Coalition To Save Aunt Fanny's Cabin

11/04/2022

History deserves to be protected and preserved.

A prominent mural on the back of a Mill Street building, just off Marietta Square, is no more. “Interwoven,” by artist Leigh Ann Culver, was painted over this week. In the mural, which showed two women pulling on loose threads at the bottom of their dresses, Culver depicted the Civil War from wo...

10/19/2022

One of the hardest things about saving history is sometimes the folks who play a key role transition way too soon. Judy Farmer was one of the many faces who joined us on the journey to save the cabin. Her spirit resonated in those final moments where she spoke at a press conference and council meeting after the cabin was demolished. At the press conference, Judy shared photos of her memories of the cabin and later that day, she spoke during the public comments portion of the meeting. The tears she shed at the podium will never be forgotten. It is a testament that even in your final days, you should never stop believing that you can make a difference in this life. Judy did. Her sister, Jane Stokes Farmer, shared her photo and obituary. We send heartfelt condolences to the family and pray for comfort during this difficult time.

09/16/2022

The Marietta History Center continues its Diverse Cobb programming with Color My Teacher, an oral history project featuring interviews with Black teachers, counselors and principals. The...

09/05/2022

How do we know where to go without knowing where we came from? How can we carve a road to a better future when our past is purged and unspoken?

By William P. Marchione, Ph.D., author of A Brief History of Smyrna, Georgia (2013), and the Chair of the Smyrna Historical Society’s Research Committee The following article summarizes the conclus…

08/29/2022

Reclaiming the space of history can be powerful for future generations!

An Air Force veteran wanted a new house for large family gatherings; he ended up getting an incredible link to his family’s past. ...

08/29/2022

So very true.

We must teach history to learn from history.

08/20/2022

Today officially began Chapter 2 of honoring the legacy of F***y Williams. We met at Cafe Lucia for "Coffee and Conversation" and chatted with members of the community. Conversation was easy and laughter was welcomed. We walked away feeling satiated that our mission was accomplished and will continue to advocate for unity.

FB name change is imminent. Stay tuned!

08/19/2022

Does anyone remember this book? It was a community cookbook project commemorating the Cabin's 125th anniversary. Anyone ever have "Mayor Max's Quick Cheese Biscuits"? This sounds like such a fun project. Thanks for sharing, Jenny Bartee!

08/18/2022

The press conference on 8/15/22...

08/17/2022

Clarification to Mayor's comments during 8/15 council meeting and reported in media:

Clarification:
If it's true that there were no hazardous materials in the building, why did city personnel report in early to mid December in the media that there WAS asbestos, lead and mold in the building? According to an open records request, the asbestos test report is dated January 5, 2022 and reported no asbestos containing materials after the city reported they were present.

The open records request also indicated that lead and mold testing are not required for a demolition permit. Since the lead and mold test reports were not provided, is it safe to assume that lead and mold testing was not performed? Again, why did the city report they were present in the building. Lead is a hazardous material worthy of proper abatement according to the EPA.

Lastly, the demolition permit does not offer a place to indicate hazardous materials (present or absent) and apparently, lead testing is not required by the City of Smyrna per the open records request but lead remains a hazardous material per EPA. A demo permit does not automatically mean that no hazardous materials existed. Abatement is necessary for lead too.

Mayor's words:
“And our staff is also being accused of putting citizens at risk because of hazardous materials during the demolition. To me, this just goes to show that just because it’s on social media doesn’t mean it’s true and you should believe it. We satisfied every requirement when we pulled the demolition permit in January. And it’s right here in my hand. There was no asbestos present and every other requirement was met. There was no danger to anyone — period.”