Tour of Homes to Showcase Historic Jackson Heights

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The Jackson Heights Neighborhood Association will showcase five of its historic homes during the Tour of Homes event from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 10.

On May 10, patrons will be invited into the homes at 106 E. 6th St., 109 E. 4th St., 404 Jackson St., 407 Durden St., and 611 Jackson St. in Vidalia to marvel at each residence’s architecture, design, and history, while sharing stories of memories within the homes.

This self-guided continued from page

tour is open to everyone age 12 and older. Walking is encouraged from hometo- home, but not required. The event will be held rain or shine.

Featured Homes 611 Jackson Street Known to the public as both the Brazell House and the Altama Museum of Art and History, the historic home located at 611 Jackson Street will be available for the public to peruse.

The home was designed and built in 1911 by architect Ivy Crutchfield, and housed Crawford W. Brazell, his wife, and his five daughters for several years. The house showcases Crutchfield’s signature design, as it features a neoclassical style, enormous columns, a multi-hipped roofline, and grand porches.

The house still has its 50 original windows, each over 5 feet tall, allowing a lot of natural light to fill the 4000 square-foot space. Four of the home’s original chandeliers are still in use within the structure, which was among the first to be wired for electricity within Vidalia. Six of the house’s original knob and tube circuits still remain on-site at the location and may be reviewed upon request.

In 1981, the home became a public art gallery, and the facility has been renovated extensively since 2019. In 2024, the museum added a Back Porch Venue to the facility, allowing local musicians and other entertainment specialists to set up outdoors around the home.

Currently, the museum is showcasing the “Stitched Together” community fiber arts show, which showcases pieces created and/or collected by local citizens. These displays will be available for review during the Tour of Homes.

The main level of the home is handicap accessible through the usage of an ADA-compliant ramp on the side of the facility nearest 6th Street. The top levels of the facility are only available by stairs.

407 Durden Street

Fred and Lyndi Dean’s home has a long history within Vidalia, and even served as the business office for Pearl Price Florist for many years. The house was built in 1928 for C.J. Whatley, his wife Tiny, and the couple’s children Will and Jacqueline. The family lived there until C.J. died, after which Tiny remarried and sold the home to Sally Meadows Lewis, who lived there until she passed away in 1968.

At the time of Lewis’s death, Martha and Esley Thompson lived next door to the home. The couple was running a flower shop underneath their home as a part of the Pearl Price Florist business. The couple decided to buy the house after Lewis’s death, and the home became the main location of the Florist, which was also located at 307 Jackson Street for several years. The house was used primarily as the business office and special events work room for the Florist until 2014.

The Deans bought the home from Andy Thompson in 2018. At that point, no one had actually lived in the residence for 50 years – it had merely been a business location. The couple was drawn to the house’s high ceilings and generously proportioned rooms, and their passion for remodeling made the structure perfect for their architecture and design business and their home. The couple shared that there were several original components of the house that they had found interesting through the years. When the Deans purchased the home, there was a walk-in cooler attached to the home that was previously used for the floral business. An additional walk-in cooler, which was sold to Hardware Pizza in Lyons, was in the back of the home.

The kitchen only had a sink, freestanding stove, and refrigerator upon purchase, and a built-in ironing board was and is in place. The couple moved the sink to the outdoor garden area and removed two walls during the process of modernizing the kitchen.

The house has also been made more energy efficient, as they have installed solar panels and a battery back-up for when the power goes out. Interior storm windows are also currently being installed to save the original wavy glass windows.

Guests touring the home are invited to stroll the garden next door, which was created in the 1950’s and is still owned and maintained by Florist Pearl Price’s grandson, Andy.

109 E. Fourth Street

Mindy and Mike Cochran lived outside of the city limits for 25 years before making the decision to move and downsize because of the couple’s increasing age, the amount of house and yard work of their previous home, and their desire to be closer to medical and commercial facilities.

The couple built the home in 2011, and designed the house to have an open floor plan, be energy and handicap efficient, and have minimal yard work responsibilities.

Since moving, the couple enjoys living within walking distance from the downtown area and their church.

106 E. Sixth Street

J.F. Darby built the craftsman bungalow located at 106 E. Sixth St. in 1913-1914, a time when growth and development was thriving in Downtown Vidalia. Darby bought the lot for the home from R.E. Shufflebarger in 1912, and crafted a home with a low pitched gable roof, exposed rafter tails, wide overhanging eaves, a deep wraparound porch with square brick-based columns, and original clapboard siding.

In 1936, O.C. Eidson bought the property, and used it as a rental residence. Several tenants spent time in the home, and each left behind a quiet, layered legacy of their lives within its walls.

In 2019, the home underwent significant restoration by Harry and Jackie Moses, who updated and stabilized the structure while maintaining its historic integrity. The details of the home were preserved and restored, as the house’s craftsmanship was honored.

Cathy Collins McMichael purchased the home after the renovation. As a lover of Southern tradition and older homes, McMichael lived in the house until she passed away in September 2023. After Cathy’s death, her son Curtis McMichael inherited the property and continued the restoration process in her memory.

Today, Curtis – who works as a Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent – lives in the home with his 7 year-old daughter Sus. An avid appreciator of interior design and architectural preservation, Curtis takes pride in continuing to work to ensure that the home’s history lives on.

404 Jackson Street

The home at 404 Jackson Street – also known as the Peterson-Wilbanks House – is a fine example of Neoclassical architecture within the area. Local architect Ivy Crutchfield, who also designed the neighboring Altama Museum of Art and History, built the house in 1916.

In 1911, Ada McArthur Peterson Wilbanks bought half an acre of land, which was once a cotton patch, from her brothers to build the home. Wilbanks lived there for several years, as she resided there first with her first husband A.A. Peterson Jr. — a wellknown landowner and farmer in Montgomery and Toombs Counties – until his death, and continued to live there after remarrying farmer and cotton buyer H.P. Wilbanks.

Ada lost the home to foreclosure in 1936, and the house was purchased at an auction by a loan company.

Former Vidalia Mayor Warren Frank Jenkins and his wife Katherine Somer Jenkins bought the house in 1940, and sought to make the home a welcoming place for the community. The couple rented several of the residence’s rooms to school teachers and young couples in the area, and Katherine even taught etiquette and ballroom dancing lessons in the house.

In 1983, the former mayor died; yet, his wife continued to live in the home until 1987, when local lawyers Charles Andrew and Reid Threlkeld purchased the house. The attorneys used the location as their law office for over 30 years before selling the location to fellow local lawyers Daniel and Rizza O’Connor in December 2023.

The O’Connors restored and renovated the house in 2024, returning the law office back to a residence.

The charming home echoes tales of local history and showcases the excellent craftsmanship of the area.

Tickets

Tickets are limited and required for attendance. Tickets may be purchased for $25 each at Brown Companies, located at 202 Jackson Street in Vidalia, or Mimosa Gift Boutique, located at 603 Jackson Street in Vidalia.

All proceeds from this event will be used for historic preservation of the area.