GEORGIA HISTORICAL MARKERS
Muscogee County
Location: 1002 Sixth Avenue, Columbus, Georgia Marker Dedication or Erection Date: January 1, 1985 Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission, St. James AME Church, Mrs. Carlton B. Franklin and Fred D. Franklin, Jr., Familes 1985
St. James AME Church St. James African Methodist Epsicopal Church was organized in 1863. The present church is built on land granted by act of the Georgia Legislature in 1873. It was erected in 1876 under the pastorate of Rev. Wesley J. Gaines, at a cost of $20,000. Rev. Gaines was the first pastor on record of the church. The graceful central tower and flanking turrets were added in 1886 during the ministry of Rev. L.L. Thomas. St. James AME Church ranks as the second oldest church of the domination in Georgia.
Marker Dedication or Erection Date: 2005 Erected by The Historic Chattahoochee Commission and The Historic Columbus Foundation, Inc., 2005
SIDE 1: In 1854 twenty Columbus families banded together to form congregation BNai Israel, later known as Temple Israel, one of the first Jewish congregations in Georgia. For almost one hundred years religious services were held on this site, first in a wooden structure followed by a classical cathedral style edifice reflecting Synagogue architecture of that era. This two story brick Temple, built in 1886 was dedicated September 2, 1887. The last service held in this location was on March 8, 1958. The congregation then moved into a contemporarybuilding on Wildwood Avenue.
This marker is dedicated in memory of Alan Friend Rothschild by his sisters and brothers.
SIDE 2: TEMPLE ISRAEL Records exist of Jewish births, marriages, deaths and burials in Columbus following the citys founding in 1828. In 1875, Temple Israel became a founding member of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, the reform movements umbrella organization. Temple Israel has continuously functioned as a reform congregation with religious, educational and community outreach programs. The Temples 150th anniversary was celebrated in 2004. This marker is dedicated in memory of Alan Friend Rothschild by his sisters and brothers.
Location: On the grounds of the Columbus Museum, 1251 Wynnton Road, Columbus, Georgia Marker Dedication or Erection Date: June 7, 2013 Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and the Columbus Museum, 2013
"The Columbus Museum's Bradley Olmsted Garden was designed for homeowner W.C. Bradley by the Olmsted Brothers firm of Massachusetts. Frederick Law Olmsted, the famed American landscape architect, founded the firm. Of the thirteen residential projects the Olmsted firm worked on in Georgia, including others in Columbus, the Bradley garden is widely recognized as the most substantial and significant. Its shaded ravine, formal and informal pools, cascading waterfall, pecan grove, and Japanese yew and crape myrtle walkways typified the more naturalistic gardens that became popular after the close of the Victorian era. Azaleas, camellias, dogwood, iris, roses, and forget-me-nots were among the many blooms planted between 1925 and 1928. Bradley had a great interest in the garden and corresponded frequently with William B. Marquis, the Olmsted firm's lead Columbus designer. At Bradley's request, the firm transformed an 1880s trolley station located on the property into a pool house. It is the only remaining structure from that line. The Bradley Olmsted Garden is part of the Wynn's Hill-Overlook Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Location: 2039 13th Street, Columbus, Georgia Marker Dedication or Erection Date: January 1, 1994 Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and Banks descendants, 1994
The Cedars In 1836, John Banks and his wife, the former Sarah Watkins, both natives of Elbert Co., Ga., moved to Columbus, bought this property (then totalling 265 acres) in the fashionable suburb of Wynnton and began construction of this Greek Revival house. Already a successful lawyer and merchant, Banks became involved in banking and manufacturing, the operation of large plantations south of the city, and local philanthropy including the co-founding of the Wynnton School on his property. The Cedars, his family residence, boasts 18-inch thick exterior brick walls and interior faux graining and marbling. It has remained continuously in the Banks family.
Location: 1846 Buena Vista Road, Columbus, Georgia Marker Dedication or Erection Date: February 20, 2004 Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission, Mrs. Maxwell C. Harden and the Historic Columbus Foundation, Inc., 2004.
SIDE 1: In 1844, Lambert Spencer built a simple Greek Revival home detailed with Doric columns and acanthus leaves. In 1868, Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Bowers enlarged and beautified the home. Mr. Bowers added two hexagonal wings and hired an itinerant painter to paint three ceiling frescoes. Mrs. Bowers, with the help of an English gardener, laid out a formal butterfly-shaped garden. The kitchen was a separate building, joined to the house by a covered porch. Other outbuildings included a two-story servant house, smokehouse, well, wash house, barn and cow shed. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
SIDE 2: THE ELMS Lambert Spencer moved to Columbus from Talbot County, Maryland in 1828. He purchased twelve acres from William L. Wynn in 1844. Henson G. Estes later received the property from Spencer. In 1862, Lloyd Guyton Bowers, a cotton broker, traveled from Massachusetts to Macon, Georgia, where he married Sarah Tabitha Bartlett. The Bowers soon moved to Columbus and purchased The Elms. The house remained in the Bowers family until 1966 and was then purchased by Allen M. Woodall, Jr. In 1999, Mrs. Maxwell C. Harden, daughter of local builder Thomas Watson Cooper, returned to Columbus and purchased The Elms for her home.
