This Macon Lustron is the remaining one in town. Lustron houses were prefabricated, enameled steel homes built for a short time between 1948 and 1950 to address housing shortages caused by World War II. They were designed with built-in cabinets and radiant heating, a method to deliver heat via the floor or walls.
Charles and Myrtle Constantine were the first homeowners of the MO23 model in desert tan. Cecil and Hazel Brickle purchased the home in 1960 for $8,750.
The Baptist Female College Dormitory was built in 1852 in Cuthbert, Georgia, after the Baptist leadership voted in November 1851 to start a women’s college. The school closed in 1863. While attempts to restart the school after the Civil War were unsuccessful, it closed for good in 1875. Afterwards, it was sold off to become private property. Owned by several families over the years, it is also known as the Muse-Dews-Gay-Martin-Blaskow House. The Greek Revival home contributes to the Cuthbert Historic District.
Mitchell Grove Baptist Church is located on a dirt road south of Cuthbert, Georgia. There is not much printed information on the church. According to FindAGrave, the earliest burial was in 1893. A historic resources survey indicates the church was built in 1894. I believe that is the structure that is in overgrowth. The double front doors and multiple windows on the side of the building indicate a church.
The single-tower white building is in good condition and is still used by the congregation. Obituaries indicate that the cemetery is still active and has remained active throughout the church’s history. The cemetery has a mixture of vernacular and commercial headstones.
If you are a native of Macon, Georgia, you likely have driven past one of the structures designed by local builder Bartholomew Duhart. After driving by his multi-arched entrance at the Mosley and Jesus Mission of Love Holiness Church Cemeteries, I became interested in his work. Thankfully, Historic Macon had written about him, so I was able to learn more about him and where his structures still existed. I also researched to see what else I could discover about Duhart.
Duhart trained as a mason but took additional classes through his Masonry Union to further develop his skills. A profoundly spiritual man who was civically engaged, Duhart was an ordained minister who was involved in a variety of civic organizations. He gave back to the community by helping with church restorations. He also donated land for the building of a recreation center. This donation meant one of his creations, a multi-storied restaurant was demolished.
One of his buildings and a wooden edifice still exist on Columbus Road. The first is the In Spirit Saving Bank, and the other is the Praying Tower. They are built close to each other. Tax records indicate the bank was built in 1920, and I found a record of a land transfer to Duhart in May 1980. I am uncertain if Duhart built it from scratch or heavily modified the building. Much of his work featured circles or arches, which is apparent in this building’s design. Circles are a common feature in religions, most often interpreted as symbols of eternity. The building was most recently is restaurant but is currently unused.
The second structure is the Praying Tower. According to his family, this was supposed to be one of several installations that were going to be made. (Think Howard Finster’s Paradise Garden or St. Eom’s Pasaquan.)
Thank you for joining me in my travels around the South. It’s been a great year of wandering backroads and a few main ones. If I learned anything, it is that people love abandoned houses, buildings with unexpected histories, and (in)famous graves.
Cuthbert’s City Hall was a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project towards the end of the New Deal. Built in 1940, the Mid-Century building is still used as a city hall.
