About the Museum

Our Story, Mission & Vision

Our Story

There must be something in the soil! Three of America’s most celebrated authors called central Georgia home. Alice Walker, Flannery O’Connor, and Joel Chandler Harris began their literary journeys within 20 miles of Eatonton, Georgia. Together, their writing chronicles more than a century of creative Southern traditions.

Georgia Writers Museum honors our hometown authors through three exhibits that explore their paths to literary success. Walker, O’Connor, and Harris were drawn to writing by differing circumstances, but they shared an unwavering passion for literature, as do the over 60 members of the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame exhibited at Georgia Writers Museum in partnership with the University of Georgia’s Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

Georgia Writers Museum is dedicated to inspiring today’s writers and readers and celebrating Georgia’s literary heritage.

Our Mission

GWM celebrates the state’s rich literary history, promotes its contemporary writers, educates readers and writers of all ages, and connects people to the literary arts of Georgia.

Our Vision

To be the state’s foremost resource for Georgia readers and writers.

2025 Annual Report

The History of GWM

Georgia Writers Museum was founded in 2014 as part of a plan to revitalize the city of Eatonton.

Several major employers closed their doors following the 2008 economic downturn, resulting in a significant hit to the revenue of the city and county. Local leadership formed a study group to research ways the city could attract new businesses, citizens, and visitors. After meeting with advisors from Georgia Economic Development, it was decided that a focus on the arts would be a powerful tool to help grow the city. Out of that work came the Lake Country Arts Alliance, which created The Artisans Village, The Artisans Village Art Gallery, and Georgia Writers Museum, all located in Historic Downtown Eatonton.

For several years, the museum was operated exclusively by volunteers. In 2020, the museum hired a professional executive director with deep museum education and experience. Programs were expanded, including Writers Workshops, the Meet the Author series, book clubs, children’s writing programs, and many others. The museum was accepted as a member of the Southern Literary Trail, which brought visiting exhibits to the museum. Exhibits continue to be added and updated.

The museum as a physical structure has had a colorful history. The earliest record of the physical space currently occupied by the Georgia Writers Museum is a handwritten entry in the giant deed book at the Putnam County Courthouse. At public sheriff’s auction in 1841, Richard G. Ward and Alfred Franklin bought the property for $20. Eatonton was incorporated as a city in 1879. Little is known about the use of the property until May 1919, when Frank A. Dennis bought the property to start a grocery store. In December 1932, the 109 South Jefferson Building became Chandler’s Variety (it was called Chandler’s 5 and 10 Cents store). In July 1935, Chandler’s bought 111 South Jefferson, doubling their space. Chandler’s also had stores in Milledgeville and Greensboro.

In 1961, the property was purchased by Neil R. Hewitt as a hardware store. In 1966, the property was purchased by H. Reid Harris, who opened Bates Seed and Supply. Over the next thirty years, the property changed hands numerous times to become a Cloth Shop, Athletic Attic, Southern Unique, and others. After renting the space for five years, Georgia Writers Museum purchased the 3-building property in 2019.

Contact Information

  • Visit

    109 S. Jefferson Ave. Eatonton, GA 31024

  • By Mail

    P.O. Box 3429 Eatonton, GA 31024

  • Email

    info@georgiawritersmuseum.org

Directions

Staff & Board Bios

Staff

Melissa Swindell

Melissa Swindell

Executive Director

Melissa began her museum career at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of American History (NMAH), where she assisted with the plans for long-term artifact storage and researched colonial American foodways for the American Enterprise exhibit. Her favorite experience at NMAH was exploring the collections behind the scenes, from the inkwell that Abraham Lincoln used to sign the Emancipation Proclamation to the bongo drum that Desi Arnez played on I Love Lucy. Although she’s always enjoyed learning about history, this experience brought it to life. At that point, she knew her mission was to show people that history is not boring and static, that it is often stranger than fiction, and that it can be fun and engaging for people of all ages.

