Milledgeville
Getting to Milledgeville is a challenge, which was one of the reasons it lost favor as a capital city during Reconstruction, but it's worth the trip. Located about an hour and a half southeast of Atlanta, Milledgeville sits about halfway between I-16 running to Savannah, and I-20 running to Augusta. After we left the Ocmulgee National Monument in Macon, we took State Highway 49 across which will bring you out right into downtown Milledgeville. Gas up in Macon if you are coming that way because it is a pretty underpopulated highway until you get there. When you get there stop in at the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Convention and Visitors Bureau located at 200 W. Hancock Street where they will point you to all of the local attractions. Get there by 10:00am each day, except Sunday, and you can take the guided trolley around town for a tour.
Our first stop of the day was the Old Governor's Mansion, which is now owned by Georgia College and State University. The mansion itself was not completed until 1839, more than a quarter of a century after the state moved its capital to Milledgeville from the small town of Louisville about an hour to the east. The Old Governor's Mansion is a three story building built in the Greek Revival style that does a great job of hiding the cost cutting measures that had to be done to build such a beautiful home. Entering in at the ground level you will see the servants' floor, where the kitchen was housed, the linens stored, and a few of the select slaves that manned the home lived. One slave was trusted so highly that he was given the keys to the home, and a gun for hunting. One unique aspect of the floor is the larger dining hall is situated on the same floor as the slave workers. While everyone in the South at that time obviously knew of slavery, and was not shocked by the presence of slaves, for them to be dining on the same floor as the owners of the home was unique in such a divided culture. Moving to the main floor you will enter into the ladies' parlor, and then into the larger men's parlor. While women and men dined together, much of their time was spent apart in the 19th Century, and these parlors were places for men and women to socialize with their friends. The mansion is outfitted with some wonderful furniture pieces from the time period, but most are not original, as the home was occupied during the Civil War during Sherman's march to the sea, and looted as they left. In fact, General Sherman himself used the home as his headquarters on November 23rd, 1864, then left out the next day to continue his march. On the top floor of the home you will find the bedrooms of the governors, their wives, and any top aides that lived at the home. The oculus in the top of the roof actually is hidden from the outside view of the home, so many are surprised to see it shining in natural light when they come inside. The cost of admission comes with a tour, which was just the two of us, and a short introductory film. Following the capital wander over to GCSU and stroll through their beautiful campus. I was shocked that such a wonderful state school such as this had remained so small in what seemed like a very cool town.
One funny story that was shared with us as we toured the mansion was the action of Governor Charles Jenkins, who in response to demands by the federal government to pay reparations for the cost of the Civil War, took the gold state seal off the capital and hid it for five years. The more shocking action was Jenkins removed the entire $400,000 state treasury and placed the funds in a bank in New York to keep them from being taken by a federally appointed governor who may replace him. The investments he made with the funds actually turned a small profit, and he returned the funds to the state in 1872 following what he believed was the first legitimately elected successor in five years.
Wander through the streets of Milledgeville and check out some of the great restaurants they have there. We ate lunch at a barbecue restaurant called Georgia Bob's. The barbecue was good, but what was really fun was the atmosphere of the place. Everyone in there seemed to be friends, and they all shared stories with one another as they ate. That night for dinner we ate at sports bar restaurant called The Brick. I can tell you their "famous" Ultimate Stuffed Sticks, which were essentially giant pizza rolls, were unreal.
After you get something to eat wander over to the campus of Georgia Military College. The college actually has a boarding school for middle and high school students, so don't be surprised if you see some really young kids marching in formation. While you are there check out the former state capital building, which is now a classroom building on campus. There are two large rooms upstairs that are free to tour. You can imagine the early leaders of the state sitting in both of these rooms, or standing on the balcony in each, debating secession and the impact it would have on the state. I will make one recommendation that I hate to do, but don't visit the museum in the basement. It is not required to be able to see the former capital, and was a very disappointing museum. While they try to cover a bunch of historic events in Georgia's history, there is almost too much on the walls, and nothing in there is actually museum quality. Most of the exhibits are dated mannequins standing in reproduction uniforms with a piece of paper glued to the wall beside them.
I hope everyone will take the time to spend a day in Milledgeville. You can see all of the sites well if you get there early in the day, or you can spend the night there and enjoy one of Georgia's many beautiful towns. As a teacher I love the history that occurred within the walls of the city, and I am thankful those that worked there more than a century and a half ago built a state that has given me so much in my life.
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