He fought Confederates. He tangled with Indian fighters. Now John Upham's St. Augustine cottage is for sale again -- for a whopping $3.2 million

An eye-catching design, bath with a view and a welcoming outside area (Evan Ulsh/Good Things Homes)

If Lt. Col. John Jaques Upham were alive today, he would be pleased to see that the interior of the winter cottage he built in St. Augustine, Fla., for his bride has been returned to something he would recognize.

That’s because the owners have spent about as much money renovating the striking residence at 268 Saint George St. as they did after purchasing it in late 2023 for $1.045 million.

If you are brave – and rich – enough to take on the upkeep and hefty taxes, the 5,800-square-foot dwelling can be yours for a cool $3.2 million – three times its previous purchase price.

When it was built in 1892-1893, the Queen Anne Victorian was a real showpiece in a neighborhood full of showpieces.

Upham, 54, married Caroline Hoppin Williams – 10 years his junior -- in Milwaukee on Sept. 23, 1891. Having soldiered through bouts of poor health, the Civil War veteran and U.S. 8^th Cavalry officer (Indian Wars) retired just four months later. He focused on building the cottage. (At left, photo of Upham while cadet, courtesy of U.S. Military Academy Library)

The couple happily wintered in St. Augustine and summered in Wisconsin until 1898, when Upham died of kidney disease.

The Uphams could not have foreseen what would happen to the luxury house years later.

“The last time we listed it, the property was difficult to sell because it needed a lot of work, and it had a disjointed – and somewhat confusing – layout,” said Elizabeth Jennings. She and Kate Mitchell have marketed the property for ONESotheby’s International Realty in St. Augustine.

“Because it had been converted to five units at some point, there were additional staircases and a landing space to enter the units,” said Jennings in an email. “Although it had been used as a single-family home for a few decades, none of the previous owners had done the work that it needed in order to restore it to a single-family home with a cohesive layout.”

A staircase was built to the third floor (Evan Ulsh/Good Things Homes)

That's all been remedied through an exhaustive renovation.

Upham Cottage is part of the St. Augustine historic district, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; the National Park Service says the three-story cottage is one of a few remaining of that style in the coastal city.

The Upham Cottage’s sales price has varied widely in the past 15 or so years, according to Zillow. Like other houses of that age with such features, upkeep is paramount.

Upham took part in Civil War, Indian Wars

John J. Upham was born in Wilmington, Del., in 1837. His family moved to Milwaukee, where his father, Don A.J. Upham, served as mayor in 1849 and 1850. The younger Upham attended West Point, graduated in 1859 and joined the regular army.

First in the infantry, the officer was stationed at Governor’s Island, N.Y., and California before the Civil War broke out.

He was engaged in the defense of Washington, D.C., the 1862 Peninsula Campaign in Virginia and the Battle of Gettysburg, where he was promoted to brevet major for “gallant and meritorious service,” according to his The Milwaukee Sentinel obituary (provided to the Picket by the Wisconsin Historical Society). He later became a disbursing officer in the North and occupied South.

Cullum’s Register, an index of graduates of the U.S. Military Academy, had a biography of Upham, listing numerous stations in the West during the Indian Wars, after he had switched to the cavalry. The officer took several leaves of absence, at least some for health reasons. The register said he served “despite constant poor health.”

Upham was in a few regiments in his time in Texas, Kansas and Indian Territory. He took command of Oklahoma’s Fort Gibson in 1875 and was in the field in the summer of 1876 as part of the Yellowstone and Big Horn expeditions (George A. Armstrong and much of his command were killed at Little Big Horn in June 1876).

Upham fought at War Bonnet Creek and Slim Buttes and later was stationed at Fort D.A. Russell, Fort Wahaskie and Fort Niobrara, according to his obituary.

Jennings said the owner – is from the Atlanta area – is intrigued with the Upham story. They had planned to stay in the house longer, but had a change of plans.

Property is not for the 'faint of heart'

(Evan Ulsh / Good Things Homes)

The sellers created a more cohesive and less funky interior by removing two staircases, building one new staircase to the third floor, converting the landing space into a modern sized primary bath and adding a new staircase that flows directly from the second floor to the third floor.

Upgrades included a new roof, kitchen renovation, lighting and extensive landscaping.

“Historic properties like this are very delicate and not for the faint of heart. Because of the current price point of $3.2 million, the new buyer will be someone with high net worth,” said Jennings.

In other words, most folks aren’t in the running for the seven-bedroom, five-bathroom house.

