Ravaged by war, erosion, time and World War II bulldozers, Fort Fisher will celebrate its resilience and new earthworks Saturday with 160th anniversary events

Reproduction 32-pounder was installed this week; note the two guns amid traverses (Fort Fisher SHS)

As a native of Wilmington, N.C., Chris Fonvielle grew up amid sand, surf and history. He recalls climbing all over Fort Fisher, the Civil War sentinel a few miles to the south.

Fonvielle (pronounced fawn-vull) eventually immersed himself in the study of Confederate blockade running, coastal operations and Fort Fisher, thought to be nearly impregnable as the “Gibraltar of the South.” And, as fate would have it, he still walks all around the site -- as an occasional tour guide.

Fonvielle and fellow author Rod Gragg will be among the speakers Saturday at Fort Fisher State Historic Site’s observance of the 160^th anniversary of the bastion’s fall to Union forces, hastening the South’s defeat in the four-year conflict.

"As the guardian of Wilmington -- the sole surviving major seaport in the Confederacy -- Fort Fisher was indispensable to the South, and was a critical lifeline that Northern forces had to sever,” Gragg, author of the seminal “Confederate Goliath: The Battle of Fort Fisher,” told the Picket.

Union forces attempted to take Fort Fisher -- built by enslaved persons on a peninsula between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean -- in December 1864, but naval guns failed to reduce artillery positions and the attack was called off. But success came on Jan. 15, 1865, after an effective and sustained bombardment.

“That knocked out all the heavy artillery that otherwise would have devastated the ground troops,” said Fonvielle.

What followed was the largest amphibious assault before World War II. Union troops rolled up defenders, leading to surrender.

The victory cut off blockade runners and the last supply line through Wilmington to Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. U.S. Colored Troops were among those taking part in the attack. 

The big draw Saturday will be the new 20,000-square-foot visitor center and reconstructed earthworks that opened late last year. Programming includes artillery and infantry weapons demonstrations, guided tours, reenactors and book signings (see schedule below). The Friends of Fort Fisher are sponsoring the event.

The state park whomped up excitement Wednesday by announcing it installed a second reproduction 32-pounder cannon between the newly reconstructed seventh and eighth traverses.

“In the coming months, we will continue fleshing out these new earthworks with ground cover and interior decorations for the bombproof shelter exhibit,” Fort Fisher said in a Facebook post.

The site had closed in April 2024 to allow completion of the visitor center and the recreation of three traverses, bombproofs, a powder magazine and the sally port.

(Trails map modifications showing new traverses/ Dennis Gast)

Fort Fisher’s use during World War II helped the Allied cause but destroyed some of its familiar defensive traverses. They were removed to make way for an airstrip when the area was used for training anti-aircraft and coastal artillery units. Much of the fort was lost to erosion from the shifting Atlantic Ocean.

“It’s been a dream down here to rebuild this segment of earthworks since the 1960s. We finally did it,” Fort Fisher site manager Jim Steele told McClatchy News.

He spoke to the news service about the Southern effort to create the immense sand fort.

Building and repairing went on nonstop during the four-year war, which required the enslaved laborers to rotate through for weeks or months at a time, Steele said.

Montage of Timothy O'Sullivan photos of traverses; click to enlarge (Library of Congress)

The three new traverses, as with the original six, were the scenes of heavy, close-quarters combat as Union troops pushed east on Jan. 15,1865.

Chad Jefferds, Fort Fisher’s assistant site manager, said Saturday's weapons demonstrations will occur at Shepherd’s Battery, which guarded the western end of the Rebel defenses.

“We will be conducting both infantry and artillery demonstrations during the weapons demos at Shepherd’s Battery,” he told the Picket. “The infantry will show how units maneuvered in the field and fire blank rounds from reproduction muskets (mostly Springfields or Enfields), while artillery will show the process of loading and firing along with how each cannon crew member functioned. We currently anticipate having a 10-pounder Parrott rifle, along with the site’s 12-pounder Napoleon and 32-pounder firing blank charges.”

Admission to the site and programming is free, with the exception of $10 to take part in an “Above the Scenes” tour. Site historian Ray Flowers leads the walk, which delves deep into the experiences of those who lived, labored and fought at Fort Fisher, and gives visitors the rare opportunity to climb the fort’s earthen mounds.

Reenactors will be in an interpretive camp in Fort Grove, said Jefferds.

