Flannery O’Connor’s hometown is a literary-filled escape.
I take a wrong turn just outside of Eatonton, Georgia, when I am only 30 minutes or so away from my destination. My map reroutes, and I dutifully follow the directions… right down a gravel road. For nearly 2 miles, I am white-knuckling, turning down my podcast, sitting up straighter and inching closer to the steering wheel. I laugh when I realize this scene is reminiscent of my favorite Flannery O’Connor short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find.”
Ironically, I am heading to Milledgeville, the acclaimed Southern Gothic writer’s hometown and continual inspiration, for an O’Connor pilgrimage of sorts. O’Connor spent her childhood and late adult life here writing many of her most well-known works. I’m back on the pavement before I can spend much time pondering the story’s villain, an escaped convict-turned-murderer. I arrive at Andalusia Farms, O’Connor’s home and the first stop of my overnight stay, unscathed and ready to dig into the hometown of one of South’s most iconic literary figures.
Tours of Andalusia Farms begin in the new Interpretive Center that was built in 2023. Here, I meet my guide, Angela Criscoe, executive director of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at Georgia College and State University. We take a quick golf cart ride to the main farmhouse where we move from room to room touring the small structure that served as O’Connor’s home until her death in 1964. Back at the interpretive center, I explore an exhibit of O’Connor’s handmade clothing and miniatures collection, many of which she received as gifts from others’ travels.
When I leave Andalusia, I head to Memory Hill Cemetery near downtown Milledgeville. I love walking through cemeteries because they are a glimpse into the past. When I find O’Connor’s family plot, I am taken by the little trinkets, pens, pencils and written works that folks have left behind in memoriam.
My lodging for the evening is The Inn on North Jefferson, a bed-and-breakfast situated in a renovated historic home. My spacious room features a four-poster bed, a cozy fireplace and, appropriately, a wall of built-ins filled with books. The innkeepers, Cliff and Jen Charnes, have snacks readily available along with coffee and—my personal favorite touch—a Bartesian cocktail machine for after-hours, self-serve cocktails. The Charnes also own Local Yolkal Cafe and offer complimentary breakfast for guests, encouraging them to get out and about in Milledgeville as soon as they open their eyes.
Exploring Milledgeville continues on Milly the Trolley for a fully narrated tour of Milledgeville’s historic district. The trolley departs from the Visitor Information Center and meanders past historic city landmarks. Unsurprisingly, my favorite stop is at Sacred Heart Catholic Church that was started by O’Connor’s family and where she and her mother attended daily mass.
Before heading back to Atlanta, I stop at Greene’s Farmhouse Foods, a popular family-owned lunch spot with a healthy twist on Southern cuisine. I fill my plate with fried chicken, dirty rice and Brussels sprouts for lunch, and I also grab roasted beet salad, macaroni and cheese and another chicken breast to have for dinner. After all, is there anything better than bringing home a slice of vacation? When I walk in the door to my house, I reheat my food and dive into my collection of O’Connor short stories, a return visit to Milledgeville already ruminating in my mind.
MILLEDGEVILLE-BALDWIN COUNTY CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
478.452.4687
visitmilledgeville.org
@milledgevillega
