Hawkinsville Historic Tour Guide 2013

HAWKINSVILLE, GA

D Historic Tour Guide d

Old River Boat & Cotton Mill at Ocmulgee River Bank, Hawkinsville, Georgia Steam boats travelled the Ocmulgee between 1859 and 1920.

Š 2012 Hawkinsville Historic Walking/Driving Tour All copyrights revert back to the authors after first issue.

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Volunteer/Contributors: Karen L. Bailey, Karen Hunt, Tom Hunt, Kathleen Wall, Bill Wall, Lucille Bennett, Hawkinsville Garden Club, The Homeowners on the tour, and Members of the Community Design: Lily Billingsley Photography: Jacque Hardy, Dana Billingsley Audio and Video Tours Narrated by Mike Newman A special thanks to the : Department of Natural Resources, Historic Preservation Division for providing project funding and support; the Middle Georgia Regional Commission; and Georgia Eagle Media Broadcasting WQXZ 98.3.

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Cover Photo: The Columns of Georgia by Jacque Hardy Inset Illustration: Old River Boat & Cotton Mill at Ocmulgee River Bank Courtesy of Hawkinsville Dispatch & News Page One Photo: Commerce Street, Mobley’s Garage and Machine Works, Hawkinsville, 1917. Courtesy of the Georgia Department of Archives and History

B Table of Contents b History of Hawkinsville, Georgia ............................................

Historical Walking and Driving Tour ....................................

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Illustrated Map Centerfold .................................................... 25 - 26 References and Reading ......................................................

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Bb This guide has been financed in part with federal funds from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, through the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior or the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products or consultants constitute endorsement or recommendation by these agencies.

This program received Federal financial assistance for identification and protection of historic properties. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, the U. S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, gender or disability in its federally-assisted programs. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire further information, please write to: Office for Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, N.W., Washington, D. C. 20240.

C History of Hawkinsville c In 1808, Pulaski County was created from Laurens County with Hartford, a settlement on the Ocmulgee River, selected as the county seat. The city of Hawkinsville was incorporated in 1830. The county seat was moved from Hartford to Hawkinsville in 1836 due to its emergence as an important river port for lower central Georgia. The original courthouse, built at Hartford in 1812, was moved to the courthouse square where it remained until construction of a new courthouse was begun in 1872, when it was moved across Commerce Street.

By 1845 Hawkinsville had experienced modest but consistent growth, boasting six stores, two churches, two hotels, and a population of 175.During the antebellum years, Hawkinsville grew steadily as a trade center and river port.

Boat lines on the Ocmulgee River brought supplies up river from the coast at Darien. Cotton and other crops from the surrounding counties were carried down river by barge.

Hawkinsville developed into a major regional center for the processing, storage and transportation of cotton following the end of the Civil War. The construction of the Macon and Brunswick Railroad through Hawkinsville in 1868 increased the town’s accessibility to markets along the coast and the interior of the state. As a result, the town prospered and by the end of the 1870s the commercial section of the town extended along both sides of Commerce Street between Jackson and Houston Streets, and cotton sheds and warehouses lined the bluff.

In 1879 Hawkinsville experienced a devastating fire that nearly destroyed the entire business district. The town’s businessmen began replacing the wood frame commercial i

buildings with brick buildings. By the 1890s, the commercial section along Commerce Street and North Jackson Street was well established. The late 1890s also saw the establishment of several utilities, including the construction of a city-owned light and water plant and the establishment of telephone service.

In 1902 a second railroad, the Oconee and Western, an extension of the Central of Georgia, was built through the city. As a result, the city’s manufacturing base continued to grow and diversify, and the commercial section continued to prosper. Public buildings were also constructed, such as Hawkinsville’s City Hall and Auditorium in 1907, the Pulaski County Courthouse in 1910, and the Hawkinsville Fire House in 1917.

By the 1920s, the lumber industry had been firmly established as an important part of Hawkinsville’s economy.

Despite the devastating effects of the boll weevil on Georgia’s cotton crop, Hawkinsville still had three substantial cotton processing and storage companies. Hawkinsville had a robust population of 3500 on the eve of the Great Depression.

As with other communities throughout Georgia and the nation, the 1930s were a difficult time for Hawkinsville when many shops and industries went out of business.

The 1940s saw the beginnings of the complex that eventually became the Heart of Georgia Peanut and Gin Company. The processing and storage of peanuts, pecans, and cotton remained principal industries in Hawkinsville throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s while the city’s industrial base expanded. As a result, Hawkinsville’s population continued to rise until the economic recessions of the 1980s. Today, Hawkinsville is experiencing a resurgence due to downtown revitalization efforts and and the development of its riverfront.

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Welcome!

You have selected a fabulous place to visit! Pulaski County is home to the many treasures included in this guide. Hawkinsville, the county seat, offers small town charm with unique destinations. This self-guided tour features many of our community’s historic resources and includes a brief narrative of our history. The featured historic sites are not listed in any particular order. The numbers corespond with those on the map found in the center of this guide. Please note that all residential properties showcased within this guide are private homes and are not open to the public.

Enjoy your adventures! Thanks for keeping Hawkinsville-Pulaski County and Georgia on your mind!

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Secretary of the Interior’s Standards The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties are common sense historic preservation principles in non-technical language. They promote best practices to help preserve the distinctive character of a historic building and its site, while allowing for reasonable changes to meet new needs. The Standards apply to historic properties of all types, materials, construction, sizes, and use and extend to a property’s landscape features, site, environment, as well as related new construction.

