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Dust in the Wind -

A Guide to American Ghost Towns

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Georgia like the other eastern states is usually shorted in ghost town books.  However, there are a lot of locations worth looking into.  Especially in the northern reaches of the state where gold mining occurred.

Historical introduction soon to come.

HELP!  (NEW FEATURE) Please check here to find a list of ghost towns that various contacts are looking for.  IF you have any information on these places please e-mail me and I can respond back to those looking for info on these ghosts.

PLEASE NOTE: 

Where photos are indicated thusly (PHOTO!), please use your browser’s “BACK” button to return to this page.  More photos will be added over time.

ALEXANDER

Burke Co.

In Burke County, Alexander can be found when you travel south on Hwy. 24 outside Waynesboro and then take a left on a dirt road in the Alexander area.  A short drive will bring you to a cluster of abandoned wood structures. 

Contributed by Clayton Bence (March 05, 2007)

ANDERSONVILLE PRISON

Sumter/Macon Co. line

First called Camp Sumter, this class C/F restored Civil War era prison is a National Historic Site located on SH 49, one mile east of Andersonville (1990 pop 277). At its peak in August 1864, some 33,000 Union troops were imprisoned here, and during the 14 months between February 1864 and April 1865, nearly 13,000 Union prisoners died.  

AURARIA

Lumpkin Co.

Also known in the early days as Knucklesville and Nuckollsville, this old gold mining town is located seven miles southwest of Dahlonega, and about 60 miles northeast of Atlanta. This was one of Georgia's first gold rush towns, dating to 1830, and booming to a population of 1000. As the leading town in the area, it put in a bid for county seat honors, but it was awarded to nearby Dahlonega. This nearly killed the town, but Auraria managed to keep alive, and today is a sleepy back road burg with a 1990 population of 50.

BATH

Richmond Co.

This one-time summer resort/spa has faded from favor.  Exact location not determined.

BIRDSVILLE

Jenkins Co.

On SH 17, three miles east of Herndon (1990 pop 75) and seven miles west of Millen was established around 1767. It has faded from the maps.

BONEVILLE

McDuffie Co.

In McDuffie County, the town of Boneville lies between Dearing and Thomson.  When you turn off the main highway—Highway 78—Boneville greets you with a strip of abandoned brick buildings including at least one defunct bank and several abandoned stores.  This abandoned “main street” sits on a dreary looking pond. 

Contributed by Clayton Bence (March 05, 2007)

CENTERVILLE

Charlton Co.

The site of this class A location is not known to the Ghost Town Guru. This early 1800s marketing center died after the railroad missed the town.

DAHLONEGA

Lumpkin Co.

A class E gold-mining town on US 19, 66 miles northeast of Atlanta.

This busy little town with a 1990 population of 3086, is in the heart of Georgia's gold rush country. Gold was discovered here around 1829, but in 1849 after news of the California gold discovery reached the east, many miners headed west. In 1833, Dahlonega became the county seat Lumpkin County, and in 1838, the United States government built a branch mint here to produce gold coins.  The mint closed in 1861 at the onset of the Civil War. Today Dahlonega is a quiet town capitalizing on its golden past.  

EBENEZER

Effingham Co.

Just off the east end of SH 275, 13 miles north of Rincon, this small colony was established in 1734 by a group of Salzburg Lutherans. In 1736 they relocated six miles to the east, and in 1741 the first church was built. A grist mill, sawmill and rice mill followed, but in 1779 the British ran them out. A few buildings and a museum remain.

ETOWAH IRON WORKS

Bartow Co.

This one-time iron forge community once had 2000 people and all the businesses to support it. It was destroyed in the Civil War.

FORT FREDERICA/

Town of FREDERICA

Glynn Co.

On St. Simons Island northeast of Brunswick, this class B military post/settlement ($) was established by the British in 1736. After the fort was established, the town of Frederica was founded outside the stockade, eventually growing to a population of about 1000. In 1749 the military presence lessened, which hurt the town's economy. Then in 1758 a fire destroyed most of the town, and finally in 1763 the fort was abandoned. Today the fort's ruins are a national monument, and various exhibits explain how life was for the British settlers in the early 1700s. 

FORT KING GEORGE

McIntosh Co.

A mile east of US 17, outside Darien, on a peninsula overlooking the Altamaha River, this restored ($) class B/F British settlement marks Britain's southernmost settlement and fort, established in 1721, and abandoned in 1732.

FORT St. SIMONS

Glynn Co.

This old military fort is located where the lighthouse on St. Simons Island is, just east of Brunswick.

FOWLER MILL

Forsyth Co.

On Hurricane Creek, east of Heardsville, about 12 miles northwest of Cumming. This was a pre-Civil War era grist mill.

GOODMAN SAWMILL

Gilmer Co.

In the late 1850s, B. L. Goodman established a sawmill about six miles southeast of Ellijay, and due north of Atlanta.

GOUGH

Burke Co.

In Burke County, half of the town of Gough is abandoned.  There are streets, houses, and former businesses on the east side of town but no people.    Contributed by Clayton Bence (March 05, 2007)

HARDWICKE

Bryan Co.

