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Transylvania Club honored by Georgia Assembly

By: Representative Lord of the 103rd

A RESOLUTION

To recognize and commend the Transylvania Club of Sandersville, Georgia; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, the Transylvania Club of Sandersville, Georgia, was organized on October 23, 1908, at which time the 18 charter members of the club chose as their motto: "Service, not for ourselves, but for others"; and

WHEREAS, at the January 1909 meeting of the club, Mary Tarbutton, the first president of the club, suggested that the club adopt as its project the establishment of a public library and the membership wholeheartedly agreed; and

WHEREAS, the club, through silver teas, musicals, home talent plays, and ice cream festivals, raised the funds for the library which opened in the majestic Greek-temple styled Masonic Building on the town square in Sandersville on May 12, 1909, with Mary Bangs Tarbutton as its first librarian; and

WHEREAS, through the hard work of the club and the benevolence of the friends of the library, the library expanded to a collection of over 7,000 volumes by 1921; and

WHEREAS, on February 13, 1921, tragedy struck the library in the form of a fire which engulfed and destroyed the Masonic Building and the library; and

WHEREAS, the club was not deterred by the loss and resolved to begin anew and the library reopened the following Tuesday in the home of Mary Tarbutton with 15 volumes; and

WHEREAS, club members, in a called meeting by President Louise Irwin, agreed to contribute one dollar each toward the purchase of new books and pledged to rebuild the library; and
WHEREAS, the club, through public solicitation, flea markets, and bake sales, raised sufficient funds by June 1925 to purchase a building on the city square to house the Sandersville Public Library where the library stayed until it merged with the Washington County Library to form the Rosa M. Tarbutton Memorial Library in January 1998; and

WHEREAS, in December 1932, the club, at the suggestion of Louise Irwin, adopted the project of creating a series of historical plates to commemorate the bicentennial of Georgia and the 25th anniversary of the founding of the club with the first delivery of the Georgia Historical Plates by Wedgwood in September 1935; and

WHEREAS, in February 1974, Governor Jimmy Carter signed the resolution of the General Assembly designating the plates as the official historical plates of the State of Georgia; and

WHEREAS, the sale of these plates has been a major funding source for the Sandersville Public Library with thousands of the plates being sold; and

WHEREAS, since the Sandersville Public Library merged with the Washington County Library in 1998 to form the Rosa M. Tarbutton Memorial Library, the club has continued to generously support public library services in Sandersville and Washington County with donations in excess of $300,000.00 to the Rosa M. Tarbutton Memorial Library; and

WHEREAS, such support of the public library is commendable and worthy of recognition by this body.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize and commend the Transylvania Club of Sandersville, Georgia, for its support of the public library and its civic efforts through the years for the betterment of the community and the state.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the Transylvania Club of Sandersville, Georgia.

Georgia Historical Plates

History

The Transylvania Club of Sandersville, Georgia, in 1933, observing its 25th anniversary and Georgia's bicentennial, sponsored a set of commemorative plates which depict deeds and men who illuminated the stirring history of our famous state.

In 1974, the legislature of Georgia declared these plates to be the official historical plates of Georgia. They have been used at the Governor's Mansion, in the White House, and by members of England's royal family and are on display at the State Capitol.

The income from the sale of these plates supports a variety of causes on behalf of the Transylvania Club. One of these causes is the Rosa M. Tarbutton Memorial Library, Washington County, Sandersville, Georgia.

Design

The entire design of each border around a different historical center is an informal arrangement of the flora of our state wherein one finds cotton, peaches, and Cherokee roses as well as the needles of her famous long-leaf pine. The great seal of the state appears at the bottom with our altruistic motto: non sibi sed allis, entwined above. The floral scroll is broken by five other insets of historic interest. These are: Bethesda, first orphanage in America; home of Doctor Crawford W. Long, discoverer of anesthesia; the Savannah, first steamship to cross the Atlantic; Fort Frederica, fortification against the Spanish invasion; and Liberty Hall, home of Alexander H. Stephens. This stirring frame appears on every plate and surrounds the centers.

Subjects Available

1. General James Edward Oglethorpe, founder of Georgia.
2. Georgia Trustees receiving Oglethorpe and Indians in London.
3. Wesley teaching Indians - First Sunday School in the world.
4. Wesleyan College, first college in world to bestow degrees on women.
5. University of Georgia, first State University in United States.
6. Richmond Academy, oldest existing high school in America.
7. Nancy Hart capturing the Tories.
8. Burning of the Yazoo Act.
9. Old Capitol, Milledgeville.
10. Capitol, Atlanta.
11. Group of portraits of Georgia Patriots of Colonial and Revolutionary era includes Lyman Hall, Archibald Bullock, William Harris Crawford, James Jackson, Button Gwinett, William Few, John Milledge, George Walton, Abraham Baldwin, Joseph Habersham, Crawford W. Long.
12. Group of portraits of Georgia Patriots of Confederate and following era includes Joseph E. Brown, Robert Toombs, Clement A. Evans, Benjamin Hill, Howell Cobb, James Longstreet Joel C. Harris Sidney Lanier T.R.R. Cobb John B. Gordon Henry Grady Alexander H. Stephens.

Center portraits of the plates were chosen because these men represent Georgia in the Hall of Fame at the National Capitol in Washington.

Wedgwood and Queensware

There is abundant tradition for thus memorializing Georgia's history for since the eighteenth century, commemorative Queensware has been used as a medium to picture historic shrines.

The first Queensware was made by Josiah Wedgwood, F.R.S. for Queen Charlotte in 1762 and was so named in her honor.

The traditions of the master potter are carried on by his direct descendants and the Georgia plates are made from the original formula of Queensware under personal supervision of a lineal descendant of the founder. They are available in rose pink and blue dinner service size approximately ten and one-half inches in diameter. They are available in complete sets of twelve different subjects or by individual subjects. Each plate is backstamped with a short history of the subject.

Inquiries to:

Transylvania Club, Inc.
131 West Haynes Street
Post Office Box 813
Sandersville, Georgia 31082
(478) 552-6324

Information also available at www.ga.plates.com.