Brunswick

The City by the Sea

Patricia Barefoot

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2000
• ISBN:
  9781439610855
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

Through glimpses at yesteryear, author Patricia Barefoot perpetuates a "southern sense of place" as it shines forth in Brunswick: The City by the Sea.

Located on the coast of southeast Georgia and the sinuous sweep of poet Sidney Lanier's famed "Marshes of Glynn, " Brunswick, Georgia boasts a history rich beyond measure. Dating from its layout in 1771 on the "Oglethorpe Plan" by surveyor George McIntosh, the new town emphasized an Anglo-Germanic heritage, and featured a grid repeat pattern of regularly spaced squares and town lots. In the 1830s, a flurry of entrepreneurial activity included the plan of "New Town, " which extended from the boundaries of Old Town. A few of Brunswick's most spectacular architectural treasures stand today within the boundaries of New Town near the Courthouse Mall. Built upon a peninsula, the seaside setting and Georgia's abundant natural resources have proven inspiring and lucrative assets for the port city and its people. Although buffeted by wars and epidemics, panics and depressions, a diverse population has endured and demonstrated extraordinary resilience. While in 1902 Brunswick stood first in lumber and second in naval stores production compared with other south Atlantic ports, today auto import and export, agri-commodities, and forest products provide focus for port activity. Soon the citizens of Brunswick-Glynn County will welcome a 185-foot vertical clearance, cable-stayed golden "bridge to the future." At the millennium's dawn, a renewed emphasis on restoring old buildings and homes, economic vitality, an award-winning Main Street program, and revitalization downtown promise a bright future.<

Three

CORRIDORS, LANDMARKS, HISTORIC STRUCTURES

Corridors direct movement and define day-by-day routes along which one can view familiar scenes, landmarks, and historic structures. When the old landmarks no longer show the way, the imagery remains—enhancing our sense of well being and a peculiarly Southern “sense of place.” Defining our past, markers and monuments dot the landscape as reminders. They enrich our sense of history, and provide instruction for future generations. Listed on the national register on April 3, 1979, the “Old Town Historic District” encompasses Brunswick’s original layout where today citizens actively pursue restoration of old homes and buildings, which were constructed of materials of lasting substance. Their hard work preserves a flavor of the historic past.

Looking south down a Newcastle “main street” corridor, notice the substantial character of downtown buildings in turn-of-the-century Brunswick. Dating from 1911 to 1912, an electric street railway line serviced city residents from the south end at Dartmouth and Union, north to “G,” and east to another northbound corridor at Norwich Street. Headquartered at 1525 Grant Street, ownership of the City and Suburban Railway Company included President F.D.M. Strachan of Strachan Shipping Company, and other officers were Albert Fendig, Frank D. Aiken, and George Smith. By the 1930s, this public transportation provider no longer appeared in city directories. Notice how the clock from the city hall dominates the skyline and the building anchors the south end of Newcastle. (Courtesy of Richard and Gini Steele.)

In this stunning aerial view, the old Oglethorpe Hotel (c. 1889) dominates the image, as it anchored the north end of Newcastle, the city’s “main street.” Myth held that the Oglethorpe was designed by the ill-fated architect Stanford White, but fact is the elusive New Yorker J.A. Wood produced the plans. In the background, notice the switch yard for trains and the Southern Railroad passenger terminal; to the far right once stood the ACL Freight Depot. Prior to its demolition, cultural icon Mary McGarvey mused over saving it from the wrecking ball and converting it to a charming “Fanny Kemble Coffee Shop.” In the foreground, notice “F” Street bisecting the Newcastle corridor, and the rooftops of the old Lafayette Grill, Brunswick News, Gould Ford Motor Company, and the Royal Hotel. Consider “The City By The Sea,” in the Third Trade Review special issue of the Advertiser-Appeal, printed in 1888, admonishing “If you want to invest money, we believe you will find Brunswick a profitable point.” (Courtesy of Charles E. Ragland.)

In a 1950s aerial view, a core downtown area is well represented in the top left of the image. The Old Custom House is clearly seen, and two north-south corridors predominate, Union and Egmont. Look for the following Union Street residences, churches, and public buildings: 1000 Union, First Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church, Ludowici roof tiles of the Lissner House, the Custom House/new city hall, and Glynn County Courthouse (top right). On Egmont’s northbound corridor, look for the L.T. McKinnon House, Shiloh Church, and the edges of the Glynn Academy Campus and Old Prep High, an Eichberg design. Notice the heavily vegetated cityscape, creating a sense of living in a garden. The numerous monuments dotting the landscape enhance a “sense of place” in the City by the Sea. (Courtesy of Charles E. Ragland.)

Built of Chattahoochee River hard brick, the Oglethorpe Hotel was flanked by turrets and a wide veranda, 240 feet in length, beckoning guests to the grand parlor. Crystal chandeliers, polished floors, and a painting, The Battle of Flanders, once greeted those who entered her doors. Native yellow pine complemented furnishings by the Robert Mitchell Furniture Company of Cincinnati. Carpeting, curtains, and draperies were done by M. Rich and Brothers of Atlanta. (Courtesy of Richard and Gini Steele.)

The Oglethorpe’s season ran from its opening in January to a May closure, and the original St. Simons Hotel served as respite for leisure class vacationers from the summer of 1888 until its destruction by fire in December 1898. It was rebuilt as the New Hotel. A 1914 image shows just how convenient travel was by train—Jekyll Island Club members disembarked and quietly entered a rear entrance of the Oglethorpe, en route to their insular watery destination. In an unthinkable act, this grand Oglethorpe Hotel was demolished in 1958 and was immortalized through the art of Stella Morton. (Courtesy of CGHS.)

In January 1889 Mayor D.T. Dunn presided over a regular meeting of the Brunswick City Council where J.M. Madden submitted a committee opinion. Brunswick was not the little town it once was but a thriving, growing city, and from this beginning evolved the construction of “Old” City Hall. Sealed proposals dating from December 1889 authorized architect Alfred S. Eichberg (seen on page 58) to draw up plans, and the contract was awarded to Anderson and Sharp. Built at a cost of $33,000 in the Richardsonian-Romanesque style, Old City Hall is the second oldest standing public building in Glynn County. It represents aspirations of enduring stability and community achievement in a period of unprecedented growth and prosperity in the City by the Sea. Presently, the structure is undergoing a multimillion-dollar restoration supervised by John A. Tuten and Douglas A. Neal, architects. (Courtesy of C.S. Tait Sr. Photograph Collection and C.S. Tait Jr.)

Another example of Eichberg’s design, the National Bank of Brunswick demonstrates bold arcaded galleries and blocklike massing. Numbered among its depositors were local large business concerns, reflected in the officers and board of directors. Maj. Columbia Downing served as president, and assisting him were vice-presidents E.H. Mason and Albert Fendig. Directors were attorney Joseph W. Bennet, E.F. Coney of Coney and Parker, J.R. Wri...