This quiet (1990 pop 120) community was founded in 1754 and in 1797 vied for the state capital. It lost and faded. It boomed from 1754-early 1800s

JEKYLL ISLAND

Glynn Co.

On the south side of St. Simons Sound, southeast of Brunswick, this strategic island was a Spanish and pirate settlement from 1566 to 1735. It was followed by an English community, after the English took over

LUTHERTOWN

McDuffie Co.

This 1880's saw mill town is located south of Thomson and east of SH 17, just north of the south county line.

MAYFIELD

Hancock/Warren Co.

One of the oddest ghost towns I’ve seen is the town of Mayfield on the border of Hancock County and Warren County.  Mayfield has a few grand old houses that look abandoned.  The odd feature is the community of abandoned brick housing units that look like a failed public housing project.  There is very little traffic into Mayfield as it is in a very remote section of rural Hancock County.

Contributed by Clayton Bence (March 05, 2007)

NEW ECHOTA

Gordon Co.

Four miles northeast of Calhoun at the present town of Echota, the reconstructed log buildings mark the site of the Cherokee nation capital. It was active from 1825-1838 when the Cherokee were evicted from Georgia.  For more information, click here.

OSIERFIELD

Irwin Co.

"There is a village in Irwin County, GA. named Osierfield.  At one time it had a bank, drug store, a resident doctor, several stores, train station, post office, about 50 houses and a cotton gin. (It’s) down to one store now.”

Contributed by “JLM” (01/22/2005)

POOLS MILL

Forsyth Co.

Grist milling center established in 1880 and in operation until 1949. Only rubble remains.

RUSKIN

Ware Co.

“Ruskin was located in the southeastern section of Ware County, GA. It was a colony of some sort.”

Contributed by “JLM” (01/22/2005)

SAPELO BRIDGE

McIntosh Co.

From 1793-1818 this was the McIntosh County seat, with all attendant businesses and population. In 1824 a hurricane damaged the town, and it has since become just scattered rubble.

SCARBORO

Screven Co.

“Outside of Statesboro, GA (Bulloch Co.). I can't tell you much about it except what I saw. We found it quite by accident. The road runs right next to a railroad and is in rural farmland.  You turn onto this dead end road about the length of two to three city blocks at most. There is a general store that I guess still functions now and then, but ancient with peeling paint and whitened wood.  Across from that on the right side is an old Victorian house, crumbling and colored the same.  Looks uninhabited.  A little farther an old gas station with an overhang.  No pumps remain but the building is intact.  Then a graveyard.  The road ends at the Ogeechee River where there are remains of an old bridge and we think what was a factory at one time.  (Seemingly purposeless pipes running here and there)

If you can give me any information about Scarboro I'd appreciate it.  I have researched, but have not found any information as of yet.”

Contributed by Stacey Cornwell (12/10/2001)

SUNBURY

Liberty Co.

About 14 miles east of Midway, this class D river port was established on the Canoochee River around 1758. By the mid 1800s it faded, and in 1990 only had 150 people. Nearby is the 1770s era British, then American Revolutionary War fort – FORT MORRIS.

WRIGHTSBORO SETTLEMENT

McDuffie Co.

“GA had a Quaker community founded in the late 1700s. By 1810 the community had dissolved. Wrightsboro Settlement is located in McDuffie County outside of Augusta, GA.”

Contributed by DH Deci (May 12, 2005)

Historians estimate that there may be as many as 50,000 ghost towns scattered across the United States of America. Gary B. Speck Publications is currently in process of publishing unique state, regional, and county guides called The Ghost Town Guru's Guide to the Ghost Towns of *** ™

These original guides are designed for anybody interested in ghost towns. Whether you are a casual tourist looking for a new and different place to visit, or a hard-core ghost town researcher, these guides will be just right for you. With over 30 years of research behind them, they will be a welcome addition to any ghost towner's library.

Thank you, and we'll see you out on the Ghost Town Trail!

For more information on the ghost towns of GEORGIA, contact us at:

Ghost Town USA.

E-mailers, PLEASE NOTE:

Due to the tremendous amount of viruses, worms and “spam,” out there, I no longer open or respond to any e-mails with unsolicited attachments, OR messages on the subject lines with “Hey”, “Hi”, “Need help”, “Help Please”, “???”, or blank subject lines, etc.  If you do send E-mail asking for information, or sharing information, PLEASE indicate the appropriate location AND state name, or other topic on the “subject” line. 

THANK YOU!  :o)

IMPORTANT

These listings and historical vignettes of ghost towns, near-ghost towns and other historical sites in GEORGIA above are for informational purposes only, and should NOT be construed to grant permission to trespass, metal detect, relic or treasure hunt at any of the listed sites.

If the reader of this guide is a metal detector user and plans to use this guide to locate sites for metal detecting or relic hunting, it is the READER'S responsibility to obtain written permission from the legal property owners. Please be advised, that any state or nationally owned sites will probably be off-limits to metal detector use. Also be aware of any federal, state or local laws restricting the same.

When you are exploring the ghost towns of GEORGIA, please abide by the

Ghost Towner's Code of Ethics.