2004 Tour Homes

409 North Peachtree Street – The Remaley House
161 North Peachtree Street – The Phillips House
75 Williams Street – The Colonel Jones House
282 Thrasher Street – The Lietch House
126 North Peachtree Street – The Gus McDaniel House

409 North Peachtree Street – The Remaley House

When Dr. and Mrs. R. David Remaley planned their new home, their goal was to design a house that would seamlessly blend in with the late 19th/early 20th century landscape that distinguishes Historic Norcross as a charming and picturesque town. The results exceeded their expectations, for this house has fooled a few contractors who thought it had been restored to original 19th century charm. Even a historic preservation expert believed that the house’s exterior had architectural aspects dating back to the turn of the 20th century because of the first floor windows, twin gables, and porch—all of which sport craftsman bungalow features.

For seventy-five years, Curtis Nesbit owned the lot on which the house was built before he sold it to his son-in-law. The Nesbits were one of the oldest families in Norcross. Curtis’ father was Frank Nesbit, who came to Norcross in the late 19th century to work for his grandfather, Milton Lively and uncle, S.T. McElroy.

Jane and David Remaley had long been admirers of Historic Norcross, and one day in 1999 Jane was driving down North Peachtree Street when she noticed the lot for sale. Without hesitation, the Remaleys decided to sell their home in nearby Peachtree Corners, buy the lot, and build a vintage-style home on the old Nesbit land. Jane and David designed the home with the help of a Savannah architect. The architect worked from their ideas and also from a snapshot taken of a historic home in Eufaula, Alabama that had captured the essence of the Remaley’s vision for the house. Their collaboration resulted in a house that looks and feels like a historic home complete with ten-foot ceilings in each first floor room, two-over-two windows, an antique mantel over the kitchen hearth, claw foot tub in the master bath, square newel posts accenting the stair rail, and vintage lighting fixtures in the kitchen.

Every inch of this house has been meticulously decorated with antiques and heirlooms from the owners’ families. As you walk through, note the cross-stitching pieces that grace the walls of the kitchen and bedrooms—all crafted by Jane’s mother. The blue plates adorning the kitchen walls are all from Sweden and Norway. Also of special interest is David’s impressive collection of presidential and military memorabilia that is displayed in his study. As a continuing tribute to Jane’s heritage, for the holiday season, the Remaleys have decorated their kitchen with a Scandinavian Christmas theme, complete with ornaments, candles, candelabras, and linens that were all imported. These special touches make the kitchen especially warm and inviting. As you walk through the house, don’t miss the view from the back porch, which overlooks the lovely garden created by Jane, who is also a landscape designer. Step inside and you will see for yourself that this delightful home has the look and feel of an authentic turn-of-thecentury classic.

161 North Peachtree Street – The Phillips House

One of the historic gems along North Peachtree Street is the Phillips House. It is named for longtime Norcross resident Cammie Lee Phillips and her husband, former mayor, councilman, and attorney Dorsey Phillips, who owned the house for over 60 years. Some residents still remember Dorsey Phillips walking to his office in town each day, accompanied by his dog Peanuts. He was elected mayor in 1927 and served during the early years of the Great Depression until 1932. After his death in the 1950s, Cammie Lee continued living in the house for many years. It is she who is mostly remembered as a friendly and kind neighbor who for several decades enjoyed the view from her front porch swing, taking in the sights and sounds of passersby on North Peachtree Street.

Since purchasing the house in 1998, current owners Stacy Williams and Terry Wilcox have worked hard to lovingly restore this New South Cottage to its original beauty and charm. Some of the risks associated with owning and restoring an older home are the unexpected discoveries one makes as the restoration process unfolds. However, Stacy and Terry have had several pleasant surprises since they became the house’s owners. They restored the fireplace in the front parlor and uncovered a second in the dining room. Fortunately, they found the original dining room mantel in the basement and returned it to its rightful place. Another unexpected but welcome surprise was the discovery of the original tongue-and-groove ceilings in the front guestroom and dining room. These long-forgotten ceilings were safely hidden away under a more modern ceiling, waiting patiently to be rediscovered by the owners’ contractor who found them while working on the rooms. Together, they carefully uncovered the ceilings and found them to be so well preserved that they were able to keep intact the original paint on them, adding even more charm to the house’s historic appeal.

As you enter through the front door, you will feel as if you have stepped back in time. The twentyseven foot long central hallway is truly magnificent, accented with an eleven-foot ceiling, period style wallpaper, and intricate transoms decorated with leaded and stained glass, all evoking a Victorian elegance of yesteryear. The heart-of-pine floors found throughout the first floor have been carefully restored; all of the woodwork now reflects its original character, and all ceilings have been raised to their original eleven-foot height.