(National Park Service, Technical Preservation Services)

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Old Opera House

42 Lumpkin Street

• Built in 1907 by W.R. Gunn at a cost of $16,470 with the best acoustics and seating arrangements of the period.

• Entertainers performing at this venue include: vaudeville comedian Oliver Hardy, humorist Lewis Grizzard, and the Ocmulgee Symphony Orchestra.

• Housed Hawkinsville City Hall until 1954.

• Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and saved from demolition in 1977.

• Restored in 2001 for $1.7 million. Paid by SPLOST funds supported by the community.

• Continues to be used for cultural events and performances, including graduation ceremonies, meetings, plays, and concerts, as well as housing the offices of the Arts Council and Better Hometown.

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Hawkinsville City Hall

96 Broad Street

• Built in 1954.

• International style.

• City hall is among the few International style buildings in the historic district.

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Old Firehouse

94 Broad Street

• Built in 1917.

• Italianate style.

• Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

• It was used until 1970.

• The fire house features a single engine bay and quarters above for the fire chief and his family.

• The Old Fire House is the trail head for the Enduring Farm Lands Scenic Byway and will be a Firemen’s Museum featuring Hawkinsille’s 1875 steam pumper

engine, nicknamed, “Katie”.

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Gen. Andrew Jackson’s Trail

24 South Jackson Street

30 South Jackson Street

• Built in early 1900s.

• Colonial Revival style.

• 4480 square feet.

• In the early 1940s in return for niece, Miss Coretta Bembry, caring for her little dog, owner Ruth Bembry willed the house to her.

• Miss Coretta already had a home, so she sold this one to Charles and Lillian Robertson in 1987.

• The Robertson’s added a master bath and enlarged the kitchen. Their son, Michael, added a third floor apartment with outdoor staircase.

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38 South Jackson Street

• Built in mid 1840s by James Oliver Jelks.

• Greek Revival style.

• This home boasts of heart pine paneled doors, the original shutters, twelve foot ceilings, and original wavy glass window panes.

• The home has 9 rooms, 3 baths, and 4 of the original 7 fireplaces.

• The original detached kitchen was moved and attached to the main dwelling around 1890.

• The brick pillars near the street were mounting blocks to assist to getting into carriages or onto horses.

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48 South Jackson Street

• Built in 1860 as a 4 room dwelling.

• Colonial Revival style.

• The second story was added soon after 1860 making 8 rooms.

• In the 1880s after a fire destroyed Hawkinsville’s only

hotel, a 22 room addition was

built onto the house. This hotel

was called the “Octagon Hotel”

because of the octagonal

porch built for use of the hotel

guests.

• In 1946 the hotel addition was removed from the house and located elsewhere

in Hawkinsville, where it is now

private residence.

• The original 8-room dwelling was remodeled and restored.

• This property has always been owned by the Smith family as

it is today.

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59 South Jackson Street

• Built in 1901 by J.L. Huggins / Neoclassical Revival style.

• Home has 5650 square feet and 22 various sized columns with “Scamozzi” capitals. The home has 2 sleeping porches.

• First house in Hawkinsville to have indoor plumbing throughout, as well as electric lights in every room.

• Lights were powered by windmill, and the remains of the foundation can still be seen in the back yard.

• There are 10 large rooms on the first and second floors.

• The downstairs center hall, along with each room, has a fireplace with the exception of the maid’s room.

• The third floor’s front gable features a large, round stained glass accent window.

• Also on the third floor there is a “ballroom” now used as a billiards room.

• The house has fallen into disrepair twice and restored twice.

This boulder marks the trail blazed by GEO. DAVID BLACKSHEAR - 1814 The first white man’s trail through this section Erected by the Hawkinsville chapter and Georgia society DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION - 1930

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59 South Jackson Street 6

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66 South Jackson Street

• Built circa 1870-1873.

• Gothic-Revival Italianate style.

• Likely designed by the architect J.H. Russell.

• The house originally belonged to Dr. Nathaniel Pohill Jelks (1845-1911), an early prominent physician of Hawkinsville and his wife Kathleen Lamkin Jelks.

• Family tradition is that the house was probably a marriage gift from Kathleen Jelks’ wealthy planter father, James Lamkin, of Hartford.

• It was divided into apartments in the 1930s or 1940s.

• All of the original window shutters on the front of the house have a patent date of 1870 on the metal hinges.

• The house has been restored from an original photograph provided by Jelks

descendants.

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16 Merritt Street

• Built around 1910 by Gus and Lillian Jelks.

• Mr. Jelks was President of Planters Bank.

• Neoclassical Revival style.

• The home has 14 rooms, 6 fireplaces, and 13 stained glass windows in the sunroom.

• 1600 sq feet of porch and a beveled glass front door with transoms and side lights.

• 14 ft interior ceilings.

• The story goes that Mrs. Jelks never passed a mirror in the hallway without

checking to see if her slip was showing or if her hat was on right.

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15 Merritt Street

• Built in 1840 by Simon and Maria Merritt / Folk Victorian style.

• Originally a one story home, it was remodeled in 1895 by T.B. Ragan, and the second floor was added.

• The home has fifteen rooms and is surrounded by porches with columns of the Doric order connected by oversized balusters.

• It has 13 foot ceilings, elaborate stairway, pocket doors, built in china cabinet, crystal chandeliers throughout; and all fireplace mantles are classically designed with tile over mirrors and cast iron fireboxes.

• The home is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the “Verandas.”

• It has been said that many have seen a ghost, but no one seems to know its story.

