We are both members of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, and the annual release of the Places in Peril list is always a much anticipated event. We have also frequently referenced these lists when researching interesting places to visit in new counties, so if you are not already familiar with the Georgia Trust, we suggest you get to know this organization and the commendable work it does! The Trust highlights buildings that are both well-known and obscure, but most selections are quite appropriate and certainly worthy of some financial assistance and tender loving care.
Below is the official 2014 list and our reactions, with photographs, all courtesy of the Georgia Trust or Halston Pitman:
Sowega Building
Adel, Cook County, Georgia
Reaction: This is by far the most architecturally striking building in downtown Adel, and that should really tell you something about Adel. I was surprised to hear this building was in such poor condition, as on the outside, it looks rather nice! The upper stories, roof, and basement are apparently in a state of deterioration. I also did not realize that the building was vacant, as it appeared the Adel-Cook Chamber of Commerce operated out of some commercial space on the ground floor (but of course the office was closed).
In general, I have some serious qualms about Cook County, which seems to be in the midst of an identity crisis (or more likely a lack of identity crisis). The local chamber touts their motto as “Buy Cook Live Cook Serve Cook.” I can tell you that we arrived in Adel on the day of their famed Daylily Festival in May 2013, and there was nothing to buy, nothing to live, and nothing to serve. This was at 3:45PM on a Saturday afternoon, and not a single place of business was open, and hardly a soul in sight. I’m still willing to give Cook County another chance, but really? Nevertheless, as the undisputed centerpiece of downtown Adel, the Sowega building truly deserves awareness and attention. Maybe a revamped Sowega building will spur downtown Adel to form and develop a new identity!
Blackshear Prison Camp
Blackshear, Pierce County, Georgia
Reaction: This is a fascinating and well-deserved selection. Georgia boasts a rich Civil War history, and these sites need to be preserved for future generations to appreciate and understand. Visiting the Andersonville Prison Camp was quite a treat during a previous CountyTrip, and many prisoners from Andersonville were shipped here to the then-obscure haunt of Blackshear during the latter stages of the war. What happened at the Blackshear Prison Camp is a historical footnote that truly deserves to be told, and something I knew nothing about before reading this Places in Peril list. Fortunately, we will be visiting the Blackshear Prison Camp on the next CountyTrip, which covers Southeastern Georgia! I’m particularly looking forward to it and will cover our post-visit reaction in a future post.
Chauncey School
Chauncey, Dodge County, Georgia
Reaction: This selection definitely caught me off guard. We have actually been to Chauncey (hearing about it on Vanishing South Georgia), a small cluster of dilapidated buildings hugging the railroad tracks, about 10 miles from Eastman. However, I remember seeing nothing about the school, nor did we come across it while there. I re-checked my post-trip notes from May 2013, where I described Chauncey purely as “bombed out and deserted.” There was not a single soul nor habitable building in the place. All that was there seemed to be despair and rubble. Where is this school?! The Trust remarks, “the town of Chauncey has been a victim of hard economic times…” No kidding. Chauncey’s problems run far deeper than historic preservation, and I question whether any money coming into Chauncey could be better spent elsewhere (but maybe this would be the only place to spend it). The school does look amazing. When I will ever be back in Chauncey, I really cannot tell you, but I will certainly be checking out the Chauncey School if ever I am in the area again.
Griffin City Hall
Griffin, Spalding County, Georgia
Reaction: We have spent some time in (underrated?) downtown Griffin, as well as toured the campus of the up-and-coming University of Georgia at Griffin, but do not recall this building. It certainly has an interesting back story. Next time I am in Griffin, I will definitely be paying this building a visit.
Hawkinsville Firehouse
Hawkinsville, Pulaski County, Georgia
Reaction: Wow, what a gem of a building with a notable history. Hawkinsville is a river town (on the Ocmulgee) that has clearly seen better days, but exhibits signs and hints of the majesty and large-scale commerce it once enjoyed. I wish I had seen this firehouse while in Hawkinsville. I need to double-check which National Register of Historic Places source I reference before trips (for this particular trip, it was the not-so-reliable Wikipedia), since this was definitely not listed on the appropriate Wikipedia page. How unfortunate to have overlooked this!
Kolb Street House
Madison, Morgan County, Georgia
Reaction: Morgan will likely be the last county we visit in Georgia, and it will be nice to finish with what we fully expect to be a great county, full of well-preserved antebellum buildings and historic sites. The Georgia Trust recently hosted a Ramble in Madison and throughout Morgan County, which unfortunately I was unable to attend. Again, we will provide further commentary once the trip to Madison is made, but the proposed trail system through Madison sounds like a novel idea.
Church of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sharon, Taliaferro County, Georgia
Reaction: It’s always exciting to discover something new through the Places in Peril lists. Originally, I thought there was nothing more to see beyond Crawfordville in Taliaferro County, but was I ever wrong. I had no idea about the existence of this earliest of Roman Catholic Parishes in Georgia, adjacent to Georgia’s oldest Catholic cemetery and first chartered Catholic academy. I will definitely be swerving off I-20 to see this the next time I am in the area.
Greek Revival Houses of Troup County
Troup County, Georgia
Reaction: LaGrange is one of those must-visit towns in Georgia, as it is full of history and boasts an impressive and bustling downtown square. LaGrange is most known for the Hill & Dales Estate, the ancestral home of the powerful Callaway family, who still seem to rule this pocket of Georgia. The last time we were in LaGrange, there was actually a Georgia Trust sponsored Ramble happening through some of the wonderful old homes in the historic neighborhood adjacent to LaGrange College. With the massive, relatively new Kia plant and other development initiatives in and around LaGrange, I am definitely worried about the future of these antebellum homes. This is a crucial and timely addition to the Places In Peril list!
W&A Railroad Depot
Tunnel Hill, Whitfield County, Georgia
Reaction: I have been to Tunnel Hill twice, and what a historical treasure it is. I would recommend it to all of our readers. I previously posted a picture of the W&A Railroad Tunnel, the engineering wonder of the antebellum south, which is still awe-inspiring to this day. The wonderful thing about Tunnel Hill is the sheer volume of history packed into such a small area: a speech by Jefferson Davis in 1861, the Great Locomotive Chase in 1862, several Civil War skirmishes, the Clisby-Austin house (where John Bell Hood recovered after Chickamauga; his right leg is buried on the grounds!), and the first headquarters of General Sherman during his Atlanta Campaign. This depot needs to be preserved and cherished, and Tunnel Hill’s story is one that needs to be told to future generations.
Connally Marchman House
Villa Rica, Carroll County, Georgia
Reaction: Well, maybe this building will open my eyes to Villa Rica! I have neither visited, nor heard any good things about this Carroll County hamlet (or anything in Carroll County, for that matter). Architecturally, it seems quite interesting. When I will ever be in Villa Rica, I am unsure. But if I am, I will surely check out the Connally Marchman House.
Overall, this year’s list is a great selection of buildings, sites, neighborhoods, and landmarks from across the state of Georgia that are undoubtedly worthy of time, attention, and money, and preservation. What do you all think of this years’ list?
COUNTYTRIP 