Sights and Scenes: Brunswick Old Town Historic District
Located one hour north of Jacksonville, Brunswick is the second largest urban area on the Georgia coast after Savannah.
Connecting Oglethorpe Bay with the marshes of the Mackay River, Gloucester Street is the primary east-west thoroughfare through Brunswick Old Town Historic District. It is also designated as U.S. Route 25 travels from Brunswick to the Kentucky-Ohio state line.
The intersection of Gloucester Street and Newcastle Street.
The Brunswick City Hall is located at 601 Gloucester Street.
The United States Postal Service at 805 Gloucester Street.
The First United Methodist Church of Brunswick date back to 1838 when a small Methodist Brunswick congregation was assigned to a preaching circuit by the Florida Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The existing building was completed in 1905.
Established in 1788, the Glynn Academy is one of two public high schools in the Glynn County School System. Today, the school campus occupies the former site of one of Brunswick’s original squares, Hillsborough Square.
Completed in 1898, the St. Athanasius Episcopal Church is one of the few tabby buildings from the 19th century left in Brunswick.
Temple Beth Tefilloh is a Reform Jewish congregation that dates back to 1886, when a group of 21 Jewish families formed a congregation and built a house of study. The Temple on Egmont Street was dedicated on November 7, 1890.
The Brunswick Coca-Cola Bottling Company was founded in 1903. In 1929, the company moved to its present location on Mansfield Street. The site was the former location of the Brunswick Streetcar Railroad Company’s 19th century car shed and mule yard.
A row of shotgun dwellings on Reynolds Street.
Wright Square is named after Georgia’s last Colonial Governor, Sir James Wright. One of the two largest original squares of Brunswick, eventually George Street was constructed through its heart, dividing the square in half. In recent years, efforts to restore Brunswick’s squares have resulted in George Street being removed from Wright Square.
Oglethorpe Street is a major highway that connects the Brunswick Old Town Historic District with Interstate 95. The street and its surrounding environment are the result of urban renewal of Brunswick’s industrial waterfront along Oglethorpe Bay. Prior to the implementation of this 1970s redevelopment strategy, the district’s waterfront was lined with shrimp docks, lumber, naval stores and railroad wharfs served by successors of CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads. In addition, this port district included a number of saloons and other businesses catering to the industry and workforce in the vicinity.
Located on the East River, Mary Ross Waterfront Park features an outdoor musical playscape, staged pavilion and farmers market. The park is located on a site that was formerly occupied by the wharfs of the Brunswick and Western Railroad, a successor to present day CSX.
The Liberty Ship WWII Memorial pays homage to Brunswick’s days as a shipbuilding center during the war effort. Between 1942 and 1944, a skilled labor force of more than 16,000 men and women, produced 99, 447-foot “Liberty Ships” at Brunswick’s J.A. Jones Construction Company.
Mayors Point Terminal is a dedicated breakbulk facility that is operated by the Georgia Ports Authority. The terminal, which includes a 1,750-foot berth and warehousing, is provided with direct CSX and Norfolk Southern rail service. Mayor’s Point is one of three GPA-owned deep-water terminals that make up the Port of Brunswick.
Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com