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19 Merritt Street

• Built around 1902 by Mr. Coney.

• Colonial Revival style.

• The home was superbly designed for cross ventilation throughout.

• It was sold to J.J. Whitfield who was county commissioner and considered very progressive, pushing for Pulaski County roads to be paved before most other

roads were paved in the state of Georgia.

• The Caberos later owned the home and modernized it.

• The home contains a grand staircase, a parlor, a dining room, sitting room, servants’ quarters, large hallways, 5 bedrooms, and 3 baths.

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Preservation Briefs Preservation Briefs help historic building owners recognize and resolve common problems by providing in-depth information on recommended methods and approaches for maintaining and updating historic properties. Topics range from the treatment of specific architectural features and building materials such as wooden window repair to broader themes including weatherproofing and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility. (National Park Service, Technical

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Preservation Services)

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25 Merritt Street

• Built in the early 1800s.

• Georgian-plan cottage.

• The street was named after the original owners, the Merritts.

• The home was restored in 1989.

• The home is now owned by Ethica Health and Retirement, LLC.

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26 Merritt Street

• Built in 1906 by J.J. Harvard.

• Neoclassical Revival style.

• Home has 5 bedrooms, 3 baths.

• The home has an upper and lower foyer.

• In 1890, Mr. Harvard bought the Hawkinsville Dispatch and News and was its editor for a number of years.

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29 Merritt Street

• Built in 1900 / Georgia-plan cottage.

• 2262 square feet.

• 7 rooms with 5 fireplaces.

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41 Merritt Street

• Built between 1895 and 1900 by J.L. Huggins.

• Queen Anne style.

• It took 5 years for Mr. Huggins to locate the choicest lumber to be used in the home and another 5 years to construct it.

• Having completed the home, Mr. Huggins was only able to enjoy it for 6-8 years prior to his death.

• This historic home may be the largest in Hawkinsville ; it has 12 rooms along with a huge center hallway called a “greeting room”, full basement, large floored 3rd floor, and 4 ½ bathrooms.

• There are 9 fireplaces including 1 in the basement.

• The basement was probably the original kitchen.

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First Methodist Church

44 Merritt Street

• Built in 1951.

• The first church of the Methodist congregation was built between 1825 and 1832 at the corner of Dooley Street and First Street and was occupied until 1857.

• In 1857, a deed for the present site at the corner of Merritt and Dooley Streets was secured from Mr. Simon Merritt, and the second home of the Methodist

Church was built there.

• In 1895, a larger brick church was constructed and served the congregation for 56 years. The present sanctuary, pictured above, was built in 1951.

• Mary Culler White was a Hawkinsville resident who served as a missionary to China in 1901. She was repatriated from China in 1943 and never allowed to go

back. The Mary Culler White Chapel is named for this brave and dedicated lady

who died in 1973.

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45 Merritt Street

• Built around 1910 by Duke Riley Pierce.

• Colonial Revival style.

• Mr. Pierce practiced law, served as the first City Court Judge, was Mayor,

Alderman, and County School Superintendent.

• The house has 11 rooms and became the Methodist Church Parsonage in the 1940s.

• In 1980 an addition was added to provide a study for the Pastor.

• There have been major renovations and additions through the years.

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52 Merritt Street

• Built in 1905 by Mr. Waterman.

• Neoclassical Revival style.

• While the home was originally 2 stories, the upstairs was never completed and was later closed.

• It contains a full basement which is surprising as the ventilation structure of the sub-floor hides this area from the exterior view.

• The house has a fireplace in every room, including the bathroom.

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66 Merritt Street

• Built between 1880 and 1889

by Benjamin Parsons, a Massachusetts merchant.

• Thomas Lovejoy purchased the house in the early 1900s as an escape from the harsh New York winters. Lovejoy was a CEO of Montgomery Bank and Trust

and President of Manhattan Life

Insurance Companies in New

York.

• The house fell into disrepair and was saved in 1997.

• The house features heart pine floors and the original staircase.

Old Hawkinsville High School

72 Warren Street

Built in 1936 with assistance from the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

Architect was W. Elliott Dunwoody, Jr. from Macon. He designed many of the buildings on the campuses of Mercer University and Wesleyan College.

Colonial Revival style.

In 1975 a new high school was built, and the Board of Education used the old building for after school events, as well as a middle school.

The Old HHS building was designated as a Place in Peril in 2006 by the Georgia Trust.

In 2008, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Using Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds, the building was completely restored and features the original oak and pine floors, plaster walls, wood paneled doors with glass transoms, and brick chimneys. The auditorium has a 500 foot stage and features the original 380 seats that have an Art Deco design on the end panels.

In 2011, the Georgia Trust presented the Pulaski County Board of Education with an Excellence in Rehabilitation award for the building.

Presently, it is an alternative school serving four counties, and houses the Pre-K Program, and the Board of Education offices.

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52 Warren Street

• Built between 1880 and 1895.

• Georgian-plan cottage.

• While the exterior has not been altered since it was built, in the 1940s, the house was divided into apartments and an apartment number can still be seen on one of the interior doors.

• In 1968 the house was restored to a single family dwelling.

• There are 10 rooms with 2 fireplaces, and the house boasts some original flooring, original wainscoting, doors, windows, and plaster walls.

• The site was once a dairy farm, and pieces of coal, brick, and rusty cattle bits are often found when digging.

• Several years ago a piece of wood was dug up bearing the name of Brigham Hardware Company.

