Acworth Historic District Home Tour
Here are maps for our golf cart routes!
Due to the construction on near the school, we do NOT advise walking if you park there. Please text CART to 404-491-7724 with the number of people in your party and we will send a golf cart (or 2). This only applies to those parking at #1, all others will have golf carts running by on regular basis.
Here is the tour map that is in the center of your ticket books so you can plan your parking an how you wish to see the homes.
If you have not picked up your tickets yet, you can pick them up Friday, until 3:30 at the Old Jail, Stop G, or Saturday at the Depot.
New ticket sales, $50, on the day of the tour will be at the Old Jail, Stop G.
The Holbrook will be running a shuttle bus from their stop H to the center of the tour so you can visit their open house in one of the Cottages, with drinks and refreshments.
Though the entire tour is easily walkable we will also have golf cart shuttles, sponsored by Aroundabout Local Media, doing various routes.
We are so excited the tickets are here!
You can PURCHASE or PICK UP pre purchased tickets at the the Acworth Cultural Arts Center at the Old Jail (4367 Center Street), next to Center Street Tavern and behind Fusco’s Via Roma during the following times:
-Wednesday, November 3: 9am-12pm & 1pm-3:30pm
-Thursday, November 4: 2pm-6pm
-Friday, November 5: 9am-12pm & 1pm-3:30pm
On November 6, the day of the tour:
–Pre purchased Ticket pick up will be at the Depot at the intersection of Main Street and Lemon Street
–New Ticket sales will be at the Old Jail but ticket price will increase to $50
In 1858, Acworth had been established as a watering stop for the Western and Atlantic Railroad, but would not be incorporated until 1860.
That year, Nathan Smith, an established evangelist, founded the Acworth Christian Church, which originally was located on Mitchell Hill. Smith was one of the first schoolmasters in Acworth, and the first worshipful master of the Acworth Masonic Lodge.
The church thrived until the Civil War, when the building was dismantled and used as shanties for Union soldiers. The church re-established in 1875 at its current location on Northside Drive. Tragedy struck again in 1899, when a fire destroyed the church. Nathan Smith died that same year, so he never got to enjoy the rebuilt church, which opened its doors in 1901.
The church has been a fixture in Acworth ever since, and can be seen from Main Street and the downtown area. The church’s original brick exterior was covered by stucco in the 1980s.
This building is proudly sponsored by Fusco’s Via Roma and will be on the Candlelight Tour.
To view more houses on the tour click HERE.
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The McConnell house is thought to have been built in 1902-1903. The original owner, Jeff McConnell, did not have a formal education, but was able to read, write and manage several businesses in the Acworth area. His most successful business was a shoe repair, which started in the basement of the Kitchen & Williams Hardware Store. It was later located in the cellar of his home on Cherokee Street. Jeff McConnell is believed to have been the first African American business owner in Acworth.
The McConnell home stayed in the family until the death of his daughter, Ella McConnell Payton in 1982. A fire swept the front rooms of the house in 1980, and was rebuilt and continued as a residence until a Community Block Grant, organized by the City of Acworth, purchased the house in 2016.
The City of Acworth renovated the house in 2017, making it ADA compliant and a structure sound for commercial purposes. The Acworth Arts Alliance moved into the “Art House” in 2017. Shiplap was found under drywall in some of the rooms.
The Acworth Arts Alliance is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit that focuses on sharing visual arts with the city and surrounding communities. The Art House hosts 6-8 art exhibits annually and offers numerous art classes, workshops and Scholarships to local senior students who go on to further their education in visual art.
To view more houses on the tour click HERE.
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This is our second Charm Debut this year, and it’s yet another charming home.
Built in the 1880s, this Victorian house sits across the street from the Old Mill on Southside Drive. It features five fireplaces, an old-fashioned parlor, den and dining area, pristine hardwood floors, 10-foot ceilings, and more.
This two-bedroom, one-story home was owned by Raymond Hill Awtrey, a storeowner, and his wife Winnie Chastain Awtrey. Outliving her husband, Miss Winnie resided in this elegant home from 1927 until her passing in 1967. The Awtrey’s had no children, so Miss Winnie mainly lived in the rear of the house, which was the front at the time, for twenty years, and rented out the rest of the house to boarders.
It is believed that the ghost of Miss Winnie still resides there today. Before her passing, Miss Winnie would usually sit in a rocking chair near the rear of the home to pass time. The chair was at the home even after her passing, and years after, it was said that the chair would rock on its own as if Miss Winnie was haunting the house.
