Learn about the Transylvania Club and the Georgia Historical Plates

 Silk Stocking Street book by Rachel Paris

 Contact the Transylvania Club about the Official Georgia Historical Plates

The Transylvania Club of Sandersville was organized in 1908 with a membership of 18 unmarried ladies. At the Club's second meeting, it was voted that the Club establish a public library as its primary project. The library opened May 12, 1909 in the Masonic Building, which was located on the town square. It was housed there until 1921 when a fire destroyed the building and most of its contents. Undaunted, the members began anew, and in 1925 The Transylvania Club purchased the antebellum home and law offices of Colonel Richard Lee Warthen. The Transylvania Club's continued support of the library was so successful that a new building with state of the art technology was built in 1998. The Rosa M. Tarbutton Memorial Library, located on South Harris Street, is now the official public library of Washington County. The Club continues to house its offices and collections in the Warthen house, which is pictured below in an original work of art by Washington County native Sterling Everett.



Two hundred signed and numbered prints are available (14"x17 3/4"). To order this art print, click here

In 1932, Louise Irwin, a Transylvania Club member, conceived and executed the design of the Georgia Historical Plates as part of the upcoming 1933 Georgia Bicentennial Celebration. She suggested the project to the Transylvania Club as a celebration of the Bicentennial and the 25th anniversary of the Club. Miss Louise Irwin's design consisted of a set of 12 dinner-sized plates each with a different event, location or person(s) in Georgia's history depicted in the center. Encircling these subjects and contained within a border of cotton, peaches, Cherokee roses and boughs of long-leaf pine are more historical Georgia subjects- The Savannah, Fort Frederica, Liberty Hall, Crawford W. Long's home, and Bethesda Orphanage. The seal of Georgia with the state motto, "Wisdom, Justice and Moderation", appears at the lower center of the border. Words taken from the State Creed, "non sibi sed aliis" (not for self but others) are entwined above the state seal.




In February 1974, Governor Jimmy Carter signed the Georgia General Assembly's resolution number 573 making the Georgia Historical Plates the official plates for the State of Georgia. These plates are available through more than 100 retail merchants.




The following plates are available in both pink and blue:

01.General James Oglethorpe
02.Georgia Trustees and Tomochichi in London
03.John Wesley teaching Indians
04.Wesleyan College (Macon) - First College to bestow degrees on women
05.University of Georgia (Athens) - First State University
06.Richmond Academy (Augusta) - Oldest existing high school in America
07.Nancy Hart capturing Tories
08.Burning of the Yazoo Act
09.Old Capitol in Milledgeville
10.Atlanta Capitol
11.Group of portraits of Georgia Revolutionary Patriots
12.Group of portraits of Georgia Confederate Patriots





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