• The many creaks and noises in the house are attributed to the resident ghost.

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68 Liberty Street

• The oldest African American Church in Hawkinsville.

• Founded soon after the Civil War as a mission of the Hawkinsville First Baptist Church.

• The original structure is intact, although the façade and the interior have undergone alterations through the years.

• The church holds Sunday services.

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110 South Dooley Street

• Built in 1892.

• Queen Anne style.

• Features 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, formal parlor, dining room, den, and kitchen.

• Completely restored in 1989 during which each board was removed and numbered, stripped of paint, stained, sealed, and replaced in its original position.

• During renovation, the attic was made into an 1100 square foot master bedroom.

• All original are the windows, brass locks, heart pine floors, 14 foot beaded board ceiling, wainscoting, oak mantles, stick and ball fretwork in the main hallway, solid oak pocket doors, and butler’s pantry.

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77 South Dooley Street

• Built in mid-1930s.

• Craftman style.

• It has 8 rooms and 2 fireplaces.

• Features 2 Palladian windows, one in the peak over the porch and one in the dormer.

• The owners tell us that each night about 11:20 p.m. there is one or a series of 3 loud clanking sounds.

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55 Kibbee Street

• Built in 1824 on the second highest elevation in Hawkinsville by Robert Newsom Taylor.

• Greek Revival style.

• Taylor, a young physician born in Virginia, had this home built by Creek Indian labor for his 15 year old bride, Louisa.

• The floors, ceilings, wainscoting, doors and wall are handhewn heart pine.

• There are 2 fireplaces and a center hall on each floor, double “coffin” doors open to both porches.

• A kitchen/dining room connected by a lattice porch to the main house has long since been removed, as have the slave quarters.

• To escape the threat of malaria , this 2 story dwelling was dismantled in 1835 and ferried across the Ocmulgee River to Hawkinsville, where slaves reconstructed it.

•

• Roman numerals were used to mark

the 4 x 6 heart pine joists for reassembly and

are visible to this day.

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35 Kibbee Street

• Built in 1905 by John and Mami McAllister.

• This is the only solid brick house in the county, and the walls are approximately 8 inches thick.

• When John died, Mami married his brother Cal. They had a housekeeper, Nellie Suggs, who inherited the property when Mami died.

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28 Kibbee Street

• Built between 1905 and 1910.

• Queen Anne style.

• There are 9 rooms, 3 bathrooms, 7 non-working fireplaces, and 3 sets of pocket doors original to the house.

• The house has a checkered past. It was converted from single family dwelling to apartments and back twice, after which it stood unoccupied for many years.

• Around 1995 it was restored to its original design. In 2003 the home changed hands, and restoration continued.

• Special features include stained glass window in the dining room, built-in china cabinet, remains of a call button in the dining room floor, original heart pine floors, and several original cut-glass windows.

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27 Kibbee Street

• Built circa 1877, which is the date of an old newspaper found in the wall during remodeling. The house may possibly be older.

• Folk Victorian style.

• The original owner’s grandparents were German and lived in the house for a number of years.

• A preacher, named Mr. Woodard, lived here and some Hawkinsvillians were married in the living room.

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14 Kibbee Street

• Built in 1898 by architect and owner, Sidney Smith.

• Folk Victorian style.

• Features 5 rooms, 4 fireplaces, 2 baths, and a hallway.

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28 County Camp Road

• Much of Hawkinsville and Pulaski County’s heritage and history are tied to their location on the banks of the Ocmulgee River. The Ocmulgee served as a

shipping lane for much of the 19th century from central Georgia to Darien on the Atlantic coast for local agricultural products, mainly cotton, but including timber and peanuts, as they found their way around the world.

• In 1999, an effort was initiated to revitalize the local riverfront. It envisioned the Hawkinsville-Pulaski Riverfront Park as a mile long park anchored by Uchee Shoals Landing just north of the Golden Isles Parkway bridges and by Mile Branch

Landing on the south end.

• Mile Branch Landing, a nineteen acre tract, was formerly the Hawkinsville State Park.

• The Hawkinsville-Pulaski Riverfront Advisory Council, along with Pulaski Rivers Alive and support from The National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program, were instrumental in creating and implementing the master plan, for the mile long riverfront park.

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Interpretive Signs

28 County Camp Road

• This is the first of multiple Interpretive Signs for the Hawkinsville-Pulaski Riverfront Park.

• Native Indian history dates back to 7500 B.C. in Hawkinsville and Pulaski County.

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Lawrence Bennett Harness Track 290 Abbeville Highway

• Pulaski County’s love affair with harness racing began in 1894.

• Several world champions have been trained on Hawkinsville tracks.

• The Georgia red clay and mild climate make an excellent combination for conditioning young horses.

• For more than 35 years Pulaski County has celebrated its enduring bond to harness racing with the annual Harness Festival in April sponsored by the

Chamber of Commerce.

• Hawkinsville is the only place in Georgia where you will see authentic harness horse racing.

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Uchee Shoals Landing

Uchee Shoals Landing, the old City Boat Landing, and park is the trailhead for the mile long riverwalk that ends at Mile Branch Landing.

The anchor at Uchee Shoals is similar to the anchor of the historic steamboat named “City of Hawkinsville” that is submerged in the Suwannee River in Florida.

