Beautiful historic building, lots of friendly ladies working the counters, and nary a line in…read moresight, the downtown post office is my shipping location of choice. Today, I needed to send a birthday present to my friend in California and a box of Halloween goodies to a friend serving in the military overseas. The smiling clerk helped me decide on two day shipping for my friend's birthday present (so my gift won't be *too* belated), and she also helped me pack a flat rate box so everything will still be in ship-shape when unpacked in the Middle East. Okay, so you will have to scrounge for a quarter to feed the meter at this location, but the amazingly helpful and efficient staff certainly make up for it! And isn't anything better than that horrid parking lot at Beechwood where the next nearest post office is?

This post office is a joy to visit. I'm serious--the staff is helpful, courteous, knowledgeable,…read moreand friendly. The old building is beautiful, and the line is usually pretty short. Do not risk heartache by going to the Alps location -- go downtown!

FEBRUARY is a celebration of BLACK HISTORY, largely because much of it is not included in modern…read moreschoolbooks. So I wanted to feature some of my previous reviews with Black History in the narrative! IF you have never heard of her, let me introduce you to the story of Adeline Rose. Madison, Georgia was considered by Budget Traveler magazine as one of the 16 most beautiful towns in the world in 2012. Part of the reason is because of its historic charm and architecture. There are only a few historic structures you can tour for a small fee and the two I was most interested in were the Rogers House and Adeline Rose Cottage. *** ROSE COTTAGE - This small 3 room home was built in 1891 by Adeline Rose, a hard-working African-American woman who was once a slave. Legend has it that women could not take out loans at a bank and certainly not a black woman. But Adeline Rose was so respected for her arduous work ethic of washing and ironing linens for local homes and hotels that she was granted a $100 loan to help build her modest home. A home that only consisted of two bedrooms and a work area for her laundering business. None of the furnishing inside the home are Adeline's except two pieces, a portrait of her and a quilt she made with her own two hands. You will notice the quilt says, "Jesus Saved" with the second 'S' on Jesus turned backwards. This was to signify how a person's life turns toward Jesus when they become a follower. The brochure states: "She earned her living by taking in washing and ironing at 50 cents a load. Most of her early work was done for the boarders of the Hardy House, which was owned by the mother of the famous comedian Oliver Hardy (of Laurel and Hardy). Adeline Rose died in 1959 after living in the house for 68 years. In 1966, the City of Madison moved the Rose Cottage to its present location. It was felt that it was very important to save this little house built out of the labor of love of a woman who was born into slavery." Adeline is of French origin meaning NOBLE. She was a widow and the mother of two children. She is part of a legacy of men & women who fought against ALL odds to not only survive, but thrive. *** ROGER HOUSE - When Madison was first established, it created 48 original lots with the average lot being sold for around $155. Reuben Rogers purchased lot #6 for $111 and built the house in what was known as an 'I-House' or 'Piedmont' plan style, which was popular in its day. The house was completed around 1810 and stands on its original lot as the last remaining residence from the original 48. The tour begins on the front porch where you will notice the ceiling of the porch is painted a pale blue, a customary practice of its day which was meant to attract insects upwards. Inside is a long hallway with a parlor (or family room) on one side and another identical room on the other side. The home is filled with period furniture, including a sugar chest, where the lady of the house often kept raw sugar cubes under lock and key! It also contained several decorative pieces from China, which were popular decorating choices of the time. Towards the rear were additions most likely added around 1820 when census records showed that 18 people lived in the house (according to the informative brochure). It also states the house pre-dates the Morgan County Courthouse (located just next door) by almost 100 years and has had 17 owners. The rear room is currently set up as a dining room, but was likely once a rear porch. It sits about 4 inches lower than the original home and includes a relocated set of steps that are horribly uneven, but add tremendously to the old charm. Upstairs are two bedrooms. The master was the smaller of the two and had a second bed in a small corner nook which was required to house any soldier that knocked on your door seeking shelter. It was also used for housing a traveling pastor or judge and its placement inside the master bedroom was twofold. One, to keep an eye on this stranger and two to keep the visitor uncomfortable. The bed also looked uncomfortable, but the tour guide said that was by design to encourage the soldiers and other visitors not to overstay their welcome! The children all slept in the larger bedroom. *** * Hours of Operation Tuesday - Saturday: 10:00AM - 4:30PM Sunday: 1:30PM - 4:30PM FINAL THOUGHTS The fact that this community felt it important to save and preserve the story of Adeline Rose alone is worthy of 5 stars. This is, after all, the South! History has not often been kind to African American, but emerging from the wreckage of this disastrous period in human rights are stories like Adeline Rose, letting you know there were pockets of kindness that have not been shared. I for one feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn of the history here. 2021 / 34 #BlackHISTORYseries

