The City of Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald is indeed one of the few truly planned cities in America. The layout is a logical progression. The core of the city, some 1,000 acres, was laid out in a perfect square. Intersecting avenues (Central and Main) divide the city into four wards, and wards are subdivided into four blocks. Each block had sixteen squares, making a total of 256 identical parcels.
Of the 256 parcels, four were set aside for schools, 12 for parks, 36 for business lots, and the remainder as residential lots. Each lot faces on a street and an alley, and each street and alley terminate at one of the four drives bounding the city. The streets are sixty feet wide, and the alleys are twenty feet wide in business zones and fifteen feet in residential areas.
On the original role of settlers, the following occupations were represented: butchers, bricklayers, teachers, bankers, restaurateurs, blacksmiths, retail merchants, carpenters, ministers, doctors, lawyers, and newspapermen.
Within one year, the community had been surveyed and laid out, with streets named and utility systems begun. At the end of 1896, the new city had two railroads, 25 miles of open streets, a bank, three newspapers, 250 businesses, and eleven churches.
The Civil War roots of its pioneers were manifested in the design of the city. Streets are named for fourteen Generals: Confederates - Robert E. Lee, Joseph E. Johnston, Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, James "Old Pete" Longstreet, Braxton Bragg, A.P.Hill and John P. Gordon; Union leaders - Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, Philip H. Sheridan, George H. "Pap" Thomas, John A. Logan, and Joseph Hooker.
The surrounding drives are named for Civil War ships, two from each side: the U.S.S. Monitor and Roanoke and the C.S.S. Merrimac and Sultana. Today, citizens carry on that tradition as new streets are being named for battles and important figures in the war: Jeff Davis Highway, Lincoln Avenue, Shenandoah Drive, Bull Run Road, etc.
Fitzgerald, now a Georgia Main Street City, had the distinction and honor to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The area includes all buildings, plaza parks and the historic brick streets in the downtown area.
Fitzgerald’s National Register Downtown Historic District features pedestrian friendly amenities including over 26 blocks of historic streetscape, the Grand Plaza Park, The Grand Theater and Conference Center, the Carnegie Center, The Stokoe-Davis Parking Garden, The Blue & Gray Museum, restored Courthouse, restored City Hall, Fire Engine Museum, Farmer’s Market, and an eclectic grouping of architecture, shops, eateries, and activities to please your palette.
Of the 256 parcels, four were set aside for schools, 12 for parks, 36 for business lots, and the remainder as residential lots. Each lot faces on a street and an alley, and each street and alley terminate at one of the four drives bounding the city. The streets are sixty feet wide, and the alleys are twenty feet wide in business zones and fifteen feet in residential areas.
On the original role of settlers, the following occupations were represented: butchers, bricklayers, teachers, bankers, restaurateurs, blacksmiths, retail merchants, carpenters, ministers, doctors, lawyers, and newspapermen.
Within one year, the community had been surveyed and laid out, with streets named and utility systems begun. At the end of 1896, the new city had two railroads, 25 miles of open streets, a bank, three newspapers, 250 businesses, and eleven churches.
The Civil War roots of its pioneers were manifested in the design of the city. Streets are named for fourteen Generals: Confederates - Robert E. Lee, Joseph E. Johnston, Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, James "Old Pete" Longstreet, Braxton Bragg, A.P.Hill and John P. Gordon; Union leaders - Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, Philip H. Sheridan, George H. "Pap" Thomas, John A. Logan, and Joseph Hooker.
The surrounding drives are named for Civil War ships, two from each side: the U.S.S. Monitor and Roanoke and the C.S.S. Merrimac and Sultana. Today, citizens carry on that tradition as new streets are being named for battles and important figures in the war: Jeff Davis Highway, Lincoln Avenue, Shenandoah Drive, Bull Run Road, etc.
Fitzgerald, now a Georgia Main Street City, had the distinction and honor to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The area includes all buildings, plaza parks and the historic brick streets in the downtown area.
Fitzgerald’s National Register Downtown Historic District features pedestrian friendly amenities including over 26 blocks of historic streetscape, the Grand Plaza Park, The Grand Theater and Conference Center, the Carnegie Center, The Stokoe-Davis Parking Garden, The Blue & Gray Museum, restored Courthouse, restored City Hall, Fire Engine Museum, Farmer’s Market, and an eclectic grouping of architecture, shops, eateries, and activities to please your palette.
Ben Hill County
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Ben Hill County was created in 1906, from Irwin and Wilcox counties, and was named for Benjamin Harvey Hill, U.S. Senator from Georgia, a Whig leader, and a staunch opponent of Reconstruction.
