Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society, Inc.

CobbLandmarks.com

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This is a great opportunity to own a significant piece of Austell’s historic downtown. Located on Broad Street, this 1910 storefront features beautiful exposed brick walls, high ceilings, hardwood floors, and new A/C, plumbing, and electrical. The space is perfect for a shop or office. Currently offered at $179,000.

Click here to visit the listing.

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The Bodiford House

About two years ago, the city of Powder Springs took an important step toward preserving the area’s heritage. Not only did the city purchase the historic Bodiford House on Marietta Street for $175,000 from Superior Court Judge James Bodiford, but it also relocated the Seven Springs Museum, now known as Seven Springs Museum at Bodiford House, there. After a restoration project totaling almost $600,000, the entire house exhibits artifacts and photographs chronicling the area’s history and even has a room designated as a research library.

Before and After

The museum is open on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays to visitors and researchers. Volunteers from the Seven Springs Historical Society operate the museum.

Before and After

The Bodiford House is a two-story Queen Anne style house with its layout and stylistic application reflecting the Queen Anne designs of the late 19th century. Features include two cross gables, a corner tower, and a wraparound porch.

Before and After

It was built by the Marchman family and later acquired by John L. Butner, who added a second story and additional rooms in 1900. Robert Bodiford, father of Cobb Superior Court Judge Jim Bodiford, purchased the house in 1954.

After the city bought the property, an extensive rehabilitation was completed in time for the museum’s opening in October last year.

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The Big Chicken - A Cobb Landmark

It seems as though the Big Chicken has been around forever. Standing like a beacon on the corner of Cobb Parkway and Roswell Road, the Big Chicken has helped many a weary traveler navigate through Cobb County. When you’re lost in Atlanta, locals may direct you to Peachtree Street (there are over 70 streets in Atlanta with “Peachtree” in their name). When you’re lost in Cobb, making a turn at the Big Chicken will always get you where you need to go. But how did the Big Chicken come to be? Who was responsible for creating this googley-eyed monument to chicken?

“I had no idea it would become a landmark.”

                                                        - Stanley Reginald Davis

The story begins with an Atlanta restaurateur named Stanley Reginald Davis. Known by his friends and family as “Tubby,” he began his career in 1939 when he opened Davis Brothers Cafeteria in a vacant typewriter shop on Luckie Street. Tubby prided himself on providing quality food at competitive prices. His business quickly grew, and Tubby eventually launched several other successful restaurants, including one inside Atlanta’s Piedmont Hotel.

In 1956, Tubby came to Marietta and opened a restaurant called Johnny Reb’s Chick, Chuck and Shake. Wanting to capitalize on the north/south traffic on Highway 41, Tubby decided he needed to erect something to attract travelers. He hired Hubert Puckett, a Georgia Tech architecture student, to design a novelty chicken structure over his restaurant. Fabricated by Atlantic Steel, the 56-foot-high chicken was completed in 1963. “I wanted to build it as high as I could to attract customers,” said Tubby. “I had no idea it would become a landmark.”

Tubby continued to operate Johnny Reb’s until he sold the business to one of his brothers. The restaurant was taken over by Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in 1974. At the time, KFC executives (including Colonel Sanders himself) planned to remove the Big Chicken to make the restaurant match their own branding. Persuaded by the Davis family, KFC executives finally decided to keep it. The Big Chicken was safe, and everyone thought it would be preserved forever. But mother nature had other plans.

Storm damage to the Big Chicken, January 5, 1993, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Photographic Archives

In January 1993, a winter storm blew into Cobb County. The gusts battered the old chicken, and entire sheets of metal were ripped from the structure. When the storm subsided, the chicken stood with gaping holes in her side. Within days engineers were on site to assess the damage. What they found was less than encouraging. The Big Chicken was badly damaged and needed to be completed rebuilt or torn down. KFC had a decision to make: tear down the Big Chicken or spend the $100,000 estimated to rebuild the structure. The answer came down to money, and demolition of the Big Chicken was announced on January 15th. The decision did not go over very well with the people of Marietta.

