their mainland habitat. The largest freshwater pond is cousins), curious and sometimes Lake Whitney near the north end of pesky raccoons, and bobcats reintro- the island. Willow Pond, Johnson duced by the Park Service in the 1980s Pond, Lake Retta, and a few smaller in an effort to restore a natural pools are located near the center. predator to the island. Also present is The pond communities support the nine-banded armadillo, one of na- otters, frogs, fish, and water snakes ture’s true curiosities. These reclusive (including the poisonous cotton- plant and insect eaters seem indif- mouth), and serve as rookeries for 422 ferent to human presence and will herons, ibises, and woodstorks. Also often pose for a snapshot. present is the secretive American alli- Cumberland boasts more than 100 gator. It is a nocturnal hunter (some- resident species of birds including thing to remember if you decide to go cardinals, summer tanagers, painted for a moonlit stroll near the ponds), buntings, Carolina wrens, pileated so the more time you spend sitting woodpeckers, wild turkeys, red-tailed quietly by a pond at dawn or dusk, the hawks, and great horned owls. Two greater your chance of spotting one of feral (non-native) animals have been these endangered reptiles. Cumberland Island National Seashore and St. Marys

W. Hall St. W

40 St. Marys St. Marys W. Church St. W

W. Alexander St . W

NORTH

Mahan

Bartlett W. Dillingham S Osborne St. t. W

Seagrove 30

W. Conyers St. W 32 Wheeler 31

28 27 33 26

25 W. Weed

Ready

34 24 35 W. Bryant St. W

21 22 423 23

St. Marys 18 19 20

17 16

St. Marys River

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 51a - Historic St. Marys 1st proof HISTORIC COAST

Whether swimming, shell collect - peregrine falcons ride the winds above ing, or simply strolling, visitors usu- the island in search of prey. With daz- ally spend much of their time on the zling speed they dive from high alti- island in its beach and dune environ- tudes to attack a hapless crab or other ment. Few places on earth are as in- victim. Finally, a few miles offshore hospitable and ever-changing as the are the breeding grounds of the shore of a barrier island. Waves con- Northern right whale, a species that stantly scour the ground with salt has been driven to near-extinction by water, and there is little protection centuries of hunting (now illegal). from the relentless summer sun or These large, gentle mammals travel powerful winter storms. High tide dif- the world’s oceans in family groups, fers from low; and the wildlife that called “pods,” and the waters off the shares the beach with you during the Georgia coast are popular springtime day is markedly different from the calving grounds for the newborn creatures that scatter from a flash- whales. Sightings are rare, but a light’s beam after dark. glimpse of any of these exceptional For more information on the creatures would be a treasured complex ecology of barrier islands, memory from a visit to Cumberland we recommend Stephen Swinburne’s Island. Guide to Cumberland Island. Human beings are relative new- Visitors to the island may be treated comers to Cumberland, yet we have to glimpses of three of the world’s had a profound and lasting impact rarest creatures: the Loggerhead turtle, on the land. Since prehistoric times, the Peregrine falcon, and the Northern people have been drawn to the right whale. The huge loggerheads world’s coasts, and even today, the (their shells may reach four feet in bulk of the world’s population resides length) spend their lives in the oceans, on or near the ocean. At sites on but return to the beach each spring Georgia’s coastal plain, scientists have and summer to deposit their eggs in found evidence of human habitation 424 pits along the high tide line. Sadly, in this area for at least 12,000–15,000 commercial development on many years.Today, all that remains for us to barrier islands has taken a heavy toll see are small oyster-shell middens on habitat, making protected areas like (trash piles), scattered burial Cumberland Island vitally important mounds, and an occasional bead or to the turtle’s survival. shell tool. Wintering on Cumberland, far European explorers touched on from their summer homes along the these shores in the 1500s, and in 1565, Arctic Circle, small, sleek, and graceful the Spaniards claimed the island and Cumberland Island National Seashore and St. Marys

