Q: I know that from the late 1920s to late 1960s, the governor’s mansion was located in Ansley Park. Do you know where exactly (what street) the mansion was located in the neighborhood?
—Kristy Duckworth, Atlanta
A: That's right. The Governor's Mansion hasn't always been that three-floor, 30-room Greek revival at 391 West Paces Ferry Road. Of course, Atlanta hasn't always been the state capital, but that's another story for another day. Two years after the capital was moved from Milledgeville to Atlanta in 1868, the state bought a Victorian house at the corner of Peachtree and Cain streets, where 17 governors lived until it was demolished in 1923, according to the Governor's Mansion website. The state then purchased the foreboding granite estate of Ansley Park developer Edwin Ansley, which was on three hilly acres at 205 The Prado. Even though 11 governors lived in the house before it was demolished in 1968, none of them vetoed the use of the home because it wasn't considered large enough for many state functions. Ansley Park remains a desirable upscale neighborhood.
Q: Would you please give a definitive pronunciation of the county seat of Henry County? Having lived in Atlanta off and on for 40 years, I had always heard it pronounced "Mac-DON-uh." Suddenly, over the past three to four years, "Mc-DUN-uh" has become creeping into the media and general lexicon. How do the natives pronounce it?
—Cathy Vogel, Decatur
A: Actual Factual Georgia contacted the perfect source in McDonough native and mayor Billy Copeland, who admitted he's "older than water" and has traced his Henry County roots to 1825, just two years after McDonough was created and named for Thomas MacDonough, a War of 1812 hero. "It's always been 'Mac-DON-uh,' " Copeland says emphatically. "That's how I've always said it and will always say it. Those folks who say 'Mc-DUN-uh' are from afar." Copeland can understand how the new pronunciation has crept into society. He said there are about 22,000 people living in "Mac-DON-uh" these days. "It's not a little town anymore," he says. McDonough doesn't need to have an inferiority complex when it comes to issues with its pronunciation. Georgians are prideful and protective about how the names of their counties and towns are pronounced, whether proper or not. It's a long list that includes Cairo (KAY-ro), Taliaferro (Tolliver), LaFayette (Luh-FAY-ette), Martinez (Martin-EZZ), Louisville (Lewis-ville) and Albany (AL-benny).
What do you want to know?
If you’re new in town or just have questions about this special place we call home, ask us! E-mail Andy Johnston at q&a@ajc.com.
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