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2 North Florida Avenue

36 Veterans Memorial Park

11 Veterans Memorial Avenue

• From the mid 1800s to the early 1900s this area was used by Pulaski and surrounding counties as a staging area to load cotton onto paddle wheelers and barges to journey down the Ocmulgee & Altamaha rivers to Darien, GA where it was transported to textile mills in New England and the British Isles. The

growth of this cotton economy attracted farmers, bankers, grocers, blacksmiths,

tanners, and horse and carriage traders. • Today, this area is Veterans Memorial Park; a passive park owned by the City of Hawkinsville. • Names of veterans who have served honorably in all branches of our United States Armed Forces are included among the 4,700 brick pavers along the walkways.

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City of Hawkinsville

SSIIXXT TH HS

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Please Note: Numbers above correspond to tour sites, not page number or site addresses.

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PATE STREET

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Cotton Mill Lofts / River Market Lofts

95 Houston Street

• The cotton mill was constructed circa 1901 during a period of economic vitality in the cotton industry.

• Cotton was taken from the steamboats at Uchee Shoals Landing and processed at the mill located right on the riverbank of the Ocmulgee.

• The mill conveys the architecture of mill design from the early twentieth century and is unique, as it is the cornerstone of the foundation of Hawkinsville.

• Actual mill operations ceased in 2001.

• The cotton mill is now a mixed-use development comprised of housing and retail space.

• The cotton mill is located in Hawkinsville’s Better Hometown District and is adjacent to the Downtown Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Pulaski County Courthouse

141 Commerce Street

• Built in 1874.

• Neoclassical Revival style.

• This is the second courthouse; the first was a simple wooden structure built in the original county seat of Hartford on the east side of the Ocmulgee. In 1836 the county seat, building and all, was moved to Hawkinsville on the site of the present courthouse.

• To make way for the 1836 courthouse building, the old courthouse was relocated across the street. It functioned as a hotel for a number of years until a more

modern hotel was constructed.

• In 1897, a two story elevation and a colonial façade were added to the front of the brick building. Then

in 1910, additional space was needed, so a 3- story

annex was built at the rear to complement the original

design.

• Throughout the years, throughout all the enlargements, the clock in the tower, a fixture since 1885, has rendered faithful service.

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141 Commerce Street

Monument: History of Pulaski County

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141 Commerce Street

Monument: Confederate Sons of America

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141 Commerce Street

Monument: Slosheye Trail 29

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Hotel Hawkinsville

139 Commerce Street

• Built in 1908 by J.L. Huggins, the 3-story building at the corner of Lumpkin and Commerce Streets was originally built as an office building. It was never successful as an office building, so it was remodeled into a hotel in 1920 and named the New Pulaski.

• In 1946, the building was again sold and renamed Hotel Hawkinsville.

• The hotel has 50 rooms, and the owner was fond of saying “no room 13”.

• With 50 rooms, a Greyhound Bus Terminal, and Western Union site, the Hotel Hawkinsville was the center of activity.

• This unique hotel saw many adventures, and many of those stories are captured in the book, “Tales From The Hotel”, published in 2010.

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Downtown Hawkinsville

Commerce Street

Hawkinsville is laid out in a gridiron plan with Broad, Commerce, 1st, 2nd and 3rd streets tending east to west and Lumpkin, Jackson, Houston and Florida streets running north to south. The plan of the streets is distinguished as the Augusta plan in which the courthouse is sited along a main street rather than on a central square. The Augusta plan, named for Augusta, Georgia, is most common in towns like Hawkinsville that were founded before becoming seats of county government. The commercial district is centered on Commerce Street between Lumpkin and Houston streets. Most of the buildings that comprise the commercial district are late 19th and early 20th century one- and two-story brick buildings. Construction in the commercial district slowed beginning in the decade before World War II. A few modern buildings were constructed downtown, including the Art Deco style Thompson Theater at 327 Commerce Street. The building, which currently houses the Hawkinsville Dispatch and News, was altered at the street level but retains its stepped relief ornamentation and fluted pilasters on the upper level. The modern City Hall (see page 2) is an excellent example of the International Style because of simple rectangular geometric form, flat room, ribbon windows and lack of traditional architectural ornament.

The remainder of commercial buildings were constructed in the Italianate, Classical Revival, Renaissance Revival, and Romanesque Revival styles.

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Historic Commercial Buildings The storefront is the most important architectural feature of many historic commercial buildings. It is important that original entries, doors, transoms, display windows, cast iron columns; and wooden bulkheads should be maintained where they are found.

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Clark Funeral Home

142 Commerce Street

• Built in 1908 by B.F. Parsons / Neoclassical Revival style.

• This house is one of only 7 remaining Sears, Robuck and Company “Magnolia” kit homes. Only 9 were ever ordered from Sears.

• There are 12 rooms and 4 fireplaces, which make the Sears “Magnolia” kit the largest and grandest that Sears ever sold. There is a 3rd floor.

• Since 1934, the house has been occupied as Clark Funeral Home.

• In 1968, major renovations were done, including building a chapel, preparation rooms, office, and showroom to make the structure as it appears today.

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• Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation • •

•

•

•

•

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In Georgia during the last decade: Over 10,000 jobs have been created through the rehabilitation of historic structures.

For every 10 jobs directly created in a historic rehabilitation project, approximately 5.9 additional jobs are created elsewhere in the state’s economy.

Those jobs have meant $420 million in household income for Georgia citizens.

5,100 net new businesses have opened their doors in Georgia Main Street and Better Hometown downtowns.

Every $1,000,000 in output from rehabilitating historic buildings averages 18.1 jobs and $750,000 in wages.