SIDE 1
THE J.S. Pemberton & the Confederacy
Location: GA side of the 14th Street Pedestrian Bridge Erected by Historic Columbus Foundation, Inc. and The Historic Chattahoochee Commission 2015
"John Pemberton joined the 3rd Georgia Cavalry in May 1862 and resigned in October that same year due to “a chronic disease of the stomach,” his life-long malady. He wrote he could better serve his country as a pharmacist and chemist. In July 1863, he joined the home guard and commanded a cavalry unit at the Battle of Columbus, where he suffered a saber gash and a pistol wound. Despite his injuries, within seven months he reopened his pharmacy and launched a large wholesale drug warehouse. He operated both until he left for Atlanta in 1869.
SIDE 2
THE "FORMULA"
Location: GA side of the 14th Street Pedestrian Bridge Erected by Historic Columbus Foundation, Inc. and The Historic Chattahoochee Commission 2015
The popular Vin Mariani wine, infused with extract of coca leaves, began selling worldwide in 1863. Dr. Pemberton used this tonic to relieve pain from stomach cancer, intestinal disorders, and wounds. He modified Mariani’s drink to produce French Wine of Coca, the predecessor to Coca-Cola The Coca-Cola Company now recognizes Pemberton mixed the prototype formula in Columbus and then brought it to Atlanta. The 1885 prohibition law in Atlanta forced him to remove the wine from his tonic. Pemberton added sweeteners and an extract of kola nuts to create Coca-Cola. Erected by Historic Columbus Foundation, Inc. and The Historic Chattahoochee Commission 2015
Location: Twelfth Street near Front Street, Columbus, Georgia Marker Dedication or Erection Date: January 1, 1986 Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and the R. W. Page Corporation, 1986
The Ledger-Enquirer Newspapers The Columbus Enquirer and The Columbus Ledger have been published from this site since 1930. The Enquirer was founded in 1828 by Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, later the second president of the Republic of Texas. The Ledger was founded in 1886 by Edward T. Byington and his wife, Elia G. Byington. In 1893, The Ledger was purchased by Rinaldo William Page. The Page family purchased The Enquirer in 1930 and owned both newspapers until they were sold to Knight Newspapers, Inc., now Knight-Ridder, Inc., in 1973. Both have won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, journalism's highest award, The Enquirer in 1926 and The Ledger in 1955. The Mditerranean-style building was completed in 1930 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
Location: 1440 Second Avenue, Columbus, Georgia Marker Dedication or Erection Date: January 1, 2000 Erected by the Historic Columbus Foundation, Inc.; Descendants of James A. Rankin; and the Historic Chattahoochee Commission, 2000
SIDE 1: The Rankin House James A. Rankin came to Columbus from yrshire, Scotland and in 1839 married Agnes Affleck. Mr. Rankin was a planter and owner of the Rankin Hotel and Rankin Realty Co. This high style Italianate mansion was built between 1860 and 1870. Lawrence Wimberly Wall was the architect. In 1898, the Rankin House, valued at $18,500, was the finest home in Columbus. After the Civil War, Mr. Rankin returned to Scotland and turned the home over to his eldest child, Mrs. Emma Jane Rankin Lockhart. Two of his sons, Edwin and John A. became prominent local businessmen. Granddaughters of James A. Rankin, Mrs. George Walden and Mrs. Albert Driver, lived in the home until the 1950's.
SIDE 2: The Rankin House Miss Emily Woodruff donated the house to the Historic Columbus Foundation, Inc. as a memorial to her father, James Waldo Woodruff, Sr. The courtyard is a memorial to Charlie Frank Williams, Sr. Restoration and furnishing were accomplished through the Foundation, the Junior League of Columbus and the Columbus Town Committee of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America. The fence formerly surrounded the Broadway townhouse of Civil War General Henry Lewis Benning.
Location: 1100 block of First Avenue, Columbus, Georgia Marker Dedication or Erection Date: January 1, 1989 Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and Trinity Episcopal Church, 1989
SIDE 1: Trinity Episcopal Church The cornerstone of Trinity Episcopal Church was laid in 1890. The present church replaced the congregation's first building, which stood across the street at 1140 First Avenue. Since its founding in 1834, Trinity has held regular worship services in Columbus. The church added a parish house in 1925-26, with further expansion completed in 1965. Trinity serves the oldest and largest Episcopal congregation in Columbus. The only Gothic Revival church in the city, it possesses architectural significance that shows kinshi to English countryside churches; Gothic arches and a square bell tower are distinctive features.
