Marsh House (LaFayette, Georgia)

USA / Georgia / La Fayette / LaFayette, Georgia
 interesting place, American Civil War 1861-1865

The Marsh House was built by Spencer Stewart Marsh about 1836. In the mid-1830's, residents of the growing community wished to build a new building to replace the one-room log cabin which served as a school at that time. Mr. Marsh donated the land just south of his residence for the new school, originally called Chattooga Academy and later dedicated as John B. Gordon Hall. The Marsh home became the school-time residence of John B. Gordon who later served as a Confederate general and Georgia governor.



In 1863, when it became apparent that the Civil War would come to Northwest Georgia, the Marshes moved south to Cassville, Georgia. During their absence, the house was occupied by Union troops. After the war the Marshes returned home to find all their furniture and household items had been taken. The floors in the downstairs hall were blood soaked and marked with the hoof prints of horses. The family found many bullets in the outer walls and bullet holes in the glass around the upstairs outer door on the house's south side. The family restored the house but left some of the bullet holes as a reminder that the house had survived the war. The house remained in the family for more than 150 years. The last member of the family to occupy the house was Mr. Marsh's great-granddaughter, Addie Augusta Wert. Walker County purchased the house in spring 2003. Under an agreement with the Walker County Historical Society, the county owns the building and participates in its preservation through the Walker County Historic Preservation Commission and the Marsh House Community Task Force.
marshhouseoflafayette.com/visit.html
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Coordinates:   34°42'33"N   85°16'51"W
This article was last modified 11 years ago