Hidden Magnolias

Sad, sad, news today. The Hancock County, GA Courthouse burned. The Second Empire style building red brick exterior walls were still standing hours later, but the interior is burned out and the courthouse's majestic clock tower is gone. From today's news: What is looked like before: Why is this sad? One of the oldest standing Courthouses in GA. Built in 1883.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Also, listed on the The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation's list of "Places in Peril"in 2013. Courthouses in more rural areas still signify much more than a place where legal proceedings are held.  It is the anchor of the town, and in many ways it represents “where we are from”. Sparta was once plantation country, a very wealthy area. Now it is all but abandoned; however, recent years have seen an exciting regeneration of Sparta. The courthouse is a testimony to the wealth that once exist...

The Prince- Pope-Simpson-Stephens House. Another Washington, GA beauty. Commonly called Poplar Corner and built in 1810, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As you will see, it is a beauty. Oliver Hillhouse Prince built the originally Federal style house in 1810. One of the earliest compilers of the Laws of Georgia, and a Senator, he also laid out the city of Macon. Prince sold the house to Augustus Gibson, who sold the house to Alexander Pope in 1825. Pope purchased the old 1785 courthouse and used the timbers to ad a two-story four-room addition to the back of the house. The Popes sold the house to William Simpson, and his descendants occupied the house for over a hundred years. Physician and philanthropist Dr. Robert A. Simpson designed and added the hand chiseled Beaux-Arts garlands and other decoration, and developed the gardens. Beautiful curving stairway. And on the left, looks like a hint of pocket doors. Love the old gasolier in...

Glen Mary holds a special place in my heart. My 2nd great grand uncle, Flavius J. Pearson, eloped with the daughter, Ella L Smith, of this house about 1860. He was 22 and she was 16. The family story is that he rode across the fields on horseback and swooped her away. Not sure if that was true, but I like the story. Flavius and Ella remained married until his death in 1903. They are buried side by side in the Sparta City Cemetery. Several years ago, right when Glen Mary was beginning the restoration, my mother and I visited. The picture above is what it looked like then. The roof was leaking, various pillars were totally hollow on the inside, but with the determination of one woman,  Marilyn Meyers and  donor money , it is beginning to look like a house again. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151959291520608&set=pb.249246320607.-2207520000.1378410376.&type=3&theater http://www. glenmaryplantation.o rg/ Glen Mary from the U...

My daily commute takes by one of the most delightful places in Atlanta: Mt. Paran Country Store. It is truly a hidden magnolia. Nested among the trees is the Mt. Paran Country Store. The charming Mt. Paran Country Store is one of the earliest buildings that still exist in Buckhead. It is  located on prime real estate, at the intersection of Mt. Paran and Northside Dr. In 1906, this was a farmhouse and the owner, Mr. Norman, allowed people picked up their mail from him. But he got tired of them helping themselves to his coffee and food when they came by, so he started selling to them instead, and he made more money than he did farming. Only traces of the original house remain visible. The farmhouse stone fireplace peaks out from behind storage boxes. People love the hamburgers, but I love their morning biscuits. When you get a bacon egg and cheese biscuit, you get bacon – not just a token slice, but enough bacon to really tast...

I just love a crumbling mansion. When I see one, my fanciful imagination kicks in and I begin to image what life was like living there. Who lived there? What did they do? What kind of parties did they give?And why the house is no longer loved? This afternoon I was randomly reading blogs and clicking links. I stumbled on Puttin' on the Grits . The blog owner doesn't give her name but she has a wonderful blog. She raises chickens, gardens, cans, and take great pictures.  Anyway, back to the crumbling mansion. As she was driving through South Georgia, she discovered this wonderful house in Elmodel, GA. (I have never heard of Elmodel, so I looked it up. It is southwest of Albany. In the middle of nowhere.) http://www.puttinonthegrits.com From her blog: " On our way back to Florida, we took the scenic route and passed this old house in the tiny town of Elmodel, Georgia. From what I've been able to find, it was built in 1908 ...