News

Jamie Hollis (left) and her husband Ron (right) are presented with the 2011 Helen Dortch Longstreet Award by LS President Richard Pilcher (center).

In the early morning hours of January 14 the Longstreet Society lost one of our best. Jamie Hollis passed away as the result of cancer and a heart attack. Jamie was a Charter Member, Life Member, Director and winner of the 2011 Helen Dortch Longstreet Award. Her gentle, sweet personality made her advice and even criticism often sought and always welcome. She was our financial adviser for the last six or seven years. We were about to buy white rockers for the Piedmont porch when Jamie suggested that the “white rockers will just disappear into the white wall behind them and, since the Piedmont needs the welcoming look of rocking chairs on the porch, lets get black rocking chairs.” She has done a hundred other things for us through the years, but the rockers are so visible.
I drove up to the Piedmont this morning and saw those black rockers from a distance and tears came to my eyes again. There will be many more tears. Today our prayers are with her husband Ron and her family.                                       Richard Pilcher

                                           __________

Funeral services for Jamie Martin Hollis of Gainesville are scheduled for 2:00 pm. Saturday in Strickland Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be from 6:00-9:00.pm., Friday, at the funeral home. Dennis Reeves Jr. and Al Gurley will officiate. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Read more.

 

General Longstreet's Memorial Service Attended by Largest Crowd Yet.

Over 100 people turned out for this annual event. Read about it here and make plans to attend next year's service.

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/78005/

The Longstreet Society
Annual Bivouac
Saturday, April 28, 10 to 4
 
Featuring Piedmont tours,
music by Kintra and Appalachian Jam,
a visit by the 30th Georgia Volunteer Infantry,
a hot dog lunch and the
groundbreaking for the Piedmont's
engraved brick & granite walkway.
And observe a paranormal investigation of the Piedmont Hotel carried out by the Georgia group Night Life Paranormal Investigation starting
at 9 pm on Saturday.


And...
Last chance to buy an engraved walkway brick for $35
or a line on a granite paver for $20. Engraving on bricks ordered  after May 1 must be done on site and will cost $100. Engraved granite will not be available after May 1.

Please don't wait to place your order.

Click here for more information or to order

Dedication of the Piedmont's
William L. Norton Jr. Community Room

Sunday, April 29
Reception 2:30-4:30

 Please come to honor Judge Norton's many years of dedication to the Piedmont Hotel project.

Saturday, June 8 is clean up day

...at the Piedmont Hotel. Between 10 and 4 we're going to paint, do yard work, dust, clean antique weapons and wash windows. We expect lots of visitors this summer and want the General's old hotel to look its best.

We have all necessary supplies and plenty of cold water and soda. Please join us. Call 770-539-9005 for more information. You even have our permission to ham it up for the webcam.

Click here for directions to the Piedmont Hotel. Gainesville, GA

General and Mrs. Longstreet hosted a tea for a few friends just before Christmas and it was a grand success and great fun. The Thompsons (T.J. and Kathy), and their son in law Kirk Miller (both T.J. and Kirk are history teachers) enjoyed meeting and conversing with the General and his admirable wife. The refreshments were tasty and satisfying and the atmosphere in the Piedmont's meeting room was festive, warm and welcoming.

Note: Kathy Thompson has written a book on Appalachian traditions and donated it to the Piedmont's Matthew Reynolds Library. Kathy gave this living history event to her family members as a gift. (12-2012)

Mrs. & Gen'l James Longstreet greet their guests.

  
          January 6, 2013
         Memorial Service
          and Open House

Gainesville, GA. --
The Longstreet Society and the Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1860, Blue Ridge Rifles of Dahlonega, GA invite all to a joint graveside memorial service and open house on Sunday, January 6, 2013 beginning at 2 pm. General Longstreet lived in Gainesville, GA after the war and died there on January 2, 1904.

This 15^th annual graveside service at Alta Vista Cemetery (off Jesse Jewel Parkway) will feature period costumes, a rifle salute, a graveside prayer, brief presentations by Longstreet Society and SCV officials and presentations of a cigar and memorial wreath. The event is presented in continuing observance of the sesquicentennial of the War Between the States.

