{"nrhp_refnum":"11000959","name":"Georgia Welcome Center","other_names":["Georgia Visitor Information Center"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"8463 Burtons Ferry Hwy.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Sylvania","county":"Screven County","state":"GA","lat":32.93796465400004,"lon":-81.51724563399995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2011-12-29","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Entertainment/Recreation"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story modernist state visitor center on U.S. Highway 301 near the Savannah River and South Carolina border in Screven County, Georgia, dedicated in January 1962 and designed by Statesboro architect Edwin C. Eckles.","why_significant":"It was the first state welcome center in Georgia and the forerunner of a series of highway visitor centers built between 1962 and 1969 under Governor Ernest Vandiver's tourism initiative. It is also an intact example of mid-20th-century modernism, notable for its roof of five thin pre-cast concrete vaults. It is the only 1960s welcome center in the state still used for its original purpose.","narrative":"Set back from U.S. Highway 301 less than a mile west of the Savannah River, this small visitor center greeted motorists entering Georgia from South Carolina. Dedicated in January 1962, it was designed by Statesboro architect Edwin C. Eckles. Its most distinctive feature is a roof of five shallow pre-cast concrete vaults with scalloped edges that seem to float above a glass and aluminum front. Pink marble panels from Jasper, Georgia, a dedication plaque, terrazzo floors, and aluminum chandeliers add to the modern character. The building was the first welcome center in the state and the first result of Governor Ernest Vandiver's push to promote tourism as economic development. Staff offered maps, brochures, weather reports, and travel advice to travelers headed mostly to Florida. Six more highway centers followed by 1969, but this is the only one from the decade still serving its original purpose. The property also includes a contributing roadside sign and a picnic area.","period_of_significance":"1962-1969","architect_builder":"Eckles, Edwin C. (architect)","architectural_style":"Modern Movement: New Formalism","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"In continuous use as a state visitor center since its January 1962 dedication; the form describes its integrity as excellent.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:43.40375-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_GA/11000959.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/11000959/da145caf2a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/11000959/da145caf2a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Jud McCranie","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Georgia_Welcome_Center,_Screven_County.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Jud McCranie</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Georgia_Welcome_Center,_Screven_County.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/93209435","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Welcome_Center","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q40888688"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/georgia/screven-county/georgia-welcome-center-11000959/"}