Sa ti lla R iv er

Cumberland Island r ve Ri nd a rl e b 14 m u C 15

CUMBERLANDCUMBERLANDISLAND ISLAND NANATIONALTIONALTIONALSEASHORE SEASHORE

13 Cumberland Island National Seashore

12 11 10

C ATLANTIC u 9 NORTH m b OCEAN

r l a

i v

e r 1 8 425

2,3,4 6,7 5

r GEORGIA . M e S t a r v y s R i FLORIDA

Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Georgia Walks Map 50b - Cumberland Island 1st proof HISTORIC COAST

named it San Pedro (St. Peter). The As the story goes, the young Indian natives they encountered were the asked Oglethorpe to name the island Timucuan, a tribe of the Creek Nation after his new friend. who called their island “Missoe” (sas- Oglethorpe visited the island on safras) for the medicinal plant that several occasions and built a hunting grew there in abundance. lodge on its southern end. He dubbed Jesuit priests, under the guidance his rustic lodge “Dungeness” after the of Fr. Baltasar Lopez, aggressively set English city that was the seat of the out to convert the Timucuans to County of Kent. Catholicism, creating much unrest. In the years prior to the American After several instances of bloodshed, Revolution, several prominent Geor- the Jesuits were replaced by Francis- gians held royal grants for land on cans who were more willing to blend Cumberland Island, but little effort native culture and Christianity. The was made to farm or harvest the is- mission at San Pedro survived for land’s rich stands of timber. One of about a century until the Spanish, at the few visitors to the nearly unin- odds with their enemies the English, habited island was naturalist William pulled back from the frontier to their Bartram, who paused on Cumber- strongholds in Florida. While histo- land during his mid-1770s journey rians believe the mission was near the across the South to collect botanical present site of Dungeness, no firm ev- specimens. idence remains to tell us the story of Following the Revolution, Gen. the trials and hardships of mission life Nathanael Greene received several on the island. large parcels of land on Cumberland When the English established the as settlement of a debt and began con- Colony of Georgia in 1733, two of the struction of a summer home. Greene forts they built for protection were died of sunstroke in 1786, years before on Cumberland Island. The origin his house on Cumberland was com- of the present name for the island pleted, but his wife, Catherine, with 426 comes from Oglethorpe’s visit to their five children, continued the work England with Tomo-chi-chi, chief and occupied the home in 1803. Be- of the Yamacraw, who had befriended cause the 4-story, tabby house was the English general. Accompanying located near the site of Oglethorpe’s Tomo-chi-chi on the ocean voyage old hunting lodge, Catherine called it was his nephew, Toonahowie. While Dungeness. After moving into the in England, Toonahowie made friends house, Catherine married Phineas with the son of King George II, Will - Miller, her children’s tutor, but Miller iam Augustus, Duke of Cumberland. died shortly afterward. Cumberland Island National Seashore and St. Marys

Catherine and the children at the north end of the island near remained at Dungeness, where she Half-Moon Bluff. enjoyed entertaining friends and Many white families never visitors. During the War of 1812, returned to the island, and the empty Cather ine entertained American Dungeness burned in the 1870s. In troops stationed in the nearby village 1880 Thomas and Lucy Carnegie of St. Marys. She died in 1814, shortly (possibly after reading an article in before the British attacked and occu- Lippencott’s Magazine about the pied the town. Catherine’s daughter deserted island) visited Cumberland Louisa and her husband, James Shaw, for the first time. Lucy immediately continued to live at Dungeness. fell in love with the island and con- In January 1818, a schooner bound vinced her wealthy husband that it northward from the West Indies an- would be a marvelous place to raise chored off Cumberland to bring their five children. ashore the gravely ill Gen. “Light Thomas was the younger brother Horse” Harry Lee, a longtime friend and business partner of steel magnate and comrade-in-arms of Louisa’s Andrew Carnegie, one of the world’s father, Gen. Greene. Lee died at Dun- richest men. Within a few years, he had geness and was buried there. In 1913, purchased 90 percent of the island. the state of Virginia had his remains The Carnegies demolished the removed and reinterred next to his crumbling ruins of the Greene-Miller son, Robert E. Lee, in Lee Chapel on Dungeness and began construction the campus of Washington and Lee of their own, eclectic 40-room man- University in Lexington. sion on its foundations. The stone The antebellum period was the era and brick structure became the of large plantations, Sea Island cotton, centerpiece of a huge estate encom - and slavery on Cumberland Island. pass ing more than 40 buildings and Records indicate that in the 1840s, the employing a staff of 50. population was 36 whites and 400 Like Greene before him, Thomas black slaves. With the outbreak of the Carnegie died before his Dungeness 427 Civil War, most plantation owners was completed, but Lucy and the chil- evacuated the island, leaving overseers dren moved into the new home in and slaves to continue working. In 1884 as planned. There they lived in 1862, Union forces finally occupied grand style, hosting politicians, diplo- Cumberland and sent the slaves to mats, dignitaries, and celebrities at Amelia Island, Fla. Following the war, lavish parties, polo matches, and other a few freedmen and their families re- high-society events. As Lucy’s children turned and established a small village grew, she gave each of them portions HISTORIC COAST