“They will be someone who loves history, loves St. Augustine and someone who likes the hustle and bustle of downtown living. This home is located on historic St. George Street, which is the most well-known street in St. Augustine. All of the shops, restaurants and cultural icons – like the Bridge of Lions, the Lightner Museum, the Castillo San Marcos – are only steps away.”

The global real estate adviser said the sellers have done all the hard work. The buyer will have to be serious, too, taking on high taxes, insurance and the unforeseen on the quarter-acre property.

“The last time we had this property listed, we showed it to dozens and dozens of buyers. Most of them were afraid to take on this project because the costs associated with renovations are largely unknown,” said Jennings.

(Evan Ulsh / Good Things Homes)

The payoff?

Lots of admiring eyes, spaces to socialize and a place for multigenerational living or a means to earn extra income.

‘This remarkable home showcases the graceful blend of Queen Anne Victorian architecture with examples of Moorish Revival in the courtyard arches,” says the listing. “With stunning original millwork, wood floors and unique octagonal shape, this home will take you back to the splendor of the Gilded Age.”

The Upham Cottage is in the white rectangle toward the center bottom of aerial photo

RaceTrac loses one battle but hopes to win the war in its bid to build a 24/7 gas station at Atlanta-area site where Civil War house stood, cavalry clashed

The sturdy home was cut into six pieces before its move (Civil War Picket photo)

RaceTrac’s desire to build a gas station and convenience store on a piece of North Georgia property that until recently contained a home caught up in Civil War cavalry clashes suffered a significant setback this week.

The Cobb County Planning Commission in suburban Atlanta voted Tuesday to recommend rezoning the former Robert and Eliza McAfee property but added conditions that would not allow gasoline sales.

The 4-1 vote is not the final say. The Cobb County Board of Commissioners will take up the matter on Oct. 21 and make the final decision.

The home -- which briefly served as the headquarters for a Union general and was in the middle of cavalry movements and clashes in summer 1864 – this spring was moved to adjoining Cherokee County after a long effort to save it from destruction. 

The planning commission vote – following spirited discussion -- backs a change to the requested Neighborhood Retail Commercial (NRC) zoning. But it would prohibit fuel sales, drive-throughs and alcohol, tobacco and vape sales at the site.

“This recommendation would not permit a RaceTrac at this location,” said attorney Kevin Moore, who represents RaceTrac and the property owner, in an email to the Civil War Picket following the vote.

“At this point, the application proceeds to the Board of Commissioners for their full consideration and final vote.”

Commercial development in area; day care above house site, elementary school to its right

John Pederson, the county’s zoning division manager, said if the county commission follows the planning commission’s lead, small retail, offices or a restaurant would be permitted.

The planning commission recommendation is at least a short-term victory for the Bells Ferry Civic Association -- made up of area residents -- which opposes the proposed RaceTrac location at Bells Ferry Road and Ernest Barrett Parkway.

The McAfee House dated to the 1840s, and the sprawling farm was a fixture in the Noonday Creek area. The property owner wants to sell the remaining two acres to RaceTrac.

RaceTrac argued a 24/7 store at the busy corner was appropriate and compatible with commercial development nearby. Opponents raised a list of concerns, from traffic congestion and storm water runoff to the possible impact of alcohol sales and gas vapors on a nearby elementary school and day care center.

The planning commission’s stipulations came despite an endorsement of the project by county planning staff and a traffic study that found the large gas station acceptable if measures were taken to mitigate congestion.(At right, the house in the 1940s; Digital Library of Georgia)

RaceTrac this summer held a public meeting with neighborhoods concerned about the plan. Erick Allen, the Cobb County commissioner who represents the area, was among those attending.

After this week’s vote, Allen said he will take neighborhood comments into account when the project is taken up by the county commission.

“Based on the action take on yesterday I would assume that even if the proposed development does not move forward you would want the same stipulations of any development that would occur on this historic site,” he told the Picket in an email Wednesday.

If station is built, an archaeological survey first

Although observers were pleased the McAfee House was not destroyed, many decried Cobb County's loss of history with its move to an adjoining county.

The nonprofit Cobb Landmarks, the Bells Ferry Civic Association and the county’s historic preservation staff all recommend an archaeological survey of the site if the rezoning is ultimately approved.

Any artifacts discovered during the survey should be donated to an appropriate museum, the preservation staff recommends. RaceTrac has vowed to comply with any county requirements about safeguarding artifacts.

The McAfee House served a few weeks in June and early July 1864 as the headquarters for Brig. Gen. Kenner Garrard and his three brigades during the Atlanta Campaign.

