J.S. “Sammy” Blackwell Jr. sits in one of his conjoined showrooms in downtown Eatonton as he reminisces about the history of Blackwell Furniture.
Charlie Ellison (left) and Timmy Bland have made hundreds of Blackwell Furniture deliveries over recent years, but will soon be looking for new jobs.
Signs outside Blackwell Furniture tell the story as it winds down after 78 years in business.
A literal end of an era arrived for Eatonton on April 13, as Blackwell Furniture, a mainstay of the city’s downtown business fabric for 78 years, officially began its going-out-of-business sale.
Opened in 1945 by John Samuel Blackwell Sr. in a combination of what already were five aging storefronts along the west side of North Madison Avenue, the business gradually grew to include three more adjace…