of the estate on which they could (including overnight campers) per build homes for their own families. day. There are five campgrounds on After Lucy died in 1916, Dungeness the island, and reservations, which was shuttered except for rare occa- may be made no more than 6 months sions, such as a large family wedding in in advance, are essential, especially in the 1920s. By the late 1950s, the main the fall and spring. Sea Camp, the house and estate had been unoccupied largest, is adjacent to a ferry dock, for more than 30 years. In 1959, Dun- while four back-country campsites are geness caught fire (possibly set by from 3.5 to 10.6 miles north. poachers after a confrontation with the Most visitors reach the island at caretaker) and burned out of control either the Sea Camp or Dungeness for several days. The flames rose so docks following a 45-minute ride high that the glow could be seen in from St. Mary’s aboard the Park Ser- Brunswick, nearly 40 miles away. vice ferry Cumberland Queen. The Within a few years, several family ferry schedule varies by season. Island members, some infrequent visitors to information is available by calling the remote island, sold 3,000 acres to (912) 882-4336, 9 A.M.–4:30 P.M., a developer. This triggered a battle daily. Reservations for both the ferry both within the Carnegie family and and campgrounds may be requested with conservation organizations that by calling (912) 882-4335 between hoped to keep the island intact in its 10 A.M. and 4 P.M., Mon.–Fri.; or by natural state. In 1972, most of the faxing a request to (912) 673-7747 property owners donated their land- (24 hours a day). holdings to the Federal government (with retained rights giving them ac- St. Marys cess to homes and properties on the A visit to Cumberland Island is in- island for a period of years) for the complete without a walk around its purpose of creating a national park. mainland gateway, the village of St. Encircled and outnumbered, the de- Marys, whose history is linked to the 428 veloper finally gave in and sold his islands and to its namesake river. property to the government, also. During the colonial period, the St. Later that same year, Congress passed Marys River marked the disputed legislation establishing the Cumber- boundary between the Spanish Colony land Island National Seashore. of Florida and the English Colony of Visiting Cumberland Island: Georgia. As the two nations vied for Because of the fragile nature of the control of the coast, this area remained island environment, visitation is lim- a mostly deserted and dangerous place. ited to a maximum of 300 persons Spanish and English soldiers clashed Cumberland Island National Seashore and St. Marys along the frontier, and pirates used the in 1972, drawing thousands of visitors nearby islands and inlets as hideouts to St. Marys as the starting point for and smuggling dens. the journey to the remote island. Most The village of St. Marys was recently, the construction of the U.S. founded in 1787, when Jacob Weed, a Navy’s enormous King’s Bay Nuclear grantholder near a place called Butter- Submarine Base at nearby Kingsland milk Bluff, sold shares in his land to a has brought thousands of sailors and group interested in establishing a new civilians to the region to work at the settlement. Surveyor James Finley laid sprawling facility. It is a special treat out the streets in 1788, and his plan for visitors to get a glimpse of the remains intact within the boundaries conning tower of a submarine as it of the historic district. By the early glides through Cumberland Sound. 1800s, St. Marys was thriving as a Locals are quick to point out their center of shipping and commerce for fervent belief that Savannah-born the surrounding coastal plantations. composer Johnny Mercer, a visitor for During the War of 1812, the many years to St. Marys, drew on the British captured the town, occupying tranquil beauty of the river and the it for a few months until word arrived marsh as inspiration for his Academy in the winter of 1815 that the war had Award–winning song, Moon River. ended. Four years later, in 1819, the Gazing at a spectacular riverfront region finally enjoyed a period of sunset, it is easy to capture that same peace when Spain ceded its lands to sense of wonder that may have moved the United States, creating the new Mercer to pen the famous tune. State of Florida. No longer was the Today, St. Marys’ old historic dis- southern bank of the St. Marys River trict, listed in the National Register of a hostile country. Historic Places, retains the small-town During the Civil War, many citi- atmosphere that makes it an ideal zens moved inland, and after the war, place to slow your pace before or after the village settled into nearly three- an escape to Cumberland Island’s nat- quarters of a century of tranquility as ural paradise. 429 a backwater fishing port. Prosperity returned with the con- WALK DISTANCE AND TERRAIN struction of the Gilman Paper Com- Cumberland Island pany mill on the edge of town in the Miles of sandy lanes and trails 1940s, an industry that drew heavily crisscross the island, offering nearly on the area’s rich fields of timber. This endless possibilities for hiking. While was followed by the creation of the the terrain is flat, the distances be- Cumberland Island National Seashore tween sites, especially toward the HISTORIC COAST

