RaceTrac loses its bid to build a 24/7 gas station at an Atlanta-area site where a Civil War house stood, cavalry clashed. Proximity to school, day care led to defeat

The sturdy home was cut into six pieces before its move in spring 2025 (Civil War Picket photo)

A two-acre parcel caught up in Civil War cavalry clashes northwest of Atlanta is destined to house some kind of business. But a proposed 24/7 RaceTrac gas station and convenience store that would have been built right across from an elementary school appear to be out of the running -- at least for now.

With very little discussion – unlike other hearings related to the controversial proposal – the Cobb County Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 on Tuesday morning to rebuff RaceTrac. The tally was followed by applause from opponents.

The Robert and Eliza McAfee home, built 20 years before the Atlanta Campaign, had been empty for years.

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 – last spring was moved to Ball Ground, adjoining Cherokee County after a long effort to save it from destruction.

It stood at the corner of Bells Ferry Road and Ernest Barrett Parkway. (At right, a map showing troop positions in June-July 1864; note McAfee House, Library of Congress)

Because the owner of the property never sought an historic designation or protection, and Cobb County declined to purchase the property, it is inevitable some kind of commercial development will come to the site. 

Neighbors suggest medical buildings or businesses that would generate less traffic than a gas station. A proposal to build a car wash was withdrawn a couple years back.

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

RaceTrac and opponents on Tuesday repeated their arguments pitched over the past year at various meetings.

The latter have cited concerns about traffic, crime and gas vapors affecting Bells Ferry Elementary just across the street and a nearby KinderCare. The Bells Ferry Civic Association showed a map Tuesday (below) highlighting the proximity of a station to both places. A playground for the elementary school is within a few hundred feet.

RaceTrac – which intended to apply for alcohol sales -- said very little harmful benzene will escape from the 16 pumps and storage tanks. Neighbors claimed the potential health risks are too high.

Kevin Moore, attorney for the company and property owners, said the station would not contribute significantly to traffic congestion at Bells Ferry Road and Ernest Barrett Parkway. RaceTrac was willing to add a full right turn lane at the corner.

“RaceTrac is a proven community partner and supporter/partner of local schools,” it argued. The county's planning staff had endorsed the project.

But more than two dozen people who attended the hearing saying this particular parcel would not overcome concerns about air quality and young children being exposed to gas fumes.

The Cobb County Planning Commission earlier this month voted 3-2 to back rezoning of the property, but added stipulations that would not allow alcohol and fuel sales.

RaceTrac had previously approached the Board of Commissioners -- which has the final say -- but withdrew it before consideration. Tuesday, the consideration did not take long before the 5-0 vote.

Work last month on the McAfee house at its new home in Cherokee County, Ga. (Civil War Picket photo)

A couple commissioners lamented the lack of guidelines or rules in the county for the location of gas stations near schools. Moore pointed out dozens of stations in Cobb County are not far from schools.

The Civil War Picket reached out to Moore and Erick Allen, the district county commissioner for the neighborhood, for comment, but had not received a response as of Wednesday evening.

Officials said the decision effectively ends the case, unless RaceTrac decides to bring a lawsuit.

The property owner donated the land to Cobb Landmarks, which for years had tried to find a home for the house. Cobb Landmarks then sold it 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 former home in Ball Ground and have been working since on its foundation. The couple says they expect the house to either be rented as a residence or an Airbnb-style arrangement.

Tossed from the saddle: RaceTrac's battle to build a gas station and convenience store at Georgia Civil War cavalry site loses second round at planning commission

Work last month on the McAfee house at its new home in Cherokee County, Ga. (Civil War Picket photo)

Concerns about gas vapors and traffic once again led a suburban Atlanta planning commission to vote against RaceTrac’s effort to build a 24/7 station and convenience store on two acres that until last year contained a home caught up in Civil War cavalry clashes.

