Tatum House, 8101 Roosevelt Highway, Palmetto

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA,61-PALM,1-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Tatum House is historically significant in the area of architecture. This c. residence is a representative example of a Georgian plan cottage, a type of house popular throughout Southeast during the early twentieth century. Until its purchase by the Georgia Department of Transportation, the house had been owned by the Tatum family, early settlers in the area. TATUM HOUSE HABS No. GA-2231 (Page 2)

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA,61-PALM,1-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

PHYSICAL SETTING OF THE TATUM HOUSE The house is sited at a higher elevation than US 29 and the Atlanta and West Point Railroad which it fronts. There are mature hardwoods in the front yard and foundation plantings. There is no historical landscape design apparent. Cement steps are located between the front yard and the highway. A deteriorated wood shed and a cement block well cover are located to the rear of the house. This area of Fulton County has lost its rural character with the growth of the town of Palmetto to the west and the town of Fairburn to the east. The area is rapidly developing both residentially and commercially. PART.II: HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF PALMETTO, GEORGIA Palmetto is located twenty-five miles southwest of Atlanta.

The Creek Indians ceded the land in the vicinity of Palmetto to the state of Georgia in The state created Campbell County out of a portion of this Indian cession. The state distributed the land in this area through a land lottery held in Within six years of the land lottery, a general store had opened in the vicinity of what is now Palmetto. During the Willis P. Menefee, known as the "father of the town," arrived in the area. Local legend has it that his plantation included all of what is now Palmetto. He donated land for churches, schools and parks, providing the impetus for the development of a community.

The name Palmetto came into use around and the state granted the town of Palmetto a charter in In the Atlanta and La Grange Railroad (later the Atlanta and West Point Railroad) established passenger rail service between Atlanta and Palmetto. The railroad built this line on a ridge previously used as both an Indian trail and later utilized by the Montgomery Stage Coach Route. What had been a farming town became a railroad town. By Palmetto had developed into a self-sustaining community with dry goods merchants, school teachers, physicians, ministers, a druggist, a black smith, carpenters, among other professions, all calling Palmetto home. The town was surrounded by farms, which were largely engaged in planting cotton. By the the town had a public school system, a cotton mill and a hotel.

In due to its dire financial condition, Campbell County merged with Fulton County. TATUM HOUSE HABS No. GA-2231 (Page 3) The Tatum House, constructed c. is representative of the Georgian cottage house type, an architectural type common throughout the South during the early twentieth century. The Tatums have been residents of the Palmetto vicinity since shortly after the Indian removal of the Tatum, a Confederate veteran and original owner of the house, utilized "progressive" farming techniques in the farming of his lands. Along with his son, Tatum, he cooperated with the Extension Services of the University of Georgia and the Atlanta and West Point Railroad. Their Fairview Farm experimented with fertilizers and winter crops.

This experimental farm specialized in seed, including cotton, oat, rye and wheat seeds.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA,61-PALM,1-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

HISTORY OF THE TATUM HOUSE There is not a known architect of this c. residence. It was constructed by the Cole Company of Newnan, Georgia. The original six room house had a square mass with two rooms on either side of a cent~al hall and a two room rear ell on the northeast side of the house. One rear porch has been enclosed to create a kitchen and another rear porch was enclosed to create a utility room. The dates of these alterations are not known. The rear portion of the central hall has been removed and absorbed into the adjacent two rooms. The date of this alteration is not known. The Tatum family owned this house from the time that it was built until the Georgia Department of Transportation purchased it in December In Tatum purchased 51 acres from John T. Beckman.

[Campbell County Deed Book K, p. Tatum bequeathed 27 of the 51 acres to Myrtie L. Sineath on January 23, [Campbell County Will Book C, p. On June 28, Myrtie L. Tatum Sineath sold the 27 acres to Tatum. [Fulton Deed Book p. In November 20, Tatum bequeathed the 27 acre tract to David E. Tatum, Sr. [Fulton County Will Book 45, p. The Georgia Department of Transportation purchased the house in December, PART IV: PHYSICAL

Description of the Tatum House

The Tatum House is a representative example of a Georgian cottage with a rear ell and an enclosed rear porch. This one story residence is generally thirty feet, four inches wide and fifty-eight feet, three inches long. The overall dimensions of this dwelling are as follows: TATUM HOUSE HABS No.

