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A Study of 1710 DeFoor Avenue -

The Main Office of the DeFoor Center

Atlanta, Georgia 30318

by

Hoke P. Kimball

July 7, 2014

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part I: History and Title Search of the property of District 17 Land Lot 187 Page 5

Part II: Six Distinguished Owners of District 17 Lot 187 before 1865 Page 9

Part III: Wilbur G. Kurtz Sr. Material on the Rock House at 1710 DeFoors Avenue Page 12

Part IV: Conclusion Page 17

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APPENDIX EXHIBITS:

1. 1942 Land Lots Districts Map of Fulton County

2. Year 2000 District 17_187 Land Lot map for Fulton County

3. Year 2000 District 17_193 Land Lot map for Fulton County (Ragsdale Property)

4. Collins/Loyd to Mims Deed L326

5. Ihly to Mims A-489 deed

6. Mims to Walker J-364

7. Walker to Moore/Stewart/ - G-378

8. Morris to Ragsdale D-50

9. Ragsdale to Bellingrath G 587

10. Moore/Peters to McMillian and Todd J-367

11. McMillian to Todd L-414(to divide property - this for Southern section)

12. Todd to McMillian L-248 (to divide property – this for Northern section)

13. McMillian to Bryan (deed not available and mis-filed)

14. Bryan to Hall Deed MM-349

15. Hall to Hunter - northern half– Deed F-3 /576

16. Hunter to Boyd Deed O3/92

17. Boyd/ American Trust to J.W. English– Deed 172/76

18. J.W. English to Lelah O. Harper Affidavit 410/44

19. Harper to Wilhoit - Deed 616/223

20. Wilhoit to Ellenburg - Deed 1040/78

21. W. M. Ellenburg to James Ellenburg Deed 5366/462

22. Wm. Kemp/Adams to Kamran Deljou Deed 20626/47

23. Kamran Deljou to DeFoor Center LLC/Debbie Eason Deed 34736/372

24. Harper Plat 1923

24A. Harper Plat Index 1920s

25. Map of 17_187 northern section year 2000

26. Vincent Map 1853

27. Kurtz Notebook 9 pg 100

27A. 2010 Atlanta map of DeFoor Avenue area

27B. DeFoor Center Brochure with Kurtz Battle of Peachtree Creek and Stone House

27C. Kurtz 1958 Battle of Peachtree Creek Map showing Stone House

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28. Kurtz NB 9 pg 148.

29. NB 12-268

30. NB 27-80

31. NB 27 – 492

32. Dodge Ruger map

33 & 33A. Mason Ragsdale (Ancestry.com writeup)

PHOTOGRAPHS of Rock House

1. Rock House Feb 1962 - Front

2. Back and right side Feb 1962

3. Front – Sept 1964

4. Back 1973

5. Front Porch May 1958 and Inside Fireplace Jan 1957

6. 1710 DeFoor Rock House Floor Plan (2011 Hoke Kimball interview with Mrs. Annette Lanning who

lived in the old rock house in the 1950s.)

7. Possible altered 1st Floor window of original front wall 7_10_2014

8. Current inside original front wall 7_10_2014

9. Current original back wall exposed 7_10_2014

10. Right side of original hosue with fireplace wall exposed 7_10_2014

11. Left side of original stone wall encased - note 27” window sills 7_10_2014

12. Left side (DeFoor Center Entry) 2011

13 Front and side ( DeFoor Center) 2010

14. Mayor John F. Mims

15. 1866 Photo of building where Mayor Mims worked Georgia RR and Banking Agency

16. 1921 Platt of Harper property showing Rock House

17. 1923 Platt of Harper property showing further divisions of property

18. Kurtz map Battle of Peachtree Cree July 20, 1864 drawn by Kurtz in 1958

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QUESTION: Was the existing old rock house at 1710 DeFoor Avenue, currently encapsulated as

the main office of DeFoor Center, built before the Civil War and if so by whom?

Part 1: History of the property of District 17 Land Lot 187

1. In 1821, the State of Georgia, in preparation for the Georgia Land Lottery to dispense lands

acquired from the Creek Indians, divided the land into Districts that is now Fulton and DeKalb

Counties. Fulton County’s Upper West Side was and is made up of the 14th and 17

th Districts.

Land lots were sequentially numbered within each district of 202.5 acres each. DeKalb County

was created in 1822 out of Henry County. Fulton County was created December 20, 1853 out of

DeKalb County. See Appendix _Exhibit 1 _ 1942 Fulton County Land Lot Map attached.

Exhibit _2 map of Lot 187 and Exhibit 3_ map of Lot 193. The house currently at 1710 DeFoor

Avenue is listed as in District 17 Lot 187. Atlanta was incorporated December 29, 1847. (wiki)

2. A title search for the property of 1710 DeFoor Avenue has been completed at the Fulton County

Courthouse by Hoke Kimball using Grantee and Grantor books going back to 1853. The titles

for previous years are available at the DeKalb County Courthouse, but are only fully available

from 1842 until 1852. There was a fire in 1842 and all records back to 1822 were lost except a

few sporadic deeds that are collected in an un-indexed Volume H that shows some deeds going

back as far as 1826, 1828, 1836 and 1839. Mr. Kimball did not research if there is any deed for

17_187 for the one year from 1821 to 1822 in Henry County Courthouse. The deeds were

searched between 1842 and 1852 and one record for 17_187 was found for a transaction that

took place in 1847 which will be discussed.

