Ludowici, Long County GA
"Dixie" was the name German immigrant William Ludowici gave his ceramic tile factory in the town of Johnston Station in the early 1900s. His patronage toward the construction of a new high school in 1905 resulted in Johnston Station being renamed Ludowici in his honor...Within just a few years, the source of the clay, along the Altamaha River tributary of Jones Creek, had been depleted, and the Dixie Tile factory moved on, but the name stuck.
Ludowici still has a considerable concentration of houses featuring these distinctive tile roofs, but other than a few in good repair, most are endangered, due to neglect or lack of resources. Since the tile bearing the town's namesake continues to be one of the most respected roofing materials, even today, it bears investigation as to the future of such structures. Other than a commemoration at the Long County Public Library, there seems to be little serious interest in their preservation or documentation by the community.
Tags: Ludowici Tile Roof Clay Vernacular Architecture Ornamental Vents Shadow Abandoned Dilapidated Endangered Pictures Photo Copyright Brian Brown Vanishing South Georgia USA 2010 2011 Ludowici-Dixie
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Rye Patch, Long County GA
Tags: Rye Patch Community Long County Georgia GA Sunbeam Bread Sign Country Store Ludowici Tile Roof Fence Rural Southern Highway Photo Copyright Brian Brown Vanishing South Georgia Iconic South Southern Iconography Americana Georgiana
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Old Well Pavillion, 1907, Ludowici, Long County GA (Topped with local red clay tile from the Dixie-Ludowici factory of German immigrant and town namesake, William Ludowici. An interesting footnote: Due to growing anti-German sentiment in the buildup to WWI, Ludowici briefly changed its name to Liberty City in 1917-18.)
Tags: Ludowici Long County Georgia GA Vanishing South Georgia William Ludowici Dixie Tile Photograph Photo Image Old Well Pavillion Tile Roof National Register of Historic Places
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Ridgeville, McIntosh County GA
Tags: Ridgeville Georgia GA McIntosh County Photograph Photo Image Ludowici-Dixie Tile Terra Cotta Shingles Italianate Architecture House Home Ghost Town Copyright Brian Brown
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