We love touring historic homes and a good way to do that is by joining the Georgia Trust in their rambles and expeditions around the state of Georgia. We’ve been on several of those over the years and recently they hosted a ramble in my hometown of Marietta, so we got tickets for Friday to go. They do a whole weekend of home tours and each day is different. You can also sign up for lunches and dinners with cocktail parties and more for more money. We just opt for the tours only, which are fun to do. There were several homes to tour that day, along with historic churches, cemeteries, and other buildings around town, but we picked a few that we wanted to be sure and see and did those homes.
Smith-Manning House, 1851
We visited this house first and it was on the edge of a well established neighborhood that I had looked at several times. Mark and I looked here when we were house hunting 9 years ago and I loved the Lee’s Crossing neighborhood. This house was tucked back in the trees off a driveway that I would have never noticed just driving in this neighborhood. To see that it was built in 1851 was really amazing. The neighborhood built up around the house. The history of the house is that it was built by Dr. Sydney Smith, who built Rockford Plantation on 900 acres of land. The home is an impressive antebellum home and one of the earliest Greek Revivals built in the area. Rockford served as a field hospital for the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain and was home to a Confederate general. The land was eventually divided into several residential developments except for the four acres surrounding the house. The current owners have completed extensive renovations with future work planned.
I loved getting a peek inside this historic home. The couple was there, along with their 2 teenage boys. One of the boys was helping cars to park and they were all so welcoming.
I snapped a few shots inside. It was a very homey home and we enjoyed seeing this bit of history right in our area.
I would have never known this house was back in the trees.
Mockingbird Hill, 1888
I remember touring this home at one point in the Marietta home tours I’ve been on before, but it’s been years. Built in 1888 by hotelier Ervin Maxwell, this Queen Anne Victorian home is now known as Mockingbird Hill. It’s the third house on this site, the first 2 were destroyed by fire, one during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. It was one of Marietta’s first homes with running hot and cold water and an indoor bathroom.
It’s a beautifully restored home, filled with period antiques and lots of collections.
Loved the porch.
I snapped one picture inside.
The backyard is impressive as well, with a pool and covered pavilion along with lots of plants and garden ornaments.
Courtelyou-Pressley House, 1893
I’ve always wanted to go inside this impressive home on Church Street in Marietta. It’s one I haven’t been in before and it was just beautifully done. Built in 1893 as a Victorian cottage, the home was purchased in 1901 by Dr. Peter Courtelyou as a wedding gift for his son Adrian and Harriett Whitlock, daughter of hotelier Milledge Whitlock. After a 1924 fire destroyed the second floor, it was rebuilt in Colonial Revival style. Adrian was Vice President of Georgia Marble and the use of Georgia marble, especially pink Etowah marble, was widely used. Descendants of the Courtelyou family, the Pressleys, have lived there since the late 1970’s. We met this lovely couple and they were delightful to talk to. The house has been maintained so well and is a beautiful historic home.
I snapped just a few shots inside and especially noted the marble in the bathrooms.
I hadn’t read all the notes yet from the brochure, but I asked the wife about the marble and she told me about Georgia Marble and the connection.
This pink marble definitely caught my eye and I asked her about it and that’s when she told me the connection to Georgia Marble. I told her we had been to the Tate house for the Christmas tour and she said they had not, so I urged them to do so. That pink marble house is stunning!
Ivy Grove, 1845
The last time I was in Ivy Grove, it was opened for one of the tours in town for lunches being served and that’s the only time I had seen the inside and that’s been years ago. Now in the last few years, it was bought by a family and they live here full time now. Prominent Marietta Mayor Edward Denmead built this home on 1,800 acres of farmland. It was named for the English Ivy that once covered the large trees on its grounds. The house has undergone successive rebuilding that has seen its style change from Greek Revival, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival. Thomas Watson Brown acquired Ivy Grove in 1993, and the estate remained in the family until 2016 when it was sold to former Marietta City Councilman, Philip Goldstein. In display cases inside the home are Civil War era artifacts found on the grounds of the estate.
Goldstein’s was a prominent clothing shop on the Marietta Square for many years and I remember it well when I was a child in the 60’s after we moved here and shopped on the square often.
It’s a huge home and very impressive.
Brumby Hall and Gardens, 1851
Brumby Hall and Gardens is a historic antebellum estate built in 1851 by Colonel Arnoldus V. Brumby. The elegant Greek Revival home once stood beside the Georgia Military Institute and even served as a Civil War hospital. Today, the beautifully landscaped gardens and restored house host weddings, tours, and the Marietta Gone with the Wind Museum. The property beside the house is now the Hilton conference center in Marietta.
Brumby rocking chairs are a well known product that came from Marietta, GA and families are proud to own them. My parents had one and my niece has it now.
I had no idea this house was a Gone With the Wind museum now, so that was interesting to see.
I’m so glad this house has been protected all these years.
Inside is a lot of Gone with the Wind memorabilia that was fun to see.
I did enjoy seeing the movie several times, such a part of Georgia history, since the book was written in Atlanta by Margaret Mitchell, former Atlanta journalist. Her one and only published novel.
A few quotes from the movie.
I enjoyed seeing the costumes. Some of them were originals, but many copies of the originals.
Beautiful dresses.
Honoring Hattie McDaniel, Mammy in the movie. Didn’t we all love Mammy?
You can see that the house is very stately and a perfect spot for weddings.
This beautiful bricked patio in the backyard was stunning and there were several tents and other outdoor areas perfect for hosting weddings. I hope you enjoyed seeing a bit of history with us today on this tour of a few of Marietta’s finest historic homes. It’s always a pleasure for me to see them! I grew up in Marietta, but I’m certainly not part of the Old Marietta heritage of old families that ran the city. I’m proud to grow up there though!
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