3. Title Search Results for District 17_187 (copies of deeds Exhibits 4-25 in Appendix except where

indicated):

DATE OWNER BUYER ACRES BOOK/PG

Before 1842-1844 Unknown Owner

10/30/1847 James A. Collins John F. Mims 202.5 L-326

James Loyd

(1844-1847=3 YRS)

1/6/1858 John F. Mims Estate Samuel Walker 202.5 J-364

(1847-1858=11 YRS)

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DATE OWNER BUYER ACRES BOOK/PG

7/1/1863 Samuel Walker J.A Stewart &Wm. C. Moore firm 202.5 G-378

(1858-1863=5 YRS)

3/?/1864 J.A. Steward Wm. G. Peters Kurtz notebook 12- 268

1/19/1859 Benjamin Morris Mason Ragsdale 122.5 Dist. 17/Lot 193 D50

9/1/1863 Mason Ragsdale Leonard and Albert

Bellingrath 102.5 Dist 17/Lot 193 G587

12/10/1863 Richard Frietwell Mason Ragsdale 202.5 Dist 17/Lot 102

6/?/1867 Wm. G. Peters/W. C.Moore Firm Robert Todd & 202.5 J-367

(1864-1867=3 YRS) John C. McMillan

12/12/1868 John C. McMillan Robert Todd 101.25 L-414

Southern Half

12/12/1868 Robert Todd John C. McMillan 101.25 L-248

Northern Half

4/18/1878 John C. McMillan Wm. Smith 10 GG 483

(no copy made of deed)

5/5/1881 John C. McMillan Kate M. Bryan 90 (deed not there- misfiled) JJ or II-180

(1868 – 1881=13 YRS)

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DATE OWNER BUYER ACRES BOOK/PG

6/12/1885 Bryan/Crockett John T. Hall 96 MM 349

(1881-1882=1 YRS)

11/23/1887 John T. Hall John T. Hunter 90 (Nthrn. Half) F3/576

(1882-1887=5 YRS)

1/1/1890 John T. Hunter Wm.W. Boyd 90 O3/92

(1887-1890=3 YRS)

3/3/1903 Wm. W. Boyd/Am. Trust J.W. English 90 172/76

(1890-1903=13 YRS)

7/7/1914 J.W. English Lelah O. Harper 90 410/144-5

(1903-1914=11 YRS)

*(NOTE : This affidatvit mentions a 7 room Rock House by Lelah Harper and Husband . Mrs.

Harper sold off many of the lots of the 90 acres. The author suggests that remaining deeds below

reflect the final approx. 5 acres the old rock house remained on at the corner of Taylor and

DeFoor Avenue.)

8/6/1921 Lelah O. Harper Selina &J.W. Wilhoit - 616/223

(1914-1921=7 YRS)

5/13/1927 Selina Wilhoit W. Milton Ellenburg - 1040/78

(1921-1927=6 YRS)

3/30/1971 W.M. Ellenburg James Ellenburg - 5366/462

(1927-1971=44 YRS!)

4/21/1976 James Ellenburg Rev. Harry A. Mushegan - 6464/440&444

(1971-1976=5 YRS) (deed not copied)

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DATE OWNER BUYER ACRES BOOK/PG

4/27/1982 H.A. Mushegan Allison Realty - 8117/323

(1976-1982=6 YRS) (deed not copied)

3/4/1996 Allison Realty/South Trust Bank Wm. Kemp 20693/151

(1982-1996=14 YRS) (deed not copied)

9/27/1996 Wm. Kemp Kamran Deljou - 20626/47

(1996-1996=6 mos.)

3/28/2003 Kamran Deljou DeFoors LLC/Debby Eason - 34736/372

(1996-2003=7 YRS)

7/1/2014 Debby Eason/DeFoors LLC

(2003-2014=11 YRS)

4. Once the property was divided in half – between Todd and McMillan in 1868 - as can be seen on

the 17_187 large Fulton Co. map (See Appendix Exhibit 2) – it appears Chattahouchee Avenue –

just about evenly cuts the property into northern and southern halves. The Rock House ended up

in the northern half at the south western corner of the intersection of DeFoors Avenue and Taylor

Street.

5. All the deeds say “Appurtenances , et al” which Boyd Coons, Atlanta Preservation Center

Director indicated to Hoke Kimball meant some sort of structure was included.

6. It appears there was some anxiety about owning farmland in 1863, because of the South’s loss at

Gettysburg in July. Perhaps suspecting a fall in property values if the South lost the Civil War,

many land owners sold their land holdings. The 202.5 acre Land Lots surrounding and including

of District 17 for 187 (of the house and property in question) was sold by Samuel Walker July 1,

1863. Mason Ragsdale sold his 122 acres of Land Lot 193 caty corner to the northwest from

17_187 on 9/1/1863 to Mr. Bellingrath. Land Lot 192 (next to Land Lot 187) was also sold by

Mr. Bacon to Mr. Cox in 1863.

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Part II: Six Distinguished Owners of District 17 Lot 187 before 1865:

The first six owners of the 202.5 acres of the 17/187 property were distinguished early Atlantans

according to Franklin Garrett in Atlanta and Environs Univ. of GA Press 1954:

1 and 2) Merchants James A. Collins and James Loyd (owned from 1844-1847):

“James Loyd and James A. Collins arrived (in Marthasville) in 1844”… (page 206 Volume 1.) “James A.

Collins and James Loyd were brothers-in-law and came from Boltonville on Chattahoochee River and

opened a general store on what was to become Loyd Street, now Central Avenue in Atlanta, at the east

end of present day Wall Street.

James A. Collins was a native of North Carolina, born in 1807. Captain Loyd was born in North Carolina

in 1801. His wife Mildred was the sister of business partner James A. Collins. Both men died in 1862

and are buried in the Collins Family cemetery on old Marietta Road (Dixie Highway #41) just across the

Chattahoochee from the town of Bolton. For many years two of Atlanta’s most prominent streets bore

their names, Central Avenue being originally Loyd Street and Courtland Street, Collins Street.

The daughter of James Loyd, Emma, married the late Judge William A. Wilson, of near Adamsville. “

In 1845, James Loyd and James A. Collins were Commissioners of Marthasville. (page 213).

