I made this photo of a 19th century farmhouse in 2001. It was located in western Ben Hill County off Lower Rebecca Road and was likely among the oldest domestic structures in the county. It has been gone for many years.
Tag Archives: South Georgia Wooden Shingle Structures
Historic Farmstead, Lowndes County
Isolated in the countryside near the Lowndes County ghost town of Delmar, this historic farm is one of the most intact collections of original agricultural structures I’ve ever seen in South Georgia. I’m grateful to Mandy Green Yates for bringing it to my attention. Mandy travels the back roads of South Georgia and North Florida finding lots of places like this. Follow her to see what she finds next.
I believe this was primarily a turpentine camp, as the area was well-known for large scale naval stores production. There would have been tenant houses here at one time, also. The structure above was likely the office for the operation.
My favorite structure is the commissary, which would have served all the needs of this small community.
The shingle-sided barn and water tower are amazing survivors, as well. The owners of the property should be commended for keeping this place in such relatively good condition throughout the years.
Filed under --LOWNDES COUNTY GA--, Delmar GA
Vernacular Farmhouse, Clinch County
This double-pen farmhouse has wooden shingles under the tin roof, but the chimney looks like a replacement. Either way, it’s a landmark pioneer house and in relatively good shape.
Filed under --CLINCH COUNTY GA--
Perkins Farmhouse, Piney Grove
This is located near the forgotten community of Piney Grove. All that remains of Piney Grove is a church, a 1950s school lunchroom, and the ruins of an early 20th-century schoolhouse.
The front porch features interesting hand-carved posts.
Note the difference between the painted walls in the first image and the unfinished walls in the second. This was actually quite common in rural farmhouses for a time.
Thanks to Sharon Mallard for the identification. She writes: This house was the home of Leonard & Quinelle Perkins (my husband’s grandparents). The house and land are still owned by the family.
Filed under --WAYNE COUNTY GA--
DeVane-Jones House, Circa 1880, Benevolence
Larry Ingram writes: This house in Benevolence, Georgia, was constructed by my great-grandmother’s brother, Monsh (sic) Keese, around 1880. It was purchased by my maternal grandparents, Crisp Charles Jones and Kathleen Crozier Jones, around 1943, and remained their home until my grandfather died in 1955. I have an abstract-of-title for the property from the late 1800’s to the time my grandparents purchased the home from a Mr. DeVane. The house and approximately 40 acres are still owned by the man who purchased the home and 40 acres from my grandmother for some $8,000 in 1956.
Filed under --RANDOLPH COUNTY GA--, Cuthbert GA
Origins of Vanishing South Georgia
Pioneer Cabin in Winter, Tulip Road, Ben Hill County, 2002 – © Brian Brown
In preparation for an upcoming documentary, I’ve been reviewing my archive of over 2,000 photographs made on various film cameras before I made the switch to digital in 2007. I’m sharing some of them here and hope they are of interest. Amazingly, most of these structures are gone now and remind me why I do what I do. The images above, of a wintry landscape adorned with a crude pioneer cabin with a fieldstone chimney, were among my first favorites. I had 8x10s printed and looked at them with a sense of awe at the loss that was accelerating around me. As with many of the places I shoot, I’ve wished many times that I’d returned to this quaint little cabin for more photographs. I’m not quite sure when it was demolished but it was gone before 2010. Such stories of loss motivate me to photograph nearly everything I can that I believe to be of cultural or historical value and I hope my work inspires others to pick up their cameras and do the same in their neck of the woods.
Hunter’s Bar-B-Que, Irwin County, 2002 – © Brian Brown
Hunter’s was a local favorite and welcome stop for travelers along Highway 32 for years. They even had parking for semi-trucks. Their goat sandwich, with chips & Coca-Cola was my favorite. Though Hunter’s closed not too long after this photo was made, it’s legendary barbeque sauce has been resurrected by the Hutto family, who now operate the location as Hutto’s Barbeque. It’s just as good!
Craftsman Farmhouse, Irwin County, 2001 – © Brian Brown
This house was demolished by 2010.
Pigs in Winter, Starling Road, Ben Hill County, 2001 – © Brian Brown
Loony Layton’s Store, Waterloo, Irwin County, 2002 – © Brian Brown
I can’t count how many times I passed this store traveling between Fitzgerald and Tifton over the years, though I honestly don’t remember it ever being open. It was razed in early 2012. (I’m not sure of the spelling of the owner’s name, but thanks to Dale Bledsoe for the information.)
Thompson Road Farmhouse, Irwin County, 2002 – © Brian Brown
This house was also an early favorite of mine. It was razed in 2007.
Griffin House, Irwin County, 2003 – © Brian Brown
This Folk Victorian, long a landmark in the area, was demolished before 2007. Thanks to a recent (2016) message from Daphne Griffin, I now know a bit more about the place: My father grew up in that house beginning around 1941. His name is Charlie Jesse Griffin, known as C.J. He grew up there with his mother, Osteen Roberts Griffin, his grandfather, Charlie Roberts, and his three brothers, Denzil, Herman, and Therman Griffin. My grandmother Osteen lived there until around 1960. The house was owned by Otto Griner at the time they lived there.
Player Cemetery Road Tobacco Barn, Ben Hill County, 2002 – © Brian Brown
This barn was razed in 2009.
Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, Ben Hill County, 2003 – © Brian Brown
Union Baptist Church, Ben Hill County, 2002 – © Brian Brown
The two churches pictured above are among Ben Hill County’s most historic African-American congregations.
Snow Shower, Dogwood Lane, Fitzgerald, 1989 – © Brian Brown
Wooden Shingle Farmhouse, Ben Hill County, 2001 – © Brian Brown
Burning Beaver Dam, Irwin County, 2002 – © Brian Brown
Single-Pen Tenant Farmhouse, Irwin County
Many likely pass this house every day and never notice it. I’ve been photographing it for over six years and it never ceases to amaze me.
The wooden shingles have survived against all odds.
Update: As of late summer 2018, this iconic house has collapsed.
Filed under --IRWIN COUNTY GA--
