Local home passed down through five generations

Alexander Cain
The Union-Recorder

October 10, 2008 09:50 pm

— At first glance, the Williams-Orme-Crawford-Sallee House, 251 S. Liberty St., looks almost like any other home that stands within the Milledgeville historic district.
Inside this beautiful building, however, rests more than five generations worth of history, heritage and memories that span almost two centuries worth of history in Milledgeville.
“It was built in 1822. M y great-great-grandmother bought the house,” Maro Lomier said.
Passed from mother to daughter for five generations, most of the architectural details are still intact both inside and outside the home, according to Lomier.
The house’s history is significant in many ways — one of which relates to the passage of General Sherman through Milledgeville during his infamous march to the sea.
“Because a lot of the women in the area knew the owner was from the North, they felt that this would be a good place to be when Sherman came through. A lot of them were hidden in the back,” Lomier said.
The columns clearly visible in front of the home are 20 inches at the base and made of solid pine — one of the many reasons the home has stood virtually unchanged over the ages.
Today, the house sits in the real estate market waiting for a buyer through Macon-based company Sheridan, Solomon & Associates, LLC.
“We’re sorry to do it, but we don’t have children to pass it on to,” Lomier said.
Information provided by Lomier and others associated with the house notes the historical significance of the home, much of which was preserved when the process of moving from the site began a few years ago.
“It was extremely fortunate that, right at this time, local pieces from the mid-1800s were needed for the Old Governor’s Mansion restoration,” a flyer provided by the owners states. “With the help of [local resident] Ray Olivier, many appropriate pieces from this house were selected and moved to the Old Governor’s Mansion. The large settee that now graces the entrance hall of the Mansion had been in this front hall since well before the Civil War. It is where Union officers placed their weapons out of respect for the women of this house, when they occupied it for a week. Little did they know those women had a Confederate officer hidden in the attic the whole time.”
Information provided by Sheridan, Solomon & Associates provides an additional glimpse into this magnificent historical home.
“The house is a fine, nationally-recognized example of early Georgia Federal architecture, and is widely attributed to architect/builder Daniel Pratt. The interior of the house features most of the original detailing, including beautiful wide-board, heart-pine floors, overscaled mouldings and doors, handsome carved mantels, an elegant staircase, period windows and a classic, virtually unchanged, floor plan,” the information states.
The Williams-Orme-Crawford-Sallee House is a privately-owned house that is not openly available for tours.
Sheridan, Solomon & Associates may be contacted about the property by calling (478) 746-2000 Ext. 322.

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