“The Washington Hall, built in late 1846 by James Loyd and kept by him, divided the hotel patronage

with its more imposing competitor, The Atlanta. Captain. Loyd’s hostelry faced the Georgia Railroad and

Loyd Street, later Central Avenue, being on land purchased by him in 1844. It was a large wooden

building of uncertain architecture since additions were frequently made for an ever growing patronage.”

Page 237.

3) Mayor John Floyd Mims (owned 17/187 from 1847-1858):

John F. Mims was the sixth mayor of Atlanta and an agent of the Georgia Railroad and Banking

Company. He was a superintendent of the Atlanta and West Point Rail Road chartered in 1847, the year

he moved to Atlanta. Wikipedia

The year 1847 was also the year John F. Mims purchased 202.5 acres of District 17 Lot 187 of the

DeFoors Ferry Road site.

John Floyd Mims was married to Mary Jane Farmer in Crawfordville Ga and moved to circa 1847 to

Atlanta. - Ancestry.com.

John F. Mims owned 8 slaves and was registered to vote, according to records listing him as “1 poll” in

1849 and as owning 5 slaves in 1850 according to Ancestry .com in the Death and Wills section for

Georgia’s Property Tax Digests.

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John F. Mims also purchased on 9/17/1849 from John R. Ihly, 202.5 acres of District 17 Lot 221 Deed

Book A-489) containing land where DeFoors Ferry Road and Chattahoochee used to intersect. This

property is caty corner on the northwest side of 17_193 which Benjamin Morris sold to Mason Ragsdale

in 1859. This purchase indicates Mr. Mims had sufficient money to invest in farm property as these 202

acres were purchased in addition to the 202 acres of property in District 17_lot 187.

Indeed, Atlanta “became a busy center for cotton distribution: in 1859, the Georgia Railroad alone sent

three thousand empty cars to the city to be loaded with cotton.”[14]:18 (

Davis, Robert Scott (February 25,

2011). Civil War Atlanta. The History Press.)

The author has been in touch with Mayor Mims great-great grandson Donald Mims by email.

Unfortunately Mr. Donald Mims says no one in his family is familiar with the 17/187 property or the old

stone house on in.

From Garrett page 265 –“J.F. Mims was made a member of the Board of Health along with James Loyd

and various others July 3, 1848 at City Council meeting.”

From Garrett page 346 – “On Jan 27, 1852, a charter was secured for the “Atlanta Bank” incorporators

being John F. Mims, L.P. Grant, James A. Collins, James Loyd…(among many others)….page 346.

Capital stock or the Atanta Bank was fixed at $300,000.”.

From Garrett page 353 – ““On January 27, 1853 John F. Mims defeated Dr. Gibbs second try to become

Atlanta’s mayor. (Atlanta was still DeKalb County until December 20, 1853. )

On February 16, Mayor Mims reported a proposal from Edward A. Vincent, a young engineer and native

of England, to get up a map of the city for the sume of $100, he, Vincent, to retain the copyright. The

Vincent Map of 1853 remains today the earliest extant map of the city.”

(A copy of the 1853 Atlanta Vincent Map is in the Appendix Exhibit 26. The original map is currently

located at the Atlanta History Center in June 2014.)

From Garrett page 360 - “Atlanta’s first building and loan association came into being in April 1853

when upon petition of John F. Mims,( and other prominent citizens of DeKalb County), a charter was

granted to the Atlanta Building and Loan Association by Edward Young Hill, Judge Superior Court.”

From Garrett page 383 - “The Georgia Western Rail Road Company was chartered by the Legislature on

Feb 18, 1854. Most of the incorporators were Atlantans: Lemuel P. Grant, Richard Peters, John F.

Mims,…”( among other prominent citizens)…

From Garrett pate 409 - “The Georgia Air Line Railroad was incorporated by an Act of the Georgia

Legislature, approved March 5, 1856 (Mims died later that year). All of the incorporators were citizens

of Atlanta. They were Lemuel P. Grant, Richard Peters, John F. Mims” …(among other prominent

citizens).

From Garrett page 419 – “John F. Mims, native Georgian, ex-mayor, banker and public spirited citizen

died at age 41, leaving a widow (Mary Jane) and several children. His home occupied the present site of

the old Constitution Building, southeast corner Forsyth and Alabama Streets. His monument at Oakland

Cemetery reads:

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In Memory of John F. Mims, born Nov. 10, 1815, died April 30, 1856. His energy , efficiency and

faithfulness under all trusts confided to him. Erected by the Atlanta & LA Grange Rail Road Co. as a

memorial.”

From History of Atlanta, Georgia by Wallace P. Reed, Mason Publishers 1889:

“One of the largest flour mills in the Southern States before the war was one erected where the Georgia

railroad depot is now (1889), by Richard Peters, L.P. Grant , W. G. Peters and John F. Mims. The capital

invested was $50,000. The building was a three-story frame, and was well built and well supplied with

good machinery. It was erected in 1848, and was run by Richard Peters until the breaking out of the

(Civil) War. When war broke out Mr. Peters sold the engines to the government who took them to

Augusta to use in the manufacture of powder for the Confederate Armies. The Flour Mill building was

then converted into a pistol factory and was thus used until the city was destroyed by order of General

Sherman. The five acres of land upon which the building stood cost Mr. Peters originally $600, and he

sold it for $20,000.” Reed – page 457.

4) Samuel Walker (owned 17/187 from 1858 till July 1863)

Samuel Walker was a member of “The …Inferior Court of Fulton County composed of Stephen Terry

and Julius A. Hayden, commissioned Dec 20, 1853; Samuel Walker, James Donehoo and Cicero H.

Strong, commissioned February 15, 1854 and Clark Howell on August 5, 1854 succeeding Stephen Terry

resigned.” Garrett pg 368. Samuel Walker served until Aug 2, 1856 Garrett Vol. 1 pg 405.