After the seizure of Big Shanty (Kennesaw) by Federal forces on June 9, Garrard’s cavalry division was posted on the left flank during operations on the Kennesaw Mountain front. 

The Federal troopers clashed almost daily near Noonday Creek with Confederates led by Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler. (At left, a map showing troop positions in June-July 1864; note McAfee House / Library of Congress)

The McAfee farm was believed to have been occupied by Confederates, too, during the action around Kennesaw Mountain. The house is said to have been used as a field hospital.

Sturdy residence was moved to adjoining county

The house itself had no designated historic protection because the owners did not seek it, according to Cobb County officials, and is not on the National Register of Historic Places.

The owner has tried for years to sell the two acres for commercial development. A real estate agent representing the seller did not reply to a Picket request for comment.

The Robert and Eliza McAfee House before its move (Cobb Landmarks)

Cobb Landmarks had worked to find someone to move the home, including when a car wash was proposed. That idea was eventually withdrawn.

The house was empty for several years, and preservationists worried it would fall to the wrecking ball. Eventually, the owner donated the house to Cobb Landmarks so it could find someone to move it before a development could be built at the intersection.

Cobb Landmarks earlier this year sold the house for $1 to entrepreneurs Lee and Brittani Lusk, with the main requirement it be moved and restored. The couple moved the sturdy residence to near their home in Ball Ground. Setting a foundation for the structure has proved a challenge, but brick masons are at work around the home as part of that effort, Brittani Lusk said this week.

The Lusks are still deciding on the house’s future use.

Cases for and against service station at corner

Tuesday morning’s hearing began with remarks by Moore, who argued a RaceTrac at the corner is consistent with land use plans and is in an area already full of commercial businesses. He said the company agreed to move the station’s convenience store away from the elementary school.

McAfee House in Ball Ground a couple months after its move (Civil War Picket photo)

Moore reiterated the company would adequately control gas fumes and storm water runoff. He said the station would employ strong security measures. Further, Moore said, a deceleration lane and new turning lanes would mitigate impact on traffic.

RaceTrac, headquartered in Cobb County, would partner with Bells Ferry Elementary School, the attorney told the planning commission.

 “RaceTrac’s DNA is to support and be impactful in a positive way in their community,” said Moore.

Cherie Beasley, who lives in the Piedmont Hills subdivision, told the planning commission increased traffic from the station would bring “massive congestion” at the intersection.

Another speaker with the Bells Ferry Civic Association said the group is not against commercial development but favors a business that has less impact than a gas station and is compatible with nearby businesses, including a Barnes & Noble and Hallmark store. He reiterated neighborhood concerns about public safety.

Commissioners call lot a 'challenged location'

Following the comments section, the planning commissioners discussed concerns about the proximity of the station to the school (About 100-150 feet from the playground) -- from both a traffic perspective and possible impact on health and environment. (Rezoning notice posted after house move, Picket photo)

Travis McComb with the Cobb County School District said further congestion would hinder access to and from the elementary school. Moore countered, saying the favorable traffic study took all factors into account.

Commissioner David Anderson said he wished the county was more explicit in its code regarding the proximity of gas stations to schools and day cares. “I do see this site as having a lot of conflicts in terms of uses,” he said. “It is just a challenged location in the traffic interactions.”

Fuel sales, Commissioner Fred Beloin said, are not good near schools.

A famous song by the Beatles came up shortly before the vote. Beloin cited “Hey Jude,” saying a gas station would make for the opposite of the song’s intention.

The result, Beloin said, is to “make a bad road and make it far, far worse.”

Gettysburg will have the first museum dedicated to its Black history

Not long ago, the Hopkins House in Gettysburg - the last remaining Civil War-era log cabin that had been owned by Black citizens - was scheduled for demolition. Instead, thanks to community activists, historians and fundraisers, the nearly 200-year-old building is being preserved as a museum. It will become the first museum in Gettysburg devoted to the area’s Black history. – PennLive article

This honor was mine: Medal of Honor recipient James Taylor showed me how LBJ presented the award in recognition of his heroic rescues in Vietnam

Medal of Honor recipient Jim Taylor demonstrates placement of medal (Special to the Picket)

When a Medal of Honor recipient insists (or asks, for that matter) you sit at his table, you don’t say no.

I found myself in this unexpected situation Tuesday afternoon while onboard a train carrying 13 Medal of Honor recipients during an immersive reenactment of the Civil War’s “Great Locomotive Chase” in North Georgia in April 1862. Members of the Andrews Raid were the first to receive the Medal of Honor.