Melissa returned home to Georgia from Washington, D.C. with the passion and experience to bring history to life for the people visiting museums in our state. As Director of Historic Resources and Educational Programs at Heritage Sandy Springs (2015-2017), she launched the American Girl® Club, bringing the beloved children’s books to life through hands-on education. And as Executive Director at The Wren’s Nest (2017-2019), she invited paranormal investigators to introduce guests to the lingering spirits of Brer Rabbit author Joel Chandler Harris and his family.

As Executive Director of Georgia Writers Museum today, Melissa can’t wait to introduce readers across the state and beyond to our hometown writers.

Ginger Crosswhite

Ginger Crosswhite

Director of Museum Education

Ginger Sims Crosswhite was born and raised in Barrow County. She graduated from Georgia Southern College with a Bachelor’s degree in Education. She returned home and began her teaching career. She continued to teach l, while attending the University of Georgia earning a Masters and later a Education Specialist degree. She the became the Assistant Principal at Haymon-Morris Middle School before transitioning to the district office to serve as the Instruction Improvement Specialist and District Gifted Coordinator. She retired from Barrow County in June 2020 and now works for the Georgia Department of Education as a Federal Program Specialist. Mrs. Crosswhite received many awards during her 30+ year career- school level Teacher of the Year at Russell Middle and Winder-Barrow High School, District Teacher of the Year, District STAR Teacher of the Year and she was selected by National Science Teachers Association as a NASA Educator Workshop Participant.
Mrs. Crosswhite and her husband, Jesse, have been married for over twenty-nine years. They have a daughter, Elizabeth. The Crosswhite’s moved to Eatonton permanently in 2022. Mrs. Crosswhite joined the Georgia Writers Museum Board in January of 2024.

Officers

Lou Benjamin

Lou Benjamin

President

Lou was one of the founders and is the current President of Georgia Writers Museum. He and his wife, Paula, have been property owners in the area since 1989, and lived here full time since retiring in 2006. A native of Cincinnati, he is a graduate of Trinity College, with degrees in Psychology and Political Science. He was the founder and Managing Partner of a company that specialized in placing junior military officers into civilian careers.

His community involvement includes having served as President of Waters Edge Homeowners’ Association, and Chair of the Reynolds Lake Oconee Board of Advisors. He has acted in numerous plays, and is the current President of the Lake Country Arts Alliance.

Michael Homeier

Michael Homeier

Vice President

Bio to come soon.

Drew McCandless

Drew McCandless

Treasurer

Drew is a retired Sherwin-Williams executive spending thirty year with the Company in various sales, marketing, manufacturing and general management roles. He now makes his home in Greensboro, Georgia.

He graduated from Grove City College with a degree in Business Administration and earned his MBA at Kent State University.

Drew has served on the boards of Make-A-Wish, Marymount Hospital and as a member of the Alumni Council at Grove City College.

Betty Liedtke

Betty Liedtke

Secretary

Betty is a writer, editor, proofreader, and the author of Find Your Buried Treasure—Nuggets Mined from Everyday Life, based on her award-winning weekly newspaper column, “Find Your Buried Treasure,” which ran in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager from 2001 to 2017, when she and her husband, Steve, relocated to Eatonton. Betty is also one of 40 female entrepreneurs featured in the book, Fearless Women, Fearless Wisdom. She currently serves as Secretary of Georgia Writers Museum, and is an active member of Toastmasters International, Pathways to Hope—Africa, and the Greensboro Writers Guild.

Board Members

Eric Arena

Eric Arena

Eric Arena is a longtime Georgia educator and school leader who served more than three decades in public education, including as Superintendent of the Putnam County School District. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Charter System Foundation, supporting charter systems and college and career academies across the state.

His work focuses on school innovation, governance support, and expanding opportunities for students through strong community and industry partnerships. While most of his career has been in Georgia, he also spent time living and working in Florida, adding to his broader perspective on public education.

Arena is also a writer who draws on themes of leadership, service, and community, using storytelling to reflect on the people and experiences that shape education and public life.

