Georgian Cottage

 

The Sexton's House is a Georgian Cottage

Possibly the single most popular and long-lived house type in Georgia, the Georgian cottage is named not for the state but for its floor plan, associated with 18th century English Georgian architecture. The Georgian plan consists of a central hallway with two rooms on either side. The plan shape is square or nearly so; the roof is usually hipped but sometimes gabled; and chimneys are sometimes in the exterior walls but usually in the interior of the house, between each pair of rooms. Houses of this type were built in almost all periods of Georgia’s history, well into the 20th century, but the greatest concentration is between 1850 and 1890. Most surviving examples are found in the Piedmont region.

 

Helen Costantino, Gwen Griffin, Gilbert Milner, and Josephine Paine have been working to furnish and
decorate the sexton's house. Each of them has given
not only a considerable amount of time but also gifts of
furniture, art, and/or decorative items. Others who have
donated furniture for the house include Ginky Budd,
Sarah Grace Davis, Richard and Laura Foster, Bobb
and Sylvia Gibson, and Bubba and Nancy Scruggs. We
are especially grateful for the numerous items given
by Myra Martin, executrix, from the estate of Helen
Woods Norton, who was a charter member and generous
supporter of the Friends.

If you have a nice piece of furniture that you
think might be appropriate and that you would
consider donating to the sexton's house, or if you
would like to make a financial contribution toward
furnishing the house, please e-mail Helen Costantino at
hmcostantino@msn.com.

JoAnn Yates, house chairman, and Judy Lewis,
donations and memorials chairman, have been working
together on a brochure about the sexton's house and its
use. This brochure will be available at the cemetery, of
course; and copies will be provided to local churches
and funeral homes so that people who assist in planning
funerals will have information about this fine facility.

For the information of all Friends:
We do feel that the house can serve a real purpose,
enabling families to do everything connected to a
funeral service - gathering, interment, a reception -
within the gates of our beautiful Oconee Hill Cemetery.
We simply need to work to make people aware of our
facilities.

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