Books by Fonvielle (right), a retired educator, include “The Wilmington Campaign: Last Rays of Departing Hope” and “Fort Fisher 1865: The Photographs of T.H. O’Sullivan.”

He and co-author Bob Browning will discuss their new “Fort Fisher Illustrated: Art of the Battle.”

The paperback features lithographs, engravings, drawings and other dramatic illustrations made after the battle.

 “People knew because of the media coverage how important Wilmington was,” said Fonvielle.

Here is the current schedule for Saturday:

10 a.m.: Weapons demonstration at Shepherd’s Battery

10:45 a.m.: Presentation and book signing by Chris Fonvielle and Bob Browning, “Fort Fisher: Art of the Battle” (Orientation Theatre)

11 a.m.: “Above the Scenes” guided tour, leaving from main entrance breezeway.

Noon: Weapons demonstration at Shepherd’s Battery

12:45 p.m.: Presentation and book signing by Rod Gragg (left), “Cold Steel and the Butt of a Gun: The Fall of Fort Fisher” (Orientation Theatre).

"Commemorative events such as the 160th anniversary of the battle of Fort Fisher help us to remember our history and to learn from those who came before us," said Gragg.

1 pm.: “Above the Scenes” guided tour, leaving from main entrance breezeway.

2 p.m.: Weapons demonstration at Shepherd’s Battery

2:45 p.m.: Presentation and book signing by Angela Zombek, “Suspicious Characters and Captured Combatants: The Experiences of Prisoners of War” (Orientation Theatre)

3 p.m.: “Above the Scenes” guided tour, leaving from main entrance breezeway

4 p.m.: Weapons demonstration at Shepherd’s Battery

The site will be open Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., with public program being held between 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The visitor center is located at 1610 S. Fort Fisher Blvd. in Kure Beach. With an expected large crowd, the site recommends carpooling. Limited extra parking will be available at Battle Acre Road. Tickets for the “Above the Scenes” guided tour can be purchased at the first-floor information desk in the visitor center. Concessions will be provided by the Federal Point History Center.

Below: One of the reproduction 32-pounders points to the visitor center to its north (FFHS photo)

South Carolina's monument to Civil War hero Robert Smalls will rival old statues of white supremacists, and his story will be the one that inspires schoolchildren

Basil Watson's rendering of the memorial (Robert Smalls Monument Commission)

The loss of a tree outside the South Carolina State House – whether by chance, or divine intervention – opened a spot for a statue of Civil War hero Robert Smalls, who will stand equal to monuments of white supremacists on the Capitol grounds.

The Robert Smalls Monument Commission, made up mostly of legislators, last week unanimously approved a design and memorial location for the enslaved man who first gained fame for commandeering a Confederate ship in Charleston harbor in March 1862.

Choosing from three finalists, the commission chose a statue that depicts Smalls in a three-piece suit, at the height of his power in Congress.

“This depiction is important because Smalls should be viewed as possessing the same gravitas as historical figures such as Wade Hampton, Ben Tillman, James Byrnes, Strom Thurmond as depicted in monuments on the State House grounds,” said white state Rep. Brandon Cox.

The proposal needs action from a legislative committee and a full vote by the South Carolina General Assembly to become reality. The State Department of Administration and legislators are working to raise private money to build the Smalls monument in Columbia.

No price tag has been determined for the project. As of Tuesday, the commission has received $11,530 in donations, spokesperson Brooke Bailey told the Picket.

Artist Basil Watson of Lawrenceville, Ga., created the approved design.

“(Smalls, left) demonstrated from an early age a spirit of demanding equality, feeling that he was equal and capable,” said Watson, according to the South Carolina Daily Gazette. “I think this was the spirit that he carried throughout his life.”

At the start of the Civil War, Smalls, 23, was a pilot on the steamship CSS Planter. On the morning of May 13, 1862, Smalls led the takeover of the ship by its slave crew, sailed past the harbor's formidable defenses and surrendered the vessel to the Union blockade fleet. His wife and children were among those on board who gained freedom.

Smalls met with President Abraham Lincoln and lobbied him to recruit black men to serve in the Union army. The former slave served as a pilot on the ship USS Crusader.

Brown Memorials of Florence, S.C., submitted this design (Robert Smalls Monument Commission)

Smalls returned to his hometown Beaufort and bought his former master’s home. After the war, he served in South Carolina’s Legislature, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and served several terms.

The congressman fought against the disenfranchisement of black voters across the South, according to the American Battlefield Trust.