The Cobb County Planning Commission voted 3-2 to back rezoning of the property at Bells Ferry Road and Ernest Barrett Parkway, but stipulations would not allow alcohol and fuel sales. The Robert and Eliza McAfee home, built 20 years before the 1864 Atlanta Campaign, had been empty for years.

Nearly 30 people in opposition attended Tuesday’s meeting, arguing the project should not be permitted so close to an elementary school and day-care center.

The final say rests with the county’s top elected body.

“We do intend to move forward to the Board of Commissioners at their May 19th Zoning Hearing and seek approval of the rezoning application,” RaceTrac and property owner attorney Kevin Moore told the Picket in an email shortly after the hearing. (Picket photo, left)

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 – last spring was moved to adjoining Cherokee County after a long effort to save it from destruction. It stood at the corner of Bells Ferry Road and Ernest Barrett Parkway. (At left, a map showing troop positions in June-July 1864; note McAfee House, Library of Congress)

Because the owner of the property never sought historic an historic designation or protection and Cobb County declined to purchase the property, it’s inevitable some kind of commercial development will come to the site. Neighbors suggest medical buildings or businesses that would generate less traffic than a gas station.

Planning Commissioner Fred Beloin cited articles about the risks of vapors, including benzene, a carcinogen. The distance between the RaceTrac property line and Bells Ferry Elementary, across the street, would be less than 200 feet. While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suggests 1,000 feet, and some Georgia counties have rules for about a 500 to 600-foot buffer, officials said, Cobb County does not have such requirements.

“It has been pointed out that we don’t have a strict rule but we also don’t have a strict rule that we are supposed to put stick our head in the sand and act like ostriches,” said Beloin.

The McAfee site at left and elementary school across Bells Ferry Road (Picket photo)

Moore said RaceTrac has agreed to add a right-turn lane and raised medians to address worries about increased and unsafe traffic. And, the lawyer argued, RaceTrac has systems that would limit vapors from the 16 pumps and fuel storage areas.

Businesses around the site offer some of the same products RaceTrac would feature, he said, arguing the station is compatible and a benefit for the area.

To deny the property the same level of commercial use as others nearby “is rendering this property the sacrificial buffer for this intersection. That does not comport with the laws and rules of planning and zoning,” Moore told the planning panel.

Site was used in 1864 as cavalry HQ and hospital

The Planning Commission in October recommended rezoning the property, but added conditions that would not allow gasoline sales. (The planning staff had recommended approval of the project.)

The company last November withdrew its rezoning bid. But the Board of Commissioners voted to allow RaceTrac to reapply. RaceTrac’s bid has not changed substantially since that meeting.

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

Planning commissioner Sara Micheletto on Tuesday urged approval, with several stipulations, but the majority voted to again reject the project. The real estate agent for the property owner had no comment Tuesday.

The McAfee dwelling dated to the 1840s, and the sprawling farm was a fixture in the Noonday Creek area. 

It served a few weeks in June and early July 1864 as the headquarters for Brig. Gen. Kenner Garrard (left) and his three brigades. 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. 

Federal troopers clashed almost daily near Noonday Creek with Confederates led by Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler. 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.

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

Work continues at home's new home in Ball Ground

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

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 sturdy home was cut into six pieces before its move in spring 2025 (Civil War Picket photo)

Cobb Landmarks 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 and have been working since on its foundation. The couple says they expect the house to either rented as a residence or an Airbnb-style arrangement.

The Civil War Picket visited Ball Ground a couple weeks ago. Retaining walls have been added and a protective material placed around bricks. Work inside has not yet begun as crews work to complete the home's foundation and substructure.