Samuel Walker was born in Georgia in 1791 and came to Fulton then DeKalb County, from Greene

County during the 1820’s. He acquired part of the land whereon Piedmont Park is now located. Here he

farmed and operated a mill on Clear Creek at about the point where a bridge over that stream and the

Southern Railway belt line connects Piedmont Park with Boulevard Park. The original Walker estate was

at the southwest corner of Piedmont Avenue and 15th Street. Later Mr. Walker moved his home to

Peachtree Road ridge, settling on that road at approximately the present northeast corner of 12th Street.

This home burned during the war, but after Walker’s death with occurred in Feb 1864. His son Benjamin

F. Walker sold his property to the predecessor to the Piedmont Driving Club in 1887. Garrett Vol 1 661-

662.

5 and 6) J.A. Steward and Wm. C. Moore (July 1863 – Mar 1864 when Steward sold to Wm. G.

Peters) and 7) Wm. G. Peters and Wm. G. Moore (July 1864 – June 1867)

Note: W.G. Peters was co-owner, along with Wm. C. Moore of the 17/187 property during the Battle of

Peachtree Creek in July of 1864.

Wm. G. Peters was the younger brother of Richard Peters early Atlanta notable and superintendent of the

Georgia Railroad. Garrett Vol. 1 page 225. Wm. G. Peters also was a co-owner of the largest flour mill in

the Southeast along with L.P. Grant, John F. Mims and Richard Peters his older brother. (Reed page 457)

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Richard Peters owned property that is today GA Tech, Georgian Terrace, Ponce de Leon Apartments, Fox

Theater, original Coca Cola bottling Co. in addition to private homes and flour mill was on Peachtree

Street (Garrett Vol 1. Page 255.)

Richard Peters sold the property for Atlanta’s first City Hall June 20,1853 and conveyed the deed to

Mayor Mims and City Council of 4 acres for $5000. This site is now the site of the Georgia Capitol

Buiding. Richard Peters had purchase the property from Samuel Mitchell of Pike county Feb 5, 1847 for

$225. ( Garrett Vol.1 355-56.)

The Garrett book does not mention if Wm. G. Moore was any kin to Thomas Moore of Moore’s Mill. It

does mention that Thomas Moore was married in 1848 to Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of Martin

DeFoor, a pioneer settler of the Standing Peachtree neighborhood. DeFoor operated the old Montgomery

Ferry across the Chattohoochee, the name of which was changed to DeFoors Ferry. Thomas Moore

moved to Bolton neighborhood two years after his marriage and purchased jointly with Henry F. Jeffries

202.5 acres of District 17 Lot 220 for $1500. This is the lot where DeFoors Ferry Road intersects with

Chattahoochee and eventually intersecting with Moore’s Mill Road. This land lot is just north west of

lot 17/187 so it is conceivable that Wm. C. Moore was a relative of Thomas Moore of Moore’s Mill.

(Garrett Vol 1 page 379.)

There is no record in the Garrett book of any contributions made to Atlanta made by business partner J.A.

Stewart.

Part III: Wilbur Kurtz Sr. Material on the Rock House at 1710 DeFoors Avenue.

In September of 2010, Michelle Davidson, Executive Director of the DeFoor Center at 1710 DeFoors

Avenue made available to Hoke Kimball several brochures on the subject of the history of the main office

of the several building of the complex.. A brief history of the old rock house is written as an intro to the

services of the DeFoor Center which hosts such activities as a café, meeting rooms, a location for

weddings and even a local Presbyterian Church service. The brochure reads:

“Neighborhood legend is that the original building, a farm house built in the 1800’s and labeled “The Old

Stone House”, served as a Civil War hospital. Parts of the early structure are still visible inside our lobby

today. The Crooked Road is the nickname the solders called the street which is now known as DeFoor

Avenue. After an extended search at the Atlanta History Center, we have located the “Old Stone House”

on a map dated 1841.”

Another brochure has a copy of the 1864 Battle of Peachtree Cree map as drawn in 1950 by Atlanta’s

Wilbur Kurtz, Sr. noted historian and who provided assistance to the set making for the film Gone With

the Wind. This map depicts the 1864 Battle of Peachtree Creek and labels the “old Stone House” on what

was then DeFoors Ferry Road. This brochure says that when the house was connected to the sanctuary of

the newly built Gospel Harvester Church in the 1970’s , that “civil war (balls) were found imbedded in

the 27 inch thick exterior front wall.

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Hoke Kimball went to the Atlanta History Center in late May 2014 after a call to reference archivist Josh

Hogan to investigate the notes and maps of Wilbur Kurtz and to try and find the 1841 map the DeFoor

Center brochure was referring to.

Mr. Josh Hogan was kind enough to meet Hoke Kimball and explained that the oldest map of Atlanta that

the History Center has is the original map Mayor Mims had draw up by Mr. Vincent in 1853. That map

does not go out the 4 or so miles outside what was then the central business district of Atlanta. See

Appendix for a copy of attached 1853 Vincent map.

Hoke Kimball was shown a copy of Wilbur Kurtz’s 1950 map of the Battle of Peachtree Creek which

denotes the Old Stone House on DeFoors Ferry Road by Josh Hogan on his visit in late May 2014.

Mr. Kimball further scanned the Wilbur Kurtz Collection notebooks looking for any information on the

old Rock House. Below are the typed transcripts of Mr. Kurtz’s notes:

Notebook 9 pages 100 (Exhibit 27) –this exhibit includes 1950 Kurtz map and shows Gen. French’s

fort directly in the center of Davis Circle – now off DeFoors Avenue and shows the large Stone House

possibly referred to by Gen French in his book Two Wars.

) Kurtz writes:

General Samuel G. French’s Diary of the Siege of Atlanta. From his book: “Two Wars – an

Autobiography of General Samuel G. French, born Gloucester County State of New Jersey November 22,

1818. An Officer in the Armies of the United States and the Confederate States. A Graduate from the

US. Military Academy West Point 1843. Nashville Tenn: Confederate Veteran, 1901.

