A sturdy metro Atlanta home used by both Confederate and Union forces has been divided into several pieces for its move this week 25 miles up the road

The sturdy McAfee Home has been cut into pieces for its big move to Cherokee County (Cobb Landmarks)

Editor's note: See photos taken May 19 on the eve of the move here:

The McAfee House – which witnessed cavalry clashes in Cobb County, Ga., and briefly served as headquarters for a Federal general – has been sliced into pieces for its move this week to a new home about 25 miles to the north.

Lee and Brittani Lusk of Ball Ground, in adjoining Cherokee County, will move the 1840s structure via trailers to a spot near their home. They plan to restore the central hallway cottage for use as a private residence or museum.

The dwelling has been cut into several pieces for the journey, which may begin Tuesday and take a few days. (Photo below courtesy of the Lusks)

The Lusks, who have performed many restorations in the region, bought the Robert and Eliza McAfee house for $1 from the nonprofit Cobb Landmarks, which said the proposal from the couple was the clear winner among dozens of applications.

The house has been 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 an unspecified development is built at the busy intersection.

Cobb Landmarks on Sunday afternoon gave a Facebook update on the project.

The residence – which sits on three acres -- had no designated historic protection because the owner did not seek it, according to Cobb County officials, and is not on the National Register of Historic Places.

“Once the house has been relocated to Ball Ground, Cobb Landmarks will require a preservation easement to ensure the exterior will retain its historic integrity,” the organization said Sunday. “In the past year, Cobb Landmarks has played an active role in saving three historic structures from demolition.”

While many on social media have expressed happiness the McAfee House has been saved, others lament the change.

“I'm glad the house will survive but the land has as much history as the house,” said one commenter. “What for? Another car wash? That corner will never look right again.”

Some really old walls at the McAfee House and something a bit more contemporary (Courtesy the Lusks)

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

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

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

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

Editor's note: See photos taken May 19 on the eve of the move here:

Entrepreneurs Lee and Brittani Lusk love fixing up old properties. They're about to move a house that was in the middle of Civil War cavalry clashes to Ball Ground, Ga.

Lee Lusk (top left), steel supports underneath, interior (Courtesy the Lusks) and Brig. Gen. Kenner Garrard

One property at a time, go-getters Lee and Brittani Lusk are championing historic preservation and entrepreneurship in Ball Ground, a growing city of about 2,400 perched in the foothills of North Georgia.

Among other 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 lease out for Lora Mae’s restaurant.

Now they are working on a project ambitious by even their standards: the move of a house that was caught in the middle of Civil War cavalry clashes and briefly served as headquarters for a Union general during the Atlanta Campaign.

The Lusks, who have performed dozens of restorations in the region, bought the Robert and Eliza McAfee house for $1 from the nonprofit Cobb Landmarks. The 1840s dwelling must be moved by mid-May to make way for commercial development.

The house -- built as solid as a rock-- will have to be broken into six or eight pieces for the move from Cobb County to Ball Ground, a Cherokee County town about 25 miles to the north.

“I think, in the beginning, they thought it could be done in two to four” pieces, Brittani Lusk recently told the Picket.

The Lusks (left) are not deterred by the considerable expense and effort, though Brittani joked she and Lee have had a couple “What were we thinking?” moments.

The couple tends to think big in ideas and implementation.

They dismantled a chapel where Lee was “saved and baptized” and plan to rebuild it as a wedding venue at the Wheeler House. In 2023, they purchased a railroad depot in Old Fort, Tenn. They hope to reassemble it as a restaurant in downtown Ball Ground, which used to be known as a railroad town. (Ball Ground, incidentally, was named for stick ball games Cherokee tribes used to play in the area. It also got some headlines in 2015 when Tom Cruise came to shoot a movie.)

The Lusks are moving the McAfee House to a corner lot near their 1895 residence. It will take up to a year to renovate the house, which has modern features added over the years. They are not sure how it will be used – a rental residence, museum or something else. The sumptuous Ball Ground Botanical Garden across the street from the Lusks could tie into the house. The parcel the McAfee House will sit on is at Old Canton and Byrd Hill roads.

“(We want it to be) the most original it can be. I would love to leave the wood walls and the original siding, to make it appear to be a Civil War Home,” said Brittani, who manages the staff of the Wheeler House.

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

That’s according to legend.

“We are going to know in three to five months,” Lee Lusk said in March.

Cavalry skirmishes, bloodletting in Cobb County

While Cobb Landmarks had hoped the McAfee House would stay in Cobb County, the proposal put forward by the Lusks was a clear choice for a committee looking at nearly 40 proposals to relocate the empty dwelling.

