history

The front side of the historic Beth Salem Presbyterian church sits on Sunday, September 6, 2026 in Lexington, Georgia. The church received new federal grants in August totalling $25,000 to fund restoration of the Church’s structural, electrical and aesthetic issues. (Photo/Caroline Feagin)

The front side of the historic Beth Salem Presbyterian church sits on Sunday, September 6, 2026 in Lexington, Georgia. The church received new federal grants in August totalling $25,000 to fund restoration of the Church’s structural, electrical and aesthetic issues. (Photo/Caroline Feagin)

Lexington puts $25,000 grant to work at Beth Salem

Caroline Feagin
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
New grants are giving Lexington a chance to preserve the history of Beth Salem building, ensuring it can serve as a communal space for weddings, concerts and Christmas celebrations.
Jonathan Scott, Winterville’s cultural heritage director, holds a metal artifact earlier this month. The city plans a nearly year-long celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary. (Neva Drane/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Jonathan Scott, Winterville’s cultural heritage director, holds a metal artifact earlier this month. The city plans a nearly year-long celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary. (Neva Drane/The Oglethorpe Echo)

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From coal to commemoration

Neva Drane
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Several Winterville locals opted for coal in their stockings this Christmas. Only the pieces were around 200 years old, uncovered by Cultural Heritage director Jonathan Scott during his archaeological digs of the town.  They were packaged and sold for $3 by the Winterville Heritage Foundation.
New Bethlehem Baptist Church is located in Carlton, Georgia. It is surrounded by farmland and contains a small school behind the church building. (Photo/Izzy Wagner)

New Bethlehem Baptist Church is located in Carlton, Georgia. It is surrounded by farmland and contains a small school behind the church building. (Photo/Izzy Wagner)

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Church’s Black history celebration lasts entire month

Izzy Wagner
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Cows grazed silently in the vast fields outside of New Bethlehem Baptist Church in Carlton on Sunday. But within the church walls, the pastor’s voice boomed, filling every corner of the sanctuary.    Despite feeling under the weather that morning, the Rev.
James Wettstaed shows pictures of a Stephens County excavation site he worked on during his presentation at the Historic Oglethorpe County meeting on March 28. Volunteer excavations that spanned from 2014 to 2018 unearthed two distinct hearths, proving that one house had been there in the early 1500s, and another in the late 1500s. (Photo/Maddie Daniel)

James Wettstaed shows pictures of a Stephens County excavation site he worked on during his presentation at the Historic Oglethorpe County meeting on March 28. Volunteer excavations that spanned from 2014 to 2018 unearthed two distinct hearths, proving that one house had been there in the early 1500s, and another in the late 1500s. (Photo/Maddie Daniel)

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Archaeologist draws packed house

Maddie Daniel
Thursday, April 6, 2023
The meeting was standing-room only, with nearly 70 attendees gathered in the Oglethorpe County Library.    “I think we’re gonna have to expand the parking lot out there!” Historic Oglethorpe president Kathleen deMarrais joked.   The reason for the unprecedented turnout?
Lena Smith Wise is pictured in her book, “The Story of Oglethorpe County.” Wise began her teaching career at Crawford High School and was later principal of Oglethorpe County Elementary School, spending most of her 42 years in education serving Oglethorpe County. (Photo/Scott Thaxton)

Lena Smith Wise is pictured in her book, “The Story of Oglethorpe County.” Wise began her teaching career at Crawford High School and was later principal of Oglethorpe County Elementary School, spending most of her 42 years in education serving Oglethorpe County. (Photo/Scott Thaxton)

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The county’s storyteller: How Lena Wise became central to history

Maddie Daniel
Thursday, April 6, 2023
The Lena Wise Community Center in Crawford, which celebrates its sixth anniversary this year, offers free high school equivalency classes as preparation for the GED.    Vicki Ussery teaches these classes, but her connection to the namesake of the community center doesn’t end there.
Kathleen deMarrais (left) and Alice H. Hughes (right) moments after Hughes received an award from Historic Oglethorpe County. (RAMON ELORTONDO/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Kathleen deMarrais (left) and Alice H. Hughes (right) moments after Hughes received an award from Historic Oglethorpe County. (RAMON ELORTONDO/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

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Hughes honored for efforts to preserve history

Ramon Elortondo
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Alice H. Hughes spent time serving the Georgia Historic Markers program. She contributed to three of the 10 historic markers in Oglethorpe County and has been a meticulous recorder of history and dedicated genealogist.
(LINDA HELMLY/PHOTO SUBMISSION) This is Grandma Lee (Parolee Crowe Arnold) (right) and little Linda Helmly (left) in 1963. They are smiling for a photo outside Helmly's childhood home.

(LINDA HELMLY/PHOTO SUBMISSION) This is Grandma Lee (Parolee Crowe Arnold) (right) and little Linda Helmly (left) in 1963. They are smiling for a photo outside Helmly's childhood home.

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Helmly makes sure Maxeys isn’t lost to history

Destiny Hartwell
Thursday, February 16, 2023
Everything started with a “what if” for Linda Helmly in 2007: What would happen if she told the rich stories of Maxeys she had heard growing up?
Ted Hughes looks at the part of his land where a meteorite was thought to have crashed into the earth in the 1940s. The meteorite has been at the Field Museum in Chicago since the 1940s. (Photo/Jack Casey)

Ted Hughes looks at the part of his land where a meteorite was thought to have crashed into the earth in the 1940s. The meteorite has been at the Field Museum in Chicago since the 1940s. (Photo/Jack Casey)

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Smithonia meteorite has history

Morgan Quinn
Thursday, August 11, 2022
(Submitted Photo) There’s a rare spectacle in Ted and Patsy Hughes’ backyard.    A scenic drive down Smithonia Road leads to a quaint house with geometric-shaped gardens pointing south to a 600-foot wide grassy depression where a meteorite was found in 1940.
The Smith-Turner House has been an ongoing project since before Blair Dorminey purchased the property in 2019. Preservation architect Joe Smith has been involved for six years and is glad to be working with an owner determined to see the renovation finalized. (Submitted Photo)

The Smith-Turner House has been an ongoing project since before Blair Dorminey purchased the property in 2019. Preservation architect Joe Smith has been involved for six years and is glad to be working with an owner determined to see the renovation finalized. (Submitted Photo)

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Smith-Turner House is work in progress

Kate Hoffman
Thursday, July 28, 2022
For years, Athens attorney Blair Dorminey would pass the Smith-Turner House at 307 West Main Street in Lexington on his way to work. With a personal interest in historic homes, he wondered why no one had touched it.   About four years ago, a friend informed him that the property was for sale.
John Fortuna (left) and Thomas Gresham worked together to help turn the county’s old jail into a museum. (Photo/Jack Casey)

John Fortuna (left) and Thomas Gresham worked together to help turn the county’s old jail into a museum. (Photo/Jack Casey)

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Old jail now museum, available for tours

Caitlin Farmer
Thursday, June 9, 2022
It’s easy to come and go as you please from the Historic Oglethorpe County Jail these days, which is in stark contrast to when the imposing brick and granite structure housed prisoners for nearly 130 years.