mardi 17 juillet 2018

Any Historic Homes Tour Atlanta Visitors Consider Would Not Be Complete Without These Six

By Sarah Brooks


If you are fascinated by the history of the Deep South, you need to visit some of its most historic residences. Although a lot of this city was burned by Sherman during the Civil War, there are still some architectural remnants left to observe. There are also more recent residences of equal interest. Six homes come to mind especially, and any historic homes tour Atlanta natives or visitors consider should include them.

Swan House, which is included in the Atlanta History Center, is a magnificent Second Renaissance estate. It is located in Inman Park and was built by Edward Inman and his wife, Emily, in 1928. You may even encounter Edward and Emily Inman while touring the rooms of this stately home. The designer and architect, as well as the Inman chauffeur, are usually around somewhere. They all have stories to tell about the era in which they lived.

Margaret Mitchell, who wrote the quintessential Southern novel, Gone With the Wind, lived in a ground floor apartment she lovingly referred to as The Dump. Everyone called her Peggy, and she was apparently a free spirit. Debutantes of that time tended to avoid her and her antics. Today you can see where she wrote, hear about her charity work, and learn about the hit and run controversy surrounding her death.

Martin Luther King Jr. Is one of the most influential men who ever lived, and he was born and raised in this city. The house where he lived as a child is preserved and open to the public. It is located in the Sweet Auburn District. It is a fascinating look at where this great man grew up. Ebenezer Baptist, where Dr. King preached, Freedom Hall, and his grave site are all within walking distance.

The pre-Civil War home, called the Tully Smith House, is located on the Smith Family Farm. This house is the oldest farmhouse in Atlanta. When you visit, you will be taken back to the nineteenth century rural South. You will get a chance to see a blacksmith shop, slave garden, outhouse, and learn why the kitchen was never included in the main residence.

Just north of the city is the town of Roswell. Here you will find a number of pre-war estates in its historic district. Roswell was saved from burning by Sherman because the founder of this town, Roswell King, was a Northerner. Bulloch Hall is an opulent example of Greek Revival architecture. Theodore Roosevelt married Minnie Bulloch in the dining room of this house in 1853.

Any home tour of Georgia must include the Little White House, President Franklin Roosevelt's home in Warm Springs. It's just an hour south of Georgia's capital. He came to Warm Springs frequently and was here when he died of a stroke. His unfinished portrait, which he was posing for when he died, still hangs here.

If you are intrigued by the Deep South, you should consider visiting these residences. Each one is a piece of American history. They are a look back to a different time that reflects all the many varieties of southern culture.




About the Author: