Oconee County: Then and Now
The historic community of Oconee County has undergone quite a few transformations while maintaining some of its historic beauty. Take a glimpse of what six historic sites in Oconee County looked like in the past:
Left photo courtesy of Oconee Historical Society on Facebook.
The Eagle Tavern Museum formerly served as a 16-room stagecoach stop for travelers in the mid-1800s. The building, which was built circa 1801, now serves as a house museum in its original Plain-style structure. The right picture shows the Eagle Tavern in the mid-1900s before the building’s restoration. Today, you can visit the Tavern and stand on its original flooring which is more than 200-years-old!
Left photo courtesy of Oconee Historical Society on Facebook.
The Oconee County Courthouse has always sat directly across from the Eagle Tavern in some form along Main Street in Downtown Watkinsville. The county has had four courthouses since its founding in 1875. The structure to the left was built in 1887; the current structure was built in 1939.
Left photo courtesy of Ashford Manor Bed & Breakfast.
Also located along Main Street in Watkinsville is the Ashford Manor Bed & Breakfast. The manor was the home of William and Louisa Booth Ashford and their family in the mid-1800s. However, the original home is no longer standing. The now standing Ashford Manor was built in 1893 by the couple’s son, A.W. Ashford. The picture to the left was taken in the 1920s. The Victorian-style manor now serves as a bed and breakfast surrounded by beautiful gardens.
The history of Downtown Watkinsville continues to live on along Main Street. Pictured to the left is the Ashford Store. Built before 1900, this building is one of the oldest buildings still standing in Watkinsville. The building now houses Orchard Street Boutique and neighbors Spectrum Metals and Main Street Barbershop.
The left photo is the two-story Oconee County schoolhouse built circa 1902. Additions were made to the schoolhouse in the early 1910s, and again in the early 1920s. In 1954, majority of the building burned. Now remaining are the later additions to the schoolhouse and a nearby gymnasium. Still on their original sites, both buildings now sit on the campus of the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF) as the 1902 OCAF Center and Rocket Hall, which host local, regional, and national art exhibitions throughout the year.
To the left is Main Street in Bishop, GA circa 1918. Downtown Bishop is located along Highway 441, connecting Watkinsville and Madison. Once a post office, the building shown is now home to one of the many antique stores in Bishop, Tracks of Time Antiques.
To the left is Main Street in Bogart at the turn of the 20th century. The street runs parallel to the railroad, where a few structures in the shown area still stand today occupied by small businesses.
Be sure to visit these sites during your trip to Oconee County. For more information or assistance with planning your trip, contact us.
