Griffin Postcard Series

Greetings from Griffin!

We have been celebrating Griffin’s rich history through vintage postcards, each one a small but powerful time capsule of our community’s past. While we posted these on Facebook, we wanted to combine all the highlighted items here in one post for you to read through.

Many postcards we’ll be sharing were likely printed or sold through a business stationed right in downtown Griffin. During the 1920s the Southern States Printing Company was located at 117 South Hill Street, and served as a printing and bindery plant - and also sold stationery and office equipment.

Join us as we explore these charming scenes from decades past, preserving the sights and stories that have shaped Griffin into the city we know and love today.

Griffin High School | A Building Lost

The origins of Griffin High School are a bit of a mystery, but its first graduating class walked the stage in 1891, just nine students strong.

The school’s earliest home stood where the Griffin-Spalding County School System Central Office (constructed in 1970) is today. That building first housed the Synodical Female College, founded in 1852. After being burned in 1864, it was rebuilt and eventually became Griffin High School. By 1916, a new Griffin High rose on Poplar Street (featured in this postcard). The snowy scene? That’s Griffin in the 1940s! Unfortunately, this beautiful building was eventually demolished in the 1980s.

The current Griffin High now stands at 1617 W. Poplar Street, continuing a tradition of education over 130 years strong.

Stories like this remind us why historic preservation matters, once a landmark is lost, it’s gone forever. The Griffin-Spalding Historical Society works to protect the architectural, cultural, and historical treasures that connect us to our past. Your support, whether through membership, volunteering, or sponsorship, helps us have the resources to fight for the future generations, so they can experience the places and stories that make our community unique.

Griffin Water Works | J. Harry Simmons Building

Constructed in 1929, the Harry Simmons Water Treatment Plant brought more water to Griffin. Taking the place of the old clear wells at City Park, the plant originally pumped water 12 miles from the Flint River to be treated for local homes and businesses.

As Griffin grew, so did the need for water. By the mid-1960s, the Heads Creek Reservoir was built, adding 621 million gallons of storage. Today, the plant is permitted to treat 12.5 million gallons per day, continuing its vital role in Griffin’s daily life.

When it first opened, the plant made the front-page in the Griffin Daily News (July 16, 1930), celebrating the many benefits it brought to our city. Nearly a century later, it still stands, with some additional expansions through the years.

Hotel Griffin | Now Known as Historic Griffin Hotel

Standing proudly on Solomon Street, the Griffin Hotel first opened its doors in 1910 as a bustling stop for travelers along Highway 41. Guests could book a room for just $2 per night, or $2.50 if it included a private bathroom. Through prohibition and the Great Depression, the hotel remained a lively hub in downtown Griffin.

After closing in the 1970s, the once-grand building sat abandoned for years. Many may remember its eerie second life as Sinister Suites haunted house. But today, thanks to restoration efforts, the Griffin Hotel has been given new life and once again welcomes guests to experience its historic charm.

We’re lucky to have this landmark shining in our downtown once more. Stop by for one of their events, or recommend the hotel to out-of-town visitors. You’ll find it right next to Slice’s Pizza in the heart of Griffin!

Lowell Bleachery South

Some of you may remember our previous posts about Lowell Bleachery. Constructed in 1922–1923, the Lowell Bleachery South facility was the result of a partnership between Kincaid Manufacturing Company of Griffin and the Lowell Bleachery Company of Massachusetts. Its establishment added new strength to Griffin’s growing textile industry and was noted in the Griffin Daily News on April 30, 1924.

For many years, the plant provided jobs and opportunity, standing as a cornerstone of Griffin’s “mill town” identity.

But like much of the Southern textile industry, it endured decades of struggle. In 1995, Springs Industries purchased Dundee Mills, investing in some areas while closing others. By 2009, the last remnants of the company had closed in Griffin, ending an important chapter in the city’s history.

Though the building has been lost, the story of Lowell Bleachery South remains a powerful reminder of Griffin’s textile heritage and the generations of families who shaped it.