From TWO WARS page 218 – 20th July, 1864: “This morning it was resolved to attack the three corps of

the enemy that were on the Peachtree Creek and separated from the corps that were near Decatur. Sear’s

Brigade being on duty on the river and creek. I moved with the brigades of Cockrell and Ector to the

right and formed (a) line of battle in front of the Ragsdale House. This position was the extreme left of

the army.”

Note by Hoke Kimball: If you look at the July 20, 1864 Battle of Peachtree Creek drawn by Wilbur Kurtz

(1950) on the DeFoors Center handout, you can see that indeed French’s men if they were in front of the

Ragsdale House were at the very extreme left of Stewart and Hardee’s Confederate Corps as they faced

the US Army at Peachtree Creek about 1 mile north of Ragsdale House. Collier Road, between

Peachtree Creek and DeFoor Avenue runs parallel to Peachtree Creek.. The Peachtree Creek battle

took place about 0.5 mile northeast of the Ragsdale House.

“The plan of battle was a good one. Hardee was to gain the enemy’s rear, seeing to the left, taking their

line in flank, while we attacked the line in front in echelon of brigades as the battle swept down the creek.

Walthall was on my right and I was to keep within about 300 yards of him. In advancing, I came to an

open field in front of the enemy. Their line was fortified, with two field batteries in position”….

Note by W. Kurtz : “Ragsdale House is meant here doubtless. This place was west of Howell Mill Road

and probably faced the DeFoor Ferry Road. See NB 9 page e148. End Quote from Kurtz.”

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Notebook 9 page 148 (Exhibit 28)

Ragsdale House on map drawn by Kurtz of DeFoors Ferry Road – refers to Dodge Ruger maps. Kurtz’s

note reads:

“I asked Sarah Huff (of old Huff House and Huff Road just south of DeFoors Avenue) about the so-called

Ragsdale house some years ago. I suggested that Mayor Ragsdale (Atlanta mayor late 1950’s early 60’s)

might know something about it; Miss Sarah was related in some way to Mayor Ragsdale. She reported to

me that Mayor Ragsdale knew nothing about it. (Note made here Feb 7 1955- Kurtz)”

Kurtz’s map (attached) shows Ragsdale House just south east of Gen. French’s Division.

Kurtz says – Old Stone House is suspected by me as being the Ragsdale House – but not sure. Mr. J.H.

Jameson shared with me an abstract of his lot – which was part of the let where the stone house stands. In

1867 Wm G. Peters and W.C. Moore deeded land lot 17/187 to Robert Todd. The place was known as

the Harper House – for in 1913 J.W. English deede the place to Mrs. Sarah O. Harper.

The Ragsdale House is marked as just behind the entrenched line on DeFoors Ferry Road on the Dodge

Ruger maps IV and VI. Link is shown on email attached. End Kurtz quote.

Notebook 12 page 268 – (Exhibit 29) Kurtz wrote (as also attached):

September 21, 1938. Attempted to discover if a man named Ragsdale was ever associated with the old

stone house at 57 DeFoor Ferry Road. (See Gen. French’s reference to the Ragsdale House- Notebook 9

page 100.) I found that no Ragsdale name occurs in the chain of title to this property. I made research at

Atlanta Title and Trust Co. Mrs. Lulu Adams making the search for me. Samuel Williams got Land Lot

187, District 17 on Jan. 6 1858 from John F. Mims who bought it in 1847. A man named Stewart got it in

1863 from Samuel Walker. Stewart sold it to William G. Peters in March, 1864 (just before the Battle of

Atlanta in July 1864 – HPK.) Wm. G. Peters and a man named Moore, deeded the L.L.. to Robert Todd in

1867. McMillan bought from Todd in 1868. McMillan sold to Hall (J.T.) who sold to Hunter. Boyd got

it in 1890. Am. Trust and Banking Co. in 1903 – then J.W. English got it and gave or sold ti to his niece

– Mrs. Lelah O. Harper in 1913. Maj. M. H. Screws owned this lot of the stone house in recent years

(time of Kurtz writing 1938). He sold it to J. S. Gilmer – the present owner of Montgomery County

Alabama.”

(Author Kimball could not validate through deeds that Mr. Screws or Mr. Gilmer owned the property,

though Mr. Screws is listed as lot owner in the 1920s Plat index. Author Kimball notes that J.W. English

sold the house and property to Lelah O. Harper in 1914. Mrs. Harper sold the property to The Wilhoits

in 1921 (see plat in Appendix.) The Wilhoits sold to W.M. Ellenburg in 1927. Mr. W.M. Ellenburg held

the property for 49 years, including the last five by his son James. The Reverend Harry A. Mushegan

bought the property in 1976 and converted the main house into a church. The house and property were

sold in 1982 to Allison Realty Co. until the house and property were bought in 1996 by Kamran Deljou

who converted the house into an art studio. Mr. Deljou sold the house and property to DeFoors Center

LLC and Debbie Eason in 2003, who retains current ownership.

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Kurtz continues: “Wm. G. Peters owned the stone house during the fighting around Atlanta, but he

probably did not build the house. Samuel Walker probably built it – since he owned the L.L. from Jan. 6,

1858 to sometime in 1863 when Stewart acquired ownership. Mims could have built it, however, since

he owned it from 1847 to Jan 6, 1858. (HPK found out that this is Mayor John F. Mims who died in

1856. His wife finally sold the property in 1858.) The walls of the house are about 28 inches thick and

many of the neighbors told me it undoubtedly had been built prior to the Civil War.”

