The City of Douglas announces the donation of an old Georgia & Florida (G & F) office to Heritage Station Museum from Frances Dearman, daughter of the late Frank and Dot Sparks. The historic building is the original office that was constructed around 1907-1909 when the Georgia and Florida Railroad built new rail shops north of Douglas. Originally located in the area known as the “shop pond”, the building was moved to the Sparks/Douglas Monument homestead sometime in 1950.
“The City of Douglas is thrilled to receive the donation of the old G & F railroad office building from Ms. Frances Dearman,” says Georgia Henderson, Central Services Director. “It will be an added asset to the historic value of the museum. The structure renders the history of Douglas and Coffee County during the early 1900s and the railroad industry.”
The railroad has played a major part in the history of Douglas. A depot has stood on the spot of Heritage Station Museum since 1905 when Wadley & Mount Vernon Railroad reached Douglas. The Georgia & Florida Railroad purchased the railway in 1907 and expanded the rail line north to Augusta and south to Madison, Florida. The railroad company was a major employer in Douglas for over 50 years, until it was purchased by Southern Railway in 1961. In the mid 1980s, the depot was closed until the City of Douglas re-opened it as a Heritage Station Museum in 1999. The museum houses local history and memorabilia as well as a display of 107 years of the railroad industry in Douglas.
The G&F office building is now placed along the Greenway Trail next door to Heritage Station Museum. Plans have not been set as to what purpose the building will hold other than a rustic look into the past. For more information, about Heritage Station Museum, please call (912) 389-3461 or visit www.cityofdouglas.com.
