History of the E. R. Barber House

The Barber House was built in 1915 by E. R. Barber, a respected entrepreneur and inventor who was involved in his community. The house, designed by Valdosta architect and resident Lloyd Barton Greer, is a prime example of the Southern Domestic Neo-classic period with its beautiful simplicity, linteled windows, six ionic supporting columns and symmetrically spaced windows and entrance door. Inside, the Barber House is equally astonishing in its wainscoting, crown molding and three fireplaces on the first floor. The dining room ceiling is also telling of the family for which the house was built; concentric squares of 60 small lights integrated with a wood beam system adorn the room, a very unique design element that was likely the idea of E.R. Barber himself.

Upon Mr. Barber’s death in 1965, the house became the property of his daughter, Ola Barber Pittman. Shortly after acquiring the house, how-ever, Mrs. Pittman found her home threatened by the General Services Administration who sought to acquire the site as an additional parking facility for the new U.S. Post Office/Federal Office Building that had just been built. Mrs. Pittman was vehement in her efforts to save her house, however; it is rumored that she even made a call to President Lyndon B. Johnson himself to state her case. Mrs. Pittman was rewarded for her efforts, and the house was not demolished.

After spending the last two years of her life in a nursing home, Mrs. Pittman died in 1977. In her will, she bequeathed the Barber House to “the citizens of Valdosta” with detailed instruc-tions that the government should not gain control of the property. She also decreed that the property could not be sold. Mrs. Pittman had considered the house to be a safe haven and a place of security, relaxation and reflection; it possessed all of her fondest memories. This was the heritage she wished to pass on to the citizens of Valdosta in leaving the property to them.

The provisos of Mrs. Pittman’s will regarding the Barber House and the specified use of it pre-sented some problems, however, and it took two years for a decision to be reached on what to do with the house. During this time, the late Jimmy New suggested that the house be used as the new headquarters for the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce. In March of 1979, the Southwest Georgia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects became interested in working on the Barber House as a renovation project, and representatives of various interest groups including the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce met with the executors of Mrs. Pittman’s estate to work out the details.

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Investing For The Next Century

It took two years for the renovations on the Barber House to be completed, and the act was largely a labor of love. Many local craftsmen and architects including Richard Hill, Mac Tillman and Troy Snipes offered their services for little or no charge. Although they tried to keep as much of the house in its original condition as possible, the years had not been kind to the property; it was deteriorated, vandalized, and much of the wainscoting and baseboards had been ripped off. The major portion of the property was restored to its original splendor with modern techniques while using most or all of the old fixtures. Existing bare wire electrical systems were replaced and brought up to code, while many of the older aspects of the house, such as the closets, attic and basement – the site of Mr. Barber’s laboratory – remain unob-trusive. Likewise, the architects took great care to keep as many of the original light fixtures as possible and much of the furniture used throughout the house also belonged to the Barber family. Following the renovation of the Barber House, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Place in 1980.

The Chamber of Commerce began operating from the beautifully restored location in 1981 and has remained there ever since. In 2001, the Chamber proudly celebrated 20 years of operation in the Barber House. In 2015, the Chamber celebrates the 100th anniversary of the historic home.

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