Cordele Commercial Historic District

Cordele's downtown core was platted in 1888 on a strict grid laid over the junction of two railroad lines, and the layout survives today. The district covers roughly 55 acres and about 17 blocks. Most buildings are one- and two-story attached brick storefronts from the late 19th century through the 1930s, in Italianate, Neoclassical Revival, Italian Renaissance Revival and Art Deco influences. Landmarks include the 1889 former First National Bank, the 1890-91 Suwanee Hotel, the 1903 Carnegie Library, the 1907 Masonic Lodge and the 1912-13 Post Office. Warehouses, two freight depots, an ice plant, cottonseed oil mill remains, 1920s gas stations, an early auto dealership and the 1914 waterworks reflect the town's role as a rail center that shipped the cotton of surrounding farmland. Cordele became county seat of Crisp County in 1905, which added to its growth. The district was listed for its railroad-driven commercial development and its intact architecture, with a period of significance of 1888 to 1939.