Porterdale in Newton County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Porter Memorial Gymnasium
"For the People of Porterdale"
March 28, 2026
1. Porter Memorial Gymnasium Marker
Inscription.
Porter Memorial Gymnasium. "For the People of Porterdale". Erected in 1938 by James H. Porter, in honor of his father and city founder, Oliver S. Porter, the gym featured a central basketball court with elevated bleachers on all sides sufficient to accommodate the entire town. Space below the bleachers housed dressing rooms and offices. The gym provided a place for athletic events and physical education classes, as well as school plays, piano classes, and a meeting place for the Porterdale Woman's Club. The highlight each year was the community Christmas Program. The center of Porterdale's recreational and social life for forty years, the gym fell into disuse as the mill and the community declined. Designed by Ellamae Ellis League, one of Georgia's first licensed female architects, the gym was constructed with wooden floors, roof, and bleachers. The building was destroyed by fire October 20, 2005. In order to preserve the historic structure, the gym was repurposed in 2013 as an open air event venue and a symbol of Porterdale's revitalization.
Erected in 1938 by James H. Porter, in honor of his father and city founder, Oliver S. Porter, the gym featured a central basketball court with elevated bleachers on all sides sufficient to accommodate the entire town. Space below the bleachers housed dressing rooms and offices. The gym provided a place for athletic events and physical education classes, as well as school plays, piano classes, and a meeting place for the Porterdale Woman's Club. The highlight each year was the community Christmas Program. The center of Porterdale's recreational and social life for forty years, the gym fell into disuse as the mill and the community declined. Designed by Ellamae Ellis League, one of Georgia's first licensed female architects, the gym was constructed with wooden floors, roof, and bleachers. The building was destroyed by fire October 20, 2005. In order to preserve the historic structure, the gym was repurposed in 2013 as an open air event venue and a symbol of Porterdale's revitalization.
Erected by Friends of Porterdale.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Disasters
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• Sports • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1938.
Location. 33° 34.338′ N, 83° 53.786′ W. Marker is in Porterdale, Georgia, in Newton County. It is on Main Street (Georgia Route 81) south of Osmunda Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2201 Main Street, Covington GA 30014, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Piedmont and in Metro Atlanta. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 29, 2026. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos:1. submitted on May 29, 2026. 2. submitted on May 29, 2026, by Edward Harthorn of Atlanta, Georgia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
