A Wonderful Weekend for Lovers of Historic Homes
This weekend is the very best time of the year for those of us who love historic homes! And if you are a fan of Christmas, you have got something wonderful in store!
A Cherokee Christmas by Candlelight at the Vann House in Chatsworth
The first time that any in the Cherokee Nation celebrated Christmas was probably in North Georgia at the Vann House near Chatsworth.
During the last quarter of the 18th Century, Chief Joseph Vann, a Cherokee leader and businessman became one of the wealthiest men in Georgia with over 1,000 acres of land in what is now Murray County. In 1804 he began construction of what for many is one of the most beautiful Federal homes in Georgia. This elegant brick home sits on a hill, startling many of the unsuspecting driving by with its stark beauty. Now owned by Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources, it is a popular site among Georgia’s State Historic Sites.
In 1805, Moravian Missionaries at nearby Spring Hill were invited by Chief Vann to hold what may be the first Christmas celebration in the Cherokee Nation. In honor of that celebration, each year, the home is opened to the public.
On December 10th and 11th, the Friends of the Chief Vann House Historic Site will once again host a Christmas Tour called “A Cherokee Christmas by Candlelight.” Enjoy the sights and sounds of a 19th Century Christmas in one of the best preserved Cherokee homes. Admission is $3.50 to $5. For more information call 706-695-2598 or visit http://bit.ly/rPDx18
“A Christmas for Travelers” at Travelers Rest
Traveler’s Rest near Toccoa may be one of the most underappreciated and under-visited of our State Historic Sites. Although it is only open on Saturdays, Traveler’s Rest is stunning in its simple beauty and its history is fascinating.
Work on this lovely stage coach inn was begun in 1815 by owner James R. Wyly. It was built on the newly-constructed Unicoi Turnpike, which was the most recent created and busiest highway through the frontier of North Georgia.
In 1833 the inn was sold to Devereaux Jarrett, who was known as the “richest man in the Tugaloo Valley.” Jarrett continued to operate the inn, but doubled its size to make it the home place of his 14,400-acre plantation along the Tugaloo River.
The Jarrett family owned the home until 1955, when the state of Georgia bought the inn and a few remaining acres.
The inn includes some original furnishings. There are several lovely Georgia Piedmont pieces and some furnishing made by Massachusetts cabinetmaker Caleb Shaw while he was visiting there.
On December 10th from 1 pm to 5 pm, Traveler’s Rest will host “A Christmas for Travelers.” Visitors can enjoy live music and period dances performed by the 1860’s Civilian Society. There will also be demonstrations of blacksmithing, knitting, crocheting and more, all done in a seasonal setting of North Georgia in the 1800’s. Cider and tea cakes will also be served. This celebration is provided by the Friends of Travelers Rest. Admission is $2.40 to $4. For more information call 706-356-4362 or visit http://bit.ly/tLUaPb.
A Christmas Open House at Tate House
The Pink Palace is what the Tate House is sometimes called, and the description is fitting. Built of Pink Marble mined from the site where it stands, it was originally the personal home of Colonel Sam Tate, the businessman who made Georgia Marble into a force in American architecture. The house is actually sitting on a huge vein of marble. (The Georgia Marble Company is actually located behind the house, as is its’ enormous quarry. On a tour of the quarry a few years ago, the representative of Polycor, the company that now owns the quarry, told us that the vein of marble is so immense that they can continue to quarry marble there “for years.”)
The quarry contained not only the white marble that it is known for, but a vein of marble of a beautiful pink (that Tate called ‘Etowah Marble’). In the early 1920’s Colonel Sam had the pink marble set aside to use to build his home. By 1926 the Tate House was completed. It is a fabulous home with one of the most beautiful curved staircases and marble appointments found anywhere.
Currently owned by Holbrook Properties, the Christmas Open House at Tate House is a wonderful opportunity to see one of the grandest and loveliest homes in North Georgia at its best.
The Christmas Open House at Tate House is $10 per person with children under 12 free. Light refreshments will be available. Tour time slots are available from 10 am to 6 pm on the 9th, 10th and 11th. Call 770-735-3122 for more information or email tatemansion@earthlink.net to make a reservation. For more information visit: http://www.tatehouse.com
The Candlelight Tour of Homes in Roswell:
OK, this isn’t one, but three historic homes: Bulloch Hall, Barrington Hall and the Archibald Smith Plantation, all located in beautiful Historic Roswell. For a single price you can visit all three on this Saturday and enjoy their decorations by candlelight!
Bulloch Hall
Bulloch Hall was built in 1839 by Major James Stephens Bulloch. Bulloch was one of Roswell’s first settlers and the grandson of Governor Archibald Bulloch. His wife was Martha Stewart Elliott Bulloch, daughter of General Daniel Stewart. Although the Major and his wife were well known at the time, it is their youngest daughter Mittie who is best known today. On December 22, 1853 Mittie married Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. in the dining room at Bulloch Hall. The couple moved to New York City where they raised their family of four children Anna, Corinne, Elliott, and, of course, Theodore, Jr., who became the 26th President of the United States.
There are also those who believe (I happen to be one of them!) that it was Mittie Bulloch who was the inspiration for Scarlett O’Hara. The year before she wrote Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell interviewed Evelyn King, Mittie’s best friend, about her friend Mittie and the wedding of she and Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. Mittie was personally a great deal like the character of Scarlett; she also deeply loved Bulloch Hall, as Scarlett did Tara.
Mittie’s son Elliot was the father of Eleanor Roosevelt, making Mittie Bulloch the grandmother of a US President and a First Lady.
This year, Bulloch Hall will be decorated with the theme of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”
Barrington Hall
Barrington King, co-founder of Roswell, selected the highest point in Roswell for his home. It was built in the Greek Revival style and was completed in 1842. It is listed on the National Register and was selected by Atlanta Magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful Homes in Atlanta.
Barrington Hall was bought in 2005 by the city of Roswell, complete with its original furnishings. This year’s decorative theme is “A Very Southern Christmas.”
Archibald Smith Plantation
Construction on the Archibald Smith Plantation was begun in 1838 by Archibald Smith and his family. Originally from St. Mary’s, on Georgia’s southern coast, the Smiths moved to Roswell to make a new start on approximately 300 acres of cotton farmland north of what is now the Roswell Town Square. Built in the style know as ‘Plantation Plain’ the house may include the most complete of the three homes settings with outbuildings that include slave quarters, a cook house, corn crib, barn, carriage house, well, and spring house.
This year’s decorative theme at the Archibald Smith House is “All I Want for Christmas.”
The Candlelight Tour of Homes will be on Saturday, December 10, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This is a family-friendly event that includes children’s activities, refreshments, and music. Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for children. For more information visit: http://bit.ly/rum75D