The front of the McAfee home in Ball Ground in April 2026 (Picket photo)

RaceTrac rezoning request for Civil War site in Georgia is held by planning panel

RaceTrac’s latest bid to win approval of a 24/7 gas station and convenience store on a Civil War site outside Atlanta will have to wait another 30 days. The Cobb County Planning Commission voted Tuesday to seek additional information on traffic and potential environmental impacts on a nearby elementary school and day care center. It urged the company to have another meeting with neighborhoods that oppose the rezoning of the former Robert and Eliza McAfee parcel. 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 – last spring was moved to adjoining Cherokee County after a long effort to save it from destruction. -- READ MORE

RaceTrac bringing back its attempt to build a 24/7 gas station and convenience store at an Atlanta-area site where a Civil War house stood, cavalry clashed

The sturdy home was cut into six pieces before its move in spring 2025 (Civil War Picket photo)

RaceTrac will try again next month to win approval of a 24/7 gas station and convenience store on a Civil War site in Georgia that formerly featured the historic Robert and Eliza McAfee home.

Amid opposition from neighborhood residents, the company last November withdrew its rezoning bid. But the Cobb County Board of Commissioners voted to allow RaceTrac to reapply, which online records indicate it has.

RaceTrac has its work cut out. The Cobb County Planning Commission in October recommended rezoning the property, but added conditions that would not allow gasoline sales. 

The planning commission is scheduled to hear the case again April 7. The Board of Commissioners has the final say; it will hear zoning cases April 21.

The Civil War Picket reached out to an attorney for RaceTrac and the property owner for comment but has not yet heard back. Questions include whether the company has had new discussions with neighbors or agreed to some changes.

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 – last spring was moved to adjoining Cherokee County after a long effort to save it from destruction. It stood at the corner of Bells Ferry Road and Ernest Barrett Parkway.

The planning commission vote – following spirited discussion -- backed 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.

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 is appropriate and compatible with commercial development nearby and would have almost no impact on schools. 

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 station acceptable if measures were taken to mitigate congestion.

John Pederson, the county’s zoning division manager, previously said if the county commission followed the planning commission’s lead, small retail, offices or a restaurant would be permitted. He said Thursday there appeared to be no changes in the RaceTrac proposal.

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.

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

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.

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.

Cobb Landmarks had worked to find someone to move the home, including when a car wash was proposed. The house lacked historic protection.

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

Cobb Landmarks 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 and have been working since on its foundation. The couple say they expect the house to either rented as a residence or an Airbnb-style arrangement.

(At left, Picket photo of home as it appeared in February during foundation and other work in Ball Ground, Ga.)

Where sabers crossed and 'Stonewall' Jackson roamed: A burgeoning Virginia state park prepares to eventually manage Brandy Station, other Culpeper battlefields

Cunningham Farm wall remnants at Brandy Station (Chuck Laudner/American Battlefield Trust)

The growing staff at Virginia’s Culpeper Battlefields State Park is learning more about the power and potential of Civil War properties it will manage once they are transferred from the American Battlefield Trust.

An office manager and park ranger (maintenance) were recently hired, said Kim Wells, spokeswoman at Virginia State Parks, and a law enforcement ranger will be added soon. Park manager Drew Gruber is leading the group.

The ABT, Friends of Culpeper Battlefields, the Brandy Station Foundation, Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield and other groups have worked for decades to purchase and interpret a cluster of imperiled Civil War battlefields in Culpeper County. The sites are Brandy Station, Cedar Mountain, Kelly’s Ford, Rappahannock Station and Hansbrough's Ridge.

While the state park opened 18 months ago, development is relatively still in its early stages. The park staff is working from the Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield information center at 9465 General Winder Road, Rapidan (photo below).

“We are already talking in detail with visitors, tour guides (including Culpeper Battlefield Tours), friends’ groups, municipal offices and more to assess what they enjoy about the properties now, their aspirations, the efficacy of existing programming,” Wells said in a recent email. “One thing is certain. Culpeper will continue to offer a unique battlefield experience where you can explore on horseback or paddle between battles.”

The ABT – which will be chief steward of the properties until 2027 -- plans to make several additional donations to the Commonwealth over the next couple years, said Jim Campi, chief policy and communications officer.

