Tax records indicate this building was constructed in 1930. I stopped because I assumed it was an old schoolhouse. I am unable to locate any other information.
West Dougherty Community House-Pretoria, Georgia
Tag Archives: Georgia
Rosalynn Smith Carter’s Childhood Home in Plains, Georgia
Located just off downtown Plains is the home Rosalynn Smith Carter’s (1927-2023) childhood home. She lived here with her parents, Wilburn and Allie Smith, her brothers, Jerry and Murray, and her sister, Allethea. Her family moved into the home when she was a toddler.
The modest Queen Anne home, built in 1910, contributes to the historic district.
Below are photos of the home from the Library of Congress’s Historic American Buildings survey.
(side note: I just happen to be driving through Plains about an hour before it was announced that President Carter had passed away.)
Broad Avenue Elementary-An Albany Place in Peril
Broad Avenue Elementary was built in the 1930s and was open until 2005. It was abandoned until 2019 when the nonprofit organization Southwest Georgia Rising purchased it in hopes of turning it into a rural innovation center.
In 2024, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation included it in its annual list of Places in Peril. The brickwork and details highlight construction not seen in modern school buildings. The book at the roofline is an interesting touch for the facade.
Sasser United Methodist Church-Georgia
The Sasser United Methodist Church is a Gothic Revival church completed in 1897. It is now closed. It is a nearly identical twin to the Baptist church in town.
Briar Hills Historic Condominiums of Atlanta, Georgia
Briar Hills Historic Condominiums were built and designed in the 1940s by real estate developer, Solloway Realty Company, and architect, David S. Cuttino. Briar Hills is located between the Virginia-Highlands and Druid Hills neighborhood on Briarcliff Road. The mid-century modern development was the first cooperative built in Atlanta. Initially, it was created as a Jewish community. It is a contributing property to the Druid Hills Historic District.
Georgia Mental Health Institute, A Popular Atlanta Film Location
The Georgia Mental Health Institute (GMHI) was opened in 1965 on Asa Candler Jr.’s Briarcliff estate grounds. The Brutalist building was a psychiatric hospital built as a joint project between Emory University and the state of Georgia. Emory doctors provided some of the patient care, and Emory medical students received some of their training at the hospital.
The Institute was dedicated on November 18, 1965. Outside the main administration building, the campus had several cottages where patients stayed. These cottages all had tunnels leading to the main building.
GMHI closed in 1997. Emory University purchased the campus in hopes of turning it into another campus, but the idea was never implemented. While the building was in disuse, the Atlanta film industry took off, and the space began being utilized for filming. Most notably, the building was used as the Hawkins National Laboratory in the Netflix TV show Stranger Things. In 2022, Emory University leased the campus to be used as a senior living community. It is expected that many of the buildings will be demolished.
