More Historic Homes of Powder Springs, GA
These are a few more of the historical homes of Powder Springs. They may be located in town on Marietta Street and Atlanta Street. Some are located in the area immediately outside of the city limits. Several of the homes date back to the early/mid 1800’s.
More information about these homes and the other Historical Homes of Powder Springs, can be found in the publications located at the museum. “Images of America Powder Springs” and “Seven Springs Sampler”.
Some of these houses are gone. Only time will tell how long the others will last until they are gone, too.
When you visit the museum be sure to notice the many paintings on display of some of the homes and the historical Pavilion in Powder Springs Park by local artist Gladys O’Neil Hendricks Hardy (1911-1999).
BODIFORD HOUSE
4355 Marietta St
The Bodiford House is one of Powder Springs most elaborate examples of Victorian Architecture Queen Anne design home. It features two cross
gables, corner tower and a decorative wrap around porch.
The original structure was a two story, four room bungalow with hand-hewn beams dating back to the 1800’s. The fireplace and chimney
in the first room on the left is original to the house. Some of the original beams and foundation may be seen under the house in the basement. Upstairs, the floors in the front room on the right are original boards.
The Marchman family owned the two-story bungalow.
John L. Butner, an extensive landowner and dry goods merchant in Powder Springs, purchased the property and added the existing
structure around 1910.
The Leavell family purchased the house around 1950. They rented out the upstairs rooms on occasion for several years.
Robert G. Bodiford purchased the house in 1954. Here, he and his wife Jane raised their two sons. He remarried sometime after Jane’s death and lived here with his second wife, DeLane, until his death in 2012.
In 2014, the City of Powder Springs purchased the house from the Bodiford Estate, renovated and converted it to house the Seven Springs
Museum. The Museum opened in October of 2015.
CAMP – BOYD HOUSE
4279 Marietta Street
The Camp House was a wedding present from Mrs. W. Y. Stovall to her son Charlie Camp and his wife Emma, about 1905-1910. It is a smaller Victorian House, that includes decorative spindle work within the gable roof, lace-like porch supports and balustrade and a corner tower on the porch.
The servants lived directly behind the house at 4280 Atlanta Street.
Charlie Camp was a local merchant. Mrs. Stovall was one of the pioneer citizens of Powder Springs and, at one time, owned and operated the Stovall Hotel in town (currently the Magnolia House) in the mid 1800’s and early 1900’s.
Emma Camp, Charlie’s wife, lived in the house until her death on January 13, 1964, long after the death of her young children and husband.
Emma was outraged when engineers from the State Department of Roads were going house to house to explain the plans to widen Marietta Street, which meant it was necessary to cut the row of oaks on either side of their street. She met them with her shotgun and told them she did not want her oaks cut. She was so forceful that they did not cut her oak trees down. Emma then stood guard on her porch, with her shotgun across her lap, all through the road project.
The first road in Powder Sprigs was paved in 1928, connecting Powder Springs to Austell (Highway 278). Several sidewalks were also paved. The widening of the road was in 1930.
The house was purchased by Frank Boyd and is still owned by his family. It has housed boarders/renters and businesses through the years.
CAMP – LAWLER HOUSE
(MAGNOLIA HOUSE)
4371 Marietta Street
The Camp-Lawler House is an outstanding example of the plantation plane architectural style. It was built in the early 1900’s for Tom and Bright Camp on a site somewhat north of where it is now. In 1930, it was rolled to its present position to accommodate the widening of
the road. Later residents were Mr. and Mrs. L.C. Lawler and Harold Norris, the brother of Mrs. Lawler. Records show that Mr. Lawler purchased the house about 1940.
The towns charter of 1859 specified that the city limits extend in a one half mile radius from a spot that the Lawlers and Norris pinpoint as lying in the center of their entrance hall. At the time the residence of Dr. Aristides Reynolds was located here. Other structures on the site included “Dr. Aristides’ Rental House”, and in the 1860’s, the Stovall Hotel, one of several hotels that flourished when the community was a bustling mineral springs resort.
Land records show that in 1910, Mrs. Stovall sold the land to her son, Tom Camp and his wife, Bright. The hotel was torn down to build the present house. Tom Camp installed their own power-generated gas and light system in the house.
One of the original Seven Springs runs through the back of the property behind the house.
The house is now The Magnolia House, a special events facility and has undergone extensive expansion and renovation.
FLORENCE HOUSE
4405 Marietta Street
The Florence House sits on the site of the J.C. Butner House.
W.D Florence and his wife, Ida Butner Florence, built the Queen Anne Victorian House around 1915. It has an irregular shaped hip-gabled roof, decorative masonry chimney, classic column supports, cantilevered wall extensions and a second story porch.
The house has been used as a funeral home since 1953, when the business moved from next door. It was opened as Lindley’s Funeral Home and operated by Tom Lindley.
In 1940 an actual funeral home building was opened. It was located in the Lindley Calloway House (now a day care center) which is next door to the present location. From the 1850’s to 1940, the funeral business was operated as a side line out of the back of several of the owners business’.
In 1937 Tom Lindley’s grandson, Frank Pickens “Pick” Lindley took over the business, still operating as Lindley’s Funeral Home. Later owners were Gene Davis (White Columns), Marion H. Turk (Turk’s Memory Chapel) and Dennis Bellamy (Bellamy’s Funeral Home).
Tom Lindley’ son Frank Pickens Lindley, Sr, was a doctor and practiced medicine in Powder Springs for 40 years.
The funeral home is currently the Greene Pastures Funeral Home, Deacon Dwayne Greene, owner.
Atlanta St houses: Spratlin house, Penn house, Dr. Griffith house
King William and Beulah Spratln built their house on Atlanta Street in the Early 1900’s. Here they raised their two sons, Ralph and Clyde. Mr. Spartlin owned a grocery store downtown. An undated advertisement from Spratlin’s store offers 15 pounds of sugar for $1.
Benjamin Lafatyette Hilley, a restaurant proprietor, owned the house on Atlanta St – a hall-and-folk house. He described his restaurant as the ‘headquarters for cold drinks and hot lunches”. In the 1930’s he was the only house on he block to have telephone service. The house has an enclosed porch across the front of the house.
Luke Penn house on Atlanta st. Current house built on the site of Rev. Alec Penn’s house. Built early 1900’s. Luke Penn married Chasity Young Penn in 1913, and they had 14 children. Their daughter currently lives in the house. Luke was the janitor at PS School for 40 years and grandson on Alec Penn, a prominent religious leader in Cobb and Douglas Counties. Chasity was the daughter of Sandy Young, a popular barber who practiced downtown in the Lewis Building. She a servant for Emma Camp for 27 years, began working for Mrs. Camp when she was 9 yrs old.
Dr. J A Griffith house corner of Dillard and Atlanta St., local physician. PS Hospital, was a humble facility on Atlanta St built next door in the late 1940’early 1950’s. Dr. Griffith Was the hospital physician. The hospital Building now houses a preschool operated by the First Methodist Church. Dr Griffith’s son lived in the house until his death several years ago. It was purchased and remolded afterwards.