We are delighted to work with a professional full-service CPA firm.

One of my first goals as the Director was to achieve the GFOA Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting. Bates Carter was very helpful in the achievement of this award on our first try, and has been supportive in our efforts to continue to achieve the award since then. I have been very pleased with Bates Carter & Co.

I have enjoyed working with Bates Carter & Co. over the years.

Louie has been a client longer than he has been married which says a lot for both relationships. Our company became Pittman Construction Company, we had two children and now have six grandchildren and BatesCarter still does the estate planning and tax preparation for all of us. Just as our family and business has grown in size, so has BatesCarter, but their one on one approach to each client has not changed.

You can see that we value relationships and like to stay with people that understand and appreciate both our business and family concerns.

BatesCarter represents the continuity we have experienced and grown to expect from the only CPA firm we have ever used.

It seems like yesterday when you and I first met. I have served as a Commissioner in Morgan County for nineteen plus years. The experience I have had with BatesCarter has been wonderful. You have always been there when I need to ask the dumbest of financial questions concerning County Government.

I was very concerned as an elected official when the GASB 34 Bill was passed. You and your firm worked with Morgan County to help us through the changes. I could not ask for any better treatment than we have received from the people at BatesCarter, especially you.

As an example, Duane and his team provided valuable input, technical expertise and assistance in preparing our first annual budget document for submission to the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program. Since that time, our government has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award consecutively for ten years. The firm of Bates Carter has meant a lot to me both professionally and personally over the years. Duane Schlereth has been more than just a point of contact; he has been a mentor and friend. Duane has encouraged me and been very supportive of my role in local government and my involvement in the Georgia Government Finance Officers Association (GGFOA).

Without reservation, I can say that BatesCarter has provided Jackson County with prompt, efficient and friendly service.

John and the staff at BatesCarter are always accessible (even on April 15) and ready to answer our questions and offer practical advice. We always know we can depend on John and the staff for high ethical standards and up-to-date knowledge of tax laws and also business and personal financial advice.

We rest comfortable knowing we and our companies are in the hands of the team at BatesCarter….Honest, Professional, Dependable, and Affordable.

I own a small employee benefit consulting company in Atlanta. Needless to say, we have a lot of competition and have to set ourselves apart by providing outstanding customer service and new ideas to our customers and prospects.

When I think of Bates Carter, I think of great people, outstanding service, and responsiveness on a timely basis.

My company is certainly on the low end financially of “corporate accounts” for Bates Carter, but I have to say we are treated with care and concern. From the “real person” (Nora) answering the phone to the new assistant who may help with gathering information to (Betsy) dragging me through my books, I feel like our best interest is at heart! — And I can always get Ron on the phone or another partner to help with some research on a technical tax question that may affect one of our clients.

Thanks for all you do and keep up the good work!!

My experience with Bates Carter has been wonderful. Everyone is not only professional, but personable and extremely easy to work with. I have and would recommend the firm to anyone!

Though officially only 50 years old, BatesCarter’s roots trace back many years earlier. Dick Dillard was one of the very first CPAs in North Georgia. Dick, known for his voice as a member of a barbershop quartet, was a CPA pioneer in Northeast Georgia. Vilas Betts arrived in Georgia in 1955 via Michigan when The Warren Featherbone Company moved south to Gainesville. After having served as chief financial officer of The Warren Featherbone Company, Vilas joined with other CPAs to form BatesCarter.

Jim Bates arrived in Gainesville from Eastman, Georgia courtesy of Martin P. Ellard. Jim joined Martin’s firm in 1957. As Fate would have it, Jim met future partner John A. Carter while working with Martin and in 1962 ventured out with Dick and Vilas to form his own firm.

A native son of Northeast Georgia, John joined Martin’s firm in 1958. In 1966, he too left to join his old friend and associate, thus establishing the team of Bates and Carter. To this day, Martin Ellard, Jim Bates and John Carter’s influence is still felt in the Northeast Georgia community of CPAs as nearly every CPA in Northeast Georgia has worked with them or their firms.

From its humble beginnings at 423 Bradford Street, the firm moved to Wisteria Drive in 1965. Through its relationship with Donald J. Carter, BatesCarter and Don restored the former Candler School Building, which had served the Gainesville City School System from 1911 until 1978. Renovations were complete in 1982, and in November the firm moved to its current location in the Old Candler School Building at 525 Candler Street. We celebrated this building’s 100th anniversary last year in 2011.