He also fought against segregation within the military, advocated for compulsory education in South Carolina, opened a school for black children and published a newspaper, among other accomplishments.

As the Post and Courier newspaper pointed out, the monument will be on a 22-acre property in Columbia dominated by Confederate memorials. (Pate Studio design, right, Robert Smalls Monument Commission)

“Confederate Gen. Wade Hampton, who enslaved people, has a statue, as does Benjamin Tillman, the former governor and white supremacist whose brother George used violence and intimidation to rob Smalls of his seat in Congress before his colleagues eventually removed him from office.”

Watson’s design was straightforward, with a single likeness of Smalls, rising above panels on the base describing his service and patriotism.

One panel includes a famous line uttered by Small in 1895:

“My race needs no special defense, for the past history of them in this country proves them to be the equal of any people anywhere. All they need is an equal chance in the battle of life.”

Suggested text for one of the statue's panels (Robert Small Monument Commission)

At last week’s commission meeting, a state senator at first favored the two other designs, which featured two to three statues depicting Smalls during different phases of his life, including his Civil War exploit.

Others disagreed.

Mike Shealy, who chairs the commission, and state Sen. Darrell Jackson, who is black, said Smalls should appear as other statues on the ground. A separate African-American monument on the grounds provides a wider story with more figures, they said.

The African-American monument on the Capitol grounds in Columbia (Library of Congress)

“The simplicity of the statue of one man on a pedestal who is equal to the other people that are memorialized on our State House grounds is the best depiction,” said Shealy.

The commission also released a map showing all the nearly two dozen monuments at the Capitol. Legislators said the location for the monument became after a tree branch fell. Officials later learned the tree was dying.

Black Rep. Jermaine Johnson said Smalls will stand near the visitor entrance to the State House and will provide a powerful reminder to schoolchildren about equal rights.

And, he said, visitors will be able to see the statues of Hampton and “Pitchfork” Ben Tillman (photo right, Wikipedia) from the location -- a reminder that Smalls overcame cruelties of the racist South.

Tillman, an agrarian populist, promulgated violence from groups who opposed Black rights and voting. A Clemson University biography says of him: "While bringing several progressive reforms to the state, he also was at the forefront of the movement to marginalize and disfranchise black Southerners further in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries." He helped eradicate some reforms championed by Smalls.

According to the Associated Press, despite cries from many to get rid of such memorials, state law requires legislative approval to remove statues of Confederates or white supremacists, or even add language detailing their racist deeds. 

That has been an impossible task in a state dominated by conservative Republicans, according to the AP.

So now a new chapter is being written.

The state that was the first to secede from the United States, and was ruled for generations by white supremacists, will place its first monument to a single African-American individual on its State House grounds.

Click Robert Smalls Monument Commission map below to see where his statue will stand (near the star, on the State House grounds in Columbia.

'Painting the Past': At Monocacy National Battlefield on Saturday, bring your inner artist and paint toy soldiers in any scheme you desire. (You have to sign up first)

The forecast Saturday for Monocacy National Battlefield in Maryland is chilly with a certainty of indoor fun for those who come to paint toy soldiers.

“Painting the Past” is scheduled for 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the park near Frederick, with a repeat at the same time on Feb. 8. Participants are asked to be 10 or above and register ahead of time, as rangers limit the sessions to 18 at a time. (See bottom of this post for details)

All paints, brushes and other supplies are provided and participants can take their creations home.

The sessions were launched as an annual winter program in 2018, park ranger Matt Borders told the Picket. The idea was to have an indoor program to draw people to the battlefield during quieter winter months.

“The program looks at the wide range of uniforms in the American Civil War and encourages guests to paint up a toy soldier in whatever sort of uniform they envision,” said Borders.

The park provides infantry soldiers, as it was the largest branch in the service.

There was a wide variety of color used for uniforms, including flamboyant pantaloons and short jackets worn by Zouaves.

“As for the program, we have had everything from standard blue and gray, bright red and camo green,” said Borders.

Guests have painted soldiers with U.S. Colored Troops and even a memorial soldier with both gray and blue elements to their uniform, representing the modern 29^th Division, the "Blue & Gray Division." 

“For those doing dedicated Federal and Confederate forces, it has always been pretty much evenly split.”

Borders will display replica uniforms (right) for attendees to see and feel and discuss aspects of camp life.