Immediately after the memorial service the Longstreet Society will host an open house at the Piedmont Hotel at 827 Maple Street, Gainesville GA. The hotel was owned and operated by General Longstreet and was often his refuge—especially after his home was burned down in 1889. Hot chocolate, coffee and cookies will be served and tours of the hotel will be offered. The casual open house welcomes members, non-members, friends, family and children.

Obituary - J. A. Davis
“I Really Loved Working with People”

Mr. Davis was born on Feb. 10, 1930 to George E. and Garnet McQuain Davis in Hendricks, West Virginia. He graduated from Gordon Military College in 1947 and was a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

Upon completion of school he began working as a radio announcer in Barnesville, Ga. and from there entered into the television field in Mississippi. After opening two TV stations in Georgia, he joined the TV film industry with Official Films, Inc. where he was Regional Manager. Mrs. Bennie Hansen of the Biltmore Hotel in Atlanta asked him to become General Manager, a job he greatly enjoyed.

His career evolved into sales where he became top salesman for the Encyclopedia Britannica and the Great Books Collection, which he helped develop and distribute with Dr. Mortimer Adler, along with the Syntopican, an index of all of man’s great ideas. He was very proud of this achievement. He later became the CEO of Surfa Shield Corporation in Virginia and a renowned motivational speaker.

Mr. Davis was actively involved in many organizations in his lifetime including: joining Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) at the age of 18 and holding international, national, state and local offices, Jaycees International and the Fairfax County, Virginia Chamber of Commerce where he was named Citizen of the Year; Sons of Confederate Veterans, holding national, state and local offices and being a member of the 27^th Georgia Regiment; Gainesville Camp 1404; Military Order of the Stars and Bars (holding national and state offices), the Longstreet Society and founder of the Georgia Heritage Council; the Tucker Shrine Club, the Yarab Temple of Atlanta, the Grand Lodge of Kentucky, F&A.M, he was a 32^nd Scottish Rite Mason. He was also a member of the Rotary Club, the Kiwanis International, and the Order of the Moose.

He was very active in the Republican Party in Georgia, where he was instrumental in bringing Richard Nixon’s campaign to Atlanta in 1960 and reviving the GOP in that state; gubernatorial campaigns in Kentucky and senatorial and gubernatorial races in Virginia.

He worked with the administrations of Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon and Reagan to bring economic justice to communist countries through the ideals of the Jaycees and was influential in the High Frontier project a/k/a President Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative.

He was involved with the Miss Atlanta and Miss Georgia beauty pageants, the revitalization of George Mason University in Virginia and was the narrator for many of the Northwinds Orchestra performances in Gainesville, Ga. He was a member of the Georgia Assoc. of Broadcasters, the Atlanta Variety Club and the Episcopal Church.

Through his exploits, he traveled the world many times over, making friends everywhere he went. He loved people and was most excited when their interaction produced a positive outcome.

Mr. Davis is survived by his daughters, Lee Lewis of Clarkesville, Ga., Kim Thompson of Demorest, Ga., Kristine McLendon of Atlanta, Darlene Emrie of Topeka, Kansas and son, Clay Davis of Lexington, Ky. He has 13 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. He was a loving grandfather and wonderful gardener.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to NE Georgia Hospice or organizations of your choice. The memorial service is to be held at the Elks Club, Gainesville, Georgia, Saturday, January 14^th at 1:30, everyone who was a friend of Mr. Davis is welcome to attend the service.

The family has asked that any old photos, stories, archives, video/film footage of any kind that friends of Jeff may have to let us know...for a multimedia retrospective project we would like to do for this man who gave so much to us. Please contact:

Jim Dean... jimwdean@aol.com … Atlanta... 404-966-6827

Tim Ragland, Sons of Confederate Veterans camp 1860, Dahlonega, Georgia announced that the camp will hold a memorial service for General James Longstreet, Sunday January 15, 2012 at 2PM at Alta Vista Cemetery, Gainesville GA. The service will be held at General Longstreet's grave which is located under the American flag on the large flag pole. The Longstreet Society will have an open house at Longstreet's Piedmont Hotel following the service.