More to Come – The Evolving Decades

BatesCarter is 50 years old in 2012. During this half-century, we have grown wiser and have dedicated our time to making a positive impact on all those with whom we have come in contact. This includes our team, their families, our community and the clients we serve. Although change and the speed of change would have truly amazed our founders, we have remained consistent in our approach to how we do business. We remain committed to improving the quality of life for our clients by enhancing wealth and facilitating achievements. For our team members we continue to offer challenging career opportunities and a family-friendly culture.

We are extremely proud to be able to celebrate our 50 years of business. A hearty “thank you” goes to all of our clients, past and present, who have trusted BatesCarter with their accounting and advisory needs. We have built our business on the trust you have shown us over the last 50 years and we are committed to serve you for another 50 years and beyond.

We invite those with whom we have had the pleasure of working with to read and share your testimonial with us. As we start our journey of the next 50 years, we want each of you to know our doors are open, our minds are attentive to your needs and we are committed to exceeding your expectations…. Always.

One hundred years ago, the Don Carter Realty Co. building was constructed. At the time, it wasn’t office space. It was Candler Street School.

In 1910, Gainesville purchased a lot on Candler Street from H.H. Dean to build a school to help handle population growth on Green Street and its side streets, according to documents from Don Carter Realty. The lot was only 95 feet by 250 feet, but by 1911 Candler Street School was standing. The building only had one major renovation, an expansion in the 1940s on land bought in 1937.

The school’s playground was put on land adjacent to the original lot.

“They had a great playground there,” said Paula Sawyer, a former Candler Street student. “It was three levels. You had one level that had swings and a slide, a merry-go-round and a big area to run and play tag. They had another level with monkey bars and equipment and a lower level, which I guess now is one of City Park’s ballfields, which was a huge place for team sports.”

Sawyer, now a nurse at Gainesville High School, attended Candler Street starting in 1966 as a first-grade student. She and a group of friends lived close enough to walk there and back every day.

“We would cut through the back of the Campfire Girls cabin, just through the woods,” said Margaret Henson, whose family owns Martin Furniture. “It was so safe then and Gainesville was such a small town. A whole group of our little girlfriends just walked to school.”

Henson’s favorite memories of the school also include the playground.

“My sister actually fell off the monkey bars when she was in second grade and broke her hip right on the playground. She knew she was hurt but she didn’t want to tell anybody,” she said.

Henson’s sister walked home from school and it wasn’t until the next day, when she refused to get up out of her seat, that anyone realized she was injured.

For Henson, Candler Street School was a family affair. Her mother taught sixth grade and she and her siblings all attended.
“Candler Street School was just one of those rare little jewels in the middle of a small town. I live just a couple blocks from it now and every time I see it, it makes me smile,” Henson said.

Back in the 1960s, education had some notable differences than today’s classroom.

“When I was in first or second grade, we had a classmate who wouldn’t stay in her seat. She kept getting up and after many attempts by the teacher to direct her to stay seated and she didn’t, the teacher got out a rope. She sat the student in her desk and tied the rope around it to keep her seated,” Sawyer said. “Teachers were allowed to paddle students that misbehaved … and you didn’t ever want to get sent to the principal’s office.”

That sort of corporal punishment didn’t seem wrong or harmful, but Sawyer doubts it would be tolerated now.

She also remembers that until fifth grade, she and the other girls at Candler Street had to wear skirts or dresses every day.

It was not until the early 1970s that pants was appropriate classroom attire for girls.

The first black teacher at Candler Street was a woman named Ms. David. Henson was in her class.

“She didn’t stay but about two weeks. I guess things were just really bad for her,” Henson said. “I always remember thinking, ‘Why did she leave?’ I think there were some bad children who said ugly things, and they were tolerated.”
Having black children at the school didn’t elicit the same reaction later on, after Candler Street was integrated.

“I believe I was in fourth grade when that happened. I do remember that was the first time I had seen buses come up to the schools — you either walked or were a car rider,” Sawyer said. “The buses came up the first day of integration and the kids got off, and they might have been a little uncomfortable, but to us it was just a regular school day.”

There were lots of good things to remember about Candler Street for its alumni — Halloween carnivals with all parents and classes participating, the basement cafeteria and the Greenies, which Sawyer said was the name of the school’s football team for Parks & Recreation.

“It just had an unusually fine group of children and their parents. That’s the outstanding thing about the school,” said Francis Haynes. “They went all-out to make it the best.”

Haynes taught at Candler Street for 12 years and then served as principal from 1954 through 1963.

“I don’t think it should have closed,” she said. “They built Enota School because Candler was too run over with students. With Enota, so many people started building up there that it became a real large school too.”

The first of the original schools that closed was Miller Park, followed by Main Street, Haynes said. Candler Street was next on the list, closed in 1978 when there weren’t enough students to fill the building.

