Or you can now print your own passport via the Meriwether Tourism website under the geocaching section
print your own passport
This location will bring you to a small industrial park in Manchester with lots of room for growth.
welcome to history!
National Register of Historic Places
The Manchester Community Building meets National Register Criterion because as a community building it fits in to the center of American history as a focal point for all sorts of local, community activities, from being the library and the USO headquarters, to being the place for local sporting events, graduations, civic meetings, educational sessions, anything and everything that the community could use it for. The building also meets Criterion because it is a good intact example of the use of the Colonial Revival style during the Depression/New Deal era to spark pride in a local landmark building
The period of significance runs from the completion of the building in 1935 until the end of the historic era (1952) because the building continued to be used during this entire time as the local community building
The Community Building has been utilized over the years for all types of educational projects. In the 1940s it housed a kindergarten program that not only served Manchester but also small surrounding communities such as Raleigh, Chalybeate, Warm Springs, and Woodland. The only public library in a three county area was housed here for approximately thirty years. From this building a library program went out in bookmobiles to residents in several counties such as Meriwether, Talbot, and Harris. A wide range of educational classes have been taught in the building for over fifty years. These classes include literacy, first-aid, physical education, and dance.
In 1954 International Latex opened a division here in Manchester and the Community Building was used to hold a training program for their operators until their building was ready for occupancy. Again in 1964 the Community Building was used by H. Goodman & Sons as their operation site while their new plant was completed. These two plants employed approximately 2200 people.
When the building was completed in 1935 it became the meeting place for the City Council. In 1948 the Community Building was designated as the "polling place" for all local, state, and federal elections. Elections were held in the building for over 40 years until it was deemed unsuitable for public use in 1989. All types of public hearings were held on subjects such as tax equalization, traffic problems, zoning, property condemnations, etc. The Georgia Department of Labor used the building to hold training sessions for the unemployed in the area.
The many uses of this building over the years reflect the varied interests of all the citizens. Popular events such as the Tri-County Basketball Tournament, Boy Scout Jamboree, Girl Scout Cookie Drive, and the Red Cross Blood Drive were all held here for many years. Local civic clubs such as the Jaycees and Kiwanis held their meetings in the building. In the 1940s the Community Building became the headquarters for the USO, where sleeping quarters, home cooked meals, birthday celebrations provided a "home away from home" for hundreds of service men. The building also served as the meeting place for several generations of teen groups. For many years the school children marched from the schools to the Community Building on Veteran's Day (November 11) and there joined the community citizens for patriotic programs honoring the men and women who served our country in the armed forces. Any and all events that touched this community centered around and in this [Manchester's] "Community Building"