Georgia’s Old Capital Heritage Center at The Depot, Inc. (GOCHC) opened the doors to the 1825 Brown-Stetson-Sanford House Dec. 9 to allow community members to take a peek at what Chrimas once looked like in the historic home.
In 1825, George Anderson Brown, a local planter and doctor of Milledgeville, engaged master English builder John Marlor to build an inn. Marlor designed the inn in his signature Milledgeville Federal Style. Originally, the inn was built on North Wilkinson Street, where the Baldwin County Courthouse stands today. The inn was originally called the “The Beecher and Brown Tavern” because Brown ran the inn with his son-in-law Samuel Beecher. The inn offered accommodations for out-of-town legislators, particularly those of the Whig Party. After Brown’s death in 1837, his son, John, continued the partnership and reopened the inn as the “States’ Rights Hotel” which would become the headquarters of the Whig Party until the late 1840s.
In 1857, the inn was bought by Daniel B. Stetson as a family residence. During his time in the home, Stetson’s wife gave birth to three children: Elizabeth, William Spivey and James Daniel. After her father’s death, Elizabeth would marry Daniel Benjamin Sanford, a former Confederate officer and local attorney, and would remain in the house while her husband joined James in their father’s mercantile business. Thus, the home is referred to as the Brown-Stetson-Sanford House.
The home was transformed into a museum in 2012 that reflects life in Milledgeville from 1857-1890. In addition to the museum, the house hosts many educational tours and may be used as a venue for weddings, civic and social club meetings, and more. According to GOCHC Executive Director Amy Wright, the home was pivotal in the local preservation movement and the creation of the Downtown Historic District.
“In 1966, when the house was about to be demolished, it was saved by the Old Capitol Historical Society. The decision launched a movement for the community to find other locations to preserve,” said Wright.
Decorated with wreaths, candlelight, mannequins dressed in winter clothes, Christmas trees, and more, the home was exultant. Three volunteers with the center were dressed in historic clothes and offered tours to visitors answering questions and retelling the history of the home. One volunteer sang downstairs to the tunes played by the Baldwin High School sax ensemble on the front porch.
“We’ve created a very cheery atmosphere but one that also takes you back into history through sights and sounds,” said Jessica Whitehead, GOCHC board chair.
Amongst the rooms of the home were Christmas scenes in storybook boxes. Some featured Santa, the tale of The Christmas Carol, a Thanksgiving dinner, and more from the The Miniature World of Cathrine Rowe exhibit. In addition, Rowe’s dollhouse was open and on display for visitors in the upstairs hallway. Many took the opportunity to shine flashlights inside and observe the tiny details inside.
“The dollhouse is a wonderful sight,” Wanda Millians, GOCHC board member and chairperson of the Brown-Stetson- Sanford House committee, told a few visitors as she offered them a peek inside during her tour as a woman of the house. “The tiny details to each room, the history inside. Who wouldn’t be piqued by the mystery?”
The event was free to attend and served as an open door to donate to GOCHC and its current projects. Any donations collected at the event will be used toward the Depot Project, which will turn the Central State Hospital Depot into a Heritage Center, for the repair of the Brown-Stetson-Sanford House, and future events hosted by the organization. To donate to the organization, visit thedepotga. org. “The home is full of history and importance,” said Millians. “It’s important for us to remember where we came from and put that history to memory.”