Kurtz’s writes a note at bottom of NB 12 page 268:

“Note on the so-called Ragsdale House: While exploring the DeFoor Ferry Road environs I saw the big

two-story stone house at 57 DeFoor Ferry Rd. It occurred to me that perhaps because of its placement

and its permanence of construction, that it might be the house referred to by General Samuel G. French

when he cites the Ragsdale House. Its location seems to agree with French’s known position as of July

20, 1864. This house would be on the right of his divisions (on that date) [See DeFoor Center Battle of

Peachtree color map – HPK] in the outer defense line of Atlanta. The Dodge – Ruger maps IV & VI

show the Ragsdale House. A huge fort – entrenched – is still visible a short distance N.W. of the stone

house – clearly a position of French’s untrenched position. This note made here Feb. 7, 1955. – Kurtz”

Notebook 27 page 80 (Exhibit 30)

This is a note (copy attached) to Wilbur Kurtz from the director of the Atlanta History Center,

Ned Julian, at the time dated June 9, 1962:

“Wilbur:

This may interest you, at least in passing. The Ragsdale House puzzles me. There must have

been a reason for the name but you have really experted the ownership. A tenant whose name

was picked up by French? Like Howard? I appreciate the dope and we’ll talk about it later.”

Hoke Kimball has found through a Fulton County title search that there was indeed a man named

Ragsdale who owned property caty corner north west from Stone House property 17/187 at 17/192 - a

farmer named Mason M. Ragsdale. According to the website www.ragsdalefamily.org/elijah/index2.html

Mason Ragsdale was born c. 1805. Sometime before1847 he and his family moved to Cobb Co. where he

reportedly he served as Justice of Inferior Court. Mason lived in District 17 and served as the agent for

Thompson Reeve property returning 44 acres lot #591 in district 17 for him. Mason’s father died May1,

1858. Mason bought from Benjamin Morris on 19 Jan 1859 for $1000 in District 17 Lot #193 of 122.5

acres of property adjoining Burges. The 1860 census reveals his wife Mary and a son and 2 daughters

living at home. Mason Ragsdate sold his property at 17/193, in March of 1863 and bought the whole

202.5 acres fo property at District 17/Lot 102 for $6000 on December 10, 1863. The property 17/102 is

bounded by Peachtree Road on the west, Piedmont Road on the east and bisected by West Wesley road

now in the heart of Buckhead and just south of Peachtree Creek about 2.5 miles northwest of the Ragsdale

House. Mason Ragsdale owned 122 acres caty corner to the 202 acres of 17/187 for almost 5 years. Is it

plausible that Mason Ragsdale was the tenant who lived in the Stone House on DeFoors Ferry Road July

20, 1864?

16

Notebook 27 page 492 (Exhibit 31)

– Index items on Ragsdale House. Kurtz writes:

Ragsdale House Index (copy attached) –

1) cited by Gen. Samuel G. French in TWO WARS – page 218.

2) 2) See Notebook 9 page 100 and page 148.

3) See Notebook 12, 268 (MAP)

4) Dodge Ruger Maps - A Ragsdale house is shown on Dodge-Ruger maps IV and VI on the Defoor

Ferry Road, westward of Howell Mill Road. (See Appendix for copy of link to these maps

online.)

5) Special Attention is called to a note at the bottom of page 268 Note book 12.

Special note by Hoke Kimball for future reference:

FYI – Notebook 28 page 34.5 refers to Mt. Zion Baptist Church in DeFoors Ferry Rd./Howell Mill Area

Notebook 28 pages 28-29.5 (No Exhibit)

Battle of Peachtree Creek\ Maj. Gen. Wathall Report for July 20, 1864.

Wilbur Kurtz quotes Maj. Gen Wathall as writing:

“…the army was resting at what French calls the Ragsdale House on DeFoors Ferry Road.”

Dodge Ruger Map (Exhibit 32)

Map made in 1874 showing 1864 Atlanta Campaign. “Ragsdale House” is shown on the map as a black

square and is labeled and shown on DeFoor Ferry Road off Howell Mill. The link is:

http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~2244~160125:Military-Operations-of-

the-Atlanta-

?sort=pub_list_no_initialsort%2Cpub_date%2Cpub_list_no%2Cseries_no&qvq=w4s:/who/Ruger,+H.H./

Dodge,+J.T./what/Separate+Map/when/1874;sort:pub_list_no_initialsort%2Cpub_date%2Cpub_list_no%

2Cseries_no;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=1&trs=2

17

Part IV: CONCLUSION

As to the question of was the current main house at 1710 DeFoor Center built before the Civil War and

who built it - my answer is yes , I believe the house currently at 1710 DeFoors Avenue was most likely

built between 1842 and 1862 by one of the early wealthy Atlantan owners. The builder was either

merchants James A. Collins or his brother in law, James Loyd, Mayor John F. Mims or Commissioner

Samuel Walker. One of these men most likely built the house as a manor house for the overseer and his

family of a 200 acre corn and wheat plantation, according to the author’s search of the 1860 non-populous

census for Fulton Co. Georgia. The seven room rock house would have been an excellent abode for an

overseer and his family. The house was of substantial presence for the times – most farmers of the period

lived in log houses. Mayor John F. Mims owned 5 to 8 slaves between 1849 and 1850 according to the

Tax Records on Ancestry.com. WABE's Steve Goss revisited the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain with

Georgia State University Associate Professor of History, Dr. Clifford Kuhn. During the interview

Professor Kuhn said that most Georgia farmers of the time had no slaves and if so they numbered under 5.

For Mayor Mims to have owned 5-8 slave shows his prominence and wealth for the times (he owned over

400 acres of prime farmland) and it appears he could have afforded to build such a house. Wilbur Kurtz

also suggested that the house was built by either John F. Mims or Samuel Walker – thus 1847 to 1863 –

the time periods they owned the property 17_187. Two story square brick or stone houses were popular

with citizens of prominence and were a type somewhat frequently mentioned by Franklin Garret in

Atlanta and Environs during this time period.

