Latest Structures Page 86

Alexander Hotel, Reidsville Georgia

Alexander Hotel, Reidsville Georgia

The Alexander Hotel is the best remaining example of a Victorian Eclectic style building in Reidsville, where, during the 1890s, many structures were built in this style. It is one of the few small-town hotels, designed in the Victorian Eclectic style remaining in the state. The basically simple building with irregular floor plan and exterior wood decoration is typical of this style as interpreted by small-town builder/architects. The Alexander Hotel is particularly important because of the quality and abundance of its decorative trim which includes cut wood shingles in the gables and turned columns, sawn work and spindle work on the porches and balconies. The hotel was designed and built by D. J. Nobles, a master carpenter from nearby Hagan, in

Bank of Newellton - Tensas State Bank, Newellton Louisiana

Bank of Newellton - Tensas State Bank, Newellton Louisiana

The Bank of Newellton's 1904 opening marked the arrival of banking services in the Tensas Parish village of Newellton. Until the 1890s, Louisiana's rural parishes and smaller towns had almost no banks. Financial activities centered in New Orleans, where the first bank was chartered by the territorial legislature in 1804. The creation of this facility was a political as well as an economic move by new territorial Governor William Claiborne. He hoped to mollify Louisiana's French and Spanish residents, who resented the 1803 transfer of the territory to the United States without their consent. Compounding their resentment was the concern that no provision had yet been made to redeem or retire the colonial money then in circulation. Since banks at this

Waterproof High School, Waterproof Louisiana

Waterproof High School, Waterproof Louisiana

This Small Town School Building Has Been Abandoned since the 1990S

The construction of the Waterproof High School represented a coming of age for public education in the Tensas Parish village of Waterproof. The erection of a large modern brick school (a term used at the time) made possible improved education in various respects, not to mention its considerable symbolic value as a milestone. Within the context of a very small town with low-scale modest buildings, the new school must have seemed quite grand. The Mississippi Delta parish of Tensas was and is quite rural. None of its three small towns exceeded 1,000 in population. Waterproof in 1920 had a population of 340, which had grown to only 420 by 1930. Although information on early educational endeavors in Tensas is slim, one

The Burn Plantation, Waterproof Louisiana

The Burn Plantation, Waterproof Louisiana

The property on which the Burn was built was opened as small tracts of land by U. S, patent dating back as early as January 1831. The name Burn was in use by March 8, 1839, when in an act of sale it was referred to as the Burn tract. Zenas Preston bought the major portion of the Burn Plantation in May 1853. He is generally accepted as the builder of the house, and documents of the time seem to bear this out. The Tensas Parish Tax Records show that the assessment of the property in 1856 was $29,950.00 and in 1857 was $33,940.00. This increase would indicate that he had finished the house by this time, The April 13, 1979

Linwood Plantation, Newellton Louisiana

Linwood Plantation, Newellton Louisiana

The main home at Linwood Plantation was rebuilt after the Civil War, in about 1875. The main house burned to the ground in the late 1980s. Tensas Parish is named for an Indian tribe found in the area by the French when Rene Robert Cavalier, the Sieur de La Salle, explored the Mississippi River in 1682. Located in the northeast portion of the state, the Tensas region was included within Concordia Parish when the latter was first created in 1805 and reorganized in 1807. However, the area was prone to flood and remained largely unsettled for many years. By the 1840s the Tensas region's population had finally grown large enough to justify the creation of a separate political subdivision, and on

Roseville High School, Roseville Ohio

Roseville High School, Roseville Ohio

Roseville was platted in 1813 by Ezekiel Rose who named the village New Milford. When the post office was established in 1830, the name was changed to honor the village's founder. Various buildings have served the educational needs of Roseville over the years. Roseville High School was built in 1914 by Zanesville contractors and witnessed a period of exciting growth in the village. During the time that the high school was in use, Roseville became internationally known as a producer of art pottery, although today the village's fortunes have somewhat declined. During the first half of the twentieth century, the high school provided education for many of the pottery workers and for their children. The high school stands as a typical

People's National Bank - Franklin's Clothing Store, Rock Hill South Carolina

People's National Bank - Franklin's Clothing Store, Rock Hill South Carolina

The Peoples Bank and Trust Company was chartered in Rock Hill by the State of South Carolina on 15^th February 1906, with capital stock of $30,000. A year later the bank weathered the national Panic of 1907. Peoples received its national bank charter and status in May 1909. Because national banking laws did not allow banks to engage in real estate and insurance, the bank was split into two separate institutions, the Peoples National Bank and the Peoples Trust Company. At this time the bank's capital stock was increased to $100,000. On 10^th June 1910, the two institutions moved into the newly-completed Peoples National Bank Building. By the end of World War I Peoples National Bank was the largest commercial bank