Unexpected to find this name in this place but here it is. It is in the center of Madison, on the…read moresquare with the county courthouse. It has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Oliver Norvell Hardy, of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy, lived in the Turnell-Butler Hotel which once stood on this corner. He was born in Harlem, Georgia, on January 18, 1892. The family was in Madison by that February, and may have moved here earlier. Mrs. Hardy later opened a hotel in Madison named The Hardy House. Oliver began his education at age six at the Madison Grammar School. Mrs. Hardy and her children left Madison in October 1898. Oliver Hardy died in 1957 and is buried in California where a plaque reads: "His Talent Brought Joy and Laughter To All the World."" Hardy was born Norvell Hardy, taking the name Oliver later to honor his father, a Confederate veteran who died less than a year after Hardy's birth. Though he began formal education in Madison, Hardy was restless and drawn to performance. He attended Georgia Military College and later Young Harris College, but his real passion was music. He studied voice in Atlanta and sang in theaters for modest pay, sometimes skipping lessons to perform. Hardy's entry into film began in Jacksonville, Florida, where he worked as a cabaret singer and at the Lubin Manufacturing Company. He was often cast as a villain in silent shorts, and before teaming with Stan Laurel, he had a prolific solo career, appearing in dozens of films under the name Babe Hardy. Hardy married three times: first to Madelyn Saloshin, then Myrtle Reeves, and finally Virginia Lucille Jones, who remained with him until his death in 1957. He is buried at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood, California This is marker number 104-1. It was erected in 2002 by The Georgia Historical Society and the City of Madison. There is plenty of parking in the area as well as some restaurants and shops. [Review 1311 of 2025 - 851 in Georgia - 24863 overall]

This local attraction is a curiosity in that some professor deeded the land surrounding to the tree…read moreitself as a sort of thought experiment. This is kind of silly, but it hearkens back to the purpose of having colleges and college towns in the first place, which is doing thought experiments. It's on a residential street in a cramped, historic neighborhood. All the surrounding houses are private properties, so there's not much to see here. You can just walk by and ponder whether trees can actually have property rights.

It's a tree that was planted with love and desire. A must…read moresee if you are in Athens. The Tree That Owns Itself is a white oak tree that, according to legend, has legal ownership of itself and of all land within eight feet of its base. Also known as the Jackson Oak, the tree is at the corner of South Finley and Dearing Streets in Athens, Georgia, US. The earliest-known telling of the tree's story comes from "Deeded to Itself", a front-page article in the Athens Weekly Banner on August 12, 1890. The article explains that the tree had been located on the property of Colonel William Henry Jackson.[1] William Jackson was the son of James Jackson, a soldier in the American Revolution as well as a Congressman, US Senator, and Governor of Georgia, and the father of another James Jackson, a Congressman and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. He was the brother of Jabez Young Jackson, also a Congressman. William Jackson was reportedly a professor at the University of Georgia and is sometimes mentioned with the title of Doctor. The nature of his military service and the source of the title Colonel are unknown.] Jackson supposedly cherished childhood memories of the tree, and, desiring to protect it, deeded to it the ownership of itself and its surrounding land. By various accounts, this transaction took place between 1820 and 1832. **THE TREE IS NEXT TO A PRIVATE HOME AND PRIVATE DRIVE PLEASE DO NOT PARK**

Beautiful library, with an exceptional children's area. 5 stars for me. Beautiful inside and out.read more

People are so nice they allow the kids to scream and run around. No adult work done but great for…read morekids, voting,and printing.

