Hidden Magnolias

As we often do on Sunday afternoons, we went for a drive today and visited Acworth, GA. Driving around the various roads in the historical area, we stumbled on this beauty. The sign out front reads "James Lemon Antebellum Home ca. 1856." Immediately I was taken by it. I had to find out more. A few things I learned: James and Mary Davenport Lemon purchased 800 acres of land and built a small frame house.  Just before his marriage, their son, James Lile Lemon, expanded the house to a Carolina style, modified Plantation Plain house. After the Civil War in 1890 the two story porch was replaced with with neoclassical Doric Columns we see today. Why didn't this house get burned when Acworth was burned? Well, for 5 days in June 1864,  Maj Gen William T Sherman took over the homestead and stayed during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in June of 1864. Some sources say that after he left, it was used as a hospital. Capt.,Co.A,18th Ga.Inf.Regt.-CSA. One of...

Last Sunday night, even amid all sorts of horrible terrorist threats, Macy's had the lighting of the Great Tree. Now it is just called the Great Tree, but is used to be Rich's Great Tree .   This announcement made me reminisce about Rich's and about the Pink Pig. The bright Pink Pig  - complete with a pig tail on the end car - took you on a small rail trip up and over the toy department where you could gaze down at all the toys. and boy, were there toys! Sparkling lights, and decorations made the whole experience very exciting. Then you could visit Santa and tell him what you wanted for Christmas. After that, you could go to the Secret Santa room where you picked out presents for your parents and they were wrapped (in secret, of course) and you parents paid for them, using what was called then, the charge plate. The Great Tree was on the crystal bridge that joined the two Rich's buildings. And since it spanded Forsyth Street you could drive down...

Last weekend I attended a book signing/reception for a new book by Marian Carcache held in a beautiful home in Waverly, Alabama, owned by my friend Nadya. Southern homes are unique entities in the old house world. Each one has a history and distinctive style that is just not found anywhere else. I wanted to share some pictures of this lovely house with you I snagged during just before the reception. The porch is a perfect place to sit and just relax. Living Room Dining Room Antique Needlepoint Fireplace Screen A Bed Room One of the Bath Rooms Back Bed Room Kitchen A gorgeous old re-purposed hutch. Local flowers to be used for table decorations. See how perfect they are? Beautiful chandy in what I call the Little Back Room And I can't leave out the star of the show , Marian signing books on the porch. Pat

African Americans were Masons?  Did you know that?  I didn't. In doing a little local history searching, I ran across this tidbit,  The Beulah Grove Lodge, No. 371, Free and Accepted York Masons.   Here is the article written by Lynn Speno, Survey and Register Specialist.  She explains it so much better than I could. "What do a church, a cemetery, a lodge meeting hall, and a school have in common?   They are all part of a small, rural, historic African American community in Douglas County.  In this community of Pleasant Grove, a church and Masonic lodge were founded around 1881 and a church building was constructed.  About 20 years later, around 1910, a dual-purpose lodge/school building was constructed, at which time classes for children began. This lodge/school building, the Beulah Grove Lodge No.372, Free and Accepted York Masons/Pleasant Grove School, was recently listed in the National Register of Histo...

If you live in the Atlanta area, you know there are two type of people -- the ITPs and OTPs.  Translation: Inside the Perimeter and Outside the Perimeter And basically neither the twain shall meet. Or at least without geographical prejudice. But that is another story... But today I wanted to share something I have discovered OTP -- in fact wayyyyy  OTP. A Lavendar Farm in Georgia theherbgardener.blogspot.com Yes, out in Eatonton.....Eatonton? Well, that is SE of Atlanta in Putnan County. The farm’s name is Ooh La La Lavender Farm . I haven't been but I have read about them on several blogs.  There is a Lavender Festival that they have in June. I am going in to check it out next year. A blogger, Confessionsofaplateaddict.blogspot.com , posted these beautiful pictures on her blog: I just love the smell of Lavender. I will definitely be stocking up on these: A few pictures from their FB page:  I ca...