History

Sumter County was created in 1831 from a portion of Lee County and was named for General Thomas Sumter of South Carolina, a soldier of the French and Indian Wars as well as the American Revolution.

The town of Andersonville has won a Phoenix Award for Preservation, Conservation and Beautification. The site of the infamous Civil War prison camp that bore the community's name is in nearby Macon County.

Charles Lindbergh learned to fly in Sumter County. Mr. Lindbergh bought a military surplus "Jenny" aircraft in the county and had it assembled at Southern Field. Mechanics there gave him flying lessons and saw him off on his first solo flight.

Points of Interest

Pennington St. James, a log church built in 1927 of cypress logs and native fieldstone, was designed by Ralph Cram, who designed Calvary Episcopal Church in Americus and the Cathedral of St. John in New York City.

Americus is home to Habitat for Humanity International, a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating substandard housing around the world. It is now one of the top ten homebuilders in the country.

Other attractions in Sumter County include the newly restored Rylander Theater, the Windsor Hotel and the Georgia Rural Telephone Museum.

The National Park Service has recently completed restoration of President Carter's boyhood home in Archery, outside of Plains, and has designated it a National Historic Site.

Notable Citizens

Jimmy Carter, former President of the United States and former Governor of Georgia, is from Plains.

Higher Education

Georgia Southwestern State University and South Georgia Technical College

Annual Events

Festivals in Sumter County include the Andersonville Fair and the Plains Peanut Festival.

P.O.W. Museum-Andersonville National Park

Downtown Plains