I met my friend, Lynn, three years ago when I was a docent in her beautiful historic home, Ellwood, in Marietta. We became friends and I loved hearing about her history of buying old houses and fixing them up. I call her the real estate tycoon of Marietta, because she does indeed have lots of rental properties in this area, as well as others at the beach and mountains.  I featured her beach house, Seaside Sisters, down in Seagrove Beach, a couple of years ago.  It’s gorgeous!
She’s a fascinating lady, a combination of real estate investor and artist, wife and mom. She’s well known around Old Marietta Square and has lived in Ellwood for over 20 years. She showed me pics of the house when they bought it and wow, it looked like it needed to be torn down instead of restored. But, Lynn loves a good restoration project and tackled this house, making it a beautiful home for her family. Her husband is right there with her in their restoration efforts.
We also found out through talking the first time that we actually went to high school together. We both went to Sprayberry High School here in Marietta and graduated one year apart. Small world!
I hope you enjoy seeing Lynn’s beautiful historic Marietta home and the efforts that she and her husband have taken to restore the home to it’s somewhat original state, with modern conveniences added. She recently completed a kitchen renovation in the last year or so and updated the kitchen with new cabinets and other amenities. But, it fits right in with the character of the home.
Here’s a little about the history of Ellwood that Lynn shared with me:
Elwood was originally occupied by John Raford Winters after he came to Marietta in 1833. Â Sources say that this property was owned by Winters prior to the Civil War. Â Several families have owned the house over the years and in 1992, Lynn and Hans bought the house and began restoring it, which took 2 years. It was overgrown and in need of extensive renovations. Â
It was obvious during renovation that the house was built on to over the years, from the 3 type of bricks on the house.  The 2nd add-on was about 30 years newer and the last phase around 1900.Â
For the restoration, moldings were reproduced, chimneys rebuilt (there are 10 fireplaces, the favorite being the one in the kitchen), all damaged windows reproduce and replaced, heart pine floors were refinished, new central heat and air, wiring and plumbing. Â There was extensive damage to the home due to the condition of the old tin shingle roof, which leaked everywhere. Â
The home is furnished with antiques, mostly being Federal and Early American Empire. Fabrics were selected that were fitting for the home. Â The home has 16 rooms. The ceilings are 12 feet tall on the main floor and 10 feet upstairs. Â
Hans and Lynn have restored many homes in Historic Marietta.
I’m not going to talk all the way through, so just enjoy the beautiful tour! 
Daughter’s room
The old smoke house is now used as a garden shed.
I hope you enjoyed this beautiful historical home tour in Marietta. Â It’s a joy for me to share the home of Lynn and Hans. Â It’s a beautiful home, filled with precious family memories.
HI Rhoda! Merry Christmas to you and yours! I so enjoyed this tour of Lynn’s home in Marietta. Her home is absolutely stunning and your photography is fantastic, too.
First of all, Happy Holidays Rhoda! Thanks for your lovely blog and thanks for sharing this beautiful home with us. What a perfect restoration.
A Southern mansion at its best! Beautiful! Thank you for taking us on the tour through your wonderful photos. They have some gorgeous pieces of furniture in that house that really add to the Southern charm.
I am in love with this house!!!
I remember seeing this beautiful place the last time I visited Marietta. Thank you so much for a view of the indoors! Would she possibly part with where she purchased the rooster chairs? I would love to find them for my home here in Florida!
I wouldn’t mind sharing the info about the chairs…I purchased them at a yard sale, then painted the chair legs before I had them recovered. There is a possibility that I might sell these at my big yard sale here in May….it will be at my home. Merry Christmas.
What a stunning home…I kept scrolling up and down to get a second look!! Merry Christmas Rhoda!
Beautiful homage to an era gone by… thanks for the post. Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Rhoda, and a Happy Healthy New Year. Blessings.
Beautiful!! I especially love the rooster chandelier over the kitchen sink and the pattern and colors of the curtains in the kitchen. Thanks for sharing with us!
Beautiful!!
Love it! Respectfully renovated and furnished!
Wow!
The kitchen turned out great — haven’t been there since it was finished. I love her new dining room wallpaper, too. She had the energy of 3 people!
What a beautiful remodel – it holds so much of the original character! Thanks for sharing this gorgeous home!
xo. Leslie
Segreto Finishes
Thank you, thank you for showing this house. Houses like this restored, definitely make my heart go pitter-patter. Merry Christmas!
I so enjoyed looking at this home I pass when I am near the square. The home is so beautiful but I am IN LOVE with her rooster chairs! 😉
Susan
The home is beautiful but I’d ditch the roosters lol.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this house…especially her large collection of (my favorite) Empire pieces. Thanks for the most enjoyable tour. Merry Christmas!
Gorgeous!
This was my grandparents house before Lynn and Hans did such an amazing job on it. I’m so thankful they did, as it was in terrible condition by the 1990s, though when I was young, it was a magical place. It brings tears to my eyes to see these pictures and remember all the Christmases and summer vacations I spent here with my Granny and Charlie. My grandmother would also decorate a huge Christmas tree every year right there by the staircase in the foyer, and I love getting to see how Lynn and Hans have both restored it to very much how it was, as well as improved it well beyond its former glory.
Dearest Susan, I am sitting here in the den on Christmas eve near our tree with the family. It is a quiet moment and I read your touching reply on Southern Hospitality Blog and wanted to say how much it meant to me that you enjoyed this story and photos by Rhoda. Unusual way to find us and for me to find you. I was fortunate to know your grandparents and still remember their zest for life. Our family loves this place called Ellwood and have enjoyed years of making memories here in this home. Stop by if you are ever in the area. One Christmas, a cousin of yours, son of Georgia range our bell. I opened the door and he introduced himself and his girlfriend. We were just beginning to decorate the tree, we invited them in and they stayed, visited and help us with the decorations. Tell all of your family hello from us. Merry Christmas.
This home is beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing it with all of us! Merry Christmas!