After five years of fighting to preserve an 1840s home that served as a Union general’s headquarters during the Civil War, Cobb Landmarks finally has found a path forward.
The Robert McAfee house is for sale for just $1 to someone willing to relocate and preserve one of metro Atlanta’s last pre-Civil War structures.
The two-story house near Kennesaw survived both the war, when many area buildings were destroyed, and, more recently, a surge in nearby development.
The historic home served as Union Brig. Gen. Kenner Garrard’s headquarters in June 1864, and may have also served as a Confederate field hospital. It was built with pine timbers joined by wooden pegs and still retains its original pine floors, walls and ceilings, according to the nonprofit Cobb Landmarks.
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Trevor Beemon, the group’s executive director, has worked for years to save the house and has met with potential developers to keep it from being destroyed.
“No one’s wanted to be the bad guy that’s torn the house down,” Beemon said. “Everybody who’s been interested in the property, I think, wants to see it be saved.”
The property the house sits on is owned by the Medford Family Limited Partnership in Blairsville. The owners agreed to donate the historic structure to Cobb Landmarks so the nonprofit could find someone to save it.
A developer interested in purchasing the property agreed to give Cobb Landmarks until May to move the house, Beemon said.
Interested buyers have until Jan. 17 to submit an application to the nonprofit.
A committee will review the applications to determine who should move and preserve the home. The interior of the home can be renovated, but its exterior should be preserved and kept to its original appearance, Beemon said.
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
“It’s going to be a significant investment to move it and renovate it, whether it’s for a residence or for public use,” Beemon said. “Trying to make it as cheap as possible for somebody is our goal. But at the same time, we’re going to do this application process where we’re going to determine who we feel has the best chance of actually succeeding.”
The selected applicant will be notified by Jan. 31 and will have until May 15 to remove the structure from the property.
In recent years, several buyers have been interested in developing the property, a corner lot at Bells Ferry Road and Barrett Parkway that sits across from Bells Ferry Elementary School. Last year, the site was under contract with a developer who wanted to build a car wash. But that deal fell through, leaving the house’s future uncertain.
The area is teeming with development — a Barnes and Noble bookstore, a Publix grocery store and several other shops are next to the property and just down the road from Town Center Mall. But the house somehow survived.
The informative marker placed next to the house by the Georgia Historical Society does not guarantee it will remain standing.
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Beemon said he’s already heard from several interested buyers. He hopes the house will stay in Cobb County and fulfill its original purpose as a residence.
“To see it be turned back into a home and have people move in and live their lives in it,” Beemon said. “That would be the most rewarding thing: to see life back in it.”
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