Saunder's Store

SAUNDER'S STORE. The present site of the building, which stands on the corner of South Harris Street and West Haynes Street, was the location of Mr. Mark Saunder's store at the crossing of roads. On December 19, 1793, the Legislature of Georgia authorized that a central place for a county site be chosen for Washington County.

In 1796, Mr. Saunders donated a part of his plantation for this purpose and in his honor the town was named Saundersville, later contracted to Sandersville. On November 27, 1812, the town was incorporated by an act of the Georgia Legislature. Here also was a relay station on the stagecoach road from Louisville to the new capital in Milledgeville.

Note: In 1954, the Georgia Historical Commission erected a Saunder's Store historical marker (state marker 150-7) on the site of the present Saunder's Store marker. The fate of that marker is unknown, but by the 1990s it was no longer standing. Around 2007, a new Saunder's Store marker was erected (apparently with local sponsorship).

The new marker contained similar text to the original one. However, the Sandersville Drug Company mentioned on the 1954 marker as the original site of the Saunder's store no longer was in business, so the language describing the original location of the store was changed.