Established in 1786, Greensborough (later shortened to Greensboro) was named for Revolutionary War hero, General Nathanael Greene. The city, also known as Lake Oconee’s Hometown, was laid out in a traditional quadrangle from between North, South, East and West Streets, with its historic downtown lying halfway between Augusta and Atlanta. In the painting Greensboro in the 1800s, Jan Whyllson presents a not-exactly-true-to-history folk artist version of the actual history of the area. Jan explains, “folk art presents pure images vet molds history into both real and unreal visions. In other
words, it sees reality as it should be.” And even though there’s a bit of artistic license that’s been taken, this work includes many of the real buildings and places of the time – the Statham Hotel, the Big Store (with its bell used to announce the opening of the store, as well as midday meal time for the surrounding workers), a grocery and fabric store, the bakery, churches, the post office and courthouse (including the Old Gaol (ie “jail’), and the oldest house in Greensboro – all complete with the hustle and bustle along dirt covered streets and wooden side and crosswalks.

Jan Whyllson (pictured above) lived as a local folk artist known for her whimsical street scenes of the historic towns and countryside surrounding the Lake Oconee area. Born in Moundville, Alabama, her mother read the great poets to her as she grew from them the Spirit of Prose. It’s no surprise that she went on to study arts and language, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Alabama, a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Georgia in Acting and Directing and a Master of Education ni English. The common thread through her life and career centered around helping and serving others, especially as a teacher.

Her books of poetry & writings are available throughout Georgia. Local readers are familiar with the popular weekly column “Season Songs”, published in the Greensboro Herald Journal for more than 30 years. Whether illustrating history and bringing the stories of the past alive through her paintings, or through poetry – where she presents what she says is “an eye for the inner, that point when the ordinary becomes the extraordinary” – Whyllson’s work brings the viewer into her perspective to hopefully enlighten and maybe even educate us along the way.