(Good News in Tough Times - Historic Preservation and the Georgia Economy)

45 Hawkinsville Post Office

139 Commerce Street

• Built in 1937 by architect Louis A. Simon, Hawkinsville had traffic lights, but the road passing the post office was still dirt.

• Colonial Revival style.

• The post office has beautiful pink marble half walls, tile floors, and 5,300 square feet of enclosed area on the main floor.

• As the population expanded, more tile in front and more postal boxes were added.

• For employee comfort there are wood floors in the back work area where the mail is sorted.

• With the addition of air conditioning, the front window service was sectioned off in order to cool the working area.

• There is a lower level where at one time it was office space for lease that has been closed.

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Local Historic District/Design Guidelines In 2008, the City of Hawkinsville designated a local historic district. Cityappointed Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) members protect the rights and investments of property owners and business establishments through a design review process to ensure major changes respect the important architectural, historical, and environmental characteristics within Hawkinsville’s commercial downtown. With the support of a Federal grant, customized design guidelines (based on the Secretary of the Interiors standards) were produced to assist property owners and guide maintenance, upgrades, and new construction within the district.

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178 North Dooley Street

• Built between 1880 and 1895 by J.L. Huggins for Sam and Mary Amanda Way. Mr. Way was mayor of Hawkinsville and later representative to the General Assembly.

• Queen Anne style.

• 13 rooms, 6 fireplaces, 3 baths, with a small stairway leading to a “smoking” room.

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181 North Dooley Street

• Built in 1895 by Will Jelks and was considered to be the most up to date and best designed in Hawkinsville.

• Queen Anne style.

• The house has 12 rooms and 9 fireplaces, inlucding the one in the entrance hall at base of the staircase.

• It features wide entrance halls, parlor, and all main floor rooms are connected by pocket doors. The front doors have hand-cut, beveled crystal, which is also repeated on the side door.

• This home also sports bay windows in the dining room, and a butler’s pantry.

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190 North Dooley Street

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Tax Incentives In Georgia, there are three tax incentive programs benefiting historic building owners who undertake substantial rehabilitations in accordance with the Secretary of the Interiors Standards.* Federal Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit • 20% credit for eligible income-producing commercial properties

Georgia State Income Tax Credit for Rehabilitated Historic Properties • 25% credit for both residential and commercial properties • $100,000 residential property cap • $300,000 income-producing property cap

• Built in 1880 by George Glover who served as an officer in the Confederate Army.

• Queen Anne style.

• 10 rooms, 2 baths, 4 non working fireplaces, with an offset dining room and kitchen by design.

• Home remained in the Glover family for over 100 years.

• There are 3 cottages in the rear which were moved in the 1950s

to the property from Penn Dixie Cement Plant in Clinchfield, south Houston County. They were improved by a local

carpenter.

Georgia Preferential Property Tax Assessment Program for Rehabilitated Historic Property • Property tax assessment freeze for over 8 years for commercial and residential properties. *The buildings must be listed or eligible for listing in the National and Georgia Registers of Historic Places. (Georgia Historic Preservation Division, Department of Natural Resources)

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49 St. Thomas AME Church

205 North Dooley Street

• There has been a church at this site since 1847; however, the present structure dates back to 1908 and was constructed by skilled African Americans

who lived in the area.

• Crafted in the Folk Victorian style, St. Thomas A.M.E. features a side steeple, decorative brick buttresses, round brick arches, and tongue and groove

wainscoting in the interior.

• St. Thomas A.M.E. was organized in 1866 by Rev. Henry McNeal Turner, the first African American to serve as Chaplain in the U.S. Army.

• This church is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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Union Passenger Station

116 North Lumpkin Street

• Built circa 1910, most likely by Norfolk-Southern Railroad when it took over the Short/Southern Railroad in 1900.

• The interior, which is divided into waiting, office and baggage areas, is currently used as offices and storage. A truck scale was installed in front of the ticket

window.

• Up to the 1950s the train ran three daily round trips to Cochran, with a one-way fare of fifteen cents. In the mid-to-late 1950s the railroad lines started closing

down; however, some trains ran into the early1960s.

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Lumpkin Street School

163 North Lumpkin Street

• Equalization schools were built in Georgia as a response to the 1954 Brown vs. Board U.S. Supreme Court decision. As a result nearly 500 African American

schools were built with public funds to prove separate could be equal.

• In Pulaski County, the Equalization School was the “Hawkinsville High and Industrial School,” built by the City in the early 1950s. In 1957, the school became

the “Hawkinsville Elementary School for 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students.

• At the time of construction, buses were not provided for black students living more than a mile away. The schools’ Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) raised

money to buy a Robins Air Force Base bus at auction. The students paid a nickel

a day for their ride to/from school, and they called it “Blue Jay.” • The building was last used in the 1970s to house the County’s Head Start Program.

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Pine Bloom Cemetery

135 6th Street

• This historic African American Cemetery lies adjacent to Orange Hill Cemetery.

• Records are unclear, but this cemetery was probably established as a burial place for the slaves of Hawkinsville’s planters and merchants during the 19th Century.

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Orange Hill Cemetery

101 6th Street

• This historic cemetery was established in the 1830’s and is still used today.

• A number of planters and merchants donated the land for what they believed would be a proper and fitting place for the town’s citizens to be buried.

• Orange Hill Cemetery is the final resting place for a number of Confederate soldiers.

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18 Knotty Pine Street

• Built in 1968 under the 1968 Housing Act, also known as Section 235 Mortgage Assistance, under Congress’ Fair Housing Act in President Lyndon Baines Johnson’s last term.

