Unusual Places

A Bit Out of the Ordinary: Every town has its quirky parts. Athens is no exception.

The Double-Barreled Cannon

The cannon (top), the only known one of its kind, was designed by John Gilleland. Cast in the Athens foundry, it was intended to fire simultaneously two balls connected by a chain which would “mow down the enemy somewhat as a scythe cuts wheat.” It failed for lack of a means of firing both barrels at the exact instant. It was tested in a field, but the lack of precise simultaneity caused uneven explosion of the propelling charges, which snapped the chain and gave each ball an erratic and unpredictable trajectory. Lacking a workable firing device, the gun was a failure. It was presented to the City of Athens where, for almost a century, it has been preserved as an object of curiosity, and where it performed sturdy service for many years in celebrating political victories.

The Tree that Owns Itself

Subject of an enduring legend, the tree has become a familiar landmark on the corner of Dearing and Finley streets. The 50-foot, white oak occupies a site less than a quarter-acre in size within the Finley Street right-of-way.

According to legend, University of Georgia professor William Jackson lived across Dearing Street from an oak tree, which he often climbed as a child and grew to love. This attachment prompted Jackson to deed to the tree the land on which it grew.

When a 1942 storm brought the old tree down, one of its acorns was saved by the Junior Ladies Garden Club, who tended the sprout and planted the sapling on the original site in 1946.

The Tree That Owns Itself has been locally designated as a Historic Landmark.