Residents protest demolition, January 26, 1993. Marlene Karas, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Photographic Archives

After receiving almost 10,000 phone calls and letters from concerned Mariettans, KFC determined that tearing down the structure was not really an option. On January 27, 1993, KFC Vice President Chuck Rawley announced that the company would “invest up to $200,000 in a new landmark so that the Big Chicken can fly again.” Work quickly began on a new structure, and the restaurant reopened in 1994.

Workers disassemble the Big Chicken, January 13, 1993. Joe McTyre, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Photographic Archives

Today the Big Chicken is one of Marietta’s most popular attractions. The restaurant features a gift shop and mini museum displaying the history of the Big Chicken and a collection of souvenirs and artwork inspired by the landmark.

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Everyone is adding "shiplap" to their homes. Meanwhile, at the Root House... #shiplap #farmhousestyle #oldhouse #oldhouselove (at Root House Museum and Garden)

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Don’t miss out on this RARE opportunity to own a piece of railroad history! Listed for sale is the original freight room of the old Acworth Depot. Exciting opportunity, right? Well, it gets even better! The lot also contains a historic home just begging for restoration. The house features original wood floors, pocket doors, and beadboard ceilings. The depot is a huge space with original wood plank floors, sliding freight doors and hardware, and a gorgeous open ceiling with exposed beams and framing. Both structures are in need of major repair, but their historic importance and proximity to Main Street make them a steal for under $200,000.

Click here to visit the listing.

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ON THIS DAY: On April 12, 1862, a group of Union spies led by James J. Andrews stole the locomotive General while it was parked outside the Lacy Hotel in Big Shanty (now Kennesaw). The raiders, as they were soon called, took the engine north toward Chattanooga, doing as as much damage to the Western & Atlantic Railroad as possible. However, the raiders did not count on being pursued by William Fuller, the engineer of the General. Fuller chased the raiders first on foot, and later by commandeering various locomotives including the Texas. The raiders eventually abandoned the General and most were captured by Confederate forces. See the locomotive General at the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History. The Texas is currently being restored and will soon be on display at the Atlanta History Center.

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The Cheney-Newcomer House was constructed in 1856. This Greek Revival plantation house was used by Union Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in 1864. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this fully-restored house would make a wonderful home, office, or special event venue. Click here for the full listing.

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Ivy Grove Q&A with Philip Goldstein

Councilman Philip Goldstein recently purchased Marietta’s historic Ivy Grove property for $1.7 million. We met with Philip at the 1840s estate to tour the house and gardens, and to chat about his plans to revive the faded gem.

What drew you to purchase the Ivy Grove estate?

I am a history buff, and particularly about Marietta history. Ivy Grove has a rich history, and the estate is one my entire family may enjoy as a gathering place for family reunions and other events. More recently, I have located a copy of the re-filed deed to Edward Denmead (who originally built the house). The original 1845 deed was destroyed when General Sherman burned the courthouse. A copy was re-filed in 1866.

What is your favorite feature of the property?

For me, it is a toss-up between the marble mantel in the front living room, the built-in cabinets and arched doorway in the dining room, and the hardwood floors. The property itself is definitely beautiful as well. It is hard to name just one favorite. 

What are your plans for the house and gardens?

In the house itself, there are many repairs needed in order to bring it to an inhabitable state (electrical, plumbing, heating & air, leak repairs, kitchen appliances, etc.).  While the footprint of them does not need to be changed, the pool and pool house need work. As to the gardens, I located the book The Garden History of Georgia 1733 – 1933, which was published by the Peachtree Garden Club of Atlanta in 1933, which contains pictures of the gardens during the McNeel’s ownership. Steve McNeel has also shared pictures of the house and gardens with me. We plan to work with a landscape architect to determine the best sites for a rose garden, vegetable garden, figs, grape vines and fruit trees as well as what grows best in our climate.

When thinking about the finished product, what do you think will be the most challenging part of the project?

I think the most challenging part will be dealing with issues surrounding the front porch and other structural issues in the house.  