• This is one of 6 homes built in Hawkinsville, 5 of which are on Knotty Pine Street.

• Original cost of the home was $10,000.

• Additions include a new master bedroom suite, large bathroom, dining room, family room, and a recently remodeled kitchen.

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49 2nd Street

• Single - Pen Houses consist of a single unit, either square or rectangular • Because of its small size, the single-pen house was usually enlarged by additions • Most single-pen houses in Georgia were built between 1850 and 1900 • This example of a single-pen house was sold to Mrs. Leila Pitts in 1944 and remains in the family estate

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56The Black Swan

77 Progress Avenue

• Completed in 1907 by Byron Glover who was a cotton broker.

• Neoclassical Revival style.

• Later the property was sold for $5,000 to the family of planter/politician James Pope Brown while Glover went to Savannah to make his fortune in the cotton

export business.

• In 1989, an investor group of 20 people purchased and renovated the 2 story, 5,000 square foot home.

• During the 1996 Summer Olympics, the equestrian team from Ireland stayed at this facility that then was

called “The Black Swan.”

• The name “Black Swan” was derived from the name of one of the last steamboats to steam the Ocmulgee.

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57 R.J. Taylor Memorial Hospital

161 Commerce Street

• This historic treasure served Hawkinsville, Pulaski County, and surrounding counties from 1938 to 1977.

• Neoclassical Revival style.

• The original hospital building was a gift to the people of Pulaski County from prominent businessman and banker, Robert Jenks Taylor.

• Mr. Taylor, a Hawkinsville native, gave $100,000 to the community in memory of his father, Dr. Eziekiel Henry Taylor, and grandfather, Dr. Robert Newsome Taylor, who were Hawkinsville’s first doctors.

• The hospital had a colorful décor and English Style cherry furnishings • In November 1976, a new facility was completed and opened on route GA 341.

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58

M.E. Roden Library

151 Commerce Street

• Hawkinsville’s public library and literary society was organized April 1, 1882. In 1897, those interested in the library moved to other places, and the library was sold at auction.

• In 1910, the library was reorganized by the Women’s Uplift Club and had a room in the city auditorium (Old Opera House).

• In 1915, the Women’s Club of Hawkinsville was organized and merged with the Uplift Club. At this time Mrs. Mollie Roden was employed as the regular librarian.

• In 1917, the Women’s Club was disbanded so the women could work with the Red Cross during WWI. The library was abandoned except for Mrs. Mollie Roden.

She worked without pay to keep the library open. At age 84, she was still working without help, keeping the library open on Tuesday and Friday afternoons.

• Present building built in 1979.

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59

The Columns of Georgia

155 South Dooley Street

• Built in 1905 with Tillet Bridges, an entrepreneur from Dooly County, being the original owner.

• Neoclassical Revival style.

• From the 1940s to the 1990s, Mr. and Mrs. Brinson owned the property. Mrs. Brinson served as the head of nursing at the R.J. Taylor Hospital located behind

the home.

• The home has seen several changes in ownership including 8 years as Hawkinsville Florist and Gifts.

• In 2007, the property was sold again, and in 2009 it was opened as a special events facility, The Columns.

• The house had vinyl siding which was removed, and all window trim was copied from the original trim. The leaded glass doors and windows are original, and only

historically accurate materials were used to restore this property.

• The first night the new owners spent in this house, one of them fell asleep on the sofa in the parlor. Their two dogs in the back room for the night started barking frantically, and when the owner woke up, he saw a shadowy figure cross by the pocket doors in the dining room and head for

stairs. The two entrance doors were both locked and deadbolted, so after searching throughout the home, it was decided the ghost

must have been longtime resident, Mrs. Brinson,

checking out the new owners. She still visits now and then.

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60

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church

138 Broad Street

• Built in 1871 as a wood frame building. Brick veneer was added in 1916, along with other improvements to the interior.

• Gothic Revival style.

• St. Luke’s has played a major role in Hawkinsville for the past 125 years. It is the oldest institutional building in Pulaski County seeing continuous use.

• The architecture of the church relied heavily on symbolism. For example, the structure is built in a cruciform design. Entry and the nave form the base of the

cross; the sanctuary forms the head; the vestry on the north and the sacristy on

the south form the arms of the cross.

• In 2012, the church underwent a major restoration.

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61 First Baptist Church

155 Broad Street

• The First Baptist Church in Hawkinsville was initially organized in 1830 on the east side of the Ocmulgee in Hartford. The church, then called Hartford Baptist, held

services for two years in the Hartford courthouse.

• The Reverend Wilson Connor was the first minister.

• In 1839 the church moved from Hartford to a school house near Bembry’s Mill.

• With Hawkinsville growing so fast, the church relocated here in 1842 and was renamed Hawkinsville Baptist.

• In 1916 the name was revised to First Baptist Church of Hawkinsville.

• One of the early city fathers gave the Church the lot where the present church now stands, and in 1844 a frame building was erected.

• In 1885 the wood frame church was replaced with red brick.

• Today’s imposing edifice was built in 1917 in the Neoclassical Revival style.

• An education building was completed in 1953, and a chapel was added in 1961. The entire church was redecorated in 1980 as a celebration of the sesquicentennial.

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14 McCormick Avenue

• Built in the early 1900s.

• Folk Victorian style.

• The home has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 4 fireplaces, which have been blocked up, living room, dining room, and kitchen.

• The owner’s parents were given the home as a wedding gift from her grandparents on February 1, 1936.

• It has always been occupied by members of the owner’s family.

