923 Highway 85 Connector, Brooks, GA 30205

The historic Kenyon Bradford Banks House, a Late-Victorian style central hallway cottage located in the heart of Brooks, is one of the most well preserved turn of the century homes in the downtown area. The house was built in 1908 as a home for local land baron and president of The Brooks Bank, Kenyon Bradford Banks and his growing family. At the time of its construction, the house reflected his wealth and status in the community with an ornate Eastlake front door, wraparound porch, decorative scaling on the gables, turned wood porch posts, ornate gingerbread trim, and decorative porch railing. Unfortunately, the porch railings and gingerbread trim have been lost to time and portions of the porch have been enclosed to allow for modern amenities such as bathrooms and a utility closet containing a hot water tank and electrical panel. Upon K. B. Banks death in 1941, the house was inherited by one of his daughters, Lois Banks Haynes, and was subsequently turned into a rental property. The first tenants of the home were the Samuel Cobb family, including Sam’s son, Kyle Truman Cobb, a Korean War veteran who became a state senator and was chairman of the Senate Public Safety Committee until his death. After her husband, Lemuel Haynes, passed away, Lois Banks Haynes moved back into her father’s house and lived there until her death in 1986, when the property was inherited by her son John. Over the years, the Kenyon Bradford Banks house fell into disrepair and was on the verge of demolition until it was purchased in 2000 by a Brooks City Councilman who set out to stabilize the house and restore the exterior while renovating the interior to make it habitable once more. The house was saved and after several years in the councilman’s possession was sold. In subsequent years, the home passed through several hands in quick succession and suffered several modernization attempts that detracted from its charm and historic beauty. The current owner of the house, however, is undertaking a multi-year restoration project to bring the house back to its original turn of the century glory, both inside and out.