To view more houses on the tour click HERE.
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Each of our Cherokee Sponsors is an independently owned & run Cobb County small business. Please support each of them along with our other local businesses as much as you possibly can. <3
Meet our 3rd Cherokee Level Sponsor, Picnic Market and Mercantile. Danielle and Tyler first had the idea for a locally sourced market in early 2019, and began putting the pieces together later that summer. Danielle has been a business owner in the downtown Acworth area for 10 years, while Tyler has worked for several businesses in the area and has a background in health, wellness, and nutrition.
Together, they hope to provide the community with a fresh market providing local goods while giving small business owners a retail location in a growing historic downtown area.
“Starting a new business is always challenging, but through a successful Kickstarter campaign, we were able to raise funds that allowed us to pay for our freezers and grab and go cooler, as well as make upgrades to the plumbing and back porch which were required by the city. We are so thankful to all who helped us in the process and are excited to give back to the community and its local businesses!”
~Owner Danielle Buttram
Thank you Danielle & Tyler, and Picnic Market & Mercantile for your support of the Honeymoon House.
Jesse L. Lemon was the son of banker Smith Lemon, who was born to James Lemon and his wife Mary. James was a War of 1812 veteran and state representative in DeKalb County. They moved to Cobb County in 1843, and then to Acworth in 1845. They purchased 800 acres and built the Lemon House. [1]
The Jesse L. Lemon House on Main Street was built in the 1880s by Jesse as a wedding gift for his bride, Elizabeth “Lizzie” McMillan, daughter of Robert Huie McMillan [2], and brother of Jim McMillan, with whom he went into the general merchandise business. [3]
Jesse owned a cotton warehouse and a mercantile store, and served in Acworth’s first government after the Civil War. The home’s fanciful spindle work and interior staircase featuring carved petit-four laced treads attests to his and the town’s prosperity during the Victorian era. [4]
The home is now the Serendipity House, a unique shop treating its guests to room after room of beautiful, one-of-a-kind gift and decor delights.
The Serendipity house is host to the High Tea on the tour from 1pm-4pm. Reservations required, call 770-966-1301. ($20 separate extra charge)
To view more houses on the tour click HERE.
SOURCES:
1. Marcus E. Howard, “Lifelong metro Atlanta resident learns of connection to Cobb city.” Marietta Daily Journal, April 11, 2011. Accessed October 1, 2017.
2. Acworth Society for Historic Preservation, Inc. Acworth. Charleston SC, Chicago, Portsmouth NH, San Franscisco: Arcadia, 2003. p. 20
3. Ibid., p. 15
4. Ibid., p. 20
Each of our Cherokee Sponsors is an independently owned & run Cobb County small business. Please support each of them along with our other local businesses as much as you possibly can. <3
Meet our 2nd Cherokee Level Sponsor, Two LiRu Antiques and Estate Sales sprang from the vision of owner Lisa Mack and Manager Ryan Blankenberger, in 2014, to provide an environment that was not just your everyday Antique Shop but a real “experience” each and EVERY time you wander through.
A multi-dealer shop that brings you Exceptional variety that includes not only Antique Furnishings but also Primitives, Oddities, Vinyl Records, Pop Culture, Retro Toys…and so much more! The neighborhood provides the perfect backdrop for our traditional and eclectic mix. Something for everyone, every season, every aesthetic, every design challenge & every collection.
“The Estate Sale side of our business grew from a real passion for antiques and furnishings as well as helping others. The perfect blend of knowledge and talent combined with kindness and compassion make for the perfect combination for a successful liquidation.”
~Owner Lisa Mack
Thank you Lisa & Two LiRu for your support of the Winnie B. Chastain Awtrey House.
This is our first Charm Debut this year, and what a stellar one it is!
This is a true antebellum home. There are two homes nearby of the same style and architecture. One of the homes is where William Tecumseh Sherman strayed during the Civil War. The six-over-six windows were used in homes from 1830-1860.
Carrie Dyer Home has the distinction of being the second-oldest women’s club in Georgia. The home was used as a community center and hosted lectures, special events and dances, and served as a meeting place for local organizations, such as the Girl Scouts of the USA. The club operated a library in the home until it joined the Cobb County Public Library System in 1963. The new library was constructed a short distance from the house.
This house is an important piece of Acworth history. Thank you to our Mayor Tommy Allegood for seeing that this piece was restored and saved.
To view more houses on the tour click HERE.
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