Akins, Sol, Farm

Sol Akins Farm is a rural property south of Statesboro in Bulloch County, Georgia. Its centerpiece is a two-story Plantation Plain farmhouse that grew from a four-room log dogtrot house raised around 1864, when Akins and his wife held a log rolling to build a house and barn. Around 1880 the log core was enlarged and covered with heart-pine weatherboarding, and a rear ell and Z-shaped porch were added. The log structure was rediscovered in the 1930s under the siding. Original paneling, wainscoting, floors and mantels survive. A double-crib log barn with saddle-notched corners also remains, along with a family cemetery. Akins, a Confederate veteran, built a diversified farm producing corn, cotton, oats, molasses, wool and livestock, reaching 1,300 acres by 1895. The changes to his house reflect his growing prosperity. The property is considered a good local example of a type of farm common in southeast Georgia in the late 19th century. The house has been vacant since 1977, while the land is still farmed.