Tag Archives: Historic Georgia Farms
Commissary, Washington County
This structure is located across the highway from the house in the previous post. I would have included it with that post, but I’m not sure if it’s part of the same farm. I’ve preliminarily identified it as a commissary, since it has windows, but I can’t confirm. It’s a great little building, whatever its past purpose.
Filed under --WASHINGTON COUNTY GA--
Folk Victorian Farmhouse, Washington County
This beautiful home commands a nice view of the surrounding farmland from its promontory along a busy highway north of Sandersville. Records I’ve located date it to 1910, but I think it’s probably an earlier central hallway form, later updated with the Queen Anne dormers and the exposed rafters. Several historic barns are well-maintained on the property, as well.
Filed under --WASHINGTON COUNTY GA--
Neidlinger-Monroe House, 1904, Effingham County
This farmhouse is located on a section of 1000 acres originally granted to Samuel Neidlinger, who built a hand-hewn log house on the property in 1788. Neidlinger was a settler of New Ebenezer but left that community after the Revolutionary War. Another house on the property, built by Samuel Neidlinger’s son, Emanuel, was burned by Union troops while Emanuel was away in service. The pioneer Neidlinger’s great-grandson, Lenorian, built the present house in 1904. Lenorian was a Georgia state senator in the early 20th century.
The house is a Georgian cottage, though locally, the style is known as the Salzburger Plan.
Filed under --EFFINGHAM COUNTY GA--
Tenant Farmhouses, Houston County
This row of four surviving tenant houses in southern Houston County is an important landmark of the sharecropping era. Interestingly, three different designs are represented among them. On the largest working farms, tenant houses were often located adjacent to one another in rows. Very few examples of this configuration survive today. And while it’s obvious that these won’t be around much longer, I admire the landowners who have kept them as reminders of the history. These likely date to the early 20th century.
The first two pictured are simple saddlebags.
This board-and-batten example is larger than the others and has chimneys on each end.
My favorite of the four was this hip-roofed saddlebag with false-brick siding. In the South, we generally refer to this type of siding as “tar paper”.
Filed under --HOUSTON COUNTY GA--
Jones-Peterson House, Circa 1893, Marshallville
Situated on an imposing knoll just west of Marshallville, this Neoclassical Revival landmark was built by Anson Ball Slappey for his daughter Alma and her husband, J. Leonard Jones, as the center of the 800-acre Alma Fruit Farm. The Roy Peterson family were also longtime owners, and many still refer to the property as the Peterson Farm.
Louise Frederick Hays, author of History of Macon County, also resided here for a time.
Thanks to Lori Kelley Adams for help with the identification. I made these photos about 10 years ago and for some reason had never been able to identify the house.
National Register of Historic Places
Filed under --MACON COUNTY GA--, Marshallville GA
William L. Brown Farm Market, Montezuma
This popular farm market was established as a roadside stand by William L. Brown and his wife, Debra, in 1966. The family continues to operate it today and it has earned landmark status with locals and travelers alike. A second market is now open in Columbus. Visit their website to check on what’s available at any given time.
You’ll probably meet Molly when you’re here. She’s very friendly but mostly likes to just hang out and watch the customers.
Known for its peaches (and peach ice cream, and beans), it features a wide variety of seasonal local produce.
I generally only like the heirloom tomatoes my father grows, but these weren’t bad.
I visited recently with my parents and we bought some late Elbertas, and of course we had to have the peach ice cream. It’s homemade and really should not be missed, no matter when you drop by.
Filed under --MACON COUNTY GA--, Montezuma GA
Capron, Georgia
I first thought this are to be a community known as Jalappa, since the road is named Jalappa and a list of U. S. post offices makes reference to a post office at Jalappa from 1851-1855. Further research is required on Jalappa. However, as to the places seen here, Sammy Lester writes: This is my family home. It was a plantation at one time. The mail came from Montezuma by horseback. The name is Capron. My Grandfather named the post office after the first officer that fell going up San Juan Hill with Teddy Roosevelt. Once there was a cotton gin, grist mill, a shingle mill and blacksmith shop along with the general store. The wooden building (above) is the original store and you can still see the mail slot. Capron circa 1898!
The brick storefront (below) dates to 1910, and most of the structure is gone.
Filed under --DOOLY COUNTY GA--, Capron GA
Josiah Davis House, 1869, Emanuel County
This well-maintained landmark was built by Confederate veteran Josiah Davis. Davis was a farmer who raised cotton and corn. Upon his death, his widow lived out the rest of her life here. The Peacock family purchased the home after Mrs. Davis’s death.
Filed under --EMANUEL COUNTY GA--
Meadows & Porter Peach Farm, Bleckley County
The extensive Meadows & Porter Farm [Joe Walker Meadows and Marion Porter] is one of the most intact historic peach farms in Georgia. It is anchored by the Meadows’s Queen Anne farmhouse (above). Most of the dependencies are still standing and in good condition. For its connection to one of Georgia’s most iconic crops, the farm should be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The commissary is located between the main house and the peach packing shed and is in exceptional condition.
Two tenant houses survive, reflecting different eras in the development of the farm.
This board-and-batten example is likely the earlier of the two.
This is a label from my collection, of Meadows & Porter’s “Rooster Brand” peaches.
The peach packing shed is an amazing example of the form, and peaches are still raised on the farm.
I hope these important structures survive well into the future.
Filed under --BLECKLEY COUNTY GA--
