Category Archives: Historic Photos

Alabama, Black History, Cemeteries, Famous People, Georgia, Historic Photos, National Register of Historic Places, South Carolina

Horace King-The Master Bridge Builder

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Horace King, 1807-1885, was considered the preeminent bridge builder in the South. It is believed he built over 100 bridges, most of them being in Alabama and Georgia. King was born into slavery in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. His enslaver, John Godwin, earned a bid to build a bridge over the Chattahoochee River. King moved with Godwin to Girard, Alabama, to begin the project.

In 1846, Godwin decided to no longer hold King in bondage. I have also read that King purchased his freedom. At this point, King’s services were in high demand to build bridges. He moved freely throughout the South. He is credited with building bridges at many points over the Chattahoochee River and other rivers. Outside of bridges, he built homes and warehouses. He also built the freestanding spiral staircase in the Alabama State Capitol.

Spiral staircase at Alabama State Capitol. (Photo credit- Library of Congress, HABS)

In 1839, he married free woman, Frances Gould Thomas. They had four boys and one girl. For whatever reason, the grave markers for the four boys have the birthdate of 1844. Based on census records, which can be incorrect, I believe Washington King was born in 1840, Marshall in 1842, John in 1846, and George in 1850. All of the children were involved in the construction company that they called the King Brothers Bridge Company.

He also built homes. There is at least one surviving example in Opelika.

The long approach of the Red Oak Covered Bridge is located outside of Woodbury, Georgia in the community of Imlac. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The graves of Horace and Marshall King in the Mulberry Street Cemetery complex are located in LaGrange, Georgia. The city of LaGrange has been restoring this part of town and recently added a covered bridge to honor King.
Johnson Mill Bridge in Harris County, Georgia (courtesy Digital Library of Georgia
Black History, Historic Photos, National Register of Historic Places, Rosenwald Schools, Schools, South Carolina

Great Branch Teacherage-Orangeburg County, South Carolina

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Built as part of the Great Branch School complex, the Great Branch Teacherage provided housing for the teachers who worked at the school. The complex was built in 1924. The Rosenwald building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

Photo from the Fisk database
Georgia, Historic Photos

Fern Crest Dairy-Washington County, Georgia

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From the February 16, 1904 Sandersville Progress

Built at a Cost of Eight Thousand Dollars – Fern Crest Dairy, one mile north of Sandersville, is the largest in Georgia. Dr. Wm. Rawlings, the owner, has recently had finished a model barn which will house three hundred cows, each in a seperate stall. The barn is round and is 480 feet in circumference. There are now 175 cows and a large number of calves in the barn. The floor is made of concrete and is kept clean. In the center of the building there is a large silo, cylinder in shape, extending to the roof, which will contain seven hundred tons of green corn. This corn is taken from the fields when the roasting ears are sufficiently matured and is chopped up by machinery and stored in the silo, making the finest kind of forage for cattle. It smells like apple brandy and the cows are very fond of it, preferring it to any kind of feed. Each stall is provided with fresh water which is conveyed through pipes to buckets conveniently arranged for the cows to drink from. Halters are used to keep the cows in their positions, which permit them to lie down or move about without leaving their stalls. When a visitor goes to the dairy the immense circular barn full of animals reminds him of a circus. The dairy is now turning out one hundred pounds of butter daily, besides supplying the demand for milk and cream at Sandersville and Tennille, two modern dairy wagons being in use for this purpose.

Other images can be found at the following links:

Digital Library of Georgia

WorthPoint

Georgia, Historic Photos

Masonic Temple-Sandersville, Georgia

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Erected in 1855-56 for the Masons inspired by the Parthenon, the Masonic Temple stood near Sandersville courthouse. Built of brick that was handmade by enslaved laborers, it survived Sherman’s troops. It was one of the only remaining buildings in the town. It was lost to fire in 1921.

Public domain photo: Mitchell, E. (1924). History of Washington county. Atlanta, Ga.: Byrd printing co..