I was darting between cars and taking pictures for the Picket’s Facebook page when I encountered James “Jim” Taylor, who was wearing a bright blue shirt with the words Medal of Honor beneath a burst of stars.

What happened next deeply touched me, and left an indelible memory.

Taylor, 87, was holding his medal, held in place by a blue ribbon, in front of him, and I assumed he was just adjusting it before returning it around his neck.

Instead, the Vietnam War hero beckoned to me. After I sat in a chair, he proceeded to reenact how President Lyndon B. Johnson placed the medal at the White House on Nov. 19, 1968.

Don’t worry: He did not place the medal around my neck.

Taylor asked me to open my outstretched hands to mimic a neck. He then moved the ribbon around the hands before placing the medal in the cup of my fingers, showing the bright medal to onlookers.

The demonstration took about a minute. I don’t know if the Army veteran has done this before with other people. I have no idea why he picked me. Someone did film the moment. (Picket photo in Kennesaw)

But I felt I was part of something special. I texted my family one of the photos in this post.

I will admit to not ever hearing of Taylor, who was a first lieutenant at the time he merited the nation’s highest military award for valor.

The Californian was in action on Nov. 9, 1967, west of Que Son. Any description I could provide would not be adequate, so it is best to provide the citation.

Capt. Taylor, Armor, was serving as executive officer of Troop B, 1st Squadron. His troop was engaged in an attack on a fortified position west of Que Son when it came under intense enemy recoilless-rifle, mortar, and automatic-weapons fire from an enemy strong point located immediately to its front. One armored cavalry assault vehicle was hit immediately by recoilless-rifle fire and all five crewmembers were wounded. Aware that the stricken vehicle was in grave danger of exploding, Capt. Taylor rushed forward and personally extracted the wounded to safety despite the hail of enemy fire and exploding ammunition. Within minutes a second armored cavalry assault vehicle was hit by multiple recoilless-rifle rounds. Despite the continuing intense enemy fire, Capt. Taylor moved forward on foot to rescue the wounded men from the burning vehicle and personally removed all the crewmen to the safety of a nearby dike. Moments later the vehicle exploded.

As he was returning to his vehicle, a bursting mortar round painfully wounded Capt. Taylor yet he valiantly returned to his vehicle to relocate the medical evacuation zone to an area closer to the front lines. As he was moving his vehicle, it came under machine- gun fire from an enemy position not 50 yards away. Capt. Taylor engaged the position with his machine gun, killing the three-man crew. Upon arrival at the new evacuation site, still another vehicle was struck. Once again Capt. Taylor rushed forward and pulled the wounded from the vehicle, loaded them aboard his vehicle, and returned them safely to the evacuation site. His actions of unsurpassed valor were a source of inspiration to his entire troop, contributed significantly to the success of the overall assault on the enemy position, and were directly responsible for saving the lives of a number of his fellow soldiers. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military profession and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

I did a bit of research on Taylor this morning after returning home last night.

Sammy Davis, third from left, and  Jim Taylor to his left (White House photo)

The official photo of Taylor with LBJ shows him in a line, next to Sgt. Sammy L. Davis. Fittingly, Davis was among those on the CSX journey Tuesday from Kennesaw, Ga., to Ringgold, where he gave remarks to a large crowd in the town’s depot.

The veterans are taking part in the 2025 Medal of Honor Celebration in Chattanooga, Tenn. The principal sponsors are the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center. (There are currently 61 living Medal of Honor recipients.)

Taylor, in a video recorded years ago, said he did not want to be considered above millions of other veterans.

The day’s events – in Atlanta, Kennesaw and Ringgold – and, of course, the train ride, were an amazing experience. As a military brat in Germany, we lived near an Air Force Vietnam War recipient. To meet or talk with 13 was a real privilege.

Jim Taylor (right) and other medal recipients Tuesday at the Atlanta History Center (Picket photo)

PHOTOS: 13 Medal of Honor recipients retrace the 'Great Locomotive Chase'

(Civil War Picket photos)

Jim McCloughan, Kyle Carpenter and Britt Slabinski (from left) were among 13 Medal of Honor recipients who rode a CSX executive train Tuesday afternoon that reenacted the Civil War’s “Great Locomotive Chase” in 1862. The daylong event in Atlanta, Kennesaw and other points in North Georgia was part of the 2025 Medal of Honor Celebration in Chattanooga, Tenn. Union soldiers in the Andrews Raid were the first to receive the Medal of Honor. See the Picket’s updates and photos at our Facebook page.