On the edge of the bumper-to-bumper traffic that crowds Ga. Hwy. 84 through Grayson sits a modest, white-frame house that was part of the Gwinnett County town long before cars were popular. Built in 1890, the cottage with the front porch, wooden floors and high ceilings is now the repository for the town’s past, packed with photographs, furniture, clothes and relics of the years before Grayson became a suburban community.
The extensive collection is more than just historical artifacts to the folks who maintain the Grayson Arts and History Center. They also have deep roots to the community and can regale visitors with stories that bring the past alive. City historian Steven Starling can even introduce some of the faces in faded photographs as his relatives.
“I was blessed to know most of the people in these pictures,” said Starling. “I grew up going to their homes; they were extended family to me. I was the third generation of our family born in Grayson, and my family had a farm on the edge of town. It was so much fun growing up here. ”
In 2000, a great aunt and uncle left Starling their Grayson home, and he moved back to the area to go through it. The process got him excited about establishing a place to house the town’s historic materials.
“We really didn’t have anywhere to display our history,” he said. “And the people who move here are very interested in it.”
An empty old house, built by one of the town’s founders and at one time a blacksmith’s house and a post office, was the perfect fit for a museum. In 2002, the structure was refurbished, with the original floors and ceilings getting a face lift. The front rooms quickly filled up with artifacts donated by area residents. On the seven acres behind the house is the city hall, a park, a gazebo and a garden, as well as several historic structures, including old blacksmith buildings and a barbershop.
“We were able to get an old lantern and pew from the Methodist church and pictures from the town’s old general store,” said Barbara Hinkle, the center’s director who moved to Grayson in 1978. “We even had room to add a ‘Christmas room’ in the back.”
For 40 years, Hinkle, who is married to Grayson Mayor Jim Hinkle, owned a Christmas shop in Buckhead; for eight years, she chaired the ornament committee for the Festival of Trees. Her passion for the seasonal decorations spill into several nooks and crannies that draw shoppers from around the metro area.
The center is also home to a busy arts agenda that includes classes, old-fashioned teas and craft shows. On Sept. 29, the house and grounds will host an old-fashioned fair featuring artisans with handmade pillows, bird houses, crocheted items, jewelry, windows and more. A bake sale of homemade treats from the community’s “From Trip to Grayson” cookbook will be sold. The third edition of the book has several recipes from Starling’s great-grandmother.
“I grew up with these yeast rolls,” he said. “All of the recipes - the cooked tomatoes and the lavender and rosemary pound cake - are tried and true.”
Information about the Sept. 29 fair is online at www.cityofgrayson.org; 678-985-7775.
Your community
Each Saturday, we shine a spotlight on a local neighborhood, city or community. To suggest a place for us to visit, e-mail H.M. Cauley at hm_cauley@yahoo.com or call 404-514-6162.
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