Colonial Revival Style Home, c. 1940, Augusta, GA

Magnolia Drive, photographer facing SE

Located in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Augusta, GA, this home stands out. In a neighborhood of beautifully maintained homes, this one is showing severe signs of neglect; from a couple of boarded windows, rotting wood and weathered paint on the trim, to the shrubbery that has grown out of control.

The Forest Hills neighborhood is located in the "Hill" area of Augusta, adjacent to Summerville, a place where the elite families used to retreat to during the summer months, escaping the oppressive heat, and summer time illnesses of the "Bottom" section of the city. In existence since the late 1700s, by the mid 1800s Summerville was also a destination used by wealthy northerners who would use it as an escape from the harsh winters. An independent city until it was annexed by Augusta in 1912, building in this area took off after the fire of 1916 that destroyed much of downtown Augusta.

Front Entrance, photographer facing east

Forest Hills sprang up during the 1920s and 30s and offered more humble homes, like the ones on Cardinal Drive, Wrightsboro Road, and Pine Needle Road, in addition to the larger, more grand homes located on  Comfort Road, Park Avenue, and Bransford Road.

On the opposite end of Forest Hills is the Forest Hills Golf Club which was established in 1926, in conjunction with the stunning Forest Hills-Ricker Hotel. You can read about it here. Unfortunately, it was razed in 1988.

In 1930, before the Augusta National or The Masters tournament existed, the Southeastern Open was held, with two rounds played at the Augusta Country Club, and two at Forest Hills. Played in late March, this was where Bobby Jones began his ultimate achievement of a grand slam of golf.

This house, though in rough shape, still stands; a sentinel waiting to be renovated back to its former glory.

Old Farmhouse, Turner Road, Forsyth County, GA

Photographer facing east

Located a stones throw from Costco, and the Market Place shopping complex, there's no telling how long this farmstead will remain in its pastoral state. Located on Turner Road, sandwiched between Lake Lanier to the east, and the City of Cumming to the west, this home can be seen to the east from the new four-lane Market Place Boulevard.

As one of the fastest growing counties in the country, Forsyth's population has exploded from 44,000 in 1990 to the staggering 2013 estimate of 195,000 residents. The majority of this growth has been from high-income professionals migrating north from Atlanta. Forbes listed the county as the 13th wealthiest county in the nation. The transformation of the once quiet countryside to McMansion developments has surely swallowed up scores of places like this small farm, one that is unlikely to be around much longer.   

Rear, photographer facing SW

There are some interesting features that I discovered later in the photo of the rear of the house. The stacked rock base below the windows is a mystery to me. It looks like the base for a chimney, but it doesn't make sense for one to be in that location.

There are what appears to be two windows up high, but they are covered with hinged, wooden inserts. There is a two-wheeled pushcart, a Christmas tree stand, and lastly, one of the windowpanes has been replaced by a cardboard Little Caesar's Hot-and-Ready pizza box. It is also easy to spot the more recent addition to the left.

Outbuildings behind the house, photographer facing east

Behind the house is a taller than normal small barn or shed, the function of which I am unsure. An old outhouse lurks in the background.

Be sure to look around, even near new commercial development, and you might be able to step back in time.

Old Appalachian Building, Union County, GA

Ross Lane, photographer facing NW

A couple of months ago while driving west from Brasstown Creek towards Blairsville, GA on Hwy 76, this old weathered gray-sided building to the north caught my eye. It is located on the corner of Ross Lane and Old Smokey Road, just northeast of Blairsville.

This stretch of Hwy 76 connects Blairsville to Young Harris and Hiawassee, GA. The highway winds its way alongside Butternut Creek, just to the south of Ivylog Mountain, a range that includes from west to east, Anderson Knob, Atkins Knob, Stephens Ridge, Juber Knob, Lynn Knob, and Chestnut Flats, before finally ending with the Hullander Knobs at the Towns County line.

The structure is located between two landscape features that also bear the Ross name; Ross Gap on Ivylog Mountain between Juber Knob and Stephens Ridge, and Ross Ridge which is located on the south side of Hwy 76. It's apparent that the Ross family was one of the earliest and successful settlers of Union County.  I found a James B. Ross listed in the 1840 census.

I am unsure of the original function of this structure. It includes three doorways; one on the south side, and two to the north. There is also a larger opening on the eastern side of the home, almost like a small garage door. Was this a business or shop of some kind, or a residence? 

Two-story Farmhouse, Dawson County, GA

Hwy 183, photographer facing NW

This gem is hidden behind vegetation that prevents travelers on Hwy 183 from seeing all but the roof of the house. Near an unincorporated area known locally as Emma, it sits about 200 yards off the highway at the end of an old gravel drive that is blocked by a metal gate. Judging by the size of the trees growing right next to the house, it has apparently been a long time since anyone has called it home.

