A stone peanut monument erected in 1954 stands on the Court Square in Blakely. The Early County Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The Blakely Court Square Historic District is a small business district in the city center, clustered around the courthouse. The monument, courthouse, and business district represent different facets of the square: a distinctive landmark, a historic public building, and a center shaped by commerce. So when you take in the square, it’s worth looking beyond the monument to the connection between architecture and everyday urban life.

Murals and Local History

The murals offer another perspective on Blakely’s local history. The oldest mural in Early County is in the Blakely Post Office; it was commissioned in 1937. Access to the work inside may depend on the building’s opening hours. The Coheelee Creek Bridge mural is on the side of Tom's Barber Shop, across from the post office. The Birdsong Peanuts warehouse mural is right next to the Court Square, between City Hall and the County Administration Building. The Cornerstone Insurance Group mural depicts a timeline of “Life on the Square.”

The murals connect two different time references: the Post Office work can be dated by its commission year, while “Life on the Square” is explicitly presented as a timeline in the Cornerstone mural. This offers a view ranging from a dated work of art to a depiction that puts the square itself at the center. This juxtaposition may interest visitors who see public art as a form of local storytelling.

River Boundary and Covered Bridge

The Chattahoochee River forms Early County’s western boundary. Another distinctive local landmark is the Coheelee Creek Covered Bridge: it is located nine miles southwest of Blakely in Early County and is the southernmost covered bridge in the United States.

Coheelee Creek Falls is among the notable waterfalls in Early County. You can view its beauty from the respective public roads; do not infer that this allows access across private property. Fannie Askew Williams Park is a picnic area on Old River Road next to the covered bridge. Facilities and maintenance may change, so check the area’s current condition before your visit.

For orientation, these different scales sit side by side: Court Square and its history, the covered bridge located southwest of Blakely, and views of the falls from public roads. This offers a helpful contrast between urban history, a single structure, and observing the landscape as you weigh the focus of your trip to Early.

Discover more destinations: Blakely, Jefferson County, Brooks, Columbia, Carroll County, Lowndes, Jackson County, Camden

For the broader travel overview: Georgia.