Old Homes Along Matt Hwy, Forsyth County, GA

5240 Matt Hwy, c.1936, photographer facing NE (house has been demolished).

Traveling west of Hwy 9 on Matt Hwy (Hwy 369) in northern Forsyth County, you can see the new creeping in on the old. Forsyth County is one of the fastest growing counties in the country. Located near Coal Mountain, just 45 miles from downtown Atlanta, this area has seen steady growth. Old houses fade away to be replaced by large, and quite expensive developments.

5240 Matt Hwy, photographer facing east.

The home shown in these first few photos is no longer standing. These photos were taken in 2015, and I'm not certain when the home was razed. This location will more than likely end up being a commercial development, given the lot size of less than one acre.

A tin roof, large wrap-around front porch, and an old well located right behind the house were some of the neat features of this home.

5240 Matt Hwy, photographer facing south. Well house on the left.

5240 Matt Hwy, photographer facing west.

Matt Hwy, c.1926, photographer facing east.

The second old farm place, shown here is located only about a mile from the first home in this post, and looks very similar from the side. Also with a well house located immediately adjacent to the home, the roof on this home has shingles, and the front of the house has more of a Craftsman look. Ten years older and in much worse shape than the 5240 home, this home, if not gone already, will be soon. The roof on the back section is open, and the front porch roof was also failing in 2015.

Matt Hwy c.1926, photographer facing south.

This site also has an out building and a barn (also built in 1926, according to tax records) still standing just 100' or so from the house.

Outbuilding and barn, c.1926, photographer facing south.

I haven't been by this site in a while, so I don't know if these buildings are standing, or not. Being next to a 60+ acre parcel that sold for $1.25 million in 2014, you can be sure that  this farm will soon be a memory.

Old Matt School, c. 1945, Forsyth County, GA

Photographer facing SW, Bannister Road

The "Old" Matt School, named for the Matt Community, was constructed in 1945 and was used as a school until 1968. The northern part of the county that the school served is now served by Matt Elementary School which was built in 2001. The old school has since been used as a commercial structure, most recently as a retail mattress store that I'm not sure is open any longer.

According to the Matt Elementary School website, students walked to the old school and got their drinking water from a spring. An interesting concept for its time, the students didn't use desks, but sat on benches around an open fireplace.  

Photographer facing SE

In just about every community, there are old schools like this that are no longer in use. Many school systems turn them into administrative offices, and some, like this one, are used for businesses.

The old William Robinson School (where I attended the 7th grade) in Augusta, GA has been turned into residential housing. You can read about it here.

Photographer facing east

In these old structures, I'm sure any proposed renovation or restoration activities present challenges in dealing with hazardous building materials such as lead paint and asbestos.

However, the end result could be the preservation of structures that played such a large role in the shaping of this community's children, as well as providing housing for the increasing number of young professionals that are calling Forsyth County home.

Anyone have an extra million dollars laying around?

Old Farmhouse, Turner Road, Forsyth County, GA

Photographer facing east

Located a stones throw from Costco, and the Market Place shopping complex, there's no telling how long this farmstead will remain in its pastoral state. Located on Turner Road, sandwiched between Lake Lanier to the east, and the City of Cumming to the west, this home can be seen to the east from the new four-lane Market Place Boulevard.

As one of the fastest growing counties in the country, Forsyth's population has exploded from 44,000 in 1990 to the staggering 2013 estimate of 195,000 residents. The majority of this growth has been from high-income professionals migrating north from Atlanta. Forbes listed the county as the 13th wealthiest county in the nation. The transformation of the once quiet countryside to McMansion developments has surely swallowed up scores of places like this small farm, one that is unlikely to be around much longer.   

Rear, photographer facing SW

There are some interesting features that I discovered later in the photo of the rear of the house. The stacked rock base below the windows is a mystery to me. It looks like the base for a chimney, but it doesn't make sense for one to be in that location.

There are what appears to be two windows up high, but they are covered with hinged, wooden inserts. There is a two-wheeled pushcart, a Christmas tree stand, and lastly, one of the windowpanes has been replaced by a cardboard Little Caesar's Hot-and-Ready pizza box. It is also easy to spot the more recent addition to the left.

Outbuildings behind the house, photographer facing east

Behind the house is a taller than normal small barn or shed, the function of which I am unsure. An old outhouse lurks in the background.

Be sure to look around, even near new commercial development, and you might be able to step back in time.

Sherrill House, c. 1907, Forsyth County, GA

Old Federal Road, photographer facing SE

 Located in northwestern Forsyth County, Georgia, the Sherrill House is a great example of what an active  historical society can accomplish with regard to preservation. As part of the northern Metro Atlanta area, Forsyth County is one of the fastest growing counties in the country. The nature of development is to cram as much housing as is possible, usually building homes on half-acre lots. Most often than not this is done without regard to older structures, as it doesn't always make economical sense for a developer to consider pouring money into an old home.

Renovation began in 2013

Occupied by the family until the late 70s or early 80s, the home became rental property until the mid 90s. Since that time, the home sat vacant for about twenty years. As part of 225 acres that the county purchased in 2009 to become Eagle's Beak Park, the house will be renovated and turned into the Native American and Pioneer Heritage Center. 

Photographer facing west

Some historians believe that the property was the site of a Cherokee Indian settlement in the 1700s, and that the tavern where Cherokee leader James Vann was killed was also located on what is now part of the park. The tavern was relocated to the Cumming Fairgrounds as part of the Indian Village display.

A success story in the making, the Forsyth County Historical Society can still use volunteers for work sessions at the site, or monetary donations to go towards the renovation. Please see the following links for more information about this project.

Forsyth News Article

Sherrill House/Hightower/Frogtown Facebook Page