Dunes along Cumberland Island’s eastern coast

northern end of the island, make a Much of the walk in the interior of day trip to see them very difficult. the island is beneath a thick canopy of Possibly the most popular walk for live oaks, while the dunes and beach day visitors traces an approximately are exposed to wind and sun. When 5.5-mile loop from the Sea Camp crossing the dunes, it is essential that dock southward along the River Trail walkers use only the designated paths. to the Ice House Museum, on to the Consider the seasonal temperatures ruins of Dungeness, past the old and humidity when planning your cemetery, across the dunes, then north hike. Also, water sources on the island along the wide beach back to Sea are limited, so it is very important to 430 Camp and the ferry dock. An addi- carry enough water. National Park tional loop to Little Greyfield Beach staff are happy to offer tips and an- will add about 3 miles and to Stafford swer questions about exploring the House and beach, about 5 miles. island in any season of the year. The round-trip from the Sea Camp Note: Day visitors must remember ferry dock to Plum Orchard is nearly that the last ferry of the day leaves the 15 miles and to the old African- island at 4:45 P.M. If you miss it, you American community at Half-Moon are required to charter a boat to take Bluff, more than 25 miles. you off the island. Cumberland Island National Seashore and St. Marys

St. Marys House was built by the Greene family The walk through St. Marys is a as a temporary residence while their pleasant 1.5-mile loop among live main house was under construction. oaks and past elegant old homes and When the Carnegies purchased the buildings. A side trip to Oak Grove property, this house was restored for Cemetery will add about a half-mile use as the estate manager’s ofﬁce. to the route. It is now a museum featuring displays of life on the island during the days SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY of the Greenes and Carnegies. The Cumberland Island adjacent gardens were a favorite 1. Sea Camp Dock and place for Lucy Carnegie and her Visitor Center (1970s)—Originally children. constructed by Charles Fraser to serve 5. Dungeness Cemetery (c. 1800s) as the sales ofﬁce for his Cumberland —It was in this small cemetery over- Oaks resort development, the com- looking the marsh that Revolutionary plex was converted for use as an island War general “Light Horse” Harry Lee orientation center when the National was buried with full military honors Park Service acquired the island. in 1818. His remains were moved to 2. Ice House Museum (c. 1880s)— Virginia in 1913, but the tombstone Built by the Carnegie family to store placed over the grave by his son, the large blocks of ice carved from Robert E. Lee, remains. northern lakes and brought to the 6. “Ghost Fleet” of Dungeness island by barge, the building now (1930s–50s)—These rusting automo- houses a museum tracing the natural biles once belonged to Dungeness and human history of the island. staff and members of the Carnegie 3. Dungeness Ruins (1884)— family. They have not been moved Built on the foundation of Gen. since the 1950s. Greene’s 1803 home, this massive 7. Dungeness Out-Buildings mansion was once one of the largest (1880s–1910s)—This complex in- private homes in America. Even in its cludes a stable, garage, dormitories, 431 deteriorated condition, the scale of dining hall, maintenance sheds, and this enormous house remains stag- other structures essential for the sup- gering. Visitors may walk around the port of the massive Carnegie estate. ruins but climb ing on them is prohib- Most of the buildings have been stabi- ited (they are unstable and home to lized. A few are open to the public, rattlesnakes). and others are used by the Park 4. Tabby House (c. 1800) and Service as maintenance and storage Gardens (1880s)—The 1-story Tabby facilities. HISTORIC COAST

