Historical or hysterical?

Yesterday I turned the page on my Manry-Jordan Hodges Funeral Home “Saturday Evening Post” calendar. It’s hard to believe another month has come and gone. When I was in grade school, all my “elders” would say how quickly time speeds up once you get out in the “real world.”

They were certainly right – and time isn’t showing any signs of slowing down as the pages on the calendar turn.

This makes me think of all the historic properties in Early County. This community is very fortunate to have a large inventory of historic buildings constructed from the mid-1800s to 1970s that pay tribute to agriculture, local government, retail/ commercial and residential. (Note: In the State of Georgia, any building constructed 50 plus years ago is considered historic.) There aren’t too many communities who have this unique mixture of history. More often than not – historic buildings do not survive.

How special for the community to still be conducting business and living in places where our ancestors did the same.

New buildings can be erected and they can even have historic elements to them; however, once our historic buildings and places are gone – we cannot get them back. It is my understanding that within the past 10 to 15 years, over 200 buildings and structures within the city limits of Blakely have been demolished. It is recognized that sometimes that is the only option – but how many of these historic properties could have been salvaged? If this happens again in the next 10 plus years – will anything from the past be left?

All of this to say: It is vital to realize and understand the full potential and benefits associated with historic revitalization as we work towards building a much stronger, sustainable local economy.

Historic districts and individually-listed historic properties that are aesthetically cohesive and well promoted can be a community’s most important attraction. The retention of historic communities has proven to attract tourist dollars and overall, it makes good economic sense.

For example, would filmmakers have selected to film the Walking Dead in Senoia, Georgia if it had not retained its historic downtown? Most likely not. It was chosen for a multitude of reasons.

The historic, quaint downtown that could so easily be compared to historic Alexandria, Virginia was among the top reasons.

The protection of local historic districts can enhance business recruitment potential. Companies continually relocate to communities that offer their workers a higher quality of life, which is greatly enhanced by successful local preservation programs and stable historic districts.

Historic Preservation Commissions and Historical Societies often get nicknamed “Hysteric Commissions or Hysterical Societies.”

When it comes to the economic impact and character of our hometown, which ultimately plays a massive role in the survival of Early County – I think that’s something to get a bit “hysterical” over. Honestly, it’s way past time for those who desire a thriving downtown to become “hysterical.” Because at the end of the day – it is about so much more than an “old” building.

Even if history and historic preservation is not “your thing,” I encourage you to visit www.downtownblakely.com/hpc to learn more about the City of Blakely’s Historic Preservation Commission and the integrity it seeks to preserve for future generations.

Published in the Early County News on July 1, 2025.