Thomasville in Thomas County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Oliver C. Ewart Bowling Alley
1896
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, October 6, 2025
1. Oliver C. Ewart Bowling Alley Marker
Oliver Ewart, a banker who split his time between New York and Mount Vernon, Ohio, purchased the lot where you are standing in 1893 and built a three-level mansion. Three years later, he added this ten-pin bowling lane/shooting gallery/gymnasium for his twelve-year-old son, Robert. Believed to be the third oldest bowling alley left standing in the United States, it is built from heart pine. Pocket doors separate the bowling lane from the gymnasium area, which include twisted hooks on the ceiling to support ropes and swings. The doors also helped maintain heat in the gymnasium section during winter months, which is when the Ewart family spent most of their time in Thomasville.
While the Flowers-Roberts House that now houses the Museum was under construction in 1923, the Flowers family lived in the Bowling Alley, adding a kitchen and a bathroom which has since been removed. Under the ownership of the Roberts family, 1942-1969, the exterior was painted green, the inside painted white, and wood railings on the porch were replaced by metal piping. The Bowling Alley was restored to its original style in the early 1990s.
Erected by Thomasville
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1896.
Location. 30° 50.749′ N, 83° 59.08′ W. Marker is in Thomasville, Georgia, in Thomas County. It can be reached from North Dawson Street just south of East Jerger Street, on the left when traveling north. The marker and bowling alley are on the Thomasville History Center grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 725 North Dawson Street, Thomasville GA 31792, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Coastal Plain. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Wiregrass. 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.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: O.C. Ewart Bowling Alley
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, October 6, 2025
2. Oliver C. Ewart Bowling Alley Marker
Also see . . . Thomasvilles 1896 bowling alley still rolling after more than a century (WTXL Thomasville).
Excerpt: In Thomasville, a 128-year-old bowling alley still lets visitors roll back in time, complete with wooden lanes, hand-set pins, and rich local history. The O.C. Ewart Bowling Alley, built in 1896, is the oldest still-functioning single-lane bowling alley in the U.S. It was built by winter visitor Oliver Cowan Ewart as part of his Victorian estate and personal gym. Visitors today can still bowl there using smaller duckpins and even set the pins themselves.(Submitted on September 11, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, October 6, 2025
3. Oliver C. Ewart Bowling Alley (front/south elevation)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, October 6, 2025
4. Oliver C. Ewart Bowling Alley (west elevation)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, October 6, 2025
5. Oliver C. Ewart Bowling Alley (southwest elevation)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, October 6, 2025
6. Oliver C. Ewart Bowling Alley (interior)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 11, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 11, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
