SPARTA HANCOCK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
9687 JONES STREET
SPARTA, GEORGIA 31087
Welcome to the Sparta Hancock County Historical Society Website. Hancock County is located in central Georgia bounded by Greene, Putnam, Baldwin, Washington, Glascock, Warren, and Taliaferro Counties. It was formed from Washington and Greene counties in 1793. The first court in Hancock County was held in the home of John Whatley in 1794. This structure is still standing and known as the Four Mile Store. Sparta became the county seat in 1795. Hancock County has been the home of many schools over the years; The Mt. Zion Academy run by the Bemen Brothers and The Sparta Female Model School on Maiden Lane where two of the old dormitories still stand. This just names a very few of the fine schools.
Our Guest Speakers for 2026 Quarterly programs are free and open to the public. Invite a friend and attend! Meetings will be held at Pierce Memorial Methodist Church unless otherwise noted.
April 26 - Program: Georgia Silver. Our speaker is Jim Marshall, who will talk about Georgia silver and silversmiths. Mr. Marshall is the President of the Eatonton-Putnam County HIstorical Society. Did you know Sparta had two silversmiths in town in the 1820s and 30s? Please plan to attend this fascinating talk about Silversmiths of Georgia.
August 2 - Program: From Empire to Revolution: Sir James Wright and the Price of Loyalty in Georgia. Dr. Greg Brooking, Georgia College and State University. We will learn about the Revolutionary War in Georgia as one of our 250th anniversary topics. Dr. Brooking will address the status of those who supported the side of Britain and their place in Georgia during the war. An important and little known topic that is mandatory to understand the different facets of the War for Independence and its effect on citizens who had to choose sides.
November 1 - Dr. Jeffrey Wells, Director of the Online Campus at Georgia Military College. Topic TBA soon.
We are adding speakers to our meetings to provide an educational element, especially since we are beginning our 250th birthday celebration of our country. Topics can be on any aspect of history from this time period. We are always looking for speakers, either from our membership ranks or from others. So if you have a topic you want to talk about, or can recommend someone please contact us. Come and bring a friend.
FUNDRAISING EVENTS Coming on JULY 25 and OCTOBER 8..... Watch our page! You won't want to miss these!
Click here for the Walking Tour Brochure
Items Available for Sale - Great for Gifts!
ABOUT THE SHHS
We meet once a quarter with some type of program or perhaps a field trip (see Events page). Our annual dues are $35.00 per year and are due each January. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call on any one of the officers or board members.
Meeting minutes:
February, 2026
October, 2025
May, 2024
February, 2024
September, 2023
January, 2023
August, 2022
February, 2021
September, 2019
July, 2019
April, 2019
January, 2019
COMPLETED PROJECTS
CURRENT PROJECTS
Mount Zion Church and The Graves Barn
HOME TOURS
We sponsor periodic homes tours of Sparta and Hancock County.
Take
the 2010 Tour Online
(Requires Adobe Reader)
FEATURED HISTORIES
We hope to publish history articles pertaining to Hancock County and Sparta. Stories of people, houses, places, anything at all you would like to submit.
GENEALOGY
For genealogy enquiries, contact Rick Joslyn at 706-444-7412 or RSJoslyn@aol.com; or Mauriel Joslyn at maurielj@aol.com. Fees may apply.
RECOMMENDED LINKS
www.scenicbyway.org AND www.rockmillplantation.com AND www.friendsofcems.org
If you have any questions, concerns, program ideas, or things you would like to see on the website, please do not hesitate to call on us.