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Experience the stories and heritage of Milledgeville’s historic Eddy Neighborhood, a community that played a vital role in shaping African American history in Milledgeville for more than a century. From educators and faith leaders to neighborhood landmarks, the people who lived here and the events that unfolded along these streets helped build the city’s diverse cultural foundation. Today, the Eddy Neighborhood offers visitors an opportunity to explore African American heritage through preserved homes, historic churches, cemeteries, and former school sites that continue to tell Milledgeville’s story.
Pick up a self-guided walking tour brochure, available in the green box outside the Sallie Ellis Davis House or at the Milledgeville Visitor Information Center, to learn more about the churches, historic sites, and individual stories that have shaped both historic and modern Milledgeville.
Sallie Ellis Davis House
Make time to explore the Sallie Ellis Davis House, the former home of a passionate educator dedicated to the education of hundreds of local African American children. Born in 1877 to an African American woman and an Irish man, Sallie Ellis Davis became an inspirational figure and a pillar of the African American community during segregation in the United States.
Davis’ commitment to her community and the children of Baldwin County led her to serve as a local schoolteacher before becoming the first African American principal in Baldwin County at Eddy High School. She consistently put her students’ needs above her own, even housing students whose commute was too far to manage during the school week. This legacy is preserved in the home she moved into in 1911 after marrying Jack Davis, where she lived until her death in 1950.
The Sallie Ellis Davis House is open for tours on Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. They will also be open on the first and third Saturdays of every month from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sundays from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. To schedule a tour, please call their office at 478-445-5889.
Sallie Ellis Davis is buried at Bone Cemetery (Row H, Lot 8, Grave 1), which was established in the 1940s after it was determined Milledgeville needed a cemetery to serve the African American community.
Located at 301 South Clarke Street.
Genie Andrews House
Genie James Andrews worked alongside Sallie Ellis Davis and lived next door. Purchased in 1893 by her father, the home was passed down through generations of her family. Andrews, an African American educator, dedicated her life to teaching students at Eddy High School.
Although she was widowed and had no biological children of her own, Andrews became a mother figure to many. A talented pianist, she often visited students’ homes throughout the neighborhood, filling the streets with music and strengthening community bonds.
Located at 331 South Clarke Street.
Olivia Thomas House
Ms. Olivia Thomas lived in this blue home along Clarke Street while also caring for Georgia’s Old Governor’s Mansion, a role she began in 1947. Known as the "Guardian of the Old Governor’s Mansion," Thomas maintained the property, provided personal tours, and served under five college presidents.
Highly respected for her dedication and work ethic, Thomas retired in 1980 but continued serving part-time for six additional years. She is fondly remembered for her kindness, her famous lemon bars, and the thoughtful advice she shared over a cup of coffee. The following poem was dedicated to her in honor of her decades of care for the mansion:
Only thirty-nine years at the mansion---
How can it be?
For she is a WELLSpring of knowledge for all to see
She STANds for duty, constancy, and loyalty.
LEEding the way she wears the BUNTING proud for G.C.
May she SPEIRhead into retirement with the same vitality.
Located at 330 South Clark Street.
Flagg Chapel Baptist Church
Renowned as Milledgeville’s first African American Church, Flagg Chapel Baptist Church was organized in 1830 by a small group of freedmen under the leadership of the recently freed Wilkes Flagg. Born into enslavement, Flagg worked to purchase his freedom and sought to create a place where African Americans could worship freely after being denied membership at First Baptist Church of Milledgeville.
Flagg purchased the acre of land where Flagg Chapel stands today, building both a home and a blacksmith shop on the property. He served as the congregation’s first deacon, while the Rev. Milus Wilbun presided as its first pastor. Flagg later served as head pastor from 1845 to 1878, using his leadership role to advise others on economic and social matters. Under his leadership, the church served as an inspiration and catalyst for other churches to form within the community, including Shiloh Baptist Church, El Bethel, Union Baptist, and Trinity CME.
During his tenure, Flagg Chapel also became the first opportunity for African American education in Baldwin County, opening its doors to 350 students while Eddy High School was under construction in 1868. Although the original church burned in 1973, the congregation rebuilt Flagg Chapel in 1976. It remains active today. Visitors are welcome to attend worship on Sundays at 11:00 a.m.
Located at 400 West Franklin Street.
Eddy High School
Education held deep importance for African Americans following the Civil War, knowing that in order to succeed in a life of freedom, they must be educated. Eddy High School, established by the American Missionary Association and the Freedmen’s Bureau, was the only Black school in Milledgeville at the time and was located directly behind Flagg Chapel.
Before the school was completed, five white teachers educated more than 350 African American students inside Flagg Chapel. Eddy High School officially opened in 1869, serving students of all ages in two classrooms before expanding to six classrooms capable of accommodating about 200 students each.
Tragically, the school burned in 1925. The community pooled its resources to rebuild, but another fire in 1946 destroyed the building again. Students were forced to transfer to Carver High School and later integrate into other schools after segregation was outlawed. Today, the former Eddy High School grounds serve as a bus depot for Georgia College & State University.
Located behind Flagg Chapel Baptist Church.
Memory Hill Cemetery
Established in 1810, Memory Hill Cemetery spans 30 acres and was known as Milledgeville City Cemetery until 1945. The cemetery contains more than 7,700 identifiable graves and at least 1,200 unmarked graves.
Segregation is evident upon entering the grounds, with upper-class white individuals located toward the front and African Americans—both free and enslaved—buried in the rear on uneven terrain. Many African Americans could not afford formal headstones, which were very expensive, resulting in unmarked stone slabs designating burial sites. In the rear sections alone, there are nearly 500 unmarked graves and approximately 550 unknown graves.
Burials of special note include Dr. B. J. Simmons, Milledgeville’s first African American physician. He was known as an incredible diagnostician and moved to Milledgeville after attending Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, where he graduated in 1893, taking first place in anatomy. Three Buffalo Soldiers from the 9th Cavalry in Troop H (Sol Sanford, Robert E. Lee, and James Arthur Gibson). Buffalo soldiers were African American soldiers who mainly served on the Western frontier following the American Civil War. They were famous for their saying: “We Can, We Will”.
Located at the intersection of Liberty and Franklin Streets. For specific burial locations, see the cemetery map located at the entrance.
Together, the sites of the Eddy Neighborhood tell a powerful story of perseverance, education, faith, and community leadership that helped shape Milledgeville as it exists today. Walking these streets offers more than a look at historic homes and landmarks—it provides insight into the lives of educators, church leaders, caretakers, and families whose contributions continue to influence the city’s cultural fabric. Whether explored through a self-guided walking tour or individual visits, the Eddy Neighborhood invites visitors to reflect on Milledgeville’s African American heritage and the lasting impact of the people who called this neighborhood home.