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Americus is a lovely town in Georgia that makes a great base for visiting Andersonville National Historic Site and Jimmy Carter National Historical Park.
Introduction to Americus
Americus was founded in the first half of the 19th century. It was a small town until the arrival of the railroad in 1854. From then on, it saw tremendous growth and became the 8th largest city in Georgia.
The city was no stranger to turmoil during the Civil Rights movement. Koinonia Farm, an interracial Christian community, was founded nearby in 1942, and suffered harassment from the Ku Klux Klan and other groups for over 25 years. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) spent a week in jail there in 1961. The Leesburg Stockade incident occurred in Americus in 1963, when at least 14 African-American girls were taken to a hellish prison in Leesburg and held for about 45 days without legal representation, and without their families’ knowledge.
Today, Americus is the largest city near both the Andersonville National Historic Site and Jimmy Carter National Historical Park. It’s also the seat of Sumter County.
Where to Stay in Americus
Since we were just passing through, we decided to stay on a budget.
Motel 6
We stayed at the Motel 6 Americus and it was as bad as you could imagine. First of all, the door stuck and the manager had to come show us a trick to open it. Secondly, the bed was uncomfortable and the room wasn’t exactly clean. The only good thing was the friendly manager. There are much better places to stay.
Where to Eat in Americus
We stopped into two places in town.
The 1800
For dinner, we went to The 1800, which is a decent Mexican place downtown. Service was friendly and it had a nice atmosphere. I had a burrito and Marisol had chicken soup. Both of us were happy with the meal and experience.
Café Campesino
In the morning, we tried Café Campesino, also located downtown. This 100% fair trade organic coffee company serves excellent coffee and good breakfasts.
I had an oatmeal and Marisol had a frittata. We also had a cappuccino and latte. Service was friendly and helpful, and we would be happy to visit again.
Downtown Americus
Americus has a small yet charming downtown to walk through. It’s only a few blocks long and contains a handful of historic buildings. The downtown is part of the Americus Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. We walked down two major streets – Lamar and Forsyth. Lamar Street is the more scenic of the two.
Rylander Buildings
A set of three buildings on Lamar Street include the Rylander Theatre (1921) and the Rylander Building (1916). The Rylander Building now serves as the international headquarters for Habitat for Humanity. Another Rylander building constructed in 1920 sits between them.
City of Americus Municipal Building
Also on Lamar Street is the Municipal Building, where a welcome center is located.
Windsor Hotel
The most prominent building in downtown Americus is the Windsor Hotel, now run as the Best Western Plus Windsor Hotel. This historic hotel was built in 1892 and designed by Gottfried Leonard Norrman (1846-1909) and has hosted important politicians such as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Jimmy Carter. It originally had 100 rooms until it closed in the 1970s. The hotel reopened in 1991 and is said to be haunted. We walked by both in the morning and at night when it was beautifully lit.
Foard Hospital
Across the hotel on Jackson Street is the site of the Foard Hospital, a former Confederate hospital. It operated between August and December 1864. After a fire on August 31 of that year, patients were evacuated to the homes of townspeople. They were later treated in tents and temporary buildings erected on the site.
Soapy’s Barber Shop
Finally, I have to tell you about our wonderful experience at Soapy’s Barber Shop, which sits on Lamar Street across from the Municipal Building. During our trip to the US, Marisol had been surprised she hadn’t seen fruit stands on the street like we see in other countries until she spotted one in Americus. Fresh fruits and vegetables along with decorative cotton sat outside a small barber shop so we walked over to buy a few things.
A friendly man with a Southern drawl, James Herndon (nicknamed Soapy), came out of the barber shop and began chatting with us. We told him that we were so happy to finally see a fruit stand. He explained that he had been grandfathered in by the city, allowing him to be the only person in town to sell fruits on the street. He then invited us in where we spoke for a good 15 minutes.
Soapy showed us photos and told us about his life, his family, how Americus has changed over the years, and how he was Jimmy Carter’s barber. He also proudly explained that someone even filmed a documentary about him, Soapy. It was an enjoyable few minutes that we’ll never forget.
Habitat for Humanity Global Village (Permanently Closed)
Americus is the international headquarters for Habitat for Humanity. Their Global Village and Discovery Center is located just outside downtown, and it’s a great learning experience for all. It displays model homes from select countries around the world where Habitat works. The Global Village is free to visit with an optional donation. (Note: the Global Village and Discovery Center closed its doors in 2020 and will become a public park dedicated to music and art (as of February 2023).)
Linda and Millard Fuller (1935-2009) founded Habitat for Humanity in 1976. They provide “simple, decent, and affordable” housing in order to address the issue of poverty around the world. Volunteers travel to several countries around the world in order to build homes for people who have undergone extensive background checks. The new homeowners purchase the finished home at a 0% to 2% mortgage rate, allowing them to better manage their finances.
Overall, Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village and Discovery Center is a wonderful place to visit. It’s especially important for children, giving them a chance to see what absolute poverty looks like and why it’s important to fight it.
Welcome Center
On the entry path, there’s a plaza with a large sculpture of Earth. Biblical passages sit on each side of the globe. Bricks with names of donors are on the ground and walls.
Inside the welcome center, you can watch a short film about Habitat for Humanity and how it has positively impacted families around the world. Before heading out to the village, you’re given a “passport” with a list of all the countries represented. You can stamp your passport in each of the model homes you visit.
Poverty Village
The first part of the village takes you through an example of how people live in poverty in parts of the world. Ramshackle homes are put together with whatever materials are available, and interpretive panels explain how disease can spread from unsanitary conditions in and around homes like these.
The homes are decorated and furnished how those living in poverty would probably keep them.
Other examples show churches, schools, shops, and more.
Central America
The next section takes you through model homes in Central America, starting with Mexico, followed by Guatemala and Haiti.
Africa and the Middle East
Next is Africa and the Middle East, starting with Kenya;
and Botswana;
followed by Malawi and Ghana;
then Zambia and Uganda;
and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania;
and finally, South Africa, which has the most comfortable looking model homes.
Also in Africa is a model schoolhouse and a demonstration area showing how blocks are made.
Asia and the Pacific
Finally, Asia and the Pacific are represented starting with India;
followed by Sri Lanka;
and finally, Papua New Guinea, which is built on stilts.
