Kennesaw House facts for kids
The Kennesaw House is a really old, three-story building in downtown Marietta, Georgia. It's a special place because it's home to the Marietta History Center. You can find it just west of the main town square, right next to the CSX train tracks. These tracks were originally part of the Western and Atlantic Railroad.
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History of the Kennesaw House
Early Days and the Great Locomotive Chase
The Kennesaw House was built way back in 1845. This makes it one of the oldest buildings still standing in Marietta. It was first meant to be a cotton warehouse. But in 1855, a man named Dix Fletcher bought it. He turned the building into a hotel called the Fletcher House.
Something very exciting happened at the Fletcher House. This was the starting point of the famous Great Locomotive Chase. Some people might think it began in Big Shanty (now Kennesaw). But it actually started right here at the Fletcher House.
In April 1862, during the American Civil War, a civilian named James Andrews was working with the Union Army. He came to Marietta with some Union soldiers. They were all in disguise. On the night of April 11, Andrews and some of his men stayed at the Fletcher House. Today, the Marietta History Center has a special room. It shows what the room where these men supposedly slept might have looked like. The next morning, April 12, Andrews and his men boarded a train with other passengers.
Surviving the Civil War
The Kennesaw House was one of the only buildings in Marietta that was not burned down. This happened during William Tecumseh Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. Part of the reason it survived was because Dix Fletcher was a Mason. Also, his son-in-law was a Union spy.
Like many other buildings around the Marietta square, the Kennesaw House was used during the war. It became a hospital for the Confederate Army. Later, it was used as a hospital by the Union Army too.
Changes Over the Years
In 1920, the first floor of the building was renovated. It was changed into retail shops. Then, in 1979, the entire building got a big makeover. Workers removed the white covering from the outside. This showed the original brickwork underneath. The inside of the building was completely rebuilt. Only a few original parts remained, like the wooden staircases and some fireplaces.
After the 1979 renovation, the top two floors became offices. The bottom floor housed a restaurant called Brickworks.
Home of the Marietta History Center
In 1996, the Marietta Museum of History moved in. It is now known as the Marietta History Center. They first took over the second floor. Later, they also took over the third floor. This happened after the Junior League and Southern Baseball Federation moved out.
Since 2010, the Marietta History Center uses the entire Kennesaw House. The first floor has a space that can be rented for events. It also has the Museum Store and staff offices. The second floor is where you can find the Center's exhibits and gallery spaces. The third floor is used for storing the museum's collections. It also has more staff offices.
