The Georgia Rural Telephone Museum in Leslie, Georgia, was founded by Tommy C. Smith in 1995. Located in a converted cotton warehouse, it is believed to house one of the largest collections of telephones and related memorabilia.
Many Atlantans know this building as a former homeless shelter that provided housing for men experiencing homelessness. Located at the intersection of Peachtree Street and Pine, this building’s facade is one of my favorites in Atlanta. Providing over 700 beds, it was the largest shelter in the southeast until its closure in 2017.
The building began as the United Motor Services Building. Designed by noted Atlanta architect A. Ten Eyck Brown, The Atlanta Constitution (1920, August 9) states in an Atlanta feature about new buildings that “This is the building every one [sic] has been talking about.”
Emory University purchased the building in 2018. Their plan is to turn the building into housing for hospital staff.
The Water Filter Building on Highland Avenue was built in 1937 in Augusta, Georgia. The Art Deco motif was utilized often in municipal buildings.
The Blakely Freezer Locker was incorporated in 1945 under the leadership of H. E. Hightower, H. C. Clinkscales, H. A. Walton, C. E. Boyett, Oscar Whitchard, J. B. Jones, Sevola Jones, W. P. Smith, and F. D. Grist. The Streamline Moderne building was completed in 1946.
Blakely, Georgia, is the county seat of Early County, located between Columbus and Tallahassee. The Old School “21” Club is on the edge of downtown. Its purple facade and mural make me think of a modern-day juke joint. While the internet has slowly killed off nightclubs, places like the 21 Club are essential for community no matter the town’s size. People need a place to hang out and have a good time.
Heading south out of Prattville, Alabama, towards Montgomery is a dome-shaped building in the center of a parking lot. It’s the final vestige of Stuart’s Red Devil Lake, a recreation area built in the 1930s. It was billed as “Montgomery’s Finest and Most Unusual Recreation Center.” One unusual feature is the dome, which served as a fountain in the lake. Patrons could get free admission if they purchased Red Devil Gas, a series of gas stations owned by the lake owner. Unfortunately, a dam broke at Red Devil Lake in 1939, permanently closing the recreation area.
