History Spotlight: Early History of Beallwood

Historic Columbus
1 day ago
5 min read

"Beallwood: Its Bustling Present, Its Historic Past," W.C. Woodall's Columbus Centennial Number Industrial Index, 1928.

The trip was to be from the city limits to the Harris County line; a little expedition of exploration to see how the road paving is getting along, and what the builders are doing – and to refresh and inform ourselves generally. Well, we got within a hundred yards of Harris County, all right, and saw two fine new roads in the borning, but we passed through Beall-wood on the route, and the notebook found so much of interest there that it just about fills the column this morning. The roads, anyway, will keep; in fact, the longer we wait the better they will be.

An almost unique beginning might be made by spelling Beallwood correctly. The public is easy-going and tolerant in this as in other matters and so smiles its approval upon any of the five most popular ways of spelling the name of this suburb. Even the signs catch this free-and-easy spirit and inject variety into the name as they exhibited it in printed form.

Beallwood is named from the maiden surname of the Misses Beall. These became, in due course of matrimonial changes, Mrs. (Dr.) Lockhart, Mrs. William H. Young and Mrs. R. M. Gunby.

The R. M. Gunby Home was located off the NE corner of the current intersection of Manchester Expressway and Hamilton Road close to where Golden Corral is today.

These families all lived in this rather choice suburb in the years gone by – a good many years, to be exact. Dr. Lockhart's home became the residence of Dr. N. J. Bussey, president of the Eagle & Phenix Manufacturing Company. Then Mrs. Peter Preer lived there and beautified the place wonderfully. After that it was occupied by a succession of families. The original dwelling still stands. It is on a tract of land now owned by that enterprising investor, Mr. Roy Martin.

The original home of Mr. R. M. Gunby, facing Hamilton Road from the east, is still in existence. Mr. Gunby was president of the Eagle Mills prior to 1865, when General Wilson burned it as a war measure. Mr. Gunby’s home passed to Mr. William Perry, the builder of the Perry House, now the Hotel Racine. The hotel was named for its builder and was a celebrated hostelry in war times. The old Gunby home is now owned and occupied by Mr. John Jenkins Yarbrough – our own Mr. Jenks Yarbrough, to divest him for the moment of his for the moment of his official title; a statesman and diplomat, who is the referee for all disputed problems in Beallwood.

The home of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Young, Beallwood. It was located off of Hamilton Road across the street from where the Gunby home was situated. There is an historic marker for Mr. Young in the parking lot of a former big box store at the site of the house.

One of the conspicuously handsome dwellings of antebellum Beallwood was that of Mr. W. H. Young. It was destroyed by fire in 1896, three years after the death of Mr. Young. Prior to waterworks days, or of gas works in the city, this notable home had its waterworks, its own gas works and its own observatory.

Mr. Young's recreation was studying the stars; his mechanical aid being an imposing telescope. For employment he never lacked. He was president of the Bank of Columbus, was treasurer of the Eagle Mills, and had other interests and business duties.

As president of the Bank of Columbus, Mr. Young erected the historic Georgia Home building, a structure noted throughout the South for the beauty and grace of its lines: a tasteful and striking example of the purely classic in commercial architecture, with a facade of such loveliness and perfection of design as to instantly impress and enthuse the lover of beautiful buildings.

The Georgia Home building was the creation of a French architect's brain. The iron used in its construction was cast in Pittsburgh by H.C. Oran and Company and was shipped to Columbus by the old water route via New Orleans and Apalachicola. All this was prior to 1860. The Georgia Home is possibly the first iron building erected in Georgia. It is completely encased in metal; the structural iron which forms the facing having, as a backing, substantial brick walls. The metal is used in a structural way, as well as for purposes of ornamentation.

Above: Historic postcard image of The Georgia Home Building, located on the SE corner of Broadway and 11th Street. It is often called the White Bank building.

Below: The same Pittsburgh firm cast the iron used in the Gunby building (later known as the Reich building, 14 West 11th Street) on the north side of Eleventh Street between Broad and Front Streets. This building was erected after the Civil War. It was occupied by H. C. Mitchell & Co., a firm composed of R. M. Gunby and his son-in-law, Captain Mitchell. This structure is another very interesting illustration of cast iron construction. In 1941, the building was given a new facade and became the Army and Navy YMCA. It is now owned by the W.C. Bradley Co. and has been adaptively re-used as apartments.

But to return to Beallwood: The site of the W. H. Young residence has been charmingly utilized, for our own Columbus Roberts now owns it. Mr. Roberts has erected an attractive art-brick English rural type country home there, and it looks not only handsome but invitingly comfortable. South and East of the grounds at logical locations is found, appropriately enough, outdoor literature (the text impressively illustrated) giving practical information to the thirsty traveler about some drink that is described as "delicious and refreshing," if we recall the phraseology aright. The Coca-Cola signs are not actually in the grounds, but they are within hailing distance, and Mr. Roberts can look upon them and love them. But one's mind was taken off this reminder of the enterprise which claims (or is supposed to claim) Mr. Roberts' attention during business hours by the sight of a herd of contented Jerseys which came serenely along. Cows are one of his hobbies.

In "Auld Lang Syne," on the east side of Hamilton Road, when the village of Beallwood was at the height of its pre-war prosperity, there lived in that community, with their families, Dr. J. S. Pemberton, Dr. M. Woodruff, Mr. George Radcliffe, Mr. W. A. Rawson and others. Just east of the Gunby home resided the family of Mr. James Ennis, and immediately west was the home of the Charles Harrison family.

These names recall much that is interesting and important in the history of Columbus. Dr. Pemberton was a wholesale druggist of great enterprise. It was in his laboratory that the progressive chemist, William Land, first produced:

Globe Flower Cough Syrup
Styllingia, the Blood Purifier
Coca-Cola, the Tonic

September 27, 1866, advertisement for the sale of Dr. John S. Pemberton's home in Beallwood.

The latter was modified to become the great international soft drink, after passing through several ownerships. Today the chairman of the Board, Mr. William C. Bradley, and other directors in the company are Columbus men. The story of this drink Columbus-conceived and Columbus-produced is now front-page literature.

Dr. Woodruff was the beloved village family physician. Mr. George M. Dewes, superintendent of public schools, married one of his daughters. Mr. Willingham, the sash manufacturer; thus, our popular Miss Ruby Willingham can trace her forbears to Beallwood.

W. A. Rawson, who was prominently identified with the industrial life of Columbus, was the grandfather of Julin Collier Harris. Thus, the Enquirer-Sun is close akin to this village of renown.

Article by W.C. Woodall