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The 1891 William Austell house is located on Mulberry Street, just blocks from the heart of historic downtown Austell. The partially renovated home has incredible potential, and still maintains many original features including a beautiful staircase, original doors and moldings, and six fireplaces. The home is currently zoned Mixed Complex, so it can be used as a family residence or a business. Listed under $100,000, this home should not be on the market for long! To visit the listing, click here.

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DID YOU KNOW? The 1850s Smith-Manning House, also known as Rockford Plantation, was originally situated on 900 acres just outside of Marietta, Georgia. Today, only 4 acres of the plantation remain. 

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DID YOU KNOW? The owner of this Acworth house fought in the Revolutionary War. John Collins was captured twice, escaped execution, and participated in battles at Cowpens, Kings Mountain, Jamestown, and Yorktown. He settled in Acworth after the war and lived to be 91.

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CLHS Executive Director Wins KSU Outstanding Alumnus Award

Trevor Beemon, the Executive Director of Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society, found his calling at an early age. When he was 12 years old, he got involved with the Root House as a volunteer. Before long, he was designing exhibitions for the site and became so actively involved that he was presented with the Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society Preservation Award in 2003. That same year, Trevor began pursuing a degree in history at Kennesaw State University (KSU). He graduated from KSU with a degree in American History and a public history certificate in 2008.

A skilled graphic designer, Trevor worked for the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, where he helped design exhibition panels and displays and assisted with visitor services. After four years at the Southern Museum, Trevor made the leap to the Atlanta History Center (AHC), where he continued to use his outstanding graphic design skills in support of the exhibition program and marketing efforts of the organization. He eventually was named Director of New Media, a position that allowed him to use his extensive skills to improve the AHC’s online presence. As a resident of Acworth, Trevor became involved in promoting the history of the city through his work on the Acworth Board of Travel and Tourism and as the marketing chair for Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society.

Since he was an eager young Boy Scout whose imagination was captured by the Root House, Trevor has devoted himself to interpreting and sharing the history of the area with the public, and it was with great pleasure that the KSU College of Humanities and Social Sciences presented to Trevor the Outstanding Alumnus Award.

By Dr. Jennifer Dickey

Coordinator, Public History Program, Kennesaw State University

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Cobb Landmarks Says Goodbye to Three Longtime Friends and Supporters

Fall 2015 has been a time of exciting and entertaining events and preservation progress, but for Cobb Landmarks members and friends it has also been a time of sadness, as our organization lost three of its most valiant and stalwart supporters in September and October. Bill David, Martha Lee Brumby, and Joe Kirby were all friends of CLHS, promoters of our community, and giants of historic preservation whose collective presence looms large over our organization. Without each of them, we would not be the organization that we are, and it is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to them.

Bill David, husband of former CLHS Executive Director Marcelle David and a supporter of CLHS and the Root House in his own right, died September 5 after a long battle with cancer. Bill and Marcelle were instrumental in the rescue of the Root House and the successful establishment of the Root House Museum and Garden. Terri Cole, who worked with the Davids in the early days of the Root House project, penned this reflection after Bill’s funeral:

There are lots of things in this world that can be measured. Bill David certainly understood the word “measure.” He built hundreds of residential homes in the Marietta area during the past 40 years as a partner with Cotton States Builders. Some of you may even be fortunate enough to live in one of these beautiful homes. Lumber, trim, windows, doors, porches, roofing, and even driveways are measured to assure they fit the builder’s specifications. However, there is one thing that is difficult to measure: the value one person can add to another person’s life. The length and depth of time and talent given to another person or organization is immeasurable and often forgotten over time. In remembering our friend Bill, we will never be able to measure the time and talents he and Marcelle gave to make Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society what it is today. Perhaps their son Brad said it best in Bill’s eulogy: “Dad taught me many lessons in life, and I could not have had a better father, a better person to model my life after. One of the most valuable lessons dad taught me, he did not sit me down and talk me through, he simply showed me through his actions. His abiding love and devotion to my mother was the greatest gift that he gave me. Dad showed me what a committed and loving relationship should look like and loved my mother more than anything in his life.”

