Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society, a Marietta-based historic preservation non-profit, has begun a fundraising drive to collect an estimated $65,000 in donations to relocate an 184os log cabin on Post Oak Tritt Road to the county-run Hyde Farm in East Cobb.
The organization believes the Power-Jackson Cabin may be the oldest existing structure in Cobb County.
But a recent rezoning case involving the land where the cabin sits has triggered a new effort to save it, as well as an evaluation by a log cabin expert, Vic Hood.
In May attorneys for Kenneth B. Clary withdrew a rezoning request for a proposed subdivision on 13 acres of undeveloped land on Post Oak Tritt Road near McPherson Road after opposition surfaced for historical and stormwater issues.
That’s where the cabin, which initially belonged to William Power before it was given to his daughter, Martha Jane, still sits, in badly deteriorating shape.
At a zoning hearing, cemetery preservationists also noted that a young mother—likely Power’s daughter—and two infants are buried on the site, further complicating development efforts.
In a message that the organization sent out Tuesday, Cobb Landmarks is asking for donations to disassemble, tag and relocate the logs to Hyde Farm. Clary’s family has agreed to allow Cobb Landmarks to remove the cabin.
“The purpose of Hood’s visit was to determine if the cabin could be saved and the scope of work a restoration project might entail,” Cobb Landmarks said in its Tuesday update. “Hood determined the cabin is still salvageable, but that time is running out.”
Hyde Farm is where another Power family cabin exists, as part of a working 1840s farm that was in family hands until the 1990s.
Cobb PARKS oversees that property off Lower Roswell Road, and the Cobb Landmarks message noted that the department has been discussing the possibility of using 2016 Cobb SPLOST funds to restore the cabin.
“Having the Power-Jackson Cabin join her sibling cabins at Hyde Farm creates a unique opportunity for the public to view three pioneer log cabins that, at one time, all belonged to members of the same family,” the Cobb Landmarks message said.
“Commissioner Jerica Richardson believes this to be a worthwhile investment to the community. With approval of restoration, Cobb PARKS would be responsible for maintaining the cabin in perpetuity.”
East Cobb News has left a message with Richardson’s office seeking comment.
SPLOST funds have been used to preserve other structures at Hyde Farm, which was turned over to the county in 1999 by the Trust for Public Land. Cobb Landmarks maintains the cabin and conducts tours of the property.
“This partnership between Cobb Landmarks and Cobb County PARKS represents a meaningful and significant investment in the preservation of local history and offers a path for the rescue and protection of the Power-Jackson Cabin,” Cobb Landmarks said in its update.
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What are the potential benefits to the community if the Power-Jackson Cabin is successfully relocated and restored? How does the preservation of local history contribute to the overall cultural heritage of Cobb County? Tel U
In the 44 years I have lived in Cobb County, I have witnessed the explosion of growth, expansion, and affluence. I have seen a working horse farm/sulky track turn into a subdivision, as well as many other agricultural lots be sold for schools, strip malls,and subdivisions. That is progress. But to know the early use of land in Cobb is of value to future planning for and respect of this area. My local grandchildren have little sense of modest houses and the hard work farming and homemaking used to entail. To walk through a small, dark cabin and hear from historians and imagine the lifestyle that took place there will give children and adults a greater appreciation of both their current conveniences and the efforts of those who came before us. Three family cabins there will underscore the often close, interdependent use of family resources.