Houses I Love – Pt 2

Posted on 9/15/10

And now, part 2. This is just a small selection of the houses I grew up loving. All these pics I've been showing you were taken in 2005, so things may have changed by now. We live too far away to visit these towns often, so haven't been there in a few years. If anyone happens to live nearby, update me on how these houses are looking.

This would be the ultimate dream of mine to restore this one. 2nd to the one that was torn down years ago (the Boston House in the previous post), this is my next favorite house in Waleska. Known as the Bearden House, Mr. Bearden taught school in a neighboring town before moving to Waleska in 1899. He opened a store and farmed as well as serving on the county board of education for over 20 years. This home was built around 1910.

The other side of the house, this side faces Reinhardt College. As you can see there are double porches on the rear portion. I believe the windows are original too. It looks like a metal roof was added. I really hate to think about what will happen to this house if it ever goes up for sale (I’m fairly certain this house will not be torn down but seeing as how it is probably large unaltered, I’d hate to see someone start taking out walls and changing things.)

One side of the house, it is HUGE! 3,593 square feet with 4 bedrooms (according to Zillow.) I’m curious as to what will happen to this house since the little old lady who owned it died about 10 or so years ago (maybe not that long ago.)

Of course, there is a house falling apart in my list of homes! We saw this home on our riding around looking at the countryside days. I don’t’ know the exact build date. I loved the rock chimney and gable.

9/25/13 Update: Recognized this house in a real estate listing. The land is for sale and the house porch has been removed, as you can see, since I took the above photos. Link to listing.

This was my favorite house when I was about 8 or 9. I thought the windows were so cool! Back then there was a huge tree out front (you can see the stump by the fence.) This is called The George Harmon home, he was a tobacco farmer, a county commissioner and game warden back in the day. This house was built sometime between 1870-1895. I think the current owners have owned the house for the last 50+ years. The gothic style windows are actually a false front, the windows aren’t really shaped that way. Still one of my top 10 favorites of local houses (well, not so local to me anymore, but you know what I mean.)

Here is a side view of the Harmon House. I remember when I was a kid, mom took up walking (we lived in Waleska back then) and we’d walk down this street. This was my favorite house to look at when we did that. I imagined it was scary inside (a good scary because I was a weird kid.)

I’ve been dreaming about this home for a very long time. Every time we pass by it, I have to look! I did what research I could and this house was built between sometime 1910-1930 (unless I was looking at the wrong records…) I would give away everything I own to fix this house up!

This house sits next door to the previous house. Again this one was built sometime between 1910-1925. This one looks like it needs a little more work than the other. As of a few years ago, this is what it looks like. All the pics I’ve been showing you of these old homes were taken back in 2005, so who knows what they look like now. Edit: Demolished.

A closer view of the house above.

Because of the location, unless I had the money to move this house, I would not want to live in it. Still, I can’t help but dream because I lived in this house for a few years as a kid. Back then it was next to a little blue house that was recently torn down and a Dollar General put up next door. I once talked to the owner (I’m not sure but I think her husband grew up in this house) and she said there are not plans to ever tearing it down, BUT once they are gone, who knows what future owners would do. There isn’t anything architurally or historically interesting about this house, so really there wouldn’t be a reason to not tear it down to make way for whatever. Too bad. The 2nd story was an attic but since then they may have turned it into a bedroom (someone put up curtains and looks like there is stuff up there last we saw.) I have so many great memories of living in this house, riding my bike around the yard, playing in the dirt or with the water hose. I remember the first night of sleeping over, we slept in the front bedroom (which would become my sisters room, you can see the window there on the left.) I remember that morning because there is a store across the street and the sound of the delivery truck woke me up. I could go on, but that would bore you.

The side of the house from the Dollar General next door. There use to be a carport here and some magnolia trees (there use to be a red maple out front but was chopped down after we moved out.) I remember playing in the leaves next to the dogwood tree there. That door on the side is from the kitchen, the window in the middle the living room and that other window was the same older sisters bedroom as the front window.

Really, there is nothing special about this house. It is the area that I love! If you look in any direction on this spot you’ll see beautiful green pastures leading up to steep hills for backdrops. This home was listed awhile back with about 40 or 60 acres (a lot of acreage) for a huge amount. I’ve always had a dread that this valley (known as Salacoa Valley) would be bought up and tract houses set in, destroying the beautiful views and pastures.

From an old listing, a view of Salacoa Valley (I’m sure the house is in there somewhere.) This is probably one of my favorite places in Georgia.

Was not being lived in when I first saw it, not sure if it was when I took the photo. Talking Rock, off the nearly extinct “downtown” area.

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