Toccoa in Stephens County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

McNeely & Company

circa 1920

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, October 6, 2021

1. McNeely & Company Marker

Inscription.
Opened by Mr. Robert McNeely, this building housed a furniture and hardware store on the first floor, a casket company on the second floor, and a mortuary on the third floor. The three-story structure features large bay windows and simple brickwork common in the early 1900s. Presented by the City of Toccoa

Erected by City of Toccoa, Georgia.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1920.

Location. 34° 34.767′ N, 83° 19.763′ W. Marker is in Toccoa, Georgia, in Stephens County. It is on Doyle Street east of North Sage Street, on the left when traveling east. Marker is mounted at eye-level near the east (right) corner of the front façade. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 27 Doyle Street, Toccoa GA 30577, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Mountains. It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

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the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Clipper Barber Shop (a few steps from this marker); Pool Room (a few steps from this marker); Blumenthal's (a few steps from this marker); Nickel Back (a few steps from this marker); Green's Bargain Annex (within shouting distance of this marker); Parker Newman Drugstore and Soda Shop (within shouting distance of this marker); McCurry's Men's Shop (within shouting distance of this marker); Main Street Café (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Toccoa.

Regarding McNeely & Company. In the right light, the “McNeely & Company” lettering can still be seen above the entrance. Contributing property, Toccoa Downtown Historic District, National Register of Historic Places #11000879.

Also see . . . Historic Plaque Program.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, October 6, 2021

2. McNeely & Company Marker

(marker visible near east [right] corner of the front façade)

Main Street Toccoa website entry:
Many stories were told about how Mr. McNeely and his employees had to carry cadavers up the stairs to reach the mortuary on the top floor of the building. The motto of McNeely and Company was "From the Cradle to the Grave" — an apt vision considering the nature of Mr. McNeely’s businesses. Mr. McNeely named his casket business the Toccoa Casket Company, which later expanded and became the largest suppliers of caskets to the U.S. military in the world until the end of the Vietnam War. Legend has it that Toccoa Casket Company provided the glass top liner-equipped cherry casket in which the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., was buried. (Submitted on November 6, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on January 2, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 6, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 755 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 6, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.