OBITUARY: Historic Georgia State Farm Prison

We are saddened to announce that another Georgia Historic building has found the demise of the wrecking ball. The Georgia State Farm Prison in Milledgeville, better known as “The Farm”. It was born in 1911 and died suddenly July 26, 2018, at the edge of Milledgeville. It became the first prison in the state to have the infamous electric chair “Old Sparky” The chair was built by actual inmates .
The historical significance includes being the final home of 162 inmates by which their lives ended by the pull of the switch.
The building was said to have been haunted by souls that never left. With todays’ DNA testing and forensics, how many of the guilty would have been found innocent? Maybe those are the ones left behind. The building housed the good, the bad and the innocent. Some lives appear to have ended due to circumstantial evidence. Men arrived by Train, wagons and automobiles. They were old and young. All were watched over by the guards and visited by the head warden each day.
The prison gave shelter to many inmates with the best it had. Not only did the walls see the 162 court ordered executions, but saw many leave due to age, and sickness.
Famous inmates include Bill Miner, a notorious outlaw and train robber who previously rode with Jesse James. Leo Frank, the successful business man from Atlanta kidnapped from the prison then lynched in Marietta. In 1932 the son Fred Hulsey along with his father, William died on the same day, one behind the other.
Many stories were slowly coming to life by diligent research. Stories and photography were wanted to bring more history back to the prison.
If one would ask their spiritual guidance, would the inmates have the right to have been saved? Did they have the right for comfort? The unremarkable Reverend Edwin C. Atkins was available to witness for all. Most Sundays during his 14 year stay, Rev. Atkins preached sermons about the circumstances that contributed to a misguided life that lead the men to the Farm. He was with 141 inmates until their last breath. Only hours later, many times taking the grieving families to his home for extra comfort, prayer and a meal.
With justice given to so many, we must remember they were sons, brothers, uncles, friends, husbands and fathers.
In 1937 the building ended its life as the “State Farm” due to overcrowding.
Being on the National Historic registry did nothing to save the life of the building.
There had been a grassroots effort trying to save the building and artworks, spearheaded by the great grandson of Reverend Atkins by his name sake Edwin Atkins.
Written by Phyllis Betancourt
Picture by Edwin Atkins