The Culpeper Battlefields State Park team has not started the master planning process, but it will be helped by friends groups and the ABT, which oversaw a cultural landscape report at Brandy Station, site of a mammoth cavalry clash in 1863 that signaled the beginning of the Gettysburg campaign.

Preliminary results of the Brandy Station report were unveiled to the public in late June, according to a news article by the Culpeper Times (InsideNOVA).

A staffer with MIG, a landscape architectural firm, said the study identified traces of roads, artillery and gun pits, family cemeteries and archaeological sites -- all of which need further study.

Stone walls marking the edges of fields and property boundaries on the battlefield were believed to have been built by enslaved people, according to the speaker. (At right, ABT map of parcels at Brandy Station; click to enlarge). One wall separated the Cunningham and Green farms.

Campi told the Picket this study focused on a portion of the Brandy Station battlefield, including St. James Church and Elkwood. A final version of the report viewed by the Picket cites concerns about unauthorized relic hunting at the site.

The Picket has reached out multiple times to MIG for comment and visual images but has not heard back.

The various friends groups are hosting tours and “working on programs and projects across the breadth of the properties which are slated to transfer to the Commonwealth,” said Wells. No state employees are currently handling interpretation.

She said the new park ranger in charge of maintenance will be developing a stewardship plan and will work alongside three part-time maintenance rangers to ensure the properties are well maintained and cared for.

Interpretation at Brandy Station's Fleetwood Hill sector (American Battlefield Trust)

“While we’ve been focused on ordering furniture, tools, equipment and more, we’ve found time to explore the properties owned by the American Battlefield Trust which are set to transfer to the Commonwealth in the years to come. There is a lot of ground to cover as we learned about the park’s six Civil War battles, Revolutionary War history and its Civilian Conservation Corp history, too,” wrote Wells.

The master planning process will likely begin once all acquired parcels have been transferred to the state. It will take a few years to complete.

I asked the spokesperson about which of the sites are vulnerable or need extra protection.

“State Park Rangers conduct regular assessments of their parks to identify potential vulnerabilities and to determine whether additional protective measures are needed for sensitive natural, cultural and historic resources at these sites. Actions are handled on a case-by-case basis, and the outcomes of such reviews may or may not be publicly shared. There are no new updates regarding Culpeper Battlefields State Parks in relation to this matter.”

Click map to get a closer view of planned state park properties (American Battlefield Trust)

The ABT previously said it and other groups worked together to stave off much of the commercial development that would take in battlefield land.

“At various times, pieces of land that we are now gifting to the Commonwealth of Virginia were slated to become housing tracts, industrial parks, water retention and management areas — even a Formula One racetrack,” it says.

In the meantime, visitors can walk on several trails and read ABT and Civil War Trails signs.

“We are always going to be involved,” said Campi. “The park is not done yet. There is more land to acquire.”

What in darn-ation??? An Alabama cavalry trooper proudly wore socks depicting the 'Stars and Bars.' You can see them now at a state museum in Montgomery

The conserved socks in Montgomery (Alabama Archives) and an example of the First National Flag (Wikipedia)

It wasn’t enough for Alabama cavalry trooper Henry Clay Hames to have a simple pair of white socks to keep his feet warm and dry. Loved ones wanted to be sure he delivered a message, even if it was normally covered by his boots.

High up on each sock, below the ribbing, were stitched versions of the first national flag of the Confederacy, commonly known as the “Stars and Bars.”

The Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery has had the distinctive hosiery for generations. Hames’ daughter, Mary, donated them after his death in 1917. (At right, before conservation)

But it doesn’t appear they were ever displayed -- until now.

“I don’t think past curators saw the significance,” said Ryan Blocker, a curator in the museum collection of the Alabama Archives.

Blocker recalls when a comrade sent her a photo asking her to identify the small flags. The two red bars are vibrant, but the blue canton and white stars are largely indiscernible.

