Category Archives: Damascus GA

Lewis Store, Old Damascus

This is the last of the archival images I’m sharing for now. I was unsure if this was in Damascus, or its neighbor Old Damascus*, so I never got around to publishing it. It’s an edit of a shot I made in 2008. With its extended front gable, it’s a great example of the “gas and grocery” architecture of the 1920s and 1930s.

Terri writes: Was raised in Old Damascus or as we called it Old Town. I can remember buying sodas and candy from Mr Lloyd at his store. He and his wife were very kind peopleHis house was across from the store. [I locate an Emory Lloyd Lewis, Sr. (1883-1976) at nearby Keaton Cemetery. He is likely the gentleman to whom Terri refers. His son, Emory Lloyd Lewis, Jr. (1926-1998), may have operated the store, as well.]

*- Old Damascus is on the map, but that presence is more a nod to history these days; it’s not incorporated and likely never was. My guess is that it’s the first area of settlement of what eventually became Damascus.

Folk Victorian House, Damascus

I first photographed this house in 2008, and again in 2012. I’m not sure if it’s still standing.

Double-Pen House & Shotgun Store, Damascus

This is another older photo, dating to 2012, so I’m not sure if either structure is still around. The house is a double-pen type and the shotgun store to the right may have association.

Kudzu Barn, Damascus

I’ve talked about the destructive powers of kudzu before and this photograph, dating to 2012 illustrates it well. Kudzu invasions are a very popular subject with Southern photographers, almost obligatory for those who document the backroads. The “Vine that Ate the South” may have taken this old barn down by now.

Damascus Methodist Church, 1920, Early County

Though the date of organization is unknown, Damascus Methodist Church was likely established around the turn of the century (1890-1900). The earliest records date to 1906. The first church building was lost to fire in the 1910s and replaced by this classical structure in 1920.

Houston Coin Laundry, Damascus

At the other end of Main Street is the Houston Coin Laundry and another derelict storefront.

The window paintings are a nice feature.

Main Street Storefronts, Damascus

Most of these storefronts are in ruins and will soon be gone. The building on the far right was Brady’s Food Basket, the local grocery store.

Damascus, Georgia

Unless you’re from the area, or or an aficionado of forgotten places like me, you’ve likely never heard of Damascus. But if you’re a student of modern literature, you just might be familiar with former Georgia poet laureate David Bottoms‘s masterful poem, In a U-Haul North of Damascus. The poem is not about Damascus, per se, but this tiny town took its place in the literary pantheon with the publication of that work.

Abandoned Warehouses, Damascus

These warehouses were once the center of activity in Damascus. They won’t be around much longer.