“The population just increased in Gainesville that they had to keep doing something,” Haynes said. “They thought rather than add to the old building it would be better to build new schools.”

Three years later, Don Carter, John Carter and Jim Bates bought the former school and turned it into office space.

The Candler Street School building now houses Bates & Carter, CPA and Don Carter Realty Co. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/59506/

• Miss Ramsey 7th grade class – date unknown
• First grade class – 1938
• Unknown date and teacher
• Unknown date and teacher
• First grade class – 1960
• Unknown date and grade. Miss Marie Williams class – 1939
• Unknown date. Miss Castleberry’s first grade class
• Miss Curlington’s 6th grade class – 1965
• Miss Lay 4th grade class – 1969
• Miss Lay’s 4th grade class – 1963
• Miss Stephen’s 4th grade class – 1963
• Mrs. Mary Self Squires class – 1953
• Miss Marie Williams 1938 Class
• Miss Becky Bickers 1939 2nd Grade Class
• Miss Hardy 4th Grade Class 1928
• Mrs. Brown’s 2nd Grade Class 1958
• Mrs. Moore’s 2nd Grade Class 1956
• 1937 School Day Trip
• Date Unknown. 2nd Grade Class Photo
• Teacher Unknown: 1957-1958
• Teacher Unknown: 1959-1960
• Teacher Unknown: 1959-1960
• Francis Miller Haynes 1959 First Grade Class
• Francis Miller Haynes 1958 Class
• Teacher Unknown: Date Unknown
• 1954 Miss Williams First Grade Class
• Candler Street Greenies – All Star Champs 1961
• Candler Street Greenies – Dec. 1961 (photo 1)
• Candler Street Greenies – Dec. 1961 (photo 2)
• Candler Street Greenies – Dec. 1961 (photo 3)

Built in 1911, the building was constructed to serve as an elementary school for the city of Gainesville.  The area around the school was predominately residential during this time and children would walk from near and far to attend the elementary school.  A child living on Forest Avenue may meet up with a friend coming from North Avenue and conclude their walk to school together.  A girl living on North Avenue may have looked forward to catching up with her school crush coming from Green Street.  Story has it one student was asked to start walking or riding his bike to school like the rest of the children because the horse he was riding on to school was causing too much a fuss.  Fiddlesticks!

In 1982, the Candler Street School building was reopened and currently serves as the office of BatesCarter.  Strolling through hallways today, you can’t help but think of the all times Principal Mary Self Squires may have peaked in on some of the classes during the late 1940’s.  Or what Principal Frances Miller Haynes had to say about the construction of Lake Lanier in 1957.  This is just a glimpse into the history of a building that many consider to be the cornerstone of Gainesville, Georgia.

We invite you to comment below to share your memory of the Candler Street School Building.

100 years – A lifetime of Memories.

In 1910, the City of Gainesville purchased a lot on Candler Street for the location of the school. The lot was purchased from H.H. Dean and was known as the U.R. Waterman place. The lot measured 95 feet fronting on Candler Street by 250 feet. A house which had apparently been rented by Waterman was demolished in the consturction of the school. The structure was designed by the Cunningham Brother of Greenville, South Carolina and built by Loden and Prater of Gainesville, Georgia. The structure was large for the limited site of the lot. It appears that the building covered almost the entire width of the lot with approximately ten feet remaining on the east and west sides of the building. Playground space was apparently provided to the rear of the structure on adjoining land. The building became an elementary school, a use continued until it was vacated in June 1978.

In 1937 the City of Gainesville purchased additional property to the east of the building. This additional acreage was used for classroom space which was added to the structure in 1947. Additional city lots were purchased during the 1960′s and 1970′s. These acquisitions expanded the frontage on Candler Street. Sturctures which had been located on these lots were demolished with the exception of a modest Bungalow-styled residence located southeast of the school. With subdivision growth in the outlying areas, it appears that the number of elementary school age children decreased in the central city so the school was closed in 1978.

In 1981, the building was purchased from the city of Gainesville by Don Carter. Mr. Carter and his partners John Carter and Jim Bates of Bates and Carter, CPA, restored the building and developed it into office suites.

Candler Street School was listed in the national register of Historic places in November of 1982. It was occupied by BatesCarter, the Don Carter Realty Company, Benton & Parker Insurance, Nath Hayes insurance, Gerald Cresap A.T.A., and the Junior Service League of Gainesville.

The restoration has received the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation Award.

In 2011, the building is occupied by BatesCarter & Co., LLP and Don Carter Realty Company.

Related Articles
Candler Street School was Rare Jewel (Gainesville Times, November 2011)