The Historic District on South Lee and South Main streets of Fitzgerald are listed on the National Register, and the old railroad depot is now home to the Blue and Gray Museum. The county has only one incorporated city, Fitzgerald, which was founded by former Union soldiers on a 50,000 acre tract owned by the non-profit American Tribune Soldiers Colony Company. The citizens of Fitzgerald, pledging unity with their former enemies, named streets after leaders of both armies. The early concentration of population in the city aided the county's industrial development. The colony also founded the first public school in Georgia to offer free books and tuition. Ben Hill County and the City of Fitzgerald maintain nine recreational parks and one river access park at the Ocmulgee River. These facilities offer playgrounds, team sports, natural areas, meeting and concert shelters, and public boat ramps. |
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Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Chamber of Commerce
Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary countywide association of the industrial, business, and professional leaders and concerned citizens in Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County working together to improve the economic well being, image, and livability of Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County. We are a business builder providing information and seminars in the latest technologies and practices for running a successful small business.
We are your information bureau furnishing up-to-the-minute data to help you conduct business, including facts on: business trends, population, market potential, taxes, employment practices, state and federal laws, and a monthly newsletter.
Bottom line, the chamber is made up of people like you. People who realize that they can accomplish collectively what no one can do individually. The strength of the chamber lies in attracting the greatest number of members, creating a pool of resources from which ideas, energy and finances can be drawn.
We are your information bureau furnishing up-to-the-minute data to help you conduct business, including facts on: business trends, population, market potential, taxes, employment practices, state and federal laws, and a monthly newsletter.
Bottom line, the chamber is made up of people like you. People who realize that they can accomplish collectively what no one can do individually. The strength of the chamber lies in attracting the greatest number of members, creating a pool of resources from which ideas, energy and finances can be drawn.
Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Arts Council
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All work and no play? Not in this town! From Third Thursday art exhibits and concerts to Corks & Canvas art classes, from Cultural Arts Day to the annual Street Dance, from artisans markets to the Harmony Jubilee, from dinner theaters to stage productions… the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Arts Council provides a broad range of cultural events and activities for all ages. Housed in the historic Carnegie Center, the Arts Council is dedicated to making the arts accessible and affordable for everyone.
Good Friends, Good Music, Good Food, Good Art, Good Times and Good Memories! Come be a part of it all! P.O. Box 537 120 South Lee Street Fitzgerald, GA 31750 229-426-5035 fitzgeraldbenhillartscouncil@gmail.com |
Blue & Gray Museum
Located in a historical railroad depot, the entire space of the Blue & Gray Museum has been renovated and redesigned to reveal the remarkable founding story of Fitzgerald and its roots in the Civil War. More than 1200 objects, photographs, household items, memorabilia and rare artifacts are now displayed in new and refinished cases and in specially fabricated sections. Each item has been carefully coded to help the visitor understand its historical significance. Many important artifacts are on display for the first time.The Hall of Honor - Literally the heart of the Museum, this section represents a Shacktown tent where early pioneers lived. Inside, you will find the names of the pioneer Civil War Veterans who founded the City and a beautiful over-head display of rare swords and canes. In addition, you may choose to participate in history by having your photograph made with your state flag and displayed in the Hall of Honor.
Marching as One - This professionally produced documentary is shown in a dedicated room in the Museum. The film is narrated by Beth Davis, the Blue & Gray's founder, and Wilbur Fitzgerald, a professional actor, who tell the harmony founding story of Fitzgerald through rare archival photographs of the earliest years of the City.
Fitzgerald Veterans of All Wars are honored in new ways - Especially significant is the refurbished section celebrating the life of Fitzgerald-born veteran General Raymond Gilbert Davis, USMC (Ret.), the nation's most highly decorated Marine. General Davis, who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam died in 2003. He was nominated for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award.
Colony Days Gallery is a particularly delightful section displaying clothing, china, glassware, cooking utensils and other memorabilia telling the lives of the women who "landed on the grounds" of the Colony in its struggling first years. Another case is brimming over with Victorian valentines, fans and postcards reminiscent of the City's early times.
Extend your visit to the Blue & Gray with a tour of Fitzgerald, which reveals its history on every corner - from its blue and gray sidewalks reflecting Civil War colors, the Grand Plaza Park with planned topiary sculptures, and streets named for Yank and Reb Generals. Visit Evergreen Cemetery and discover the interesting lives of its Yank and Reb "residents, resting side by side". Or take the Architectural Treasures Tour and enjoy the city's Midwestern-styled houses, unique in South Georgia. Pick up a copy of the new Visitors Directory with a coded map to the eateries, shops, lodging and points of interest.