Participants also will learn about soldier painting as a hobby for both display and gaming. 

“We use the larger 54mm plastic models now. These are the sort of plastic soldiers you can find pretty much anywhere, including in our shop here at Monocacy National Battlefield,” said the ranger.

“This event does tend to attract a few more young people, but we have had many adults enjoy this program as well,” said Borders.

At Monocacy on July 9, 1864, outnumbered Federals delayed Confederates bent on taking Washington, D.C. By the time Rebel troops reached the capital’s outskirts, Union reinforcements had arrived. 

All photos Monocacy National Battlefield

To register for "Painting the Past," contact the park at mono_mail@nps.gov or 301-662-3515 to let the staff know how many participants will attend.

On Picket first: USS Monitor conservators drain turret tank for first time since 2019, will conduct visual checks and maintenance inside beginning Thursday

The turret and its Dahlgren guns after its 2002 recovery in the Atlantic (The Mariners' Museum and Park)

Conservators later this week will be able to access the turret of the USS Monitor for the first time in more than five years, following Monday’s draining of the 90,000-gallon tank that surrounds the remarkable artifact.

The Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News, Va., broadcast the four-hour draining – the first since 2019 -- on YouTube and took questions from those curious about the long conservation process.

For the next several weeks, the treatment solution will be drained and filled weekly, and conservators will have access to the turret interior for maintenance. They are expected to enter the turret Thursday.

"On the days the conservators are physically working in the turret tank, they will stop occasionally throughout the day to run the sprinklers in the tank, in order to keep the turret saturated and prevent drying," said Tina Gutshall, The Mariners' grants administrator. "The rest of the year, the tank stays filled."

One benefit will be for museum visitors to see the empty turret on March 8, the anniversary of the 1862 Battle of Hampton Roads between the Union ironclad Monitor and CSS Virginia.

Following that, a new treatment solution will be incorporated into the turret tank, The Mariners' said.

The tank was drained to allow for the assessment of the desalination process (removing harmful ocean salts), routine maintenance and the removal of nut guards from underneath the turret. The nut guards are the remains of thin armor plating used in part of the turret.

A live chat during the draining brought a host of questions, including the goal of conservation, other shipwrecks, the sophisticated design of the turret and more. One commenter said an ancestor was a carpenter who worked on USS Monitor’s interior wood components.

Will Hoffman, chief conservator, participated in part of the chat, saying he and his colleagues were excited about getting inside the turret during the next several weeks to assess the treatment and clean the electrolytic reduction system that removes salt.

Cannon damage on USS Monitor after clash with Virginia (Library of Congress)

The turret was raised off Cape Hatteras, N.C., by U.S. Navy and other divers in 2002 and brought to Newport News. It is positioned upside down.

The chat and YouTube presentation asked for donations and support for the long-term project.

The next step is to flip the turret and treat it with dry ice. The conservation of the turret could be complete within 10 years, but officials have no firm timetable.

Crews have worked inside the turret during previous drainings, but most were several years ago. The long-term aim is to put the turret on display at the museum with other Monitor artifacts.

“We are working closely with NOAA to encourage support from industry experts on the technical expertise and to raise the funds to make this next monumental step a reality,” Hoffman said in the chat.

A major point of study is whether it is best to treat the turret as is (a large ring), or to take apart the 198 wrought iron plates, which are in bolted layers of eight, to get at them separately. "We do not plan to take the armor ring apart, but aim to disassemble the roof assembly once the turret has been rotated," conservators said in an email to the Picket.

I asked Jeff Johnston, who was a historian and program specialist with NOAA’s Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, about the significance of Monday’s tank draining.

Erik Farrell uses special drill in Dahlgren bore in early 2020 (Mariners' Museum and Park)

“It allows the conservators a chance to inspect how the conservation is progressing, replace any anodes that need it, and/or reposition anodes for better treatment where necessary,” he said. “They can inspect the turret and clean up any generated sludge. It's also a great opportunity for museum visitors to get a good look at the turret while the maintenance is happening.”

Additionally, Johnston said, conservators have the option of dry ice blasting to help the electrolysis better reach the surface metals and reduce rust. The museum said this week that approach continues to be the plan.

"Full dry-ice cleaning will follow the turret rotation, which is still in the planning phase," conservators said.

The Mariners’ Museum and Park displays hundreds of Monitor items, including the anchor and engine, recovered since 1973.