Hill Street

According to the History of Early Griffin by Judge L. P. Goodrich (circulated in the Griffin Daily News in the early 1900s), Hill Street was named for Mr. John G. Hill, one of Griffin’s original settlers. By 1860, as the city rapidly developed, Hill Street had already become the principal street in town.

In the 1980s, much of Hill Street was included in the Griffin Commercial Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The street is also home to several individually listed properties, including the Lewis-Mills House (406 N. Hill Street), the Hill-Kurtz House (570 S. Hill Street), and the Milner-Walker House (708 S. Hill Street).

These images highlight Hill Street across time:

📷 1890s - Courtesy of Mr. Wally Brown, this photograph (featured in a GSHS calendar in the 1990s) shows Mrs. Otis Crouch, Mr. Ed S. Thompson, and Mrs. Charles F. Walcott walking on Hill Street. Visible in the background are the Griffin China Company, Deane & Huff Book Store, Dr. Drewry’s Drug Store, and the Odd Fellows Hall.

📷 1920s - Both Postcards featuring a scene on South Hill Street, and Hill Street Looking North.

📷 1980s - Archival photographs from the National Register nomination form, documenting the district’s significance at the time of its listing.

From its early role as Griffin’s commercial hub to its continued preservation through historic recognition, Hill Street remains one of the most important and storied roads in our community.

First Presbyterian Church

This postcard shows the second location of First Presbyterian Church, once standing proudly at the corner of Taylor and 8th Street. Completed in 1888, it served the congregation for 90 years before being torn down in 1978. And yes, today this is the site of Burger King.

The church’s cornerstone bore the words from Ephesians 2:20: “Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Corner Stone.” That very stone, along with the church’s original bell (purchased in 1871), still rests on the current day church grounds.

Over the decades, the congregation worshiped, celebrated, and grew within its walls. Highlights included the dedication of a Pilcher Pipe Organ in 1894 (the 25th ever built by the company, later rebuilt and still in use today), and the debt-free dedication of the sanctuary in 1890.

By the 1970s, space was tight, and in 1977 the decision was made to relocate. On September 10, 1978, members carried everything, pews, hymnals, even the organ pipes, across town to their new home on Memorial Drive. One week later, services began in the present sanctuary, where the legacy of faith continues.

Though the old building is gone, its story lives on. You can explore the full history of First Presbyterian Church here: fpcgriffin.org/our-story

Griffin’s Last Passenger Depot

We’ve highlighted Griffin depots in the past, and today we are revisiting the last passenger depot built in our city, located at W. Broad Street and 8th Street. Constructed between 1914 and 1915, Union Depot served passengers for decades before it was demolished in the 1960s.

Prior to this depot, Griffin had several other passenger and freight depots, mostly between 9th Street and Hill Street, including a freight office at Solomon on the Southern Line. The last passenger train to run through Griffin was the Nancy Hanks II, named after the famous racehorse, which was also named for Abraham Lincoln’s mother. This line ran daily between Atlanta and Savannah, with Griffin as the first stop out of Atlanta or the final stop heading back. Smaller routes also connected Griffin to Macon, Atlanta, Newnan, McDonough, and beyond.

The current Welcome Center, often called The Depot, was never a passenger station. It was originally a grocery warehouse with a freight depot component. We thank our friend and fellow historian Cindy Barton at the Griffin-Spalding Archives for her work on this history.

The Archives is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm

143 North Hill Street, 2nd Floor of the Welcome Center

First Baptist Church of Griffin

First Baptist Church of Griffin traces its beginnings to March 7, 1841, when the congregation was organized on an acre of land set aside by General Lewis Lawrence Griffin himself. That original property stretched from Solomon Street to Bank Alley, and from Hill Street to 8th Street.

In 1854, the church sold part of this land, the very parcel where the Historic Griffin Hotel now stands, and soon after purchased the prominent lot at the southwest corner of Hill and Taylor Streets. By 1860, the congregation had completed the handsome new sanctuary at that location, where the church still stands today.

