Swampland Opera House property receives a real estate boost

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Originally built as a general store and bank, the property at 140 Montgomery St. in Toomsboro was converted into a concert hall and restaurant in 1975. (Fickling & Company)

The old “ToomsboroForSale.com” days may be over, but parts of Toomsboro are indeed still for sale.

Fickling & Company, the Middle Georgia commercial property giant, recently took over the listing for the old Swampland Opera House, the town’s centerpiece. The property is listed for $299,000, and that includes both the music hall and adjoining commercial kitchen/restaurant.

The property has sat vacant for the last 25 years, its condition deteriorating. At this point, it most definitely would be described as a “fixer-upper.” Local lawyer Joe Boone, now deceased, brought new energy to Toomsboro in the mid-1970s, rehabbing the large two-story building and hosting weekend concerts for the next two-plus decades.

“Formerly known as the Swampland Music Hall, this two-story venue attracted entertainment from all over the southeast,” reads the property listing. “Ideal for use as an entertainment venue or recording studio.”

Swampland, along with roughly three dozen other properties around Toomsboro, were auctioned off in 2002. The winning bidder was David Bumgardner at the price of $530,000. Bumgardner, a Florida man who made his fortune in the auto sales business, envisioned Toomsboro as a “tourist attraction,” although he gave up on that idea after a few years.

Then, in 2012, Bumgardner launched the infamous ToomsboroForSale.com website, which attracted plenty of media attention and gave the impression that the entire town was for sale, something that was never true and something that Toomsboro’s local leaders never appreciated. Bumgardner then passed away in 2019, and his family decided to begin selling each property
individually.

There has been marginal success. Rhod Mills, a retired state trooper and antiques dealer from West Virginia, purchased six properties in 2023, most notably the old Willett Hotel for $190,000, the “Syrup Pitcher” property for $20,000, as well as the “Farmers Cotton Warehouse” property for $44,000.

Mills, however, ultimately decided to pass on the Swampland property, which was listed at $344,000 at the time. Now, with a reduced price and more real estate muscle, city leaders are hoping that the Swampland can rise once again.