In an effort to preserve some of the history of our community, The Times is displaying photos of Henry County from the past. If you can tell us about the photo shown above, us using this form and tell us. In the next edition, we’ll reveal the details of the picture and notes readers send us.

Joe Turner wrote, “this is the Edna Earl Hotel about 1955 in Hampton at the corner of East Main Street and James Street. It had rooms upstairs and a restaurant downstairs. Passenger trains stopped in Hampton and folks stayed in the hotel. Traveling salesmen and such.” Sharon Gronau said, “This is the old Edna Earl Hotel on Main Street in Hampton.  I believe it operated sometime between the 40’s and 50’s. The sign remained in long after the hotel went out of business.” Greg Nobles wrote, “the photo shows the Edna Earl Hotel and Soda Fountain. This building served as a 12 room hotel upstairs with a restaurant and soda fountain on the main floor. It was a hotel back in the days when East Main was a main highway before I-75 was developed and Hwy. 19-41 was widened.  It later was used by Earl and Alice Pendley as a retail store and the upstairs hotel rooms were not being used. I purchased the building from Mr. and Mrs Pendley in 2007 and began renovations. Before completion I sold it to an investor group that completed it. Currently it is being used as loft apartments on the second floor. Downstairs are Rutabaga’s Market and Cafe and Mercantile on Main.” Greg submitted the photo above of the hotel. Bobbie Wingo also correctly identified the photo.