On February 27, 2023, The Bulloch County Historical Society held its monthly general meeting at Pittman Park United Methodist Church. The meeting began promptly at 12pm in the PPUMC fellowship hall following a catered lunch social. The meeting’s agenda unfolded straightaway with new corporate memberships being conferred. Among the recipients were Annette McDuffie (“Touch of Class” Catering Company), Dr. Bede Mitchell (Kiwanis Club of Statesboro), and Dr. Brent Tharpe (Vice President of The Bulloch County Historical Society).
Following the conferment, program speaker Sims Lanier called attention to the theme for February’s program presentation. The presentation examined multiple homes of prominence from the Antebellum era. All homes presented were the focal points of the book, Ghosts of Grandeur, Georgia’s Lost Antebellum Homes & Plantations by Michael W. Kitchens.
Kitchens previously delivered an illuminating exposition of his book to the previous BCHS audience. And in short, Kitchen recounted how several Antebellum manors experienced structural demise over time. Some of the factors which contributed to the structural demise were fires, natural disasters, decay, and wars. These massive monuments--once lauded as grand manors of southern elegance--can now only be observed through the remnant photographs of a bygone era.
During the presentation, Lanier surveyed several architectural homes in Kitchens's book. Each image illustrated the sophistication and allure of the Antebellum architecture in its prime. However, Lanier further examined the many contributing factors which led to the overall decline of each monument over time. In fact, one of the houses which Lanier highlighted was the “Treadwell Place.” The Treadwell Place was historically known as “The Sweet Potato Palace” for its abundance of sweet potato crops (as opposed to its more famous counterpart: Cotton). But the Treadwell Place, like many other antebellum manors, is now simply an illusion of the past; for they were all unable to weather the circumstances of domestic wars or natural change.
The Bulloch County Historical Society has been in effect for over 40 years. The local society aims to preserve the local legacies of the Bulloch County through the ongoing examination of its prominent people, institutions, and culture over time. Meetings are held on the 4th Monday of every month from January through November. If you are interested in attending a meeting or joining the Bulloch County Historical Society, there are various avenues for sign-up listed below.
For more information on the Bulloch County Historical Society, please visit www.bullochhistory.com or email hideaway@frontiernet.net.