Chip Bell

Chip Bell

Chip is a renowned keynote speaker and author of several bestselling, award-winning books, including Take Their Breath Away, Managing Knock Your Socks Off Service, Sprinkles, Kaleidoscope, and his newest book, Inside Your Customer’s Imagination.

Chip has appeared live on CNBC, Bloomberg TV, Fox Business, and CNN, and his work has been featured in Fortune, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, Businessweek, Entrepreneur, Inc. Magazine, and Harvard Business Review.

Judi Bell

Judi Bell

Judi brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the temporary staffing industry, supporting operations across the United States and Canada. Served as Chief Operating Officer for People2.0 in the Philadelphia area before she and her husband, Tim, retired to Eatonton, GA.

In 2026, Judi joined the GWM board after volunteering for them as an advisor for the American Association for State and Local History’s Standards and Excellence Program for History Organizations (STEPS).

Throughout her career, Judi has maintained a strong commitment serving various nonprofits. She is especially passionate about GWM and the meaningful role it plays in enriching and connecting our communities.

Paula Benjamin

Paula Benjamin

Paula has served on the board of Georgia Writers Museum since 2016. A native of Atlanta, she graduated from Georgia State University with degrees in Political Science and English. Her professional career spanned 30 years in the communications technology industry with Southern Bell, AT&T, and BellSouth, specializing in business sales and marketing, but with assignments in consumer marketing, reseller operations, networks consulting, and executive support and messaging. She retired and moved to the Lake Country with her husband, Lou, in 2006.

Serving on the board of the local arts center in Eatonton inspired her to become an advocate for the arts in this rural town, largely unfamiliar to many outside the Lake Country around Lake Oconee. The area’s rich literary heritage spoke to her lifetime interest in the English language arts. Her work with GWM is a way to share her belief that the written word is important to individual development and living a fulfilling life.

Gloria Edge

Gloria Edge

Gloria spent her career in the Communications industry, working with Southern Bell and AT&T. Working predominately in network security and fraud prevention, Gloria was part of a consulting team that worked with international partners to establish new fraud detection and loss prevention centers across the globe. After 30 years, she retired and moved to Lake Sinclair with her husband, Bob. Married more than 50 years, they have two children and three grandchildren.

Gloria credits her great-grandmother with her love for reading, through the gift of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. She says her entire way of looking at the world instantly changed. Since then, she has realized both the power and responsibility of the written word.

Her passion for reading is captured by contemporary authors. When she finds a book she loves, she will research and read everything published by that author, regardless of genre. Discovering how authors mature and move through their body of work is as thrilling to her as the stories they tell.

Serving on the board of Georgia Writers Museum seems a natural fit for Gloria. Promoting the work of new authors while preserving the history of those who led the way provides the perfect outlet for her service to the community she loves.

Ame Haley

Ame Haley

Ame was born in Eatonton and grew up enjoying the stories of the antics of Joel Chandler Harris’ Brer Rabbit. Those stories fostered a love of reading, which included the writings not only of Harris but also of many other Georgia writers.

After leaving Eatonton for college, and several years working as director of marketing for a community bank in Newnan, Georgia, Ame moved back to Eatonton to work for The Peoples Bank for 30+ years. She also served as Chairman of the Board for the bank, and has volunteered as a board member with The Plaza Arts Center as well as The Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce. She has also served on the Eatonton Tree Board and chaired it for many years.

Ame and her husband, Chuck, also from Eatonton, have three adult children.

Fred Kitchens

Fred Kitchens

Fred is a retired attorney and trade association executive. His love of reading and a desire to volunteer in his community led him to join the Georgia Writers Museum board in 2019. Fred and his wife, Ginny, reside in Madison.

Amy McElhenney

Amy McElhenney

Born in Milledgeville, GA 1971. Graduate of John Milledge Academy in 1989 where I attended from Kindergarten till a Senior. Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology with Minor in Criminal Justice from Georgia College in 1993.