She recalls thinking, “’Oh God, that is a first national flag. These are patriotic socks made by family and sent to him.’”

It’s unclear who darned the socks or when Hames – who may have been a courier -- received the items. (Photo above and at left from Alabama Archives)

While they reflect defiance, the socks don’t hold a candle to known examples of socks made for Union soldiers that feature the U.S. flag up high and Confederate flags on the heel. You know, being trampled. You can see examples here and here.

Hames served in the 8^th Regiment, Alabama Cavalry (Livingston’s) and Moses’ Cavalry, Alabama Cavalry.

The socks -- made of either wool or cotton -- went on display last month after the Museum of Alabama reopened after months of renovation and upgrades.

The pair is in a home-front exhibit case in the “Alabama Voices” gallery, which features numerous Civil War artifacts.

(I will write a post soon about technology upgrades to the gallery. For now, let me just say visitors can touch what is called a digital label to pore over closeup photos and information about artifacts.)

The agency in early November also opened a new gallery entitled “Alabama Military Stories," which covers multiple wars.

Blocker said Hames’ socks were recently conserved. “They are such a fascinating piece.”

Although the blue canton has faded, faint traces survive, she said. “As for the stars, it looks like they were embroidered onto the canton area. Some of them only have a little of the thread left.”

The curator sent me a photo (right) showing where she tried to pinpoint the remaining stars, which are in a circle. “Could there have been more stars? Possibly. When these rotate off display, I hope to have (textiles expcert) Terre Hood Biederman examine them in person and give us a breakdown of the construction.”

Hames grew up in Troup County, Ga., on the Alabama border.

While he is believed to have enlisted as a private in 1863, I have not learned where that occurred (perhaps Virginia) or why he joined up with Alabama units.

Hames lived in West Point, Ga., before and after the war. His first wife, Fannie (or Fanny), and his daughter, Mary, died in 1882, He remarried in 1893 to Sarah “Sallie” Samples and they moved to Montgomery.

He died there in 1917, age 72, and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery. (Photo left, courtesy Bham85, Findagrave)

Some records on Hames are puzzling, according to Blocker. His pension application lists the 9^th Mississippi Cavalry but Fold3 and other records do not show him serving in the regiment.

Records indicate Moses’ Squadron was supposed to join the 9^th Mississippi Cavalry, but the order didn’t come to fruition because of the end of the Civil War. The soldier was 20 years old.

“It had been carried out to some extent, I believe, for Hames to have listed the 9th as his company of service in his pension application,” Blocker said in an email.

Building a firm and stable foundation for a cut-up and relocated Civil War home is taking some time. But these Georgia entrepreneurs are hanging tough

Foundation work in Ball Ground, Ga. (Courtesy the Lusks), house before it was moved (Cobb Landmarks)

Putting back together a Civil War home they sliced into six pieces and transported 25 miles has been a challenge for an entrepreneurial couple in northwest Georgia, but they’re dedicated to the project for the long haul.

For the past few months, crews working for Lee and Brittani Lusk in Ball Ground have been working to set the Robert and Eliza McAfee House on a firm foundation. They need to get all the pieces properly aligned and stabilized before they can restore the interior of the 1840s central hallway cottage.

“It will all be fine, (it is) just difficult right now until we get foundation done,” Brittani Lusk wrote in a recent text message. “Most people don’t do things like this, so we have had to get creative.” The couple first ran into difficulty when they drilled the foundation.

The crew is finishing the piers for the foundation, and the house will rest above a crawlspace, as it did at its longtime location in neighboring Cobb County, said Lusk, adding the foundation work is nearing an end.

The main floor of the home will be higher at the new location, given the crawlspace is near ground level compared to it being dug into the earth at the old. (At left, Civil War Picket photo of sliced McAfee House in Cobb County shortly before it was moved.)

The sturdy home was moved to make room for commercial development -- the Lusks bought the structure for $1 -- but the future use of the Cobb County two acres it sat on is uncertain.