“There were a couple (proposals) from Cobb (but) they were not fleshed-out applications,” Cobb Landmarks executive director Trevor Beemon told the Picket in February. “We needed to get to someone who already knows what they are doing.” 

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

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

Cobb County was the scene of significant combat action and troop movement as Confederates tried to stall Union Maj. Gen. William T. 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.

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

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

The house has been 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 new development is built.

Beemon predicted it could cost up to $150,000 to prep and move the dwelling up Highway 5 and another $200,000-$250,000 for renovations.

The benefits, risks of being your own boss

Wheeler House wedding venue (Picket photo) and The Elm (Courtesy the Lusks

Lee Lusk, 40, a native of Canton in Cherokee County, purchased and renovated his first home at age 18. He was asked in a 2018 interview how he came to be an entrepreneur.

“I can’t take direction. I have to do things myself. I have several family members who own their own business and I always knew that I would rather lose trying to make it on my own rather than win working under someone else,” he said.

“I’m also more of an idea guy, I can start projects but lose focus when it gets closer to the end, but because I am my own boss and working on my own projects I am able to do something new every day.”

Small depot in Old Fort, Tenn., before it was moved to Georgia (Courtesy the Lusks)

Lee and Brittani, 33 -- who have three small children – call themselves business people with a specialty.

“Not many people know how to do it," Lee told the Picket of restoration work. “Not many are very good at it.”

The McAfee House attracted them with its heart pine, flooring, wood beams and timbers. A plus was no obvious apparent water or termite damage. Lee likes to keep original materials whenever feasible.

The developer has a discerning eye for properties. “The setting attracts me the most. The house second,” said Lee, who has an affinity for standout trees.

The church chapel story is particularly close to his heart.

A crew dismantles the old Macedonia Baptist chapel near Canton (Courtesy the Lusks)

About five years ago, the Georgia Department of Transportation widened Georgia 20, east of Canton. Macedonia Baptist Church’s chapel needed to be moved and the Lusks performed the work. (They want to rebuild it for their Ball Ground wedding venue).

Lee’s late father Joel helped build the new sanctuary for Macedonia, which sits off East Cherokee Drive a few miles south of Ball Ground.

“He loved the people of Macedonia Church and devoted much of his life to selflessly serving others,” his 2021 obituary reads. “His work there has left a beautiful and lasting legacy.”

Brittani Lusk grew up in Cobb County and her mother attended an elementary school across from the McAfee House.

'They are not afraid to tackle large projects'

A 2023 comprehensive plan for Ball Ground says the community is seeing continuous growth and change.

“Today, the City is becoming a destination in its own right, and not simply a bedroom community between Canton and Jasper.” (Left, the botanical garden, Picket photo)

While promoting sustainable growth, the city says it is important to preserve and enhance a sense of place and historic character. The Picket reached out to city officials for comment on the Lusks’ contributions but has not yet heard back.

Stefanie Joyner, executive director of History Cherokee and the Cherokee County Historical Society, said of the couple:

“They have saved numerous historic buildings and helped preserve the historic character of Cherokee County. They are not afraid to tackle large projects and by utilizing the historic preservation tax credits, the Lusks have been able to leverage their passion into successful businesses. "We look forward to working with them in the future and are excited to add the McAfee House to Ball Ground.”

Shooting for an 1840s feel in 21st century

In late April, the Lusks were still prepping the McAfee House for the move and their crews have been on site. They are hiring a company that specializes in such ambitious moves.

The house is on large iron beams and three trailers are in place to carry the pieces along the route, which had not been finalized when I last was in touch.

Some really old walls at the McAfee House and something a bit more contemporary (Courtesy the Lusks)

The two-story home is much bigger than it appears from the front on Bells Ferry Road at Ernest Barrett Parkway. (The residence had no designated historic protection because the owner did not seek it, according to Cobb officials, and is not on the National Register of Historic Places.)

The move will be right down to the mid-May deadline. And the logistics for that will be significant. Cobb County law enforcement will escort the entourage to Cherokee County, where deputies will finalize the drive to Ball Ground.

Lee Lusk said asbestos testing is necessary. Fireplace bricks (right, photo courtesy the Lusks) have been removed and will be used again. The couple has taken care of permitting for the Ball Ground property, which is near a stream.

There’s a state marker outside the McAfee House -- which is northwest of Atlanta -- but it will remain after the house moves. The Lusks would like to make a duplicate of some kind for Ball Ground.

Brittani says they have encountered some writing on the walls of the house, perhaps written by an Emma Good or Hood. They have a box of artifacts -- including medicine bottles and plans for the land surrounding the residence -- they found while on site in Cobb County.

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.

“When you walk through it, the floorboards don’t creak,” Beemon, with Cobb Landmarks, told me earlier this year. “The timbers are two feet thick under this thing. It is sitting on stone piers. It is really a solid structure.”

