From Chattooga Academy and the Marsh House to the Gordon-Lee Mansion and Coke Ovens, you’ll find a host of places where you can step back in time and see what life was like in the 1800’s. Many of these locations are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, preserving their stories for countless generations to come.
Historic Sites
The Marsh House
Circa 1836, the Marsh House offers a glimpse into the antebellum era. Docents provide house history and information about 19th century furnishings, many of which are original to the house. The house is open for tours March through December on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The house is closed in…
Chattooga Academy
Chattooga Academy is believed to be one of the oldest school buildings in Georgia. It cost about $815 to build and opened in 1837 with an enrollment of 15 boys and 37 girls. During the Civil War, the academy served as Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg’s headquarters from September 10-17, 1863. Bragg reportedly prepared for the…
Gordon Lee Mansion
James Gordon started construction on this family home in 1840 and completed it seven years later. During the War Between the States, the main house was used by the Union Army for General Rosecrans Headquarters just before the Battle of Chickamauga. During the battle, the house became a hospital. The City of Chickamauga owns the…
Lee & Gordon Mills
James Gordon also built this mill, one of the oldest in Georgia. The original mill burned in 1867. Gordon’s partner, James Lee, rebuilt it on the same site, a short time later. It was restored in the 1990’s. You can tour the mill and purchase fresh ground corn meal. The mill is open Tuesday through…
Coke Ovens
If you see something in Walker County that looks like it belongs in the Shire of Middle Earth, you’ve found the Coke Ovens. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the ovens were used to turn coal into coke for foundries to use to make iron and steel. The ovens closed around the time of…
McLemore Cove
In 1994, the National Register of Historic Places added the McLemore Cove Historic District to its list of treasured locations. There is also a lot of information about McLemore Cove housed on the National Archives site. The cove is named from Robert and John McLemore, sons of a white trader and a Cherokee mother. Along with…