8. Sea Camp (1975)—Located a pool and an elegant ballroom. The half-mile east of the ferry dock, this house remains much as it was when campground is the largest and most the Carnegie family vacated the prop- popular on the island. erty in the 1960s. 9. Greyfield (1901)—Built by Lucy Plum Orchard’s future continues Carnegie for her daughter Margaret, to be the subject of controversy. the large house is the centerpiece of a While the Park Service stabilized the 1,300-acre private compound within old structure and used a portion of it the park. It has been converted into an for staff housing, preservation advo- elegant inn by Margaret’s daughter, cates urged a complete restoration Lucy Ferguson. Information: (904) and possible reuse as an artists’ re- 261-6408; www.greyfieldinn.com. treat, gallery, and conference facility. 10. Stafford Cemetery (c. 1850s– However, the house sits adjacent to 1910s)—Established by the Stafford the Cumberland Island Wilderness, family, who owned a large antebellum whose supporters opposed any plantation on the island, the burial restoration that would draw more ground contains remains of several people into the fragile environment. generations of family members. In 1999, a compromise was reached: 11. Stafford House (1901)—Built Funds were committed for restora- on the foundations of the old Stafford tion; island visitation remained Plantation house completed in the capped at 300 people per day; foot 1840s and burned during the Civil and boat access to historic resources War, this house was built for Thomas at the north end of the island were and Lucy Carnegie’s son William. The improved; and a National Park Ser- house and surrounding property vice Advisory Board monitors imple- remain privately owned. mentation of these plans and oversee 12. The Chimneys (1840s)—Rows Plum Orchard’s future. Currently, of chimneys are all that remain of the there are occasional tours by the NPS Stafford Plantation’s slave cabins. staff of Plum Orchard. 432 Some historians believe they were 14. The Settlement (1860s)—This burned by overseers in retaliation for small village was established by the the aborted uprising in 1862. freed slaves who returned to the is- 13. Plum Orchard (1898)—Second land after the Civil War. Many earned only to Dungeness in elegance, this their living fishing, working for the grand Georgian Revival–style mansion Carnegies, or working at the luxury was built by Lucy Carnegie for her son hotel located in nearby High Point George. Among the large home’s many from the 1890s to the 1920s. The amenities were an indoor swimming Cumberland Island Museum in Cumberland Island National Seashore and St. Marys one small building is dedicated to Osborne St. north of the Riverview archiving and preserving artifacts for Hotel. It opened in late 2001. scholarly research, but does have a 18. St. Marys Submarine Museum small exhibit area open to visitors (1996)—102 St. Marys St. Taking (Hours vary. Information: P.O. Box advantage of the proximity of the 796, St. Marys, Ga. 31558). The vil- Kings Bay submarine base, this old lage’s small church was the scene of movie-theater-turned-museum offers the 1996 wedding of the late John F. exhibits on the origins and history of Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. submarines and features a working 15. High Point (c. 1890s)—The periscope. Hours: 10 A.M.–4 P.M., rambling Cumberland Island Hotel Tues.–Sat.; 1–5 P.M., Sun. (912) 882- was built here in the 1890s, offering 2782. wealthy tourists luxurious accommo- 19. Riverview Hotel (1916)— dations along the coast. It prospered 105 Osborne St. Built as a small resort until the 1920s, when a bridge was hotel, the Riverview’s second-floor constructed to nearby St. Simons, balcony is a popular spot for watching making that island much more acces- activities on the waterfront. The sible. The hotel eventually closed, and hotel’s Cumberland Landing Restau- the complex was purchased by the rant and Seagles Tavern have been St. Candler family of Atlanta for use as a Marys’ fixtures for many years. Infor- private retreat. mation: (912) 882-3242. 20. Cannon (c. 1800s)—Osborne St. Marys St. median. This old cannon barrel is 16. St. Marys Port Pavilion (1977) believed to have been taken from a —Osborne and St. Marys Sts. This British ship during the War of 1812. public pavilion overlooks the shrimp 21. Bank of St. Marys Building boat docks, commercial wharves, and (1836)—Osborne and Bryant Sts. the wide St. Marys River. Built when St. Marys was a thriving 17. Cumberland Island National commercial port, the bank relocated Seashore Ferry Dock (1970s)—107 to Columbus in 1843. The building 433 St. Marys St. Occupying a central lo- was purchased by the local Roman cation along St. Marys’ waterfront Catholic congregation and was used (once the southernmost port in the for many years as its church. It con- United States), the dock is the starting tinues to serve as a parish community point for ferry trips to the island. center, and there are plans to restore Hours: 9 A.M.–5 P.M., daily. (912) 882- the steeple removed more than 4335. The Park Service constructed a 50 years ago. new visitor center and museum on HISTORIC COAST