Clean and plenty of seating... Friendly and helpful staff... Wait time varies, so make sure to…read morebring a book.

I had the most amazing customer service help over the phone, with a representative named Hilton. I…read morehad called and searched for help regarding an issue many times and only she was able to track down the form necessary for my needs and process it. She was fantastic and professional.

I loved visiting Athens and all the experiences that came with it. I am a Georgia Bulldogs fan so I…read moreloved seeing the college town and all it had to offer. I really enjoyed how they had little bulldogs all over the place and different designs on the bulldogs. This is a fun nice college town. I will be very excited to return.

THE GOOD AND THE BAD!…read more The first time I visited Athens, (UGA and surrounding area only), I was shocked because I had expected something different. What I had imagined would be closer to Ithaca, NY and Cornell University, (cute, quaint, clean). I have since learned that UGA it is the oldest state chartered university in the country and now I understand. Let's just say, there is not a lot of modernization and growth in this area. We decided to return to explore the downtown area (during the Christmas holiday), as I had heard about great restaurants and architecture. Parking downtown was very easy and it was interesting to see so many people downtown on such a dreary Sunday. This appears to be a popular destination for eating but the Irish restaurant we most wanted to visit was actually closed today. Booo! We were disappointed but understood that many businesses were still observing the holiday break. Be mindful of this: There are a number of homeless people hanging out in the area, but they are harmless. They will not approach you and usually are sitting quietly holding signs. Unfortunately, when walking through some areas the unmistakable smell of urine permeates the air. Downtown is truly a tale of two cities, you have wonderful stores that are beautifully designed, adequately staffed and masters at customer service and you have stores that make you want to scrub and shower once you leave. There is literally something for every personality and that is what makes this a really cool destination. The coolest aspect of being downtown is just visiting the old buildings that have been lovingly restored but still retain much of their character. People are very nice and you get a real sense of southern hospitality. We are actually planning on returning to Athens because we are interested in seeing a live performance at the local theater, visiting shops that were closed during this visit and finally having that Irish meal. We are also interested in exploring the outlying areas that are now starting to expand and offer some unique shopping opportunities. Interested to see what we might encounter during our next visit.

If you haven't been to a library for a while, and live in Gwinnett close to Snellville, check it…read moreout. The Snellville Library checks out books - that's a given. Go to check out all of the other services they provide. Especially if you have children, find out the schedule of events for kids and their parents. Need to use a computer and/or print something out? Need to reserve a room for a meeting? Very friendly and helpful staff are always available to answer your questions. And need to go before it opens or stay later after they close on most nights? Not a problem. You just need a library card and it's easy to get at the library. Kathy helped me out today. As a business owner, their services have been very time-saving for me. You can check out what's happening on https://www.gwinnettpl.org/ Need a temp office? Thrive, the co-working spot is on the floor above. Check out workatthrive.com for Snellville. See you there!

Had a great time first time here . Me and my baby had a blast kinda crazy right a blast lol but no…read morereally we had fun this was my first time at this location just as well as the first time my four year old been to a library. The service was pretty fast we signed up for a card at home then went to go pick it up and browsed around for a while. The guy at the entrance was really nice who was actually checking us in and helping us get our actual card. he provided a lot of information and provided us with a couple of pamphlet that was very helpful. they look like they have a few events that take place there from time to time it is currently still summer. They have different summer programs going on , plus you can tend to register to vote here as well. Anywho my daughter enjoyed herself playing on the computers they had set up for kids in like the kids zone she was able to play games that were already set up on there just as well as they had lots of books to pick from. We would definitely be back. They made a great first impression only downfall that I could say is none of the books that I really wanted to check out was available somewhere on Libby available to be audio read but I actually want the physical book so right now I'm currently in line waiting to get the book that I want.