Charlie Harrison’s trophy room holds letters, scorecards, photos, invitations and other memorabilia from his time playing at the Augusta National Golf Club, 140 miles away from his Atlanta home, and East Lake Golf Club just across the street.
The mementos join other unique pieces, including a nearly 150-year-old secretary that belonged to the home’s original owner, Confederate Col. Robert A. Alston, who hosted visitors including Jefferson Davis, President Grover Cleveland and Gens. John B. Gordon and John Hunt Morgan. Even a Confederate soldier is buried on the property, Harrison said.
The home, called Meadow Nook, was built by Alston in 1856 for his wife and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. The couple is prepared at all times for people with an interest in or connections to the home to stop by. Guests have included Alston descendants and celebrities such as Clint Eastwood and Sean Connery.
“It’s fun to sit around and realize the history of the home,” Sylvia said. “The house has brought us a lot of new friends and a lot of new experiences.”
About 10 years ago, they moved a log cabin from Dothan, Ala. — Sylvia’s hometown — to their property. When Harrison, who played in the Masters in the 1960s and 1970s, sits on the porch of the cabin, he looks across the street to another famed golf course: East Lake Golf Club.
“It’s the exact same view you would have had in 1856,” Sylvia said. “That’s pretty special.”
Snapshot
Residents: Charlie and Sylvia Harrison
Location: Atlanta
Size: About 3,300 square feet, four bedrooms, three baths
Year built: 1856
Year bought: 1994
Builder: Andrew Marshall
Architect: Gunby
Contractors: Peak Carpentry Deign (bedroom addition)
Architectural style: Greek Revival with Southern Georgia influences
Favorite architectural elements: Curved stairway, with the banisters inprinted with rifle butts from Union soldiers, in the hallway and the front porch.
Renovations: Added bedroom and bathroom, a window and bathtub from former businessman, golfer and Atlanta civic leader Charlie Yates' house.
Interior design style: Traditional
Favorite interior design elements: Heart pine floors, moldings, and artifacts, letters, photos and other mementos of the past on the walls and on bookshelves.
Favorite room: Gentlemen's parlor
Favorite piece of furniture: Minton-Spidell wing chair with Lee Jofa plaids
Favorite artwork: The living room and dining room have oil paintings circa 1850 by F.A. Wurm-Charles, while the kitchen and enclosed porch feature folk art by R.A. Miller, Doug Odom, Howard Finster and Jimmy Lee Sudduth. Other collections include Masters and Elvis memorabilia.
About the Author
