Guyton Historic District

Guyton is a small rural town in Effingham County, Georgia, and its historic core is protected as a district of about 250 acres. The town was platted in 1838 as Whitesville on land from the estate of Zachariah White, with a plat drawn by county surveyor Zarah Powers. That plan anticipated the Central of Georgia railroad, which arrived in 1840, and set aside a central corridor for the tracks. The district follows the 1888 city limits and includes a small brick business district, large Victorian-era houses along Central Boulevard, modest cottages, churches, schools and corner stores, all set among open land. The buildings are vernacular, built by carpenter-builders, and show styles from Greek Revival to Craftsman. The town sits on a sandy plateau surrounded by swampy ground. Its rail service and distance from the coast made it a commuter suburb and seasonal home for Savannah businessmen, planters and railroad officials. The depot and tracks are gone, but the street grid and open character remain.