Hotel Camden Now Government Offices in Kingsland, Georgia

Once a Kingsland, GA landmark, the former Hotel Camden now houses several city departments in the same city. (Source: Patricia Jared, Downtown Development Authority Manager, City of Kingsland).

The Kingsland City Council renovated the old inn to its original state and moved some county governmental offices there. (Source: Kingsland City Council).

Back in 1990 the council started making plans to remodel the building in its original two sections, restoring the facility to its original appearance. (Source: Former Kingsland City Administrator Bill Andrews).

The first section opened in July, 1929 with a lobby and 11 rooms. The second one was built in March, 1930 with 14 rooms and one large spacious dining room, according to Andrews.

The council planned in 1990 to remove the yellow paint and returned the building on Lee Street to its original red brick color. Offices for the Department of Community Planning and Development, Building Inspection, and Tourism are now located in the old Hotel Camden, according to city records.

Local resident Maxine Wells' paintings of the hotel show the building the way it was in its early days before its deterioration. (Source: Camden County Chamber of Commerce).

Over in St. Marys, Georgia in the same county, lies good ole home-style cooking in the form of Sterlings Southern Café, located in what was once Sterling's Grocery, according to the Chamber.

"The Sterling's Grocery Store Building has always been owned by the Sterling family," said Alyce Thornhill of the Chamber. "The current family member is Margaret Joyner and she lives in Texas."

Sterling's Café rented half of that space and a pottery studio was in the other side, according to Thornhill. The restaurant is now moving across the street into what was the Batchelot House and the pottery side is now Coastal Art League Gallery, she said.

Sterling's Grocery served St. Marys for almost 100 years. (Source: city records).

In the old days, David Sterling, the original owner, used to have all his wholesale groceries delivered by boat. A horse and wagon would pull up daily and load up. (Source: David Sterling).

Tom Sterling, who was running the company back in 1990 in the same location of downtown St. Marys, said if it were up to him grocery stores of today would be identical to the ones of yesterday. Sterling, born upstairs in the house that later housed Blue Goose Collectibles, carried on the family name by operating the grocery seven days a week. Tom's father David built the business in 1896 in the days of the horse and buggy and dirt roads that surrounded downtown St. Marys, according to Tom.

All the old-timers around town knew David and the tourists bought soft drinks from him. His store displayed fancy antiques and sold drinks in the small, glass bottles that old-timers remembered well. (Source: Blue Goose Collectibles).

The customers enjoyed talking with David because he knew the history of the town.

Minnie Johnson, owner of Blue Goose, helped him expand the store in 1990 by affixing a back door to the rear of the grocery and another friend helped him refurbish the store. But David, the only surviving member of the original Sterling family in the 90s, didn't want any part of redecorating; he was just sitting back and letting his friends fuss over his store. He said back then that he didn't want to put any money into it at the age of 83 in 1990. (Source: Minnie Johnson).

The front of Blue Goose was once the Sterling's living room and the back room of the store was the family dining room. (Source: Blue Goose records).

David remembered the days of being a delivery boy for his parents' store while he was growing up. Then, he took over the grocery when his parents retired. The original store had a porch where his parents would sit and entertain the town folk in the early evenings with their musical talents, playing and singing for the entertainment of the village. There was a great deal of music in the family; David's two sisters, daughter, and granddaughter were all musical. (Source: Tom Sterling).

David was in his teens when he joined the local barbershop quarter with his friends. He said once that he used to think he could sing. He and his friends would ride around in a Model T truck and sing and park at the front of the pavilion downtown and belt out tunes.

Within the grocery was a miniature museum with the same old keepsakes and pictures of the store in the old days. Some relics included in the museum section of the store were 101 Best Songs, published by the cable company in Chicago, a 1492 clock, old typewriter, lamps, a goblet, and lampshade.

The store was originally built across the street from the later site in 1886, then a newer facility was built in 1896. At the time the place opened, St. Marys had stores all along the waterfront. What was later The Weekend Club was once a grocery and warehouse. (Source: county records).

While customers shopped even as late as 1990 they would notice a large Sunbeam Bread billboard inside the store, 7UP, Canada Dry, and Westinghouse light bulb stands that used to hold products; and in the back of the grocery was a butcher section and giant freezer with a large door. An old cash register, two ancient chairs, and a radio also made up the store's interior.

An aging wooden box on the front counter held continued running books of regular grocery accounts dating back 102 years. Books were left, documenting accounts of customers who died or left town without paying on their accounts.

David said in later days he "about quit" oepning credit accounts because he went broke. He said he wasn't going to do it any more as of 1990. He had had several accounts for years and some of the people were gone or should have passed away. But some were still around and he was, too.

He kept warm by the furnace even in the days of the early 1990s. The weather could get terrible.

The café is located at 219 Osborne Street and the phone number is 912-882-3430.