COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Crews are preparing to move a historic house from a busy corner in Cobb County to rural property in Ball Ground, a distance of about 30 miles.
The McAfee House, located at Barrett Parkway and Bells Ferry Road, was built in the 1840s on a plantation of several hundred acres. It also served as a headquarters for Union soldiers during the Civil War and became a field hospital.
Lee and Brittani Lusk bought the house for $1. But there was a twist: the new owner would have to pay to move the house and clean up the property.
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About 40 applicants submitted bids for the home, with the Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society organizing a review committee to select a winner.
Lusk told Channel 2’s Bryan Mims he’s restored more than 40 old structures, most of which are homes, and has experience relocating buildings. That made him stand out among the applicants.
“I’ve always been drawn and attracted to the nostalgia of the old homes,” Lusk said. “To me, they have more character than more typical modern homes built today.”
Cobb Landmarks executive director Trevor Beemon said his organization had been working to protect the McAfee House for years.
“A lot of times, you want to try to save the structure in its original location and setting,” he said.
But a retail development is planned for the property, and the house needs a new home.
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The home will be dismantled into six sections and hauled to Ball Ground on a trailer and escorted by police.
Lusk will reassemble the house next to his own home. He plans to make it a residence for now, but said it could become a museum someday.
“It’s not just a home, it’s a story behind every home,” he said.
Crews are expected to begin moving the home in sections by next week.
“It’s just really gratifying,” Beemon said. “And especially to see it in the hands of people who are so passionate and excited about the opportunity of giving it a new life.”
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