Eatonton

Eatonton, Georgia was founded as the seat of Putnam County in 1808. The original wooden County Courthouse was replaced in 1906 by the current Neo-Classical Revival building, which sits grandly in the center of the courthouse square in downtown Eatonton.

Putnam County, named for Revolutionary War hero, Israel Putnam of Massachusetts, lies in the heart of Georgia's Piedmont region and was part of the lands ceded by the Creek Indians in 1802 and 1805.

In the 1820's and 1830's, Eatonton was a prosperous center for education, culture and banking. Prosperity was based upon the surrounding farms and plantations, which primarily grew cotton along with other crops and livestock.

A railroad connection to the Central Georgia line was established in 1853, and in the following decade many imposing residences and other buildings were erected. General Sherman's march to the sea destroyed many industrial structures, but fortunately spared residences.

After the devastation of the "war between the states", prosperity returned to Eatonton in the 1880's with a second rail link to the Atlanta- Augusta line. It was at this time that Mr. B.W. Hunt introduced Jersey cows and began the local dairy industry that continues to the present day. Mr. Hunt's residence, Panola Hall, is a short walk from the Ezell House.

The Ezell House

In the latter quarter of the 19th century, Evan B. Ezell was a prominent local banker and plantation owner. In 1887, he completed an impressive Queen Anne Victorian residence on Madison Avenue. There is some evidence (and dispute) that a structure existed on the site before the Ezell Victorian house.

The house stayed in the Ezell family until 1939, when it was sold to Normus Tatum. The Tatum family kept the house until 1992, when it underwent considerable repair and restoration by the Ashursts. Alice Ashurst was influenced by the Painted Lady Victorian revival colors, and used many shades of pink paint on top of the Tatum "white". The house was often referred to as "The Pink Lady".

In 1997, the present owners, Shelagh Fagan and Keith Rowell, acquired the house, but initially made limited changes to the house, as both had busy working lives based in Atlanta.

On New Year's Eve 2001, a fire broke out in a downstairs bathroom and burnt some of the rear portion of the house, while the rest of the house suffered smoke and water damage. Fortunately the unique woodwork in the foyer was not affected; one stained glass window and one original heart pine floor did require replacement. The fire repair took 20 months to complete.

The owners took the opportunity to change the exterior paint color to a more historically accurate green and gold, put on a wooden shake roof, install central heat and air, add a bathroom to the "green bedroom" and relocate the other upstairs bathroom to be more easily accessible.  All of the elaborate Bradbury & Bradbury wallpaper downstairs was reinstated with some modifications.

An appealing feature of the house is that most of the original structure is intact. The woodwork and carving in the foyer, plus the stained glass windows are especially attractive.  One interesting change around 1900 was to the original beveled sides of the house, which were "squared off" on the north side.

Attached to the main house is the original well house/kitchen. This charming small building has been refurbished as a rental property.