Brittani said she plans to get rid of the “ugly” exterior awning and metal siding. The dwelling will likely need a new front door.

The idea is for a visitor to feel like they are in the 1840s when they step inside.

“We want it be in the most original state with historical integrity,” said Brittani.

The McAfee House will be placed in the lot to the right of a stream barrier (Picket photo)

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.

Divided over NC Confederate monuments: More than 4,000 submit comments on proposed relocation of 3 memorials

Confederate Soldiers Monument

A request by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper's administration to move three Confederate monuments from the Capitol grounds in Raleigh has garnered more than 4,000 comments on a state website soliciting opinions.

The North Carolina Historical Commission has been tasked with talking with historians, legal experts and hearing from the public before it makes a decision.

The next step is a hearing on March 21 in Raleigh, at which speakers have one minute to make their positions known to a five-member study committee.

A 2015 state law makes it difficult to remove or relocate public monuments, according to the News & Observer. Cooper made the recommendation following the Charlottesville, Va., violence last summer.

The commission is trying to determine whether it even has the authority to order the state statues moved to the Bentonville battlefield about 45 miles away. A petition for relocation calls them “objects of remembrance.”

“This commission has not had a contentious issue before them until now,” Michele Walker, a public information officer for the state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, told the Picket this week.

The three memorials on Union Square are the Confederate Women's Monument (1914), the Confederate Soldiers Monument (1895) and the Henry Lawson Wyatt Monument (1912). Wyatt was the first North Carolinian killed in the Civil War.

The comment page, which launched on Jan. 29, is not restricted to state residents, though most do come from them. As of the morning of March 15, 4,031 people had weighed in.

Confederate Women's Monument (NCDCR)

They reflect what commission member David Ruffin said during a committee conference call this week that set ground rules for the hearing: “We understand that opinions are strong and divided, and in many cases, passionately held.”

While some comments reviewed by the Picket showed nuanced feelings on the matter, most are solidly on either side of the contentious issue.

“The monuments were placed by the children and widows of these men on the capitol grounds at a time when these veterans were getting old, and passing on,” wrote a High Point resident. “They were placed to memorialize these heroes, plain and simple, with no ulterior motives. I would feel we would be doing ourselves and their memories a grave disservice to move these monuments from their time-honored spots.”

A Chapel Hill resident countered.

“These statues told black citizens that they were not welcome in their own country, and they continue to send that message today. As long as these statue(s) stand in our state capitol, we are implicitly condoning the white supremacists who put them up. North Carolina can do better. Please remove these monuments to hate.”

Some commenters said if the three are moved, so should statues of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.  But James Leloudis, a history professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, told the News & Observer that equating the memorials ignores “fundamental moral distinctions.”

The Confederacy was built on the rejection of the founding principle that "all men are created equal," Leloudis said, while "King, by comparison, called the nation back to its core defining democratic values."

The public hearing is set for 1:30-3:30 p.m. on March 21 at the Archives and History/State Library Building in Raleigh. The chair has the option of extending the session by an hour if needed.

Henry Lawson Wyatt Monument (NCDCR)

During their conference call, committee members focused on ground rules and ensuring that all views are heard. Speakers must sign in before they can address the committee and they cannot mention other monuments, such as the Silent Sam monument in Chapel Hill.

“We are trying to be open and fair and respectful of all opinions,” said Ruffin.

Speakers get one minute, and a red warning card will be put up after 30 seconds.

“No applause or other noises or clapping shall be allowed or tolerated before, during or after any speaker. Individuals in attendance who violate this rule will first be warned and then removed from the audience if a second violation occurs,” the committee said.

Walker said no banners or flags will be allowed. While people generally respect others and the rules, she said, security will be present.

The committee members agreed that the chairman can ask for comments representing another view if they have not heard speakers with such views. “Whatever our positions, we must be both fair to divergent opinions and respectful of each other’s rights to utter those opinions,” Ruffin said.

The committee can vote to keep the monuments where they are, add interpretive signage that may give historical context, move them or consider other options. “They are not limited to yes or no,” Walker told the Picket.

A Durham commenter spoke to one possible option: “If the monuments stay where they are, additional information needs to be posted on the same site to put them into the context in which they were erected. The date the monument was erected, who paid for it, who supported it, who did not support it. The fact that many were erected during Jim Crow as a way to put down efforts at equality by African-Americans should be front and center.”

A Holly Springs resident disagrees. “It is a very dangerous idea to remove statues which certain people do not agree with. History cannot be rewritten to satisfy disgruntled citizens.”

Walker said the committee is taking its duties very seriously.

“They want to know what the people of North Carolina think and how they want this issue to be handled,” she said.