Clear view of rock foundation, photographer facing NE

Great examples of a stacked-rock foundation, along with the chimney which begins as field stone with the upper third being brick. I imagine that the original top of the chimney had to be replaced, thus the brick.A smaller chimney protrudes through the roof of what is probably the kitchen area.

2/3 field stone chimney, photographer facing north

Wrap-around porch, photographer facing SE

There is also a neat wrap-around porch that runs from the north to the west side of the house. I'd love to be able to hear the conversations that occurred there on hot summer evenings.

Located near the higher elevations of the county, a few miles from Amicalola Falls State Park, the landscape probably has not changed much in the past 100 years. It is mostly covered with wooded tracts interspersed with an open hay field or pasture here and there. It's still a world away from the hustle and bustle of the GA 400 corridor that is located in the southeastern part of the county.

Etowah River Farmhouse, c. 1920, Dawson County, GA

Intersection of Etowah River Road and New Bethel Church Road, photographer facing SE

As you travel in a northeasterly direction away from Hwy 53 on Etowah River Road, you will notice the green, expansive flood plain of the Etowah River, the largest opening of which is connected to this home. It sits on a knoll that rises to the north, away from the river. The home sits on a little over 193 acres, including 6,000+ feet of river frontage. As you enter the sweeping curve where New Bethel Church Road comes in from the north, this home's beauty grabs your attention as it is easily seen from on the right.

At first I couldn't believe that the home's windows were boarded, because it appears to be in pretty good shape, as compared to a lot of the other homes featured on this blog; roof intact, paint still white, chimneys not crumbling, no visible collapse or rot. It is beginning to be overtaken by vines, shrubs, and small trees, but nothing that couldn't be cleared out in a weekend.

Photographer facing SW from Etowah River Road

The tax assessor's website lists the construction date of this home as 1920. It has a T shape with an extension off the bottom of the T, which can be seen in the second photo; possibly a later kitchen addition. Three brick chimneys grace all of the endpoints on the T.

You'll have to forgive my lack of proper architectural terminology. It's something I'm learning more about as I research these old homes.

An internet search revealed that one possible reason for the home sitting vacant is the proposal for the expansion of an existing 12-acre reservoir to a 138-acre reservoir that is planned nearby.  The outflow of the dam would be into Russell Creek which is the southwestern border of this property. Perhaps the owner is waiting to see the final plans of the lake and how it will impact the property. Until then this beautiful, nearly one hundred year old gem will continue to look lonely.

Shingle House, c. 1880, Cherokee County, GA

Yellow Creek Road, photographer facing SE

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photographer facing NE

  It can be said that the term "house" is used rather loosely in this case. Aptly named due to the oak shingle siding, this structure has been used as a commissary, an administrative office, a post office, the second floor used as a hotel, and a boarding house. It also contained a small stamp mill used in the extraction of gold where local residents could participate in cashing in on one of the area's natural resources.

The building sits on the site of, and is the only remaining structure of the Creighton/Franklin Gold Mine complex. According to the Cherokee County Historical Society, the mine was active for more than 70 years (1830s-1907) as the property blossomed into a complex that eventually included a mining plant with a large stamp mill, a chlorination plant, assay laboratory, blacksmith shop, stables, miners' cottages and a dam with 2 large turbines to generate power for the site.

Like all land in this part of Georgia, it was obtained in the Cherokee Land Lottery in the 1830s by Mrs. Mary Franklin. At one time, the property ballooned to 1,280 acres. By 1883 it was owned and operated by J.M. Creighton.

Photographer facing north

Today, the Shingle House sits alone in an open hayfield, slowly decaying under the cover of climbing vines, the only remnant of the once thriving village of Creighton Hills.

The structure is part of a list of twelve "Sites Worth Saving", compiled by the Cherokee County Historical Society. Privately owned, there is no indication that any preservation attempts will be made.  

Waters Home, c. 1916, Dawson County, GA

Old Henry Grady Road, photographer facing NW

This old farmhouse sits on the west side of Old Henry Grady Road in the northern area of Dawson County, GA. Built in 1916, nearly 100 years ago, the area is still very rural, bordered by large-acre tracts of land to the west and the south. The area located between Hwy 136 and Hwy 183 contains some of the most bucolic land in the county.

The further north you travel, the more the Blue Ridge spine seems to rise out of the landscape, with openings in the trees revealing great views of the mountains. Rolling pastures, interspersed with wooded tracts make this section of Dawson County desirable for those seeking a quiet spot to call home. However, you won't see many "for sale" signs in this area. A suitable place for old homes like this one to pass the years, relatively unchanged. Hopefully most of metro-Atlanta's growth moving in a northerly direction will be tied to the GA 400 corridor, leaving places like this as it is for many years to come.