Bill shared and supported Marcelle’s passion for CLHS and The Root House Museum. His presence, kindness, generosity, and courage cannot be measured. He was a good man. We are thankful for what he did for all of us and for his actions that spoke louder than his words.

We at Cobb Landmarks extend our heartfelt condolences to Marcelle and Brad and their family.

Martha Lee Brumby, a pillar of the Marietta community and widow of Otis Brumby, Jr., the late publisher of the Marietta Daily Journal (MDJ), died October 29 after a six-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Mrs. Brumby was a longtime member of First United Methodist Church in Marietta, where she was active with the Altar Guild and the funeral committee. She was a generous hostess, always willing to extend her hospitality to individuals or civic groups, and she and her husband were supporters of Cobb

Landmarks from the early days. The love of community and the support for historic preservation were passed on to their five children: Spain Gregory, Lee Garrett, Betsy Tarbutton, Anna Brumby, and Otis A. Brumby III. It was in large part through financial support provided by Otis and Martha Lee Brumby and their children, through the Brumby-Leonard Family Foundation and the Marietta Daily Journal Community Foundation, that Cobb Landmarks was able to publish Marietta, the Gem City of Georgia: A Celebration of Its Homes – A Portrait of Its People, by Douglas Frey, in 2010.

In a reflection in the MDJ penned by Ricky Leroux, Mrs. Brumby’s friend Connie Smith is quoted as saying that Martha Lee was someone who believed you couldn’t do enough to help people. “She was a beautiful, elegant lady inside and out...the kindest, most generous person to everyone.” These qualities of kindness and generosity are certainly her legacy to us, her friends at Cobb Landmarks. We extend our sincere sympathy to Spain, Lee, Betsy, Anna, and Otis and their families.

Joe Kirby, local author and historian and longtime editorial page editor of the Marietta Daily Journal, died October 30 after a short illness. Joe contracted a rare form of cancer, probably the result of radiation treatments in his youth, and died only a week after diagnosis. Joe’s contributions to the promotion of our community and the recording of its history are significant, and rare coming from a person who was not a Cobb County native. A native of Washington, D.C., Joe came to Marietta in 1987 to take up a post as a reporter for the MDJ, after stints at the Toccoa Chieftan and the Roswell Neighbor. Dr. Sam Matthews said at Joe’s memorial service, “Joe Kirby fooled me. I thought he was from around here.” He quoted Joe as saying that he came to Marietta “as soon as he could.” Joe clearly loved this community. In an obituary penned by Jon Gillooly for the MDJ, Marshall Ramsey, an ad designer for the paper in the early 1990s who was mentored by Joe Kirby, said of him and his legacy, “...here’s a guy who had the talent to go anywhere, but he stayed in a place where he could make a difference. And he loved the history of the place... He realized that he was where he needed to be to make sure that he could raise his children the right way, and his legacy will be in Miles and Lucy.”

Joe’s wife, Fran Froehlke Kirby, said that her husband’s passion was history. He wrote several books of local history, among them The Bell Bomber Plant, Marietta (Then and Now), and Marietta Revisited (Then and Now). These titles are all available at Mr. Root’s Store, and they are an important part of the body of printed scholarship about Marietta and Cobb County. His columns in the MDJ are another source of valuable local history and commentary. Joe was also an enthusiastic supporter of Cobb Landmarks, always willing to provide publicity for CLHS events in his popular “Around Town” column and elsewhere in the paper. He was a frequent speaker to community and civic groups on the subject of local history, always promoting Marietta and Cobb County and exhorting them to make it better. He was a frequent attendee at Cobb Landmarks events, usually present at the Pilgrimage Gala, the Annual Meeting, and many other events.

Attorney General Sam Olens was quoted in Jon Gillooly’s reflection in the MDJ as saying that Joe Kirby saw life through a positive lens. “There are few people you meet in life that you view as being ‘glass half full’ each and every day, and he was....He was always there to uplift, always there to discuss the greatness of the community....”

All of us at Cobb Landmarks extend our heartfelt sympathy to Fran, Lucy, and Miles Kirby.