GA-2231 (Page 4) beginning with the southeast front facade and ~oving to the south, the dimensions of the house are thirty feet, four inches; thirty-two feet, three inches; one foot, two inches; eighteen feet, four inches; thirteen feet; seven feet, nine inches; twelve feet, three inches; twelve feet; two feet, two inches; fourteen feet; two feet two inches; and thirty two feet, three inches (refer to the site plan sketch on page 7) The house is supported by brick piers which are between two feet, four inches and three feet in height. The pier foundation has been filled in with cement blocks. The wood frame house is clad in wood clapboard and displays corner boards. The pyramidal roof is covered in asphalt shingles. A gable is displayed in the front of the house.

The house has two interior brick chimneys. The house has a nearly full facade shed porch with turned spindle supports. It measures twenty seven feet, four inches in length and seven feet seven inches in depth. The house has a central front door and a rear door off of the rear enclosed porch. The house displays vertical two over two double hung wooden sash windows: one on either side of the main entrance, three on the east side of the main square mass, one on the east side of the rear ell, one on the north side of the rear ell and three on the west side of the main square mass. The enclosed rear porch displays six light casement windows. The floor plan exhibits a front central hall with rooms on either side. Wood paneling has replaced the original plaster walls in these rooms.

The two rooms behind the front rooms are equal in size. Drywall has replaced the original plaster walls in these two rooms. These four rooms are located beneath the main pyramidal roof of the Tatum House, with the central hall having been removed from the rear portion. The date of the removal of this wall is not known. The original rear extension displayed two rooms, one behind the other. The room closest to the main square mass has been divided with the construction of a closet and bathroom. This room also displays drywall. The date of this alteration is not known. The rear most room remains in its original state, with wood plank walls and ceiling. This rear extension is located beneath a hip roof.

To the west of the first room of the rear extension, a porch has been enclosed to accommodate a kitchen constructed of drywall. Behind the kitchen, another porch has been enclosed to create a utility room also constructed of drywall. The dates of these alterations are not known. These rooms are TATUM HOUSE HABS No. GA-2231 (Page 5) located beneath a shed roof. Excluding the wood plank floor in the rear most room of the rear extension, the floors in the Tatum House are constructed with pine. Throughout the house, five panel doors separate the rooms. The four original mantels, displaying fluted pilasters with curved brackets supporting a plain wooden shelf. At the time of the completion of this HABS document, these mantels had been removed. PART V: SOURCES OF INFORMATION A. Interviews Mr.

David E. Tatum, previous owner, by Gail A. D'Avino, September 5, B. Bibliography 1. Primary and unpublished sources Fulton and Campbell County land and estate records, on file in the, Fulton County Courthouse. 2. Secondary and published sources Crisp, Barbara, and Teresa Daugherty, eds. Palmetto: A Town and Its People. Palmetto, GA: Town and County Homemakers, Garrett, Franklin M. Atlanta and Environs: A Chronicle of its People and Events. 2 Vols. Reprint. Athens: University of Georgia Press, PART VI:

Project Information

Historic American Buildings Surveys documentation completed as a mitigation stipulation in the Memorandum of Agreement for Georgia Department of Transportation's Project Fulton County (the proposed widening of US 29/Roosevelt Highway) . Prepared by: Gail Anne D'Avino Title: Transportation Planner II Affiliation: Georgia Department of Transportation Office of Environment and Location Aviation Circle Atlanta, Georgia Date: March TATUM HOUSE HABS NO.GA-2231 <PAGE 6> I I I I I I FLOOR PLAN FEBRUARY DRAWN BY KAREN L. JACKSON TATUM HOUSE HASS NO. GA-2231 CPAGE 7> D '' '( I ,,. ,,. I ,, ' ,. )< ,. ' ' I io;--- - - - - - - - 1_ - - L - - - '' ,, '' ,, '' ,, 0 '' '' , ,, , , ' ,' ', ,, '' ,' ', ,' ' 0 ; ,' ; ', ' I I I I I I ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _I 0 U.S.

29 I ROOSEVELT lHGHWAY ATIANTA & WEST POINT RAILROAD ===i SITE PLAN SKETCH FEBRUARY OOAllN BY KAREN L. JACKSON