W.L. Hill Department Store, Sharon South Carolina

W.L. Hill Department Store, Sharon South Carolina

William Lawrence Hill (1866-1953), a well-known Sharon merchant and farmer, was a young man when he first entered retailing around 1888. By the time of his death in 1953, he was regarded as the dean of merchants in York County. During a career that spanned six and one-half decades, he built a successful empire that included substantial land holdings, cotton farming and ginning, grain milling, banking, and retailing. In or around 1913, he erected what remains today the largest building and grandest commercial structure in the tiny town of Sharon, South Carolina (1910 population 374). In order to succeed, Hill had to, and did, draw customers from around the region, and two states. The store attracted customers from as far away

Anderson House, Rock Hill South Carolina

Anderson House, Rock Hill South Carolina

The Anderson House is located on Oakland Avenue in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The house is associated with John Gary Anderson, a key figure in the development of Rock Hill and the co-founder and president of the Anderson Motor Company, one of the few automobile manufacturing companies in the South during the early days of the automotive industry. Anderson was also significant in the field of agriculture for his creation of the Rock Hill Plan for reducing cotton acreage. The Anderson House is known for its elaborate Queen Anne design. According to tradition, the house was built in 1898 by A. D. Holler, the foremost builder in Rock Hill at the time, for Mr. Anderson from a design by George Barber,

Allison Plantation, York South Carolina

Allison Plantation, York South Carolina

According to family tradition, Allison Plantation was built by Dr. Robert Turner Allison ca. 1860. Born on August 17, 1798, at Henry's Knob in York District, Allison was educated in the country schools of the area; graduated from South Carolina College in 1821 with an A.B. degree; and attended Medical School in Lexington, Kentucky, where he earned his M.D. in 1825. He returned to South Carolina where he married Martha Burnett Clinton on April 23, 1829. He lived at Meek's Hill (site of Allison Plantation) and practiced medicine in York County for forty-five years. As an educated man, and as a Doctor of Medicine, he rose to prominence in the political affairs of his region. Also a businessman, Dr. Allison operated

Continental Gin Company, Birmingham Alabama

Continental Gin Company, Birmingham Alabama

The Continental Gin Complex was the corporate headquarters (1926-1963) and production facility (1925-1955) for the world's largest manufacturer of cotton gins. Technological improvements by the company substantially improved the profitability and marketability of the cotton farmer's crop in national and world markets from 1886-1980 in the face of rising labor costs and increasing competition from the production of foreign cotton markets. The history of Continental Gin and its six parent companies is representative of the dynamic growth obtainable by corporate entities in the late 19^th and early 20^th century and is linked with some of the South's most prominent industrial leaders. The location of the main plant and the corporate headquarters of this major firm reflects the attractiveness of Birmingham as

Atlantic Coastline Railroad Passenger Depot, Dothan Alabama

Atlantic Coastline Railroad Passenger Depot, Dothan Alabama

Dothan lies in the Wiregrass region of Alabama, an area not settled until after the Civil War due to its poor soil. In 1890, four years after its incorporation, Dothan's population was sparse with only 247 residents. The coming of the railroad in 1889, however, transformed Dothan into a bustling town that quickly became known as the Hub of the Wiregrass. With fertilizers improving agricultural conditions and a timber industry developing, Dothan now had a stable economic base, and the railroad supplied an easy way to transport the goods. Before 1889, products were taken by wagon to the Chattahoochee River to be shipped to available markets. Turpentine and lumber were the main exports, but as the original tree stands were cut,

Oates House - Shoemaker House, Abbeville Alabama

Oates House - Shoemaker House, Abbeville Alabama

The house was originally built in 1900 as a one-story residence for the county's largest farmer. As the planter prospered, the house was extensively remodeled in 1910 in the popular Classical Revival style. The most prevalent characteristic of the style includes the massive full-height pedimented portico supported by Tuscan columns, the symmetrical facade, second-story balcony, and hipped roof. The Oates House was built in 1900 by Ephraim Oates, one of the most successful farmers in Henry County. Ephraim Oates was born in South Carolina on January 27, 1826. At the age of 13 Ephraim and his 13 brothers and sisters were brought to Henry County, Alabama, by his recently widowed mother, Elizabeth Shipps Oates (1786-1866). In Alabama, Elizabeth Oates purchased a

Waldwic Plantation, Gallion Alabama

Waldwic Plantation, Gallion Alabama

Walwic plantation was formed in 1838 by Robert Sinclair Gracey of Iredell County, North Carolina. The core of the main plantation house is believed to date from this time and the dwelling consisted of a simple central hall plan cottage with two rooms flanking the hall on either side. After the death of Gracey in 1843, the plantation passed to his brother Minor Winn Gracey and his wife, Mourning (Smith) Patterson. It is believed that the Minor Graceys enlarged the house with the addition of the outriding end wings. After the death of Minor Gracey in 1853 (the result of the yellow fever epidemic which swept through Demopolis), Mrs. Gracey married General Willis Bocock, Attorney General of Virginia in 1858. Reputedly,