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26 McCormick Avenue

• Built in 1837.

• Queen Anne cottage.

• Unique to this home is a big bay window in the parlor which has been the scene for 5 generations of marriages.

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15 Anderson Road

• Begun in 1830s and completed in the 1850s.

• Neoclassical style.

• Oldest home in Pulaski County on its original site.

• After starting construction on Mr. Hine’s mansion of 10 rooms, it was abandoned with only the foundation and framework built. Then the house was nicknamed

Hine’s Folly.

• The home has 14 rooms, 1 fireplace, a hand carved mantle on the fireplace in the parlor.

• The original kitchen/ironing room is connected to the main house by a 30’ porch, which had been converted into an apartment, but has now become a

bedroom and en suite bath.

• Many of the floors are original. The parlor and foyer floors have inlaid mahogany designs. The dining room floors are wide heart pine planks.

• One of the several owners of the home was Seaborn Manning, who died in battle during the Civil War. • It has been told through the years that sounds have been heard similar to footsteps and furniture being moved. These sounds are rare and only heard from the “Bishops Room,” named such after a visit from the bishop of Georgia of the Episcopal Church stayed in this bedroom.

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58 McCormick Avenue

• Built in about 1833 by James Oliver Jelks.

• Georgia-plan cottage.

• The property changed hands several times from 1833 to 1930 but has remained with the current family since 1930.

• This one story antebellum home has large white columns, spindles, and 12-inch paneling across the front porch.

• Clearly visible in the large attic are the wooden pegs of which the house was constructed.

• There are 3 bedroom, 4 baths, library, dining room, den, kitchen, 7 fireplaces of which 3 are still in use, 2 large foyers, and a glassed-in back porch.

• The home has 7 chimneys; 3 rooms have Federal mantle pieces; the windows are 9 over 9.

• The kitchen floor is of wide pine boards which were acquired from pews of a country church that was being remodeled.

• The carport and smokehouse area feature beautiful gingerbread which was acquired from houses being torn down in the 1940s and 1950s.

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66 McCormick Avenue

• This Sears, Roebuck and Company craftsman style home was built around 1919 and was ordered from the “Modern Homes” mail-order catalog.

• Based on pictures from the original Sears Catalog of Homes, this home is considered to be a Craftsman Cottage and is possibly the Argyle model.

• This home features exposed beams, 3 wood-burning fireplaces (one has a built in clock), built-in book shelves, heart-of-pine floors, plaster walls, high wainscot paneling, pocket doors, high ceilings, spacious rooms, tall windows, bungalow front porch, roof overhang, stone and wood columns.

• Downstairs, there are 7 rooms, including an enclosed back porch, and bathroom. Upstairs, there is one large living space and a bathroom.

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67 McCormick Avenue

• Built in the 1940s / Colonial Revival style.

• House has 10 rooms, 2 fireplaces; the walls, floors, and ceilings are concrete block and brick, at least a foot thick.

• In the center of the house there is a large pantry, which was originally the furnace room.

• There is a large ornate mirror, which was purchased in Europe, is permanently installed over the living room fireplace mantle.

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72 McCormick Avenue

• Built in the early 1900s and called “Hillbright”.

• Georgian-Plan cottage.

• It was originally a 2-story Georgia Cottage, it was partially destroyed by fire in the early 1920s and made into a one story single family dwelling when rebuilt.

• Located at the back of the house is a smokehouse and a dairy barn.

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73 McCormick Avenue

• Built in 1836 by Mr. Rawls.

• I-House.

• Originally, the house faced Rawls Street at the rear of the lot.

• In 1943 the house was moved to the front of the lot and turned to front on McCormick Avenue.

• It is built of heart pine and hand-hewn wainscoting mantles and woodwork.

• The staircase has been altered and closets added.

• The kitchen was originally connected to the house by a back porch.

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Original Wood Windows • Key architectural feature of historic buildings • Wood windows are made to be repaired. It is cheaper to repair one or several components of an historic window than to replace it with an entire new vinyl window.

• Vinyl windows have an average life expectancy of 20 years but it takes upwards of 40 years to recover in energy savings what was spent

to replace windows.

• Studies demonstrate that properly maintained, weather stripped, historic wood windows paired with storm windows can be just as energy efficient as a new window.

• Historic buildings that have replacement vinyl windows are typically not eligible for the National

Register or state and federal tax incentives.

• (National Trust for Historic Preservation, Weatherization Tips and Strategies)

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References and Resources Design Guidelines – Hawkinsville Downtown Historic District, http://www.hawkinsvillega.net/historicpreservationguidelines.pdf Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, http://www.georgiatrust.org/ Good News in Tough Times: Historic Preservation and the Georgia Economy, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Historic Preservation Division, http://www.georgiashpo.org/incentives/development National Trust for Historic Preservation, http://www.preservationnation.org/ Preservation Briefs, Technical Preservation Services, National Park Service, http://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/briefs.htm Preservation Primer, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Historic Preservation Division, www.georgiashpo.org/community Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, Technical Preservation Services, National Park Service, http://www.nps.gov/tps/standards.htm State and Federal Tax Incentives, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Historic Preservation Division, http://www.georgiashpo.org/incentives/tax

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Back Cover Illustration: This old picture of the Cotton Mill in the 1920s reproduced from a postcard “Pub. By Saunders Drug Co., Hawkinsville, GA�.

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Hawkinsville Better Hometown P. O. Box 120 ~ 96 Broad Street Hawkinsville, GA 31036 Phone (478) 783-9294 downtown@comsouth.net