GMC purchases another "historic property," choosing to renovate and rehab

The Georgia Military College Board of Trustees recently became the proud new owner of "The Carolyn" apartments on North Jefferson Street, located across the street from the public library.

The school paid $320,000 for the property, according to tax records. The "total value" of the property nearly doubled following the most recent round of revaluations by the Baldwin County Board of Assessors. In 2021, the Board of Assessors placed the total value at $275,100, and then this year it jumped to $509,750.

This means that GMC now owns the first two properties along the stretch of North Jefferson closest to campus. Back in 2020, GMC purchased "Dr. Ritchie's office," located at the corner, for $209,500, according to tax records. For those who may have recently driven through town and seen signs of life in Dr. Ritchie's old office, it's currently as the "central office" for RW Allen Construction, who has the contract to construct the new "NewDay USA Center for Leadership at Georgia Military College."

For more information on the NewDay USA Center, HERE'S a previous article from Baldwin2K.

The phrase "historic property" is subjective and arbitrary. According to the website vanishinggeorgia.com, however, The Carolyn is indeed historic. According to the site: "These Craftsman apartments were built between 1910-1915 by Julius A. Horne, who named them for his wife, Carolyn “Carrie” Sherman Horne. They lived in one apartment and rented the other three. The location was chosen for its proximity to Sacred Heart Catholic Church, as the Hornes were Catholics. Both Mr. Horne and his son, J. Adrian Horne, served as mayors of Milledgeville."

The good news for local history buffs is that GMC has no plans to demolish The Carolyn building, and the school currently is in the process of renovating and rehabbing the building. The Carolyn is slated to become the future home of GMC's "Global Online Leadership College" program.

Jobie Shields, GMC's Public Affairs Coordinator, explained the plan.

"We’re excited to begin work next month on the historic restoration and renovation of Wilder Hall, part of Milledgeville’s historic Capitol Square. Currently, our Global Online Leadership College team is housed in Wilder Hall and will soon relocate to the Carolyn building, which GMC recently purchased. Our Engineering team is hard at work preparing that space for them to move in," Shields said.

CLICK HERE to meet the Williams "family"

In terms of the future plans for Dr. Ritchie's old office, that's to be determined, according to Shields. In theory, however, demolishing that property shouldn't draw the ire of any local history enthusiasts, as it's a small, nondescript brick building built in the 1960s.

GMC earlier this month faced some organized resistance from history enthusiasts after applying to demolish the old home at 341 South Wayne St., even though it's fallen into a state of significant disrepair. The Planning & Zoning Board ultimately denied the application, although the City Council, in theory, could come over the top and approve the demolition at a later date.