Jake McCord
A celebrity in his hometown of Thomson, GA, Jake McCord was a quiet, gentle, and hard-working man. First-time visitors from the art world were quickly told that painting was only his hobby, that he worked a full-time job. And that he did. For 39 years Jake worked as a groundskeeper for the city of Thomson where he was well-known as the hardest-working person anyone there had ever seen.
Outside of work, Jake led a quiet and solitary life. He spent his hours creating bright “jolly” paintings and watching TV with absolute dedication. He said that it wasn’t good for a TV to be off for long. It needed to be exercised. He lived alone in an old wood-frame house with a big front porch right by the railroad tracks in the center of town. He showcased his paintings nailed to the wall or leaning on his front porch, while he rocked in one of his many rocking chairs. He said his paintings kept him company.Health problems brought Jake retirement from his city job in 2007, and he passed away in 2009. The house on Railroad Street was demolished to make room for a new county courthouse. The local history museum rushed in to salvage the porch and it is now part of a display of Jake’s artwork.
Thomson, GA
Sadly, Jake passed away on 9/1/2009.
See more about Jake and the house at 218 Railroad Street on our NEWS page.
We recently paid a visit to one of Jake's old friends in his hometown of Thomson, GA. He collected Jake's paintings for many years and now he is ready to part with a few. We selected the ones below to offer to you. They are some of Jake's earlier paintings. They are signed and dated, and each has a nail hole where Jake hung them on his porch. We hope you like them.
ANGEL
acrylic on wood
32" x 48"
signed & dated 2000
SOLD
PRAIRIE HOUSE
acrylic on scrap wood
47" x 23"
signed & dated 1999
$1200
BUNNY RABBIT
acrylic on scrap wood
30" x 15"
signed & dated 1996(?) or 1999(?)
SOLD
BUNNY RABBIT & PUPPY
acrylic on scrap wood
33" x 15-17"
signed & dated 1999
SOLD
GIRL & HER DOG
acrylic on wood
32" x 48"
signed & dated 2005
SOLD
Jake was a big fan of the TV show "Little House on the Prairie"
This is a view of Jake's church before arsonists destroyed it in 1977. Four local churches were burned to the ground in one night.
The old church was replaced with a new brick structure. Jake kept the grass cut.
THE CHURCH
acrylic on wood
32" x 48"
signed & dated 2002
SOLD
INDIAN MAIDEN
acrylic on wood
32" x 48"
signed & dated 1999
SOLD
She might have been a character in a TV Western like Jake's favorites "Bonanza" & "Little House on the Prairie"
Jake called this mule Adele. He said he used to plow on the farm with this mule and that she decided when the day's work was finished. He just followed her home. We purchased this painting directly from Jake in 2005.
ADELE
acrylic on wood
36" x 52"s
signed & dated 2005
(frame optional)
SOLD
CHOOSE AN ARTIST
FROM THE LIST
Questions about an item or an artist?...ready to buy?...