My career began in the Financial Aid Industry at Georgia Military College and Georgia College. I experienced the change from Georgia College to Georgia College & State University during my work there as well as having a woman become President of the University. I was a member of the Junior Women’s Club in Milledgeville.
I married in 1998 and moved to Putnam County the home of my husband, Thomas H. McElhenney, as well as it being home to some of my family members. I have two children, Thomas Howard McElhenney Jr. and Lillian Kathryn McElhenney. Putnam County has been home to my family for generations.

In 1998, I was employed by Farmers & Merchants Bank, Eatonton, and The Farmers Bank, Greensboro (sister banks). I began my banking career as a Mortgage Lender. I held this position for ten years. I became an Assistant Compliance Officer after this time.
Currently, I am Vice President of Farmers & Merchants Bank and serve as Director to Putnam Greene Financial Corporation, Farmers & Merchants Bank and The Farmers Bank. Also, I am the Human Resources Director for Putnam Greene Financial Corporation and Farmers & Merchants Bank. I have served for twenty-eight years with Farmers & Merchants Bank.

I am active in our community. I have served as Treasurer and President to the local Kiwanis Club. I have served many voluntary positions at First Baptist Church of Eatonton. I have served on the Eatonton Putnam Chamber of Commerce Board as well as their Leadership Board. I am a graduate of Leadership Putnam in 2020. I am the newest member of the Georgia Writer’s Museum Board. I am a supporter of our local Habitat for Humanity.
I believe Putnam County is the greatest place to live and look forward to its future.

Volunteer Opportunities

We welcome new volunteers to the Georgia Writers Museum. If you are interested, please contact Melissa Swindell, Executive Director at director@georgiawritersmuseum.org.

Museum Greeter

Welcome visitors to Georgia Writers Museum. No experience necessary. We provide volunteers with our top FAQ’s, and a staff member will be on-site to help you throughout your shift.

Museum Guide

Welcome visitors to Georgia Writers Museum and provide individual and group tours of the exhibits. Be available to answer questions about our three Eatonton authors, as well as Hall of Fame writers. We provide volunteers with behind-the-scenes stories of each author, along with a docent manual, and our top FAQ’s. A staff member will be on-site to help you throughout your shift.

Education Committee

Working with other volunteers and board members, the Education Committee develops ideas from concept through fruition for our K-12 students in the local area and across the state through virtual platforms.

Programs & Events Committee

Working with other volunteers and board members, the Programs & Events Committee develops ideas from concept through fruition for our adult audiences in the local area and across the state through virtual platforms. Each month we host Georgia authors at our Meet the Author series, and we work with writing instructors each quarter to bring workshops to budding and experienced writers.

Marketing & Outreach Committee

This committee helps get the word out! GWM’s Marketing & Outreach Committee maintains our strong brand identity, develops effective relationships with media outlets, and communicates with our members regularly through email and social media.

Development & Finance Committee

Help GWM with our long-term fundraising and retail strategies. This committee oversees the financial performance of the museum and assists with everything from annual giving to capital campaigns. GWM is excited to grow into its next phase. We hired our first Executive Director in 2020. We rebranded and launched a new, more dynamic website, and are in the process of introducing a retail plan and imagining new exhibits!

Become a Board Member!

GWM was founded in 2014 by active volunteer board members who developed this museum from idea to reality. Our board is composed of hard-working, passionate volunteers, each of whom brings unique talents and skills to GWM. We ask that all board members actively participate on one or more committees and contribute financially to the organization. Board members are expected to represent the interests of the museum and participate in strategic planning, financial and operation oversight, resource development, external community relations, and board development, as needed throughout the course of their term. We are happy to meet with anyone who is seeking a meaningful way to be more connected to our statewide writers’ community.

For more information about becoming a GWM Board Member, please email director@georgiawritersmuseum.org.

GWM Volunteers Hard at Work

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VISIT

SUN-TUE: Closed

WED-SAT: 10am-3pm

LOCATION

Georgia Writers Museum

109 S. Jefferson Ave.

Eatonton, GA 31024

(706) 991-5119

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