Oak Grove School, Prairieville Alabama

Oak Grove School, Prairieville Alabama

According to records in the Rosenwald School Building Fund papers in Fisk University, Nashville, the Oak Grove School was built in 1925 for $3,000. Of that sum, African Americans raised $1,400 while the State of Alabama contributed $900 and the Julius Rosenwald Fund contributed $700. Like so many Rosenwald schools, the Oak Grove School was built near a religious building, the Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church. Oak Grove continued to be used as an elementary school until the 1960s when consolidation merged the classes with the nearby Sunshine School. Today, the Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church beautifully maintains the building and utilizes it as a church/community center and Sunday School. The Oak Grove School was constructed under the Julius Rosenwald School

Emory School - Tunstall School, Cedarville Alabama

Emory School - Tunstall School, Cedarville Alabama

Originally known as the Tunstall School, the Emory school building was constructed circa 1915 with funds provided by the Julius Rosenwald School Building Fund program. Members of the Tunstall family, a prominent wealthy white family in Hale County, donated land for the erection of the school. Research has not revealed why or when the school became known as the Emory School. According to records in the Rosenwald School Building Fund papers in Fisk University, the Emory School building cost $1,060.00 with the Julius Rosenwald Fund providing $300 to the total construction cost. African-Americans raised $550, the State of Alabama contributed $200, and the local white community contributed $10. The Emory School continued in use until 1960 when the students were consolidated

Eleventh Street School, Gadsden Alabama

Eleventh Street School, Gadsden Alabama

The 11^th Street School is the oldest surviving public school in Gadsden. It was built to support the effect of steady population growth in the city that was due primarily to the rapid industrial development of the area. Built in 1907, and specifically for the purpose of relieving the overcrowded situation in the College Street School building, the 11^th Street School operated as an elementary school until December 1962, when its enrollment was merged with the Striplin Elementary School (built in 1910 at old College Street School site) and moved to a new school building (January 1963, Queen City Elementary School). Gadsden's abundance of natural mineral resources (coal, iron, manganese and limestone) and vast surrounding virgin forests encouraged the establishment of

New Hope Rosenwald School, Fredonia Alabama

New Hope Rosenwald School, Fredonia Alabama

The New Hope School building was constructed circa 1915 with funds provided by the Julius Rosenwald School Building Fund program. J. A. Simmons and his wife Sue Simmons, a prominent wealthy white family, donated land for the erection of the school. The school was named New Hope School because of its location near New Hope Missionary Baptist Church. According to records in the Rosenwald School Building Fund papers in Fisk University, the New Hope School building cost $1,200.00 with the Julius Rosenwald Fund providing $400 to the total construction cost. African Americans raised $400 and the local white community contributed $400. The New Hope School continued in use until 1964 when the students were consolidated with the Five Points School, another

Shinn Covered Bridge, Palmer Township Ohio

Shinn Covered Bridge, Palmer Township Ohio

According to a history of the Shinn Bridge in the Record Books of the Southern Ohio Covered Bridge Association, this old span was built about 1886 by Charles T. Shinn, a carpenter who lived nearby. The 60-acre property including the north end of the bridge was first owned by Douglas Putnam and the land on the opposite side of the creek was owned by Martin Baker, a cooper who lived on Wolf Creek in Waterford Township. Sometime after 1858, most of this land was bought by David W. Shinn who had settled in Palmer Township sometime before 1838. His granddaughter, Mrs. Blanche Shinn Russell, told the story of the events that led to the building of the covered bridge. The crossing

Mount Sinai School, Prattville Alabama

Mount Sinai School, Prattville Alabama

The Mount Sinai School was constructed in 1919 utilizing funds provided by the Julius Rosenwald School Building Fund program in combination with public and private monies. According to the records in the Rosenwald School Building Fund papers at Fisk University, the school cost $1325.00 to build. The Rosenwald Fund provided $500, while the state contributed $300.00. African Americans raised the remaining $525.00. The school traces its origins to circa 1891, when a one-teacher program was instituted in the nearby Mount Sinai church. According to local tradition, a one-room frame building was eventually constructed in another location and utilized by students until it was destroyed in a storm, after which time the classes moved back into the church. When the new Mount

Book Title Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences (Jonglez photo books)

Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences (Jonglez photo books)

Book Title Abandoned: Hauntingly Beautiful Deserted Theme Parks

Abandoned: Hauntingly Beautiful Deserted Theme Parks

Book Title Abandoned America: Then & Now: A Fun & Fascinating Look Revisiting America's Abandoned Places of the Past

Abandoned America: Then & Now: A Fun & Fascinating Look Revisiting America's Abandoned Places of the Past

Book Title Abandoned America: Dismantling The Dream

Abandoned America: Dismantling The Dream

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