As you tour through this home, you’ll appreciate the owners’ tasteful blending of old and new furnishings that truly complement the interior. Antiques in the dining room and a vintage 1930s grand piano in the parlor fit in so naturally, as does the more contemporary decor of the rear family room. The devotion and care taken by the current owners in restoring this historic home is evident throughout, making it a delight to explore.

75 Williams Street – The Colonel Jones House

This grand house is truly one of Historic Norcross’ lesser-known treasures. Sitting atop the highest hill in the town and overlooking the new, vintage-styled homes of the Colonel Jones Park neighborhood, this house is currently owned by Sara and Pierre Levy. It was originally the retirement home of Colonel Clifford Jones, Sr., a decorated World War I veteran and a longtime resident of Norcross.

The Jones family has a long and celebrated history in Norcross. When family patriarch Thomas Hardaway Jones relocated from North Carolina to Gwinnett County in 1827, he was moving into what was considered the frontier of our young country. During the Civil War, seven of his ten sons served in the Confederate army, and one of his adolescent sons, Hilliard Clark, was killed at his home by Federal troops. He and several other members of the Jones family are buried in the Norcross Cemetery. Thomas’ youngersons grew up during the post-war Reconstruction era. One of them, Homer Virgil, married Mollie James in February 1879, and nine months later the eldest of their three sons, Clifford, was born. Homer Jones moved his family to Norcross in 1881. As his sons came of age, they each attended military schools and went on to forge distinguished careers in the United States’ armed forces. When Clifford Jones retired after his highly successful military career (having graduated from West Point, served in World War I, and received the Distinguished Service Medal), he returned to Norcross and built his retirement house in a design reminiscent of the simple yet elegant Federalist style.

The beauty of this house lies in its simple design and understated architectural elements such as a spacious butler’s pantry with its original cabinets, bead board accent in the kitchen, original slate and marble floors in three bathrooms, the bookcase inside the arch between the living and dining rooms, and a built-in china cabinet in the dining room. French doors that swing out from both the living room and the master bedroom beckon to a patio that overlooks a meticulously landscaped garden. Several years after building the house, Colonel Jones, who was ailing, added a master bedroom and bath onto the rear of the house’s first floor. Between the original house and the addition, he built a small hallway complete with bookshelves and an opening looking into the dining room. The Levys have since transformed this space into a small sitting area, perfect for curling up with a good book. The Levys have added other updates to this house as well. Since Sara is a food stylist and writer, they enlarged the kitchen and overhauled it in gourmet style. In addition, they gave the master bedroom a facelift by elevating the ceiling and upgraded the master bath with a very sophisticated touch. In order to add some height to the downstairs hallway, they also replaced the entryways to the living room and kitchen with arches.

As you tour this house, you will enjoy the lovely pieces of art and antiques that accent the rooms. Antiques lovers will especially delight in seeing the kitchen table, whose top came from a ship built circa 1620, an inverted bow-fronted bookcase in the upstairs office that once belonged to Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie, and two American pieces in the living room—a 17th century card table and 18th century drop-leaf table. Lastly, the Duncan Phyfe dining room furniture, which came from Sara’s family, is perfectly at home in this Federalist style house.

With the careful placement of antiques complementing the graceful interior of this home and the recent updates, the Levys have returned the Colonel Jones House to its original elegance and grandeur and are proud to showcase it as one of Historic Norcross’ finest homesteads.

282 Thrasher Street – The Lietch House

This wonderful example of a New South Cottage sits neatly tucked on the corner of Thrasher and Autry Streets, overlooking part of the old Southern Railway. The deed records on this particular property cannot be traced earlier than 1917, when Mrs. Homer V. Jones sold it to W.J. Dodd. In 1922, Dodd sold to Dr. Archibald Lietch who, with his wife and young family, desired to live closer to downtown Norcross, so they moved to this house from one located approximately one mile away. Dr. Lietch owned this house until 1947, when he and his wife retired to a farm located near present-day Jimmy Carter Boulevard. The last long-term resident of the house was Miss Maud Hall, who lived here from the mid-1950s until 1992.

