TABOR HOUSE MUSEUM IS OPEN MID MARCH THROUGH MID DECEMBER.
TABOR HOUSE MUSEUM IS OPEN MID MARCH THROUGH MID DECEMBER.
Ellijay was originally a village of the Cherokee Indian Nation. In the Cherokee language, the name of the village was Elatseyi, meaning "new ground"(1) or "green place".(2)
Gilmer county was carved out of Cherokee county in 1832 and Ellijay was designated its county seat in 1834.(3) Gilmer County was named after George Gilmer who , as governor, was a leading figure in the forceful removal of the Cherokee.
Gold was discovered in North Georgia in the late 1820’s(5), and the early settlers wanted the Cherokee Nation land. The Indian Removal Act was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830(6) In 1838, the Cherokee in Gilmer County were gathered together and put into Fort Hetzel until the forced removal to Oklahoma along the Trail of Tears. Today, there is a marker at the corner of Hwy. 515 and First Avenue commemorating Fort Hetzel.(7)
In 1837, most of the buildings in Ellijay were of log construction. By the mid 1800’s, wood-framed buildings were being constructed. By 1900, all of the buildings on the town square were brick. In 1912, a fire destroyed 23 buildings. After the fire, new buildings were constructed using new, stricter fire and safety guidelines.(9)
Ellijay was a remote mountain community until the Marietta and Northern Georgia Railroad (later the L and N) arrived in 1884.(3) In 1923, the railroad trip from Atlanta cost $3.16 and a room at a mountain area hotel cost $1 per night, Breakfast - 75¢, Lunch - 75¢, and Dinner $1.(4) Regular train service ended in 1949.
The Shippen Lumber Company was next to the depot and is now Garland Lumber. In it's heyday, Shippen lumber employed 1000 people and shipped lumber across the United States, and even to England.
In the 1870's, the Jarrett Hotel was one of the first two hotels in Ellijay. It was located next to the depot where there is a parking lot today.
The old historic train depot, built in 1910, is located on Depot Street, ½ mile southeast of downtown, down River Street. It currently houses Century 21 Results. Across the tracks from the Depot was the Jarrett Hotel (1870’s) which was one of the first two hotels in Ellijay. The Cajun Depot Restaurant is in a building that was built in 1946. This may have been the general store run by Hiram Wright. There was also a building construction supply store run by Jim Waters.
View of the North end of Ellijay taken in 1907. Thomas Tabor's house and barn on Dalton Street is on the far left. The Ellijay Institute is just right of center.
View of the South side of Ellijay taken in 1907. The current Tabor House Museum (the Tabor's house from 1925 to the 1980's) is just right of center. The Perry house is the large house in the left side of the picture.
Ellijay Train Depot with Jarrett Hotel - about 1915
Ellijay Railroad Depot built in 1912
Jasper Wright's General Store - East of RR just North of Depot
River Street Bridge over Ellijay River - prior to January 1, 1916.
Jarrett Hotel in the late 1800's
Shippen Lumber Company (now Garland Lumber)
Kimsey Reece's General Store Near Railroad Depot on lumber company's property with Albert Reece and Kimsey Reece
The main road to town was on the east side of the depot and came around to the Teem Wholesale Building, built in 1940, which now houses Dan Peterson Heating and Air. Heading to town down River Street, the old road curved to the left and crossed the river downstream from the current bridge. The “Ellijay Creamery” (a Cheese factory) was on the left just before crossing the river. A wooden truss bridge across the Ellijay River was built in 18778 and was replaced in 1948 by the current cement bridge over the Ellijay River; B.C. Logan Memorial Bridge.
Map Year
No. Built Street Number Current Business Historical Businesses _________
- 1930 193 River Street Private Home Home with apartment upstairs/flower shop
- 1955 146 River Street Brett Jones’ Law Site of First Baptist Church and then
Billy Bernhardt’s first funeral home
- 1974 163 River Street Bernhardt Funeral Home
11 1915 128 River Street Ellijay River House B&B Private Home
- 1936 127 River Street Private Home Private Home
- 1926 111 River Street Private Home Private Home
- 1956 99 River Street Private Home Private Home
- 1963 104 River Street Apartments Site of Tankersley’s Hotel and
Restaurant
- 1920 98 River Street Jeb Chatham Attorney Private Home
- 1921 84 River Street Clark & Clark Attorneys Private Home
- 1898 85 River Street Private Home Private Home
53 1934 71 River Street The Gumdrop Shop Private Home
- - - Gumdrop parking lot Ellijay Bedspread Company /
Apple Valley Antiques
Note that what is now North Avenue used to be called Blue Ridge Avenue. It was also referred to as “Dodge Street” because it led to the Chrysler/Dodger dealership / Many homes on this street were built in 1930’s and 1940’s’.
- 1938 29 North Avenue 29 North Wine & Art Private Home
- 1890 75 North Avenue Private Home Private Home
45 1930 51 River Street The Cow Pelt Bailey’s (Maggie’s) Toggery / Western Auto /
63 1930 53 River Street Mountain Hounds Good-To-Go-Cafe / old site of Cantaberry
Restaurant / Post Office was in the rear of
the building / Upstairs was Powell’s
Rooming House
- 1950 47 River Street Times Courier Newspaper
The Public Parking lot next to The Times Courier Anderson Holt 5 & 10 / Lay’s 5 & 10 /
Cagel Dentist / Leon’s Beauty Salon
50 1914 56 River Street Hometown Florist & Penland’s Dry Goods & Grocery Store
Yesterday’s Decor “
72 1914 56 River Street WhimZ Boutique “
56 1914 58 River Street Linda’s Outback Penland’s Farm Supplies
Antiques
31 1940 40 River Street River Street Tavern Reece’s Dry Goods & Groceries
21 1940 36 River Street Chill Out Ice Cream "
& Eatery
- 1909 ?? River Street Kristina Lee’s Boutique J. L. Hipp Mercantile
26 1909 24 River Street The Butcher and Bottle Ray’s Billiards & Eats / Blue Door
Restaurant / J & J Restaurant / Emily’s
Restaurant
41 1940 16 River Street Blue Ridge Mtn. Grocery store owned and operated
Outfitters by Civil Whitaker and Hollis Bradford /
27 1940 10 River Street Kasel Sushi & Saki Andy’s Jewelry
32 1940 16 River Street The Roof Ellijay
71 1940 14 S. Church St Unique Ellijay Whitaker & Bradford Grocery store
7 1927 55 S. Church St Good Samaritan Watkins Memorial Methodist Church
Catholic Church
60 1940 6 River Street The Loving Bull The West Building housed a Park’s ,
25 1940 2 River Street Ellijay Wood Fired Pizza Restaurant and Hotel / Bus Station /
and One Location of Eller’s Shoe Shop
facing South Main Street
Under Construction
Under Construction
Under Construction
Under Construction
Under Construction
Under Construction
Under Construction
References
Most of the information in the tables came from “The Annals of Upper Georgia Centered in Gilmer County” by G. Ward, 1994., Ernest Parker’s book “Days Gone By” and Lawrence Stanley’s book “A Little History of Gilmer County”, and Barbara Dover’s book titled ”The Evolution of Ellijay, Georgia 1921-2021 A Century of Change” (2022). Additional information was contributed by several of the older residents of Ellijay. The “Year Built” dates are from the Gilmer County Tax Assessor’s website. (https://qpublic.schneidercorp.com/Application.aspx?AppID=672&LayerID=11357&PageTypeID=1&KeyValue=1081%20%20%20075)
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Tabor House Museum, Downtown Ellijay, Georgia