Turret after draining several years ago (Courtesy of The Mariners' Museum and Park)

Many artifacts, including the two Dahlgren guns, gun carriages and personal effects from sailors were recovered from inside the turret. The finds there included the remains of two men who were unable to escape when USS Monitor sank during a storm on Dec. 31, 1862, while it was being towed.

One commenter wondered how the ironclad’s crew coped with the concussive forces generated when the Virginia’s shells struck the turret.

“​​It is incredible to imagine what it would have been like inside the turret during the Battle of Hampton Roads,” the park replied. “It was hot, the ships were exchanging fire and the turret was spinning continuously.”

USS Monitor Center director emeritus John Quarstein told the Picket several sailors and officers were concussed during the battle, including chief engineer Alban Stimers. “When the first shots from the CSS Virginia struck the turret's side, everyone in the turret then knew that nothing could harm them.”

Quarstein (left), who routinely gives lectures on USS Monitor and other Civil War vessels, says the ironclad was truly a revolutionary warship.

“So many sections of the little ship that saved the nation, especially the turret, reinforce the fact that the Civil War is the first industrial war which changed America forever.”

On March 6, 1862, the new Union ironclad – its radical design dubbed “Ericsson’s folly” by its doubters -- steamed down New York City’s East River for the short journey to Virginia. There were doubts about whether the Monitor could withstand the seas and intense enemy firepower; it fired only two cannons from the revolving turret.

But the small ship quickly challenged the heavily armored CSS Virginia upon arrival and ended the latter’s rampage against Federal ships. The stalemate foreshadowed the end of wooden warships.

Editor's note: I will update this post with photographs from this week when they become available.

Cavalry clashed often near this home outside Atlanta. After years of potential loss to Cobb County development, it is being sold for $1 and relocation to a safe place

The McAfee house was built around 1840, when Cobb County was mostly farms (Cobb Landmarks)

For $1 – yes, ONE DOLLAR -- you can buy an Atlanta-area house that served as a headquarters for a real-life Civil War cavalry general and live like it’s 1864.

But there’s a kicker (yes, there’s always a kicker):

-- You have to move it before May 15 to a place with suitable zoning.

-- Moving historic buildings is complicated and expensive. Have you consulted with an expert? How are you going to prepare it for the move, and will you clean up the site once the dwelling is gone?

-- What are your plans for use of this two-story 1840s home? Will you agree to renovate the interior in accordance with federal standards for historic properties?

-- And last, but not least, do you have enough money to move it and pay for restoration?

Reality check.

These questions posed by a nonprofit trying to save and preserve the Robert and Eliza McAfee House in Cobb County certainly are geared toward “serious buyers only.”

But the sale by Cobb Landmarks is being cheered as a winning strategy after a five-year campaign to protect the house – which has no historical protection -- from a crush of development in the suburb.

The McAfee home served a few weeks in June and early July 1864 as the headquarters for Brig. Gen. Kenner Garrard (left) and his three brigades during the Atlanta Campaign. The Federal troopers clashed almost daily near Noonday Creek with Confederates led by Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler. The house is said also to have been used as a field hospital.

“Because of the prominent location of the house, it has become a well-known and beloved landmark to many. It would be an absolute shame to lose it and for the materials to be reduced to rubble in a landfill,” says executive director Trevor Beemon.

Interested buyers have until Jan. 17 to submit an application. The winner will be notified by Jan. 31.

A deal to turn the two acres at Bells Ferry Road and Barrett Parkway into a car wash (even if the house stayed) fell apart in 2023 and preservationists have used the time to come up with something else with the property owner. The early goal was to keep the house where it is but relocation became an option.

“We have been negotiating with them about five years. They finally agreed to donate the house to us so that we could arrange for it to be removed. We are offering it for $1 because we know it will be costly to relocate and renovate,” said Beemon.

The land will go to a developer who is expected to build a multi-tenant development, he said. “Yes, it's a different buyer. He has a childhood connection to the house and is supportive of our efforts to save the house.”

The broker representing the property seller declined to answer the Picket’s questions.

Are there really soldier bloodstains upstairs?

Metro Atlanta residents and visitors alike decry the dearth of physical remnants of the Civil War, but there are a few pockets of preserved land in the region, most notably Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in Cobb County.

Click to enlarge map of several Civil War clashes in Cobb County (ABPP)

Cobb County was the scene of significant combat action and troop movement as the Confederates tried to stall Sherman’s relentless campaign on Atlanta, which began in May 1864 in North Georgia.