22. Spencer House (1872)—101 E. Marys, this house was built by a Mr. Bryant St. Built by William Spencer, Jackson and purchased in 1802 by U.S. Customs Collector for the port of Clark, who served as customs collector St. Marys from 1871 to 1873, the large under seven presidents, until his death 3-story frame house is now a bed- in 1849. Clark entertained several and-breakfast inn. (888) 840-1872; dignitaries in this house, including www.spencerhouseinn.com Aaron Burr, who stopped here after 23. Frohock House (c. 1907)— killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel E. Bryant and Ready Sts. Lester in Washington, and Gen. Winﬁeld Frohock combined two smaller 19th- Scott, who visited on his return from century houses to create this large the Indian wars. home. 27. Washington Oak and Pump 24. Capt. Samuel Flood House (c. 1800)—In the Osborne St. median. (c. 1800s)—Built by one of the many On the day of Pres. George Washing - sea captains and river pilots who ton’s funeral at Mount Vernon in made St. Marys their home, this house Virginia (Dec. 18, 1799), the citizens is one of the oldest structures in the of St. Marys carried a ceremonial cas - village. The large pecan trees behind ket from the wharf and buried it here. the home were planted by Mrs. Flood. Six oak trees were planted around 25. Orange Hall (c. 1829)— the grave. The last tree died in 1987, 303 Osborne St. This house was built and its wood was given to the U.S. by planter John Wood as a present to Navy for use in repairs to the USS his daughter Jane and her husband, Constitution (“Old Ironsides”). Today, the Rev. Horace Pratt, pastor of the the withered stump of one tree re- nearby Presbyterian Church. Jane mains. The pump is for one of the died before the house was completed, town’s half-dozen freshwater wells so it became home to Pratt and his dug nearby the year Washington died. second wife, Isabel. It is considered 28. Methodist Chapel (1858)— one of the ﬁnest examples of the Conyers and Ready Sts. Established in 434 Greek Revival style of architecture 1799, this is the oldest religious con- in Georgia and is open as a museum. gregation in the city. During the Civil Hours: 9 A.M.–5 P.M., Mon.–Sat.; 1–5 War, the chapel was used by occu- P.M., Sun. In 2002, the welcome center pying Union forces to store supplies. relocated to new facilities across In 2000, the small congregation Osborne street. (800) 868-8687. NR gained nationwide attention when it 26. Archibald Clark House was surprised by a multimillion- (c. 1801)—Osborne at Conyers St. dollar bequest from the estate of a The oldest standing residence in St. local businessman. Cumberland Island National Seashore and St. Marys

29. St. Marys City Hall Complex 33. Episcopal Church (c. 1900s)— (1991)—414 Osborne St. This low- Wheeler St. between Conyers and proﬁle, modern facility, designed to Weed Sts. The ﬁrst church on this site blend in with the older surrounding was built in 1812. The second, built structures, houses the St. Marys in 1845, was burned during the Civil Tourism Council and Welcome War. Center. Hours: 8 A.M.–4:30 P.M., 34. Bacon-Burns-Stucki House Mon.–Fri. (912) 882-4000. (c. 1830)—Osborne and Weed Sts. 30. Toonerville Trolley (1928)— This simple 2-story house was exten- Osborne St. just south of City Hall. sively remodeled in the 1880s. This small bus was adapted for use 35. Sandiford-Goodbread House by commuters on the railway line (c. 1884)—209 Osborne St. Built by connecting St. Marys and Kingsland. Ralph Sandiford and later owned by The trolley was made famous by car- excursion boat captain Walter Good- toonist Roy Crane, who featured it in bread, the 2-story cottage with open his popular 1930s comic strip, Wash porches has been restored as a bed- Tubbs & Easy. and-breakfast inn. (912) 882-7490; 31. First Presbyterian Church www.eagnet.com/goodbread. (c. 1808)—Conyers and Osborne 36. Oak Grove Cemetery Sts. Built with public funds as a non - (c. 1780s)—Bartlett St. between Weed denominational church, Horace Pratt and Bryant Sts. Older than the town, (see #25) was ordained here by the this burial ground dates to plantation Presbytery of Georgia in 1822. The days. The oldest marked grave is that sanctuary was incorporated as the In- of Richard Gascoigne, interred in dependent Pres byterian Church in 1801. One section of the cemetery 1828 and rechartered as the First Pres- contains tombstones inscribed in byterian Church in 1832. It is the French, graves of a few Acadian set- oldest standing Presbyterian church in tlers who came to the Georgia coast Georgia. Many of St. Marys earliest set- after being forced from Nova Scotia tlers are buried in the church cemetery. by the English. Most of the Acadians 435 32. Gillican House (c. 1800s)— (Cajuns) settled in Louisiana. Conyers St. west of the Presbyterian Church. This house once served as the Rev. Horace Pratt’s library and as quarters for his servants. A hole in one window frame is said to have been caused by British shelling of the town in 1814. HISTORIC COAST ANNUAL EVENTS

