Homerville’s Historic Station No. 11 Train Depot
Our story
The City of Homerville, located in southeast Georgia, is a small rural, beautiful, and unique community with 2,337 residents living in the city limits. It is located at the intersection of US Highway 441 and US Highway 84.
In 1853, Dr. John Homer Mattox, founder of Homerville, moved his family to the site where Homerville sits today. The area was then wild and sparsely settled, but under the leadership of Dr. Mattox and others, the area began to develop and grow. In 1859, Homerville was founded.
Homer Mattox saw the coming of a railroad and the proposed site was very near the center of Homerville. As a public gift, Dr. Mattox deeded six acres of his holdings to the Atlantic & Gulf Railroad. The station building was built on the site and the area and station were christened Station No. 11. On February 15, 1869, Homerville was officially named and chartered as a town by Georgia Legislature. With the railroad running through the center of Homerville, it grew into a thriving community. At various times, three primary industries existed - agriculture, railroad, and lumber.
The Mattox House, home of Dr. John Homer Mattox, now serves at the home for the Clinch County Chamber of Commerce.
The Clinch County Courthouse, built in 1896.
Everywhere you turn, you can see symbols and relics of the hard-working people who built this community. Downtown Homerville represents our past and present sense of hospitality and commitment to each other. Today, the downtown has the highest concentration of infrastructure within the city limits. Formal preservation efforts have been made over the years to salvage, renovate, preserve, and enhance the historical assets of the city. Some examples include securing a grant to a complete period renovation of the John Homer Mattox home and convert it into the Clinch County Chamber of Commerce office, and the renovation of the original Station No. 11 Train Depot as a community event space and Main Street office. The majestic Clinch County Courthouse, built in 1896, still sits in the city square and continues to serve as the center of the county government.
We are fortunate to have a significant number of businesses downtown today, with many being in operation for more than 50 years. New memories and connections are made to downtown during homecoming parades, “Homerville for the Holidays” events, serving as the backdrop of choice for many life milestone moments.