The landowner and RaceTrac had pursued rezoning that would allow for a 24/7 service station and convenience store, but the project was withdrawn this month amid opposition from neighborhoods near Bells Ferry Road and Ernest Barrett Parkway. RaceTrac can apply again, should it decide to do so.

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

The support blocks will be eventually bricked up (Courtesy Lee and Brittani Lusk)

The Federal troopers clashed almost daily near Noonday Creek with Confederates led by Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler. .

Cobb County, just northwest of Atlanta, was the scene of significant combat action and troop movement as Confederates tried to stall Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s relentless campaign on Atlanta, which began in May 1864 in North Georgia.

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

The house had been empty for several years, and preservationists worried it would fall to the wrecking ball, given it had no historic protection. Eventually, the owner donated the house to the nonprofit Cobb Landmarks so it could find someone to move it before a development could be built at the busy intersection.

Stairs emerge from the crawlspace in the old location (Civil War Picket photo)

Cobb Landmarks earlier this year sold the house to the Lusks, who moved the pieces in May to adjoining Cherokee County. They have not announced the future use of the home, which is close to their residence.

Cobb Landmarks said it would have liked for the home to stay in Cobb County, but the Lusks made the best proposal and have a history of fixing up old homes.

Many observers expressed their displeasure at it being moved and the property developed, but are happy the home is being saved rather than razed.

Brittani Lusk said the timbers that hold up the home are very solid.

Tony Stanley studies the remarkable timbers used to the build the home (Picket photo)

A fascinating side note is three 48-foot long beams that run the width of the house as floor joists. Tony Stanley, who moved the home, said he has never seen that before, but he marveled at the size of the pine trees that were needed: the wood is about 12 inches by 12 inches.

Among other Ball Ground properties, the couple own the 1906 Wheeler House, a popular wedding venue; The Elm, business suites situated in an old elementary school (great pun); and an historic home they leased out to a restaurant that has since closed.

The couple say they have done dozens of restorations in the region.

READ MORE HERE:

https://civil-war-picket.blogspot.com/2025/08/an-1840s-georgia-house-with-civil-war.html

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RaceTrac withdraws its bid, at least for now, to build a 24/7 gas station at an Atlanta-area site where a Civil War house stood, cavalry clashed

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

RaceTrac on Tuesday withdrew its controversial bid to build a gas station and convenience store on a Civil War site near Atlanta, but the move doesn’t mean the company cannot bring the matter up again.

About 25 opponents of the rezoning in a busy Cobb County neighborhood attended the Board of Commissioners hearing. Without comment on the merits of the case, the board approved 5-0 a motion to allow the matter to be withdrawn without prejudice, which means the company could reapply at a later time.

The move appears to be another setback for RaceTrac, given the Cobb County Planning Commission voted last month to recommend rezoning the former Robert and Eliza McAfee property but added conditions that would not allow gasoline sales.

The Cobb County Board of Commissioners has the final say. Should RaceTrac regroup and decide to pursue the rezoning, the earliest the board could hear the matter is February 2026.

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

The Civil War Picket reached out to an attorney for RaceTrac and the property owner for comment on Tuesday’s action but has not yet heard back.

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. It stood at the corner of Bells Ferry Road and Ernest Barrett Parkway.

The planning commission vote – following spirited discussion -- backed 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.

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.

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

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.

John Pederson, the county’s zoning division manager, previously said if the county commission followed the planning commission’s lead, small retail, offices or a restaurant would be permitted. He had no new comment Tuesday.

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.

Cobb Landmarks had worked to find someone to move the home, including when a car wash was proposed. The property owner wants to sell the two acres for commercial development. The house lacked historic protection.

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. (At left, a map showing troop positions in June-July 1864; note McAfee House / Library of Congress)

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.

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.

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 and have been working on it. It’s future use has not been confirmed.