County:Union City:Blairsville Type:Museum, Courthouse
Deep inside Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountains is a gem of a museum. For 100 years the red brick Union County Courthouse was the center of life for the people of Blairsville. Today that structure is home to the Union County Historical Society (page), and it is filled with the historical artifacts of the Society. While the museum is designed to chronicle life in Union County and the Blairsville area, it captures the spirit of the Georgia settlers who moved to this rugged mountain country more than 150 years ago.
The current project when we last visited (Spring, 2000) is rebuilding the clock tower. The original clock and bell works sit in the large room at the center of the museum. The restoration will replace the original with a lightweight electronic works. Here is where we sign in and add our donation to this worthy cause. Exhibits in the rooms are wide-ranging. One of our favorites is the display on Harlan T. Duncan, who spent 23 years as a Union County Sheriff. It includes his uniform, pictures from throughout his career, from his days as a State Patrol officer to his service as sheriff. Another exhibit covers the life of Union County poet and author Byron Herbert Reece and includes photos and personal items of the late writer. Other rooms feature similar exhibits from dolls (in a rather unusual dollhouse) to 1960's style parking meter (that's one piece of history we remember). Upstairs is the restored courthouse, now used for meetings. So much has been donated to the Union County Historical Society that a second location a block south of the courthouse has been added. Known as The Annex, this building is full of a wide range of historical items. Also at this location is the 1860 home of John Payne, a local resident. Location: Downtown Blairsville Directions: From Atlanta take I-75 to I-575. This road becomes the Georgia Mountain Parkway in Tate. Continue to Blairsville. Turn right on U. S. 19 south. The courthouse museum is directly in front of you, two blocks ahead. Additional information: The museum is open to the public May through October (Wednesday through Saturday, from 10 am to 4 pm). Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for children ages 6 to 12, and free for those under 6 years of age. Union County Historical Society One Town Square PO Box 35 Blairsville, GA 30514 706-745-5493 Date added: November 16, 2003 Last update: December 1, 2005 Other Attractions in Blairsville Track Rock Brasstown Bald Museum Listing Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History Southeastern Railroad Museum Gone With The Wind Movie Museum Lee and Gordon's Mill Margaret Mitchell House The Cyclorama Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art Kennesaw Civil War Museum Chieftains Musuem / Major Ridge Home Rome Area History Museum The Martha Berry Museum Crown Gardens & Archives Allatoona Lake Visitor's Center Roselawn Museum Marietta Museum of History Barnsley Gardens Etowah Indian Mounds State Park Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum New Echota State Park Georgia Music Hall of Fame Carter Library and Museum Dahlonega Gold Museum Funk Heritage Center Courthouse Listing Jenkins County Courthouse Dahlonega Gold Museum Newton County Courthouse Interesting Places in Georgia by type of site |
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