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.

While there were some small towns, including Marietta and Big Shanty, most citizens lived on farms.

“The house was originally situated on hundreds of acres of agricultural land,” said Beemon. “Over the years, the property has been sold off and reduced to just under two acres where the house now sits. There is a barn and well on the property. Both are currently being relocated through a separate agreement.”

The property's barn also is being relocated (Cobb Landmarks)

Today, the McAfee home is bordered by a shopping center, drug store, school and other commercial buildings. It is a few miles north of Marietta and in the Town Center area. Kennesaw is to the west across Interstates 475 and 75.

The house is built of pine timbers joined with wooden pegs. It has original heart pine floors (currently under carpet) and plank walls and ceilings beneath modern additions. The residence features a central hallway. It has not been occupied for many years, said Beemon.

Cobb Landmarks maintains the site was reportedly used as a field hospital following a skirmish near McAfee’s Crossroads on June 11, 1864. Bloodstains are reported to be visible on the floorboards in an upstairs bedroom, although carpet conceals the spot today. 

“We are careful to say ‘purportedly when referencing the bloodstains and use as a field hospital,” said Beemon.

The farm was believed to have been occupied by Confederates, too, during the Atlanta Campaign action around Kennesaw Mountain.

This state marker does not provide protection (Photo by Michael Cruce / HMdb.org)

Property has no local historic designation

Beemon said there is no requirement the house remain in Cobb County, though keeping it there would be viewed favorably by the review committee.

“We have received a number of inquiries with most expressing interest in the home remaining in Cobb. One inquiry, in particular, is especially interesting; however, we are unable to share any details.”

The organization would like to see the property returned to its original intended use, but would be happy to see it used as a public space or business as well.

Cobb Landmarks is requiring the house to be protected by a preservation easement to ensure the exterior will retain its historic integrity and that the structure will be protected from demolition. (At right, timber framing for floor)

Preservationists have worked for years to protect the house, including through meetings with local government officials and developers. The McAfee home has no designated historic protection and is not on the National Register of Historic Places.

“Because the house is located in unincorporated Cobb, it would have to be landmarked by the Cobb County Historic Preservation Commission, preferably with the blessing of the property owner. That never happened. There is a (1954) state historic marker in front of the house marking the significance of the site, but it affords no protection,” said Beemon.

Mandy Elliott, a Cobb County historic preservation planner, said the owners of the house never contacted the commission to request such a designation and did not respond when the county reached out. Therefore, the matter was never considered by the Cobb County Historic Preservation Commission, Elliott said.

Basic requirements for a local historic designation include nomination of the property to be placed on the Cobb County Register of Historic Places, research on the site’s historic and architectural significance, a report detailing justification of a designation and public hearings leading to a final vote by the county commission.

No one has lived in the home for more than a decade (Photos, Cobb Landmarks)

“Local historic designation provides protection by requiring review and approval of exterior changes by the Historic Preservation Commission,” Elliott wrote in an email. “This would be projects that permanently alter the historic character of the property, including additions, new siding, new windows, porches, etc." The planner added it protects properties from removal and demolition.

A county commissioner told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2023 resolving the McAfee home situation was complicated. “We all want to save historic structures. The hard part is finding an entity,” said JoAnn Birrell.

Mission accomplished, but a piece of history will move

Carol Brown, co-founder of Canton Road Neighbors, a nonprofit that keeps a close eye on zoning issues, told The AJC in 2023 she hoped the house would stay on site, perhaps becoming a museum. The home is the last remaining pre-Civil War structure in the busy Town Center corridor.

“Think of all the school kids who could visit the house,” she told the newspaper. Brown also cites its proximity to the Noonday Creek Trailhead.

She told the Picket recently there was a friends group formed for the McAfee House but there was no meaningful support from the public or local government. An engineer said bringing the house up to code would have cost about $250,000, Brown said.

“Given the desire of the landowner to sell the land, and realizing that it would be better to remove the house for preservation, I congratulate Trevor Beemon for finally completing the transaction,” Brown said. “The house will be preserved and in private hands.”

She suggests Cobb County could dedicate a corner to mark the location of the house, perhaps with a monument, such as a cannon and new historic marker.

“Not seeing the house on the corner of Bells Ferry and Barrett where it has been since the mid-1800s will be a shock to the public. Seeing the land clear cut and graded and developed for commercial use will be an additional shock,” Brown said.