January u Red, White, and Blues Festival u Bluegrass Music Festival (Savannah) (Jekyll Island) u Colonial Coast Birding and Nature u Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Festival (Jekyll Island) Parade and Celebration October (Savannah) u Oktoberfest (Savannah) February u Rock Shrimp Festival (St. Marys) u Music Festival (Savannah) November u Black Heritage Festival (Savannah) u Memorial Service for u Irish Festival (Savannah) Submariners (St. Marys) March u Downtown Illumination and u St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Christmas Open House Festival (Savannah) (St. Marys) u Spring Tour of Homes and December Gardens (Savannah) u Christmas Tour of Homes u Arts Festival (Jekyll Island) (Savannah) u Garden Club Tour of Homes and u Christmas on the River Flower Show (Jekyll Island) (Savannah) u The Big Sea Theatre Festival u Plantation Christmas at (Jekyll Island) Hofwyl-Broadﬁeld State April Historic Site (Brunswick) u NOGS (North of Gaston Street) u Old Town Victorian Christmas Tour of Hidden Gardens Tour of Homes (Brunswick) (Savannah) u Candlelight Tour of Homes u Sidewalk Arts Festival (Savannah) (St. Marys) May u Holiday Lights Community u Seafood Festival (Savannah) Celebration (Jekyll Island) 436 u Spring Tour of Historic Gardens u New Year’s Eve Celebration at (Savannah) City Market (Savannah) u Harborfest and Blessing of the Fleet u First Night (Savannah) (Brunswick) July u Old Fashioned Fourth Celebration (Brunswick) u Independence Day Celebration (St. Marys) BIBLIOGRAPHY

Atherton, Elizabeth and Rambo, Coleman, Kenneth. Georgia History in Meredith. A Selection of Nineteenth Outline. Athens, GA: University of Century Homes in Historic Marietta, Georgia Press, 1978. Georgia. Marietta, GA, 1976. Cozzens, Peter. This Terrible Sound— Atlanta City Directory. Atlanta, GA: The Battle of Chickamauga. Urbana, Atlanta City Directory Company. IL: University of Illinois Press, 1992. Various publishers, 1870–1992. Dickens, Roy S. and McKinley, James L. Bender, Steve. Callaway Gardens, Frontiers in the Soil: The Archaeology Legacy of a Dream. New York, NY: of Georgia. LaGrange, GA: Frontiers Callaway Editions, 1996. Publishing, 1979. Blumenson, John J. G. Identifying Drummond, Margaret C., ed. Guide To American Architecture, A Pictorial The Appalachian Trail in North Car- Guide in Styles and Terms, olina and Georgia, 7th ed. Harpers 1600–1945. Nashville, TN: American Ferry, WV: Appalachian Trail Con- Association for State and Local His- ference, 1983. tory, 1977; 1981. Ehle, John. Trail of Tears: The Rise and Bollinger, J. Mark and Landrum, Fall of the Cherokee Nation. New Brenda G., eds. The Story of York, NY: Doubleday Books, 1988. Andersonville Prison and American English, Thomas H. Emory University Prisoners of War. Eastern National 1915–1965, A Sesquicentennial His- Park and Monument Association, tory. Atlanta, GA: Higgins-McArthur 1987. and Co., 1966. Boney, F. N. A Walking Tour of the Uni- Fancher, Betsy. Savannah—A Renais- versity of Georgia. Athens, GA: Uni- sance of the Heart. Garden City, NY: versity of Georgia Press, 1989. Doubleday and Co., 1976. 437 Boyd, Brian. The Chattooga Wild and Freeman, Ron. Savannah: People, Scenic River. Conyers, GA: Ferncreek Places, Events. Tallahassee, FL: Rose Press, 1990. Printing Co., 1997. Brown, Fred and Jones, Nell, eds. The Fretwell, Mark E. This So Remote Fron- Georgia Conservancy’s Guide to the tier—The Chattahoochee Country of North Georgia Mountains. Marietta, Alabama and Georgia. Tallahassee, GA: Longstreet Press, 1991. FL: Rose Printing Co., 1980. GEORGIA WALKS

