Message from Derwood Tootle, former Mayor

Welcome to Bellville, Georgia.  Established in 1890 as a small Railroad town with a large boarding school, Bellville was not officially incorporated as a city until 1959.  Since its establishment over 130 years ago, Bellville has retained its identity as a clean little town with traditional values and hometown curb appeal. It is best known for its Bees, Bricks, and Bernie’s General Store... and for being the hometown of Pinewood Christian Academy. Wilbanks Apiaries (located in Bellville) is one the largest producers of honeybees in the nation, Daniel Brick is one of the largest Brick suppliers in the State of Georgia, and Bernie Anderson is a local icon and hometown resident who owns and operates Bernie’s General Store, an old-time grocery store throwback to the simpler days of Mayberry.  Another Bellville business that carries on the “B” theme is McCoy’s Bumper to Bumper, (an offshoot of Blalock’s Garage) that provides local residents with all of their automotive maintenance needs while preserving the feel of smalltown rural Georgia.

Our local school, Pinewood Christian Academy, was established in Bellville in 1970 and over the last 50 years has developed into one of the finest examples of faith-based academic excellence & athletic opportunity anywhere in the world.  Both the City and the School have adopted the motto of “Faith, Truth, and Heritage,” where the patriotic sacrifices of our founding fathers are respected and revered, where Truth is absolute and determined from the Word of God, and where our Faith is lived out seven days a week.. not just on Sunday. The elected officials of our City believe in limited government that minimizes taxes, operates within its means, and considers the rights of its citizens and property owners first and foremost. We strive to protect the traditional values of our community while working toward an appropriate balance between the powers of government and the individual rights of its citizens. 

Come visit us in Bellville, where scenes of Vanishing Rural Georgia are still alive and well, and everything is (as Bernie describes it) “Just About Perfect.” A place where hospitality, loving your neighbor as yourself, serving God, and defending your heritage, are still very fashionable. If we are not at home, come on in and make yourself at home, our doors are usually unlocked and supper is typically served around 7:00 pm.