Built in 1922, the Hawkes Children’s Library in West Point, Georgia was the dream of Albert King Hawkes (1848-1916) who believed rural areas should have access to libraries, too. An Atlanta optometrist, he had hoped to build at least 100 libraries, but he died before seeing any built. The West Point library was designed by architect L. B. “Chip” Robert’s firm. It was built by the construction firm, Batson and Cook, a company that still exists today.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
The Oak Boarding House was opened in 1904 by Mrs. A. F. Turner. Built initially as a Craftsman-style home, the second-floor porch and Victorian elements were added in the last twenty years. It sits across the street from the Old Glynn County Courthouse. It is now occupied by a law firm.
This Gothic Revival home is located in West Point, Georgia. Built in 1872, it has been home to the Lovelace, Hayes, and Dunn families over the years. It is a contributing property to the Eastside Historic District.
William Rufus “Rock” Jackson (1808-1892) was a gin operator, miller, and headstone carver who lived and worked in Chambers County, Alabama. Jackson became known for his carving and made many tombstones for his family and community members using local green schist or steatite. Also known as soapstone, steatite is mainly composed of talc, which makes it relatively soft.
Mount Hickory Cemetery outside of LaFayette, Alabama
Jackson’s markers, characterized by their distinctive green-blue coloring, can be found throughout eastern Alabama. Colloquially, the stone was also called “blue marble.” The headstones feature a variety of symbols with recognizable lettering. According to Cox (2010), who wrote their thesis on Jackson’s tombstones, the most common elements are hearts and fern branches, but there are dozens of designs in the over 400 markers they documented. Markers have been identified in four counties.
Mount Hickory Cemetery outside of LaFayette, Alabama
So far, I have documented the vernacular headstones in three cemeteries: Long Cane Baptist Church in Troup County, Georgia (top image), Mount Hickory Cemetery in Chambers County, and Concord Primitive Baptist Church in Randolph County. One thing I noticed is that not all headstones were oriented toward the east, so it made photographing the headstones a challenge. I will document more headstones during future visits to eastern Alabama.
Mount Hickory Cemetery outside of LaFayette, Alabama
If you want to know more, I highly recommend Monica Norton Cox’s thesis about Rock Jackson. It can be found here.
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Villa Marianna, designed by Danish architect and painter Mogens Tvede for Frank Miller Gould, grandson of railroad tycoon Jay Gould, was inspired by Spanish architecture and features courtyards, a formal garden, a fountain, and a tower. Built on Jekyll Island, where Gould spent his youth, the home later served as the headquarters for the Jekyll Island State Park Authority from 1950 to 1995. It is now an event venue.
The Spalding-Clark House is on Highway 99 in the Ridgeville Community of McIntosh County, Georgia. It went on sale in April 2025, and while on the Spring Ramble for The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, it was open for a tour.
The listing can be seen on The Old House Life. According to the listing, it was owned by Randolph Spalding, a planter and politician from McIntosh County, and Dr. Peter. S. Clark, a local doctor and horticulturist.
Randolph Spalding was born on December 22, 1825, in Darien, Georgia, to the planter Thomas Spalding and his wife, Sarah Leake Spalding. Using enslaved labor, Thomas Spalding was the largest producer of Sea Island cotton.
Because of his family’s wealth, by the age of 25, Randolph Spalding enslaved 87 people. By 1860, he held over 300 people in bondage. The house would have been built with enslaved labor.
Dr. Peter S. Stratton (1857-1919) was a local physician and noted horticulturist. The yard still contains many of the plants and flowers he grew.
The house was expanded several times in the early years. It appears it started as a plantation plain, and the Folk Victorian details were added during one of the expansions. There are other historic buildings on the property. The house is a contributing property to The Ridge Historic District.
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