As to the mention of the “Ragsdale House” by Maj. General Stewart during the Battle of Peachtree Creek,

Mr. Kurtz seemed to be stumped by how that name could have come about as the owner of the property.

During July of 1864 the owners of the 202.5 acres of the 17_187 property were Wm. G. Peters and Wm.

C. Moore. Perhaps Mr. Ragsdale was the overseer and tenant of the property and lived in the house. In

an overall title search for land ownership of District 17 during this time period, Hoke Kimball did locate

the name Ragsdale. Mason Ragsdale owned the 122.5 acres property in District 17/Lot 193 which is cater

corner to the northwest from the 202 acres of property 17/187 and only about 1 mile walking distance

away. Mr. Ragsdale sold his property, however in September of 1863 and bought 202 acres of 17/101

about 2.5 miles to the north east just south of Peachtree Creek. He was a landowner in the area, however,

as he had owned his original property 17/193 from 1859 to 1863, when it was sold to a Mr. Bellingrath,

(s still known by that name Belllingrath as late as 1942). So it is quite conceivable that General French

could have picked up the name of Ragsdale during the Battle of Peachtree Creek in July 1864 in

association with the old stone house currently at 1710 DeFoor Avenue.

On July 10, 2014, Hoke Kimball met with Michelle Davidson, Executive Director of the DeFoor Center.

Ms Davidson showed Mr. Kimball an access room off the main office where the original front wall can be

seen. It appears the section visible is possibly where the original first floor window was – see photo 7.

Ms. Davidson also pointed out she believes that the original walls of the house are still intact. This can be

seen by the 27 inch window sills – photo 11. The gable roof on the current building was added on after

the original roof line was altered. The bottom of the current hip roof under the gable roof line is possibly

where the original roof line. Ms. Davidson said the Mushegan family has said that musket balls were

found when Reverend Mushegan remodeled the old Rock House in the 1970’s to make it into a church.

18

APPENDIX EXHIBITS:

EXHIBIT 1. ATLANTA’S UPPER WEST SIDE - 1942 FULTON CO. LAND LOT MAP:

The State of Georgia in preparation for the 1821 Georgia Land Lottery, to dispense lands

acquired from the Indians, divided the land that is now Fulton and DeKalb Counties. Fulton was

created in 1853 (Dec 20, 1852) out of DeKalb County, and DeKalb out of Henry County.

Included in the Upper West Side are the 17th

and 14th

Districts. The land lots are numbered

sequentially within each district. Each land lot was 202.5 acres. Land lots are still used today

and have not changed since 1821. http://www.atlantasupperwestside.com/Site/LandLots.html

19

Exhibit 2: Fulton County Map of District 17 Land Lot 187. Note Rock House at “X” on DeFoor

Ave. Chattahoochee Rd. divides the 202 acres nearly in half with the house in Northern section.

20

EXHIBIT 3: FULTON CO. DISTRICT 17 LOT 193 – the Ragsdale property. The Rock House

property is 17/187 which is shown in the lower right hand corner between 17/192 and 17/186.

21

EXHIBIT 4: DEKALB CO. RECORDS VOLUME L PAGE 326 COLLINS/LOYD TO MIMS

OCTOBER 30, 1849

22

EXHIBIT 5: John Ihey to John F. Mims purchase of District 17 Lot 221 202 acres 9/17/1849

23

EXHIBIT 6: MARY JANE MIMS SALE OF 17 187 TO SAMUEL WALKER 1/6/1858

24

EXHIBIT 7: S. WALKER 17_187 SALE TO J.A.STEWART & W.C. MOORE 7/1/1863

25

EXHIBIT 8: BENJAMIN MORRIS SALE OF LOT 17/193 TO M. RAGSDALE 1/14/1859

26

EXHIBIT 9: M. RAGSDALE SALE OF 17/193 TO ALBERT BELLINGRATH 9/1/1863

27

EXHIBIT 10: W.G. PETERS & W.C. MOORE SALE OF 17/187 TO TODD & MCMILLAN

JUNE OF 1867

28

EXHIBIT 11: JOHN MCMILLAN SALE OF SOUTHERN HALF OF 17/187 TO ROBERT

TODD (ROUGHLY SOUTH OF CHATTAHOOCHEE ROAD) 12/12/1868

29

EXHIBIT 12: ROBERT TODD SALE TO JOHN MCMILLAN THE NORTHERN HALF OF

17/187 12/12/1868 (SECTION CONTAINING THE OLD ROCK HOUSE)

30

EXHIBIT13: THE BRYAN/MCMILLIAN DEED IS LISTED IN THE GRANTEE/GRANTOR

BOOK BUT THE ACTUAL DEED IS NOT IN JJ ORII 180. WHEN ASKED ABOUT IT IS

SAID TO BE MIS-FILED.

31

EXHIBIT 14: BRYAN TO J.T HALL 1882 SEE FULTON CO. DEED BOOK MM PAGE 349

32

EXHIBIT 15: HALL TO HUNTER1887 SEE FULTON CO DEED BOOK F3 PAGE 576

33

EXHIBIT 16: JOHN HUNTER TO WW BOYD 1890 DEED BOOK O3 PAGE 92

34

EXHIBIT 17: American Bank and Trust to James English 1903

35

EXHIBIT 18: James English to Lelah Harper – note deed says “seven room rock house”.