SIDE 2: Trinity Episcopal Church The nave seats five hundred. Stained glass memorial windows and marble floors enhance the dignified reverence of the setting. Two large brass chandeliers, originally gas burning, light the nave. Lewis C. Allen and H. H. McClintock served as first Wardens. The Vestry included E. L. DeGraffenried, Charles A. Peabody, John Forsyth, Jr., John A. Urquhart, George Hargraves, Jr., John E. Davis, and Mr. Lively. One of Columbus' founders, Dr. DeGraffenried, held the charter meeting of the church in his home on First Avenue, then Oglethorpe Street, a site now owned by the Church.
Location: 3662 Victory Drive, Columbus, Georgia Marker Dedication or Erection Date: June 14, 2008 Marker Text: Victory Drive Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and the Victory Coalition 2008
On August 15, 1945, celebrating the surrender of Japan which ended World War II, the Muscogee County Commission unanimously voted to rename the boulevard extending from Columbus to Fort Benning as Victory Drive. Commissioner L.R. Aldridge state, "No time could be more appropriate than the day following the night when we know victory is ours." Ft. Benning Commanding General William H. Hobson responded to the gesture: "We believe that so designating the highway as 'Victory Drive' will be long-lived testimonial to the men and women of Georgia, and the men and women who have trained at Fort Benning during World War II, for their contributions to Victory."
Location: 1017 Front Avenue, Columbus, GA 31901 Erected by Historic Columbus Foundation, Inc. and The Historic Chattahoochee Commission 2015
SIDE 1: WC BRADELY AND COCA COLA W. C. Bradley was a Columbus cotton merchant, industrialist, banker, and one of the city’s leading entrepreneurs. He also helped form a business syndicate with Ernest Woodruff to purchase Coca-Cola from the Candlers in 1919. This group organized a new Coca-Cola Corporation and issued its first public stock. Bradley bought a large number of shares but also sold shares to local and out-of-state friends and fellow bankers. Bradley became Chairman of the Coca-Cola Board in 1919 and served for twenty-seven years.
SIDE 2: WC BRADELY AND COCA COLA
(Depiction of a meeting of the Coca-Cola board in the late 1930s)
Coca-Cola Board of Directors, late 1930s. W. C. Bradley sits at the head of the table as chairman with his son-in-law, D. Abbott Turner fourth from his left and Robert Woodruff, President, on his immediate left. Robert’s father, Ernest Woodruff, is seated fourth from Mr. Bradley’s right.
Supplemental material Bradley was crucial in selling stock to New York City bankers at this point and in later securing loans from them when the young company needed capital. The most legendary sales of Coke stock were made by banker Pat Monroe in Quincy, Florida. Monroe and Bradley were friends, both having served on the board of the Eagle & Phenix Mills in Columbus. Bradley thoroughly convinced Monroe of the value of the Coca-Cola Company. Monroe strongly suggested to every loan customer in his bank to buy Coke stock, and even loaned them the money to make the purchase. These Floridians held on to their Coke stock through all of its splits, and today Quincy is one of the wealthiest towns per capita in the nation. In a 1976 interview with D. Abbot Turner, Bradley’s son-in-law, he was asked to comment on Bradley’s skill as a business man. Turner simply said, “Coca-Cola.” Even when the question was rephrased, the answer was always the same, “Coca-Cola.”
Location: 716 Broadway, Columbus, Georgia Marker Dedication or Erection Date: March 25, 1981 Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and the Historic Columbus Foundation, 1980
Walker-Peters-Langdon House Moveable, prefabricated houses similar to this Federal Cottage were available for purchase by settlers participating in the Land Lot Sale of 1828. Original owner, Colonel Virgil Walker of Harris County, transferred the lot and "all improvements" to Mrs. Dicey Peters, mother of Mrs. William Langdon. Six generations of the Langdon Family subsequently owned the house, traditionally known as the oldest in Columbus. The Historic Columbus Foundation acquired the property in 1966.
Location: 800 Tenth Avenue, Columbus, Georgia Marker Dedication or Erection Date: January 1, 1990 Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and the Muscogee County School District, 1990
William H. Spencer High School On this site, on November 29, 1930, the first local high school for colored students opened. The school was the result of a grant from the Rosenwald Foundation and was named in honor of William Henry Spencer, Supervisor of the Colored Schools in Muscogee County from 1912-1925. The first principal was Professor F. R. Lampkin, who also served as Supervisor of Colored Schools in Muscogee County from 1930-1945. The teaching staff consisted of 15 members. T. Hicks Fort was President of the Board of Education.
Location: 708 Broadway, Columbus, Georgia Marker Dedication or Erection Date: January 1, 1988 Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and the Historic Columbus Foundation, 1988
Woodruff Farm House and Log Cabin The 1840's Woodruff Farm House was originally located eight miles east of Columbus on land adjoining the old road to Macon, Georgia. The dwelling was enlarged and used as a summer residence by the Woodruff family during the 1920's. When development endangered this structure, it was donated to the Historic Columbus Foundation and placed on this site in 1986. Moved from its original location ten miles from this site, the cabin on this lot is an example of the kind of log building used by traders in the early 1800's, prior to the settlement of Columbus in 1828.
