Swanton House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Swanton House
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 Location in Atlanta
Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | 720 West Trinity Place, Decatur, Georgia |
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| Built | c. 1824, 1850 |
| Architectural style | Plantation Plain |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000977 |
| Added to NRHP | August 30, 1978 |
The Swanton House is a really old building in downtown Decatur, Georgia. It's special because it's one of the few buildings left from before the American Civil War. This war happened in the United States from 1861 to 1865. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 30, 1978. This is a list of places that are important to the history of the United States.
Contents
What is the History of Swanton House?
The Swanton House has a long and interesting story. It started as a small log cabin and grew over time.
How Did the House Begin?
The very first part of the house was a two-room log cabin. It was built around 1825 by a person named Burwell Johnson. The cabin was located on Atlanta Avenue. Later, it was sold to Ammi Williams. Many old records were lost in a fire in 1842. Because of this, some exact details about the early house are not known. Over the years, more rooms and a porch were added to the house.
Who Was Benjamin Franklin Swanton?
The house is named after Benjamin Franklin Swanton. He moved to Georgia from New Hampshire in the 1830s. He came during the Georgia Gold Rush to sell tools for mining gold.
In 1852, Swanton bought the house when he moved to Decatur. He started selling cotton gins, which are machines that separate cotton fibers. Benjamin Swanton became a very successful businessman in Decatur. He owned a sawmill, a gristmill (for grinding grain), a brickyard, a tannery (for making leather), and a machine shop.
How Did the Civil War Affect the House?
During the Civil War, Benjamin Swanton, his wife, and daughter went to Maine for safety. They left the house in the care of a widow named Mrs. Johnson.
On July 19, 1864, the Swanton House became a headquarters. The Army of the Tennessee used it on their way to the Battle of Atlanta. General Thomas William Sweeny was at the house during this time. Later, in September 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman ordered his troops to take over Atlanta. The Army of the Ohio then used the Swanton House as their headquarters. Because the house was used by the army, it was saved from being destroyed during the war.
How Was the House Saved?
The Swanton family owned the house until the 1960s. By 1957, people started to worry about saving the house. Downtown Decatur was changing, with more businesses moving in. In the mid-1960s, the house was in danger of being torn down. This was due to new building projects in the area.
In January 1965, the family sold the property to the Decatur Housing Authority. An Atlanta banker named Mills Lane became interested in saving the house. He bought the building from the family. In 1970, he decided the best way to save it was to move it.
Lane provided money for the DeKalb History Center to fix up the house. The city of Decatur had to provide a new place for it. In April 1970, the city gave a piece of land in Ebster Park for the house. This land faced West Trinity Place.
Where is the Swanton House Now?
The Swanton House was moved and fixed up. Its original historical marker, from 1957, was also moved with it. The house reopened in 1972. It is now next to the Mary Gay House on West Trinity Place. This area is in the Adair Park neighborhood of Decatur.
Even though the house is not in its first spot, it is still on land that Benjamin Swanton once owned. This land was used for his tannery. Other historic buildings have also been moved nearby by the DeKalb History Center. These include the Biffle cabin and the Thomas-Barber cabin.
The new location has had some challenges. For example, the four historic buildings are very close together. This is not how they would have looked originally. Also, the current spot for Swanton House is wetter than its first location. This has caused some problems with mold. Since 2008, almost $40,000 has been spent on repairs to help with this issue.