Open: Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 4 pm & Sunday 1 pm - 5 pm
Admission: $5.00 per adult, $2.00 per student.
Marching as One - This professionally produced documentary is shown in a dedicated room in the Museum. The film is narrated by Beth Davis, the Blue & Gray's founder, and Wilbur Fitzgerald, a professional actor, who tell the harmony founding story of Fitzgerald through rare archival photographs of the earliest years of the City.
Fitzgerald Veterans of All Wars are honored in new ways - Especially significant is the refurbished section celebrating the life of Fitzgerald-born veteran General Raymond Gilbert Davis, USMC (Ret.), the nation's most highly decorated Marine. General Davis, who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam died in 2003. He was nominated for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award.
Colony Days Gallery is a particularly delightful section displaying clothing, china, glassware, cooking utensils and other memorabilia telling the lives of the women who "landed on the grounds" of the Colony in its struggling first years. Another case is brimming over with Victorian valentines, fans and postcards reminiscent of the City's early times.
Extend your visit to the Blue & Gray with a tour of Fitzgerald, which reveals its history on every corner - from its blue and gray sidewalks reflecting Civil War colors, the Grand Plaza Park with planned topiary sculptures, and streets named for Yank and Reb Generals. Visit Evergreen Cemetery and discover the interesting lives of its Yank and Reb "residents, resting side by side". Or take the Architectural Treasures Tour and enjoy the city's Midwestern-styled houses, unique in South Georgia. Pick up a copy of the new Visitors Directory with a coded map to the eateries, shops, lodging and points of interest.
Open: Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 4 pm & Sunday 1 pm - 5 pm
Admission: $5.00 per adult, $2.00 per student.
The Herald-Leader
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The Herald-Leader is the weekly, locally owned & operated, community newspaper of Fitzgerald (Ben Hill County) GA. We publish each Wednesday. News coverage focuses primarily on Fitzgerald & Ben Hill County, as well as on broader issues affecting our residents. Our circulation is approximately 5,000. The Herald-Leader is the official legal organ for the City of Fitzgerald, the City of Abbeville and Ben Hill County.
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Wild Chicken Festival
Back in the 1960's, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources stocked Burmese chickens all over the state as an additional game bird to be hunted like pheasant or quail.
These tiny, colorful birds resemble fighting game chickens, sporting brilliant orange and yellow ruffs and gleaming black tail feathers.
Flocks of chicks were released several miles from Fitzgerald at the Ocmulgee River. Populations of the bird never took hold in other areas of the state, but for some reason, they left the river site and made their way to downtown Fitzgerald, where they have propagated and prospered ever since!
Exotic and beautiful, Burmese chickens are also more athletic than your average chicken. According to one poultry resource, if caught in a fight, Burmese chickens move around and think out their moves, while other breeds move straight into the fray.
Fitzgerald residents have a love/hate relationship with these wild birds. Some folks buy seed and feed them regularly; others chase them out of their yards and gardens with a broom and a few choice words.
Whether loved or hated, Burmese chickens are a familiar part of the Fitzgerald scene. They wake you up in the morning, create minor traffic problems, and, some claim, even keep the bugs away.
An annual festival celebrates these unique residents: The Wild Chicken Festival, held in the downtown historic district of Fitzgerald. For information, contact the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Chamber of Commerce at 229-423-9357.
These tiny, colorful birds resemble fighting game chickens, sporting brilliant orange and yellow ruffs and gleaming black tail feathers.
Flocks of chicks were released several miles from Fitzgerald at the Ocmulgee River. Populations of the bird never took hold in other areas of the state, but for some reason, they left the river site and made their way to downtown Fitzgerald, where they have propagated and prospered ever since!
Exotic and beautiful, Burmese chickens are also more athletic than your average chicken. According to one poultry resource, if caught in a fight, Burmese chickens move around and think out their moves, while other breeds move straight into the fray.
Fitzgerald residents have a love/hate relationship with these wild birds. Some folks buy seed and feed them regularly; others chase them out of their yards and gardens with a broom and a few choice words.
Whether loved or hated, Burmese chickens are a familiar part of the Fitzgerald scene. They wake you up in the morning, create minor traffic problems, and, some claim, even keep the bugs away.
An annual festival celebrates these unique residents: The Wild Chicken Festival, held in the downtown historic district of Fitzgerald. For information, contact the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Chamber of Commerce at 229-423-9357.
