Eatonton Expedition
Saturday, August 17, 2024
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
SOLD OUT!
Be sure to join us at the Fall Ramble in Americus, October 11-13.
Know Before You Go
PACKET PICK-UP
Registrants can pick up their tour packets at the following times and location. Inside your packet, you’ll receive a name badge (which serves as your ticket inside all tour sites), detailed event program and maps.
We will not be offering early packet pick-up at Rhodes Hall on Friday, August 16, due to a private event at Rhodes Hall.
Saturday, August 17, 2024
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
The Plaza Arts Center
305 N. Madison Avenue, Eatonton
Parking available on-site at The Plaza Arts Center. Parking is also available across the street from The Plaza Arts Center at the First United Methodist Church.
WEATHER/DRESS
- Temperatures are forecasted to be in the low 90s with a minimal chance of rain. Please dress comfortably, stay hydrated and wear walking footwear, sidewalks along tour sites may be uneven.
- Please bring water and if you need a break from the temperatures, The Plaza Arts Center will be open throughout the day.
- Event occurs rain or shine, and tickets are not refundable.
*Rain Plan – Closing Reception will be held at the Plaza Arts Center in the event of rain.
EXPEDITION TIPS
- Please wear your name badge. It is your ticket to all Expedition sites.
- To control crowding, we encourage attendees to not follow the numbered order in the program.
- All day parking is available at The Plaza Arts Center, First United Methodist (103 W. Magnolia Street, Eatonton) and Farmers & Merchant Bank (100 S. Madison Avenue).
- Please refer to the “Additional Directions” sheet in your registration packet for sites not listed on the map. GPS works for most sites.
- If you have registered for “Full Registration,” lunch will be a boxed lunch pick-up. Grab lunch to go and continue touring! For those that would like to take a break, seating is available inside The Plaza Arts Center.
- Keep an eye out for six plein air painters from The Artisans Village Guild that will be stationed throughout the Expedition.
- The interior of the Alexander Sidney Reid House will not be open during the closing reception. The reception will take place on the grounds of the home. The interior will be open during tour hours of 11 am – 4 pm!
- In the event of rain, the rain plan location for the closing reception will be at The Plaza Arts Center.
- Barrel 118, located on the square, will be open exclusively for the Expedition from 1-7 p.m., and the bar will open to purchase beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages.
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Packet Pick-up
The Plaza Arts Center
305 N Madison Ave, Eatonton, GA 31024
Start your day by picking up your registration packet and exploring the Plaza Arts Center, the crown jewel of the Eatonton Historic District. Once home to the Eatonton School, this 1916 Mission Revival school building has been restored and is now home to a community theater and the Old School History Museum.
10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Orientation & Architecture of the Last Colony Book Lecture
The Plaza Arts Center
305 N Madison Ave, Eatonton, GA 31024
After picking up your tour packet, stick around for a brief presentation to learn about the rich history of Eatonton and its local preservation efforts. Retired Georgia Trust President and CEO Mark McDonald will give a brief lecture about the Trust’s latest book, Architecture of the Last Colony.
11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Eatonton Expedition
Enjoy the rare opportunity to tour some of Eatonton’s most historic houses and sites
including the rarely-open-to-the-public 1814 Wilken-Cooper-Jenkins House, the oldest home on Madison Avenue; Panola Hall, an 1854 Greek Revival Home reportedly haunted by a ghost named Sylvia; and the Walton-Carpenter-McClain House, a 1909 Craftsman style home. Venture out and explore historically significant sites in Putnam County, including Rock Eagle, a prehistoric stone effigy built by Native Americans and the Tompkins Inn, a former stagecoach inn built in 1810.
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Lunch
The Plaza Arts Center
305 N Madison Ave, Eatonton, GA 31024
Return to the Plaza Arts Center and enjoy a boxed lunch.
FULL REGISTRATION ONLY
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Architecture of the Last Colony Book Signing with Retired Georgia Trust President Mark McDonald
Georgia Writers Museum
109 S. Jefferson Street
Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Closing Reception
Enjoy a special closing reception on the grounds of the Alexander Sidney Reid House, a historic three-story Greek Revival style home that has been meticulously maintained and preserved.
FULL REGISTRATION ONLY
*Sites and times are subject to change. Event occurs rain or shine.
The Georgia Trust invites you to discover the rich history and southern hospitality of Eatonton, Georgia.
The epitome of small town charm, Eatonton is home to a broad array of historic homes and sites sure to delight visitors and residents alike. The city boasts scenic highways, two Native American effigies, and a beautiful historic downtown. Attendees will explore magnificent mansions, historic landmarks, and other fascinating sites that are significant to the history of Putnam County.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, is the last day to purchase tickets that include lunch and admission to the closing reception. Tour-only tickets (no lunch or closing reception) will be available through TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, or whenever tickets sell out. Walk-up tickets will NOT be available during the event.
Lunch & Closing Reception*
Guests will enjoy a boxed lunch prepared by one of Eatonton’s local favorites, with the option of eating it at the Plaza Arts Center or taking it with them.
The Expedition ends with a special closing reception at 4 p.m. with drinks and hors d’oeuvres on the gorgeous grounds of the Alexander Sidney Reid House, a historic three-story Greek Revival style home that has been meticulously maintained and preserved. The house will be open for tours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The interior will not be open during the Closing Reception.
*Lunch & Closing Reception included with Full Registration tickets only. Sorry, we cannot accommodate dietary restrictions at this time. Please plan accordingly.
SOLD OUT!
Be sure to join us at the Fall Ramble in Americus, October 11-13.
Accommodations
Lodge on Lake Oconee
930 Greensboro Road
Eatonton, GA 31024
706-485-7785
Mention “Georgia Trust Eatonton Expedition” for a special group rate
What is an Expedition?
A Georgia Trust Expedition invites members and guests to explore a Georgia town located off the beaten path. These day-long, self guided tours are designed to reflect a town’s unique history and development by including a variety of historic sites, from vernacular homesteads to historic industrial sites to grand homes, as well as historic landscapes and natural features. Expeditions educate participants about Georgia’s small town heritage while celebrating ongoing preservation and revitalization efforts.
Tours are self-guided, and guests provide their own transportation. Maps and programs are provided at packet pick-up.
For more information, contact specialevents@GeorgiaTrust.org.
Expedition FAQs
There are no paper tickets. If you make your reservation online, you will receive a confirmation email that will be automatically sent to your email address. This email is for your records only, you do not need to bring this with you. When you arrive at registration, you will pick up your tour program, map and name badge.
Yes. Please call our Special Events office 404.885.7812.
Tours are done at your own pace and require a good amount of walking, often over uneven streets and sidewalks. Wear flat, comfortable shoes. You will follow your program and map to each of the sites. You do not have to do the sites in their numbered order.
A full-registration ticket includes a $10 lunch voucher that you can use at your choice of participating downtown restaurants and admission into the closing reception, where you can enjoy drinks and light hors d’oeuvres.
Please dress comfortably. Flat, comfortable shoes are a must both for your comfort and for the protection of historic hardwood floors. Guests in high heels or shoes that could damage floors may be required to remove their shoes prior to entering a private property.
These tours take place in private residences, rather than public spaces, and therefore are not often handicapped accessible. Some, but not all, guests with mobility limitations have felt the tours met their expectations.
Tours go on rain or shine and tickets are not refundable. Please keep in mind that hurricane season is from June 1–November 30. If the Expedition area is under an official NWS-issued tropical storm warning, advising evacuation, the event will be canceled.