36

EXHIBIT 19: LELAH HARPER TO J.W.WILLHOIT 1921

37

EXHIBIT 20: WILLHOIT TO W. M. ELLENBURG 1927

38

EXHIBIT 21: WM ELLENBURG TO JAMES ELLENBURG 1971

39

EXHIBIT 22: WM KEMP AND JAMES ADAMS TO KAMRAN DELJOU 1996

DEED BOOK 20626/PAGE 47

40

EXHIBIT 23: KAMRAN DELJOU TO DEFOOR CENTER LLC – DEBRA EASON 2003

DEED BOOK 34736 PAGE 372

41

EXHIBIT 24: HARPER PLAT OF CURRENT 1710 DEFOOR AVENUE – 1923

42

EXHIBIT 24A: PLAT INDEX 1920’S – HARPER LOTS ON DEFOOR AVENUE

43

EXHIBIT 25: CURRENT 1710 DEFOOR AVENUE PROPERTY AT TAYLOR AND

DEFOOR AVENUE

44

EXHIBIT 26: 1853 VINCENT MAP. NOTE PEACHTREE AND DECATUR ROADS

45

EXHIBIT 27: KURTZ NOTEBOOK 9 PAGE 100 GENERAL FRENCH’S “TWO WARS”

ENTRY REFERENCING “RAGSDALE HOUSE”

46

EXHIBIT 27A: CURRENT MAP OF NORTHWEST ATLANTA. YELLOW LINE IS

PEACHTREE CREEK MERGING WITH CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER. YELLOW

HIGHLIGHT CENTER OF PAGE IS CURRENT 1710 DEFOOR AVE OR PROPOSED

“RAGSDALE HOUSE”.

47

Exhibit 27B: DeFoor Center Brochure with Kurtz Battle of Peachtree Creek Map with Stone

House in the white dotted line area.

48

Exhibit 27C: Kurtz 1958 map of Battle of Peachtree Creek indicating Stone House (believed by

Kurtz to be at what is 1710 DeFoors Avenue today.)

49

Exhibit 28: Kurtz Notebook 9 Page 148

50

EXHIBIT 29: KURTZ NOTEBOOK 12 PAGE 268

51

EXHIBIT 30: NOTE TO W. KURTZ FROM CO-WORKER ON RAGSDALE HOUSE

NOTEBOOK 27-PAGE 80

52

EXHIBIT 31: KURTZ NOTEBOOK 27 PAGE 492 – RAGSDALE HOUSE REFERENCES

FROM KURTZ INDEX

53

EXHIBIT 32: Dodge-Ruger Map IV – This map of the 1864 Battle of Atlanta drawn in 1874

shows the Battle of Peachtree Creek and shows the name RAGSDALE and a black dot for a

house. The house appears to be in the vicinity of the current house at 1710 DeFoors Avenue

according to Wilber G. Hurtz, noted Atlanta Artist and Historian.

This is the link:

http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~2244~160125:Military-

Operations-of-the-Atlanta-

?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:Dodge%

2BRuger%2Bmap%2BIV;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeri

es_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=0&trs=1

54

EXHIBIT 33: Ragsdale Family.com Ancestry writeup of Mason M. Ragsdale

55

EXHIBIT 33A: PART II OF MASON M. RAGSDALE HISTORY

56

PHOTOGRAPHS

PHOTO 1: 1710 DeFoor Avenue - Front - Feb. 1962

57

PHOTO 2 _1710 DeFoor Avenue Right Side and Back Feb 1962

58

PHOTO 3: Front of 1710 DeFoor Avenue Sept 1964

59

PHOTO 4: Probable Back side of 1710 DeFoor Avenue 1973

Note: If this is the back side, the one window of this side shown in the 1962 photos, has been replaced

with 2 windows and a smaller window where the single 1962 window was located. All the other

chimneys are also gone except the kitchen fireplace shown in the floor plan (Photos #6).

60

PHOTO 5: 1710 DeFoor Avenue Rock House Front Porch - May 1958 & Inside Fireplace (Jan 1957)

(Mrs. Annette Lanning family photos )

61

PHOTO 6: 1710 DeFoor Ave. Floor Plan as told to HPK by Mrs. Annette Lanning 2011

62

PHOTO 7: Possibly altered 1st Floor Window of original Front Wall 7/10/14

63

PHOTO 8: Current Inside view of 1710 DeFoor Rock House altered Front Wall

64

PHOTO 9: Original Back Wall of 1710 DeFoor Ave. Rock House Exposed -7/10/14

65

PHOTO 10: Current Far Right Side of Original 1710 DeFoor Ave. Rock House with Exposed Kitchen

Fireplace Wall 7/10/14. (See Floor Plan Photo 6).

66

PHOTO 11: Current Left side of Rock House 1710 DeFoor Avenue with original stone walls encased.

This would have been the Living Room wall in the 1957 Floor Plan (See Photo 6), perhaps with a

fireplace between the windows or to the far left not between the windows. There may have been a wall

separating the living room from a bedroom, with the fireplace where the front door currently is. Uncertain

at this time if door or windows placements are original. Note 27’ deep window sills. 7/10/14

67

PHOTO 12: 1710 DEFOOR CENTER ENTRANCE – (Left side of old Rock House) 7/10/2014

Note: The bottom of hip roof (just above the lettering) may be where the original roof cornice was. The

gable roof was added in the remodeling of the structure.

68

PHOTO 13: July 5, 2014 – The DeFoor Center – 1710 DeFoor Avenue

69

PHOTO 14: Mayor John Floyd Mims (Nov. 10,1815-April 30, 1856)

70

PHOTO 15: The Georgia Railroad Bank Agency is where Mayor John Floyd Mims worked. The picture

is looking north along Peachtree Street. (HPK believes the railroad in the front of the picture is possibly

the Georgia Rail Line. Across from the wagon pictured, the street would turn into Decatur Street.)

71

PHOTO 16: Lelah Harper platt from Feb 19, 1921. Note Old Rock House is shown on Lot #2.

72

PHOTO 17: Lelah Harper Property July 4, 1923. Note Rock House is on lot #2.

73

PHOTO 18: Yellow highlight says Prior to Sept 2, 1855, DeFoor Ferry Road was known as Montgomery

Ferry Road. DeFoor Rd is the curved road just above “STEWART’s” name. The Rock House at the “T”.

Also note Confederate Fort and Confederate Line running just below the black block attaching forces.