Georgia Conservancy. A Guide to the London, Bonnie. A History of Georgia. Georgia Coast. Atlanta, GA: The Montgomery, AL: Clairmont Press, Georgia Conservancy, 1985. 1992. Georgia Humanities Council. The New Martin, Harold. Georgia—A Bicenten- Georgia Guide. Athens, GA: Univer- nial History. New York, NY: W. W. sity of Georgia Press, 1996. Norton and Co., 1977. Grady, James. Architecture of Neel Reid Martin, Van Jones and Mitchell, in Georgia. Athens, GA: University of William R. Jr. Landmark Homes of Georgia Press, 1973. Georgia 1783–1983, Two Hundred Harshaw, Lou. The Gold of Dahlonega: Years of Architecture, Interiors, and The First Major Gold Rush in North Gardens. Savannah, GA: Golden America. Asheville, NC: Hexagon Coast Publishing Co., 1982. Co., 1976. McCash, William B. and June H. Jekyll The Heritage Tour of Albany Homes, Island Club Historic District. Jekyll Albany, Georgia. Thronateeska Her- Island, GA: Jekyll Island Authority, itage Foundation, Inc., 1975. 1995. Historic Savannah Foundation, Inc. Miles, Jim. Civil War Sites in Georgia. Sojourn in Savannah, 8th ed. Nashville, TN: Rutledge Hill Press, Savannah, GA: Printcraft Press, 1990. 1996. Homan, Tim. The Hiking Trails of Miles, Jim. Fields of Glory—A History North Georgia, 3rd ed. Atlanta, GA: and Tour Guide of the Atlanta Cam- Peachtree Publishers, 1997. paign. Nashville, TN: Rutledge Hill Press, 1989. Key, William. The Battle of Atlanta and the Georgia Campaign. Atlanta, GA: Miles, Jim. To The Sea—A History and Peachtree Publishers, 1981. Tour Guide of Sherman’s March. Nashville, TN: Rutledge Hill Press, Lenz, Richard. The Civil War in 1989. Georgia—An Illustrated Traveler’s Guide. Watkinsville, GA: Inﬁnity Mitchell, William R. Jr. and Moore, Press, 1995. Richard. Gardens of Georgia. At- 438 lanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers, Linley, John. The Georgia Catalogue— 1987. Historic American Buildings Survey, A Guide to the Architecture of the Pﬁtzer, Donald F. The Hiker’s Guide to State. Athens, GA: University of Georgia. Helena, MT: Falcon Press, Georgia Press, 1982. 1993. Logue, Frank and Victoria. Georgia Reiter, Beth Lattimore. Coastal Outdoors. Winston-Salem, NC: John Georgia. Savannah, GA: Golden F. Blair Publishers, 1995. Coast Publishing, 1985. Bibliography

Rhyne, Nancy. Touring the Coastal Georgia Backroads. Winston-Salem, NC: John F. Blair Publishers, 1994. Schoettle, H. E. Taylor. A Field Guide to Jekyll Island. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Sea Grant College Pro- gram, 1990. Scruggs, Carroll P. Georgia During the Revolution—A Bicentennial Edition. Norcross, GA: Bay Tree Grove Pub- lishers, 1975. Scruggs, Carroll P. Georgia Historical Markers. Valdosta, GA: Bay Tree Grove Publishers, 1973. Sears, William H. Excavations at Kolomoki: Final Report. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 1956. Spector, Tom. The Guide to the Archi- tecture of Georgia. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1993. Strock, G. Michael. Andersonville National Cemetery. Eastern National Park and Monument Association, 1998. Vanstory, Burnette. Georgia’s Land of the Golden Isles. Athens, GA: Univer- sity of Georgia Press, 1970. Woodworth, Steven E. Chickamauga— A Battlefield Guide. Lincoln, NE: 439 University of Nebraska Press, 1999. ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Ren Davis is a native Atlantan and a Ren and Helen are avid walkers, hikers, graduate of Emory University with a and backpackers, as well as award- degree in history. He earned a master’s winning photographers. The third in public health from Tulane University. member of their team is Nelson Davis He has also written articles for the who, at age eighteen, has grown up Atlanta Journal-Constitution, exploring Georgia with them. Georgia Journal, Atlanta Magazine, Ren and Helen were coauthors of and Tennis. Atlanta Walks, The Insight Guide to Helen Davis is a native of Lewistown, Atlanta and Savannah, Fodor’s Pocket Pennsylvania. She received her bach- Guide To Atlanta, and Fodor’s elor’s degree from the Ohio State Uni- Cityguide—Atlanta. versity and her master’s degree in education from Georgia State University. Ren Davis is the author of Caring for She taught in the Atlanta Public Atlanta—A History of Emory Crawford Schools from 1980 –2001. She now Long Hospital. teaches at the Greenfield Hebrew Academy in a program for children with learning disabilities.