These images, from c. 1908 and from an 1885 view of Griffin, capture the enduring presence of First Baptist Church at the heart of the city’s history and community life.

The Hawkes Library

At the southeast corner of West Taylor and 6th Streets, was designed by architect Neel Reid and built in 1916. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970s, it’s one of Reid’s early works and a lasting part of Griffin’s history.

The library was the vision of Albert King Hawkes, an Atlanta optometrist, inventor, and philanthropist who championed children’s libraries and theaters across Georgia. The Griffin library, his most ambitious project, featured a second-floor motion picture auditorium, blending literary and visual learning.

Hawkes’ generosity extended throughout the state. He supported schools, orphanages, and colleges, including the Georgia Training School for Girls and LaGrange College. His legacy reflects a lifelong belief in giving “where it could most benefit society.”

The Old Griffin Post Office

On May 16, 1909, The Griffin Daily News featured a sketch of the building that came from federal congressman Bartlett to Mayor Gresham. Construction faced delays until 1911 due to changes in plans and slow material delivery, but it was finally completed by 1912. The building served as Griffin’s post office until 1975, when a new facility was built and the old building was sold at auction.

Originally estimated to cost $50,000, the final construction costs actually exceeded $75,000! Today, the building is home to the Office of Dispute Resolution for the Sixth Judicial District, continuing its legacy of serving the community.

Old City Hall

Take a look at these postcards of the Old Griffin City Hall! Built in 1910 and designed by Atlanta architect Haralson Bleckley, this building has long been a centerpiece of our town’s history.

The Griffin-Spalding Historical Society partnered with city officials, employees, and the community to get the building on the Georgia Historic Trust's Places in Peril list in 2014. We also worked with our partners and citizens to secure renovation funding through a voter-approved SPLOST referendum!

Thanks to this incredible effort, the Old City Hall was beautifully restored in 2019 and repurposed, giving new life to a historic treasure of Griffin.

The Marian Apartments

Marian Apartments, Griffin, Spalding County, Georgia, ca. 1947–1949

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007

Completed in 1919 and designed by Atlanta architect Alexander F. N. Everett, the Marian Apartments introduced Griffin to modern luxury apartment living. Built of buff brick with Indiana limestone detailing and resting on a Stone Mountain granite foundation, the three-story Renaissance Revival style building stands out for its elegant symmetry, Doric pilasters, and terra cotta tile roof.

When it opened, the Marian Apartments offered 24 spacious “flats” with electricity, steam heat, sunrooms, balconies, and modern kitchens; a first for Griffinintes, who were eager for city living near downtown.

Rehabilitated in 2005 as affordable housing, the Marian still retains much of its original craftsmanship, including hardwood floors, plaster walls, staircases, and moldings. Today, it stands as a lasting symbol of Griffin’s architectural progress and community heritage.

Experiment Station | UGA Griffin Campus

Established in 1888 in Spalding County as part of the University of Georgia, the Georgia Experiment Station was created through the federal Hatch Act of 1887. Originally focused on fertilizers and soil erosion, its research quickly expanded to cover a wide range of agricultural and environmental topics.

From pioneering the deep-furrow planting method for winter oats around 1900 to developing the “Empire” cotton variety in the 1940s and advancing frozen food technology, the station helped modernize southern agriculture.

Today, it continues its legacy as the UGA Griffin Campus, a leading research center dedicated to crop and pest management, food safety, and urban agriculture.

Closing

As we look back at these charming postcards and the stories they carry, we’re reminded just how important preservation is... not just of paper and ink, but of the memories and moments that shaped Griffin into the community we know today. Every artifact we save, every photo we share, and every story we uncover strengthens our connection to the past and ensures it remains alive for future generations. The Griffin-Spalding Historical Society is dedicated to protecting these pieces of our shared heritage, but we can’t do it alone. Your support, whether through membership, donations, or simply sharing our work, helps keep history vibrant and accessible.

Thank you for joining us on this journey through Griffin’s postcard past, and for helping us preserve the legacy of our hometown!