From the UGA archives comes this overview of the disparate housing conditions in Athens circa 1947. What’s interesting is the ghostly architectural elements our southern gothic town can’t scare off. Go to the main site to see the full amateur movie. My house was built about ten years before this film was shot and looks similar to the stick-framed African American homes in the film. According to a local historian, the shanty/outhouse neighborhoods seen in the full clip were located between Newton and Finley Streets, probably from Broad to Baxter. If that’s the case, you can see Tanyard Creek, an old flow of water that’s been filled over for sometime but still streams out of the ground in different spots. You can also see some of the deep ravines that haven’t been filled, one of which is filled with trash currently. An important note: these neighborhoods would now comprise the Athens Housing Authority apartments between Broad and Baxter. If you watch the entire clip, I believe you see some of the housing razed to build the first higher rise dormitories. Neat