When current owner Mark Price bought the house in 1992, it had been re-configured into a multi-family dwelling, complete with a tiny apartment in the back left rear of the house. Mark’s intent was to return the house to a single-family residence. Over the next several years, he devoted much time and attention to remodeling, updating, and renovating this Norcross treasure to allow more contemporary comforts while recovering the character and charm of the vintage home. Part of the intrigue in owning an older home is discovering artifacts left behind by previous owners, and Mark often wondered why he found pharmacy bottles each time he worked in his garden. While researching the house’s history, he learned that Dr. Lietch was a pharmacist who, for approximately forty years, had owned and operated Norcross Drug Company (current site of LaBaire Pottery). Thanks to him, Mark has amassed a collection of vintage pharmacy bottles, and he adds another almost every time he digs in his back yard!

One of the first improvements Mark undertook was to install central heating and air systems, as the house’s 12-foot high first floor ceilings and large windows provided the only cooling during sultry Georgia summers, and in winters each room was heated individually by its own gas stove. His next project was to remove the screening from the front exterior, which both brightened up the house’s façade and recaptured the original look of the house by once again exposing its large and inviting front porch. Throughout the next few years, Mark continued improving the interior of the house, including an elegant upgrade in the kitchen where the original fireplace adds a warm and inviting touch. He recently completed a grand master suite renovation, complete with a spa-style bathroom where the old apartment had once been.

Of particular historic interest in this house are the four fireplaces and heart-of-pine floors, the windowpanes in the living and dining rooms with their distinctive wavy lines, the star molding atop each door and window on the first floor, and the old telephone box embedded into a wall in the back hallway—all of which are original to the house. Also take time to notice the mantels in the dining room and master bedroom, both of which Mark rescued from demolition when a nearby historic house was torn down to make room for the Rock Tenn parking lot. The remodeled upstairs, which opened up hidden space in the house’s original dormers, is surprisingly quite large and adds a comfortable and architecturally intriguing space perfectly suited for overnight guests.

You will be amazed at the way late 20th and early 21st century improvements have been seamlessly woven into the character of this vintage house. The current owner’s careful mixing of the old and the new has allowed him to update this old house while thoughtfully maintaining its historic integrity and appeal.

126 North Peachtree Street – The Gus McDaniel House

When you travel on North Peachtree Street, it is virtually impossible not to stop and admire this charming old Victorian Cottage that was originally the home of the McDaniels, one of Historic Norcross’ oldest families. The McDaniels acquired this land in 1888, originally part of a pecan farm that included about twenty acres on North Peachtree. Even today, many families living along North Peachtree enjoy the stately fruit-bearing pecan trees. Gus McDaniel, for whom the house is named, was president of the Norcross Bank and a deacon in the First Baptist Church of Norcross for many years. This house remained in his family until 1961.

It is hard to believe that at some point after that this house was split into three apartments. In 1980 the late Robert Slack, then owner of the Great Gatsby antiques auction house, purchased the home and converted it back to a single-family dwelling. On the exterior, he added the gazebos to the porch and back deck, the Queen Anne style ornamental trim on the porch and gables, and the beautiful brick garden wall with interesting inset Egyptian friezes. In keeping with the Victorian style of the house, Mr. Slack also made improvements to the interior, such as the addition of decorative oak entryways, oak doors, and bead board in the hallways of both the first and second floors.

When Carolee and Bruce Smith began to think of starting their family, their love of old houses led them to Historic Norcross. The McDaniel house had been vacant for almost four years when the Smiths discovered it, but the potential they saw in the house, coupled with the charm of the city and the appeal of small town living, sold them, and they moved here in 1996 from Inman Park in downtown Atlanta. Since then, they have continued adding improvements and updates that have suited both the house and their growing family. Their totally renovated kitchen (only the original floor remains) is now a wonderful gathering place for family and friends, and provides an inviting view onto the dramatic Romanesque-style swimming pool and patio in the back yard. The Smiths uncovered the walled-up fireplaces in the dining room and guest room, and removed the original coal boxes (and lots of black coal dust!) in order to make the fireplaces functional again. When they discovered that the back-to-back fireplaces in the library and dining room would be too small to meet safety codes, the Smiths joined the two, adding an interesting and elegant focus to both rooms. You’ll notice many other changes, such as the addition of the oak shelving in the library, the antique mantels found for the dining room and library fireplaces, and the updates to all of the bathrooms, including a recent total renovation of the downstairs guest bath where an antique claw foot tub has been added.

After many years, a family once again calls this gracious house their home—something the Smiths believe would make the McDaniel family happy and proud. As you visit this wonderful house, note the high ceilings throughout the first floor, the library’s pocket doors, the original mantel in the parlor, the dramatic staircase leading to the second floor, original wood detailing, and restored, original heart-of-pine floors. These are just some of the historic highlights of this home that you will not want to miss.