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What a pretty... OH MY GOSH!

Since it’s Halloween, we decided we’d take a look at something really scary - modern development masked behind historic facades. Typically used in highly urbanized areas, facadism is a term used to describe the practice of preserving portions of historic buildings while constructing modern buildings behind or above. The practice is seen by some developers as a compromise to preservationists. However, many critics believe the result is a Frankenstein structure, and that the architecture of both the modern and historic designs are diminished. We’ve collected a few of the most cringeworthy projects in America.

Royal Ontario Museum, 1914

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John M. Lyle Studio, 1921

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Italian American Bank, 1907

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Columbia Heights Arcade, 1913

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Pennsylvania Avenue Row Houses, 1880s

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Pennsylvania Avenue Row Houses, 1795

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Red Lion Row, 1830-1890

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Bellefield Presbyterian Church, 1889

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Lamar Building, 1918

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New Beer Crafted With Hops Grown at Marietta’s Historic Root House Museum

The William Root House Museum and Garden introduces a new beer, Dr. Root’s Miracle Elixir, crafted with hops harvested directly from the historic Root House Garden. Inspired by Marietta’s first apothecary, William Root, this new beer was created in partnership with Schoolhouse Beer and Brewing.

Owned and operated by Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society, the William Root House Museum and Garden offers an authentic look at life for a middle class Georgia family in 1850s. The simple frame house is more typical of its time and place than the grand plantations and columned mansions people typically imagine when they think of the Old South.  

The Root House Garden is designed to reflect the gardening practices of the mid-19th century, and all the plants growing in the garden have been researched for their availability in Georgia at the time the Root House was built. The Root’s garden in the 19th century would have contained plants that were either ornamental, medicinal, or edible. Today, we grow many medicinal herbs in the garden because it’s likely that William would have used them in his pharmacy. This includes hops. Hops, which is used to make beer, would have been used in the pharmacy as an herbal medicine to assist with sleeplessness and anxiety.

Dr. Root’s Miracle Elixir IPA will be available for a limited time at Schoolhouse Beer and Brewing, The Chicken and the Egg, Loco Willy’s, Marietta Pizza Company, and Stockyard Burgers beginning October 24, 2015.

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Cobb Landmarks often receives inquiries about the various historic designations available in Cobb County. This table was created in order to better explain what each of the designations does and does not provide in terms of historic preservation. Seeking local historic designation is generally the most effective way to prevent the deterioration and destruction of historic properties and neighborhoods.

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Wallis House Addition to Kennesaw Mountain Park Again Proposed in Congress

Continuing long-standing efforts to preserve the historic Wallis House, Georgia lawmakers have again introduced federal legislation that would annex the house and its neighboring eight acres into Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.

U. S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk introduced HR-3371 into the House of Representatives on July 29. The bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Earl Carter and Lynn Westmoreland. Sen. Johnny Isakson introduced S-1930 in the Senate on August 11, with Sen. David Perdue as a co-sponsor. These bills renew the efforts of Sen. Isakson and former Rep. Phil Gingrey to obtain Congressional authorization to add the land to the park. The property is owned by Cobb County, which has agreed to transfer it to the National Park Service at no acquisition cost if the legislation is passed and signed. Restoration costs, early estimates of which are $800,000, will be the principal costs associated with the project. It is possible that private funding will be sought for some of these costs.

The Wallis House, built c. 1853 by Josiah Wallis, has been a Preservation Priority for CLHS for several years. CLHS Chair Abbie Parks wrote to House and Senate Committee members in 2014 urging them to support earlier versions of the legislation, but the bills did not get passed by the full chambers in the last Congress. Executive Director Trevor Beemon wrote to the legislators earlier in 2015 encouraging them to reintroduce the bills.

The bills have been read and referred to their respective committees, which must pass them for the bills to reach the floor for full chamber votes. Bills to save individual landmarks are routinely passed in each session of Congress, and here’s hoping that the current session will be the one where the hopes and plans for the Wallis House are realized.

Written by Chris Brown