Chief Vann House at Chatsworth
Ceremonies are set Thursday at the Chief Vann House to mark the return of 85 acres to the property.
The Chief Vann House at Chatsworth, Ga., is one of the largest Cherokee plantations of the 1800s.
It is located at the intersection of Highways 225 and 52A.
The event will be at 3 p.m.
It is sponsored by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Trust for Public Land and the Friends of the Chief Vann House.
Rick Wood of the Chattanooga office of TPL was instrumental in securing the 85 acres that were formerly part of the plantation. He will be one of the speakers.
Called the "Showplace of the Cherokee Nation," this two-story classic mansion is one of the best-preserved Cherokee plantation homes. Built by James Vann in 1804, it was the first brick home within the Cherokee Nation. The mansion is decorated with beautiful hand carvings and features a remarkable "floating" staircase along with many fine antiques.
"Feared by many and loved by few," Vann was both a hero and a rogue, and he was responsible for bringing the Moravian missionaries into the Cherokee Nation to build schools. Yet, he killed his brother-in-law in a duel, fired a pistol at dinner guests through the floor of an upstairs bedroom, and once even shot at his own mother. Vann himself was shot and killed at a local tavern in 1809.
His son, Joseph, inherited the home and went on to become a Cherokee statesman. The Georgia Militia evicted "Rich Joe" Vann in 1835 for having unknowingly violated a new law making it illegal for Indians to hire whites. Joseph then settled in the Cherokee Territory in Oklahoma and lived there until his death from a steamboat explosion in 1844.
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday 2-5:30 p.m. Last tour begins 45 minutes before closing (gates locked). Closed Monday (except holidays), Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Closed Tuesday when open Monday.
Admission: $2.50-$4.
Group rates available with advance notice.
Picnic area and bus parking available.
Facilities:
Guided House Tour
Visitor Center and Film
Gift Shop
1/2-Mile Nature Trail
6 Picnic Tables
Bus Parking