McLemore Cove Preservation Society

There is a gradual change in the natural environment from the south end of the Cove to the north. Roland, Harp, and Shankle are three major ridge lines within the district. Roland and Harp define Back Valley at the foot of Lookout Mountain and Shankle defines Hogjowl Valley at the southeastern end of the Cove, near Dougherty Gap. Because of the three ridge lines, the southern end is a clearly defined "cove" that widens to an ever-broadening valley to flatter topography at the northern district boundary north of Pond Springs. Roads through the district are parallel to the ridge lines and basically follow former trade routes. West Cove Road and a section of State Highway 193 parallel the western side of the district while State Highway 341 and Hog Jowl Road parallel the eastern side. Lookout Mountain Scenic Highway (Ga. Hwy 136) runs along the northern portion of the historic district. Topographically and visually bounded, the Cove contains a pronounced concentration of historic resources. The Cove is named after a prominent Cherokee/Scottish family who settled in the area during the 1820s. The 1832 Land Lottery opened the area to white settlement. The Cove also played an active role during the Civil War in the events leading up to the Battle at Chickamauga. The area developed a few small linear and crossroads communities with further growth occurring when the Chattanooga Southern Railroad was established in 1887. Industry also developed at Estelle during the early 20th-century with the mining of iron ore.

The district contains excellent examples of late 19th-century and early 20th-century farmsteads with a wide range of architectural types of farm houses, agricultural outbuildings, and fields. Large farmland tracts are found throughout the Cove area while the north central section of the district is defined by several hills and smaller farm tracts historically settled by a small population of AfricanAmericans. Overall the area contains a high degree of historic integrity and remains fairly intact except for a few areas of recent development. The district contains a c. 1840s log school, historic churches, cemeteries, community stores, water towers, landscape features, iron ore mining tipples, concrete stringer bridges, a railroad tunnel, and various historic archaeological sites. Still relatively agricultural in nature, the district contains outstanding rural vistas and is one of the most intact rural landscapes remaining in the state.

Natural Environment Pigeon Mountain/The Pocket Part of the Cumberland Plateau, Pigeon Mountain was named for the passenger pigeon, which in the 1800's roosted in this area by the thousands. The western side of the mountain forms the eastern boundary of the historic district. The mountain contains rare and exceptional natural resources as well as potential for historical and archeological resources. Caves and unusual sandstone rock formations are also found in this area. During the early 20th-century, approximately 30 families lived on the mountain. However, during the 1930s, the water table dropped and all the wells went dry forcing the families to abandon their homes. In 1969, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources began leasing the area in an effort to study and protect the natural environment. Now owned by the State of Georgia, the area includes more than 13,000 acres and is managed as the Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area, a portion of which is included in this historic district. The mountain also contains an area known as "The Pocket." Located in the northwest section of the mountain, this area contains several rareplant species. This "pocket" is a small patch of mesic hardwood forest in which grow at least eleven significant species found nowhere else in Georgia. Examples of some of these uncommon plants include bent trillium, nodding spurge, lance-leaf trillium, wild hyacinth, celandine poppy, Ohio buckeye, log fern, Virginia bluebells, hairy mock-orange, and blue ash. The Pocket is considered one of the most remarkable botanical areas in northwest Georgia.

Lookout Mountain Lookout Mountain is the southernmost extension of the Cumberland Plateau and extends for approximately 100 miles through the states of Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. A portion of the eastern side of Lookout Mountain forms the western boundary of the historic district. The mountain is known as one of the world's richest cave regions. Landscape Characteristics The district is still very rural in nature with a variety of active farms. Because of the hilly topography, field patterns are also irregularly-shaped and tend to follow streamlines or the hillside terrain. Large open areas used for pasture land and fields of corn are prominent agricultural features (photographs 1, 2). Because of the limestone soil, red cedars grow profusely throughout the Cove, particularly along West Cove Road, hence the name of one community, Cedar Grove. Limestone quarries were once located throughout the region and use of limestone is a predominant landscape feature for foundations, chimneys, and walls. Simple concrete stringer bridges are also found at several creek crossings.

Domestic outbuildings are usually arranged in clusters to the rear of a farmhouse, whereas barns and corneribs are located at some distance from the house. A dirt road usually leads to the house from the main road. Most dwellings are located close to the roads. Field patterns are dependant on elevation. Dirt or gravel drives connect farmhouses and clusters of farm buildings to the main roads. Many houses are built on higher elevations affording views of the surrounding countryside. Where the terrain is relatively level, it was cultivated. Steep slope areas have been and continue to remain woodlands. There were a few uses of agricultural fences. Into the early 20th-century, cattle were allowed to range on the surrounding mountains. Stream beds, shrub lines, and fences delineate field patterns. Today, wire-and-post, wooden pole, and plank fences enclose pasture and cropland. Adding to the picturesque quality of the district are the weather-beaten barns, fence rows, and tracts of pasture land, cultural features often seen in the landscape.

The "landscape of work" is among Georgia's earliest and most basic forms of historic residential landscaping. It is evident in most of the historic farms in this district, with the smokehouse, granary, and kitchen garden in close proximity to the main house. This landscaping brought a sense of order, neatness, and efficiency to the working environment of the farm.

The majority of buildings in the Cove are residential or farm-related. Farm buildings make up the largest number of structures, with most examples dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Historically, farms averaged between 300 - 400 acres. Farms are dispersed throughout the Cove with denser development at crossroad settlements. Farmsteads tend to be located close to the major roads with wider dispersement along back roads. Agricultural fields are located closer to the farm complex with pasture areas located further back and partially up the side of mountains, known as "cow grazing lines". The layout of the farm complex is also varied. Because of the mild climate, farm layout was more for convenience and not out of necessity. Farm outbuildings are grouped and in proximity to the main farmhouse, but with no clear pattern of layout.

Agricultural Buildings Like most of the southeast region, crib barns are the common barn type found in McLemore Cove. These barns generally date from the 1880s through the 1930s. Composed of one, two, four, or six (transverse) cribs, the barns are often subdivided by aisles. Built for functional use, the barns are utilitarian in design with post-and-beam interior supports and stone foundations. Construction materials include log, pole, and sawn lumber. The large crib barns feature large gable, gambrel, or broken pitch gable roofs, lattice vents to ventilate the hay loft, and often a hay bonnet to protect the loft opening. These barns were mainly used for storing equipment, stalls for larger animals, and a hayloft (photographs 7, 9, 30, 43, 54, 56, 64, 67, 94, 96). Smaller ancillary buildings include smokehouses, chicken coops, granaries, corncribs, milk-houses, and apiaries (photographs 28, 29, 32, 59, 68, 74). Some farm complexes have commissaries (photograph 5). Often simple pens for sheltering smaller farm animals were open sheds. Because of the insubstantial construction of these sheds, not many have survived. Although to***co was not a major crop in the Cove, there is an example of a large to***co barn in the district. Historic structures remaining on some farms include well-houses and silos.

Farm Complexes The Cove contains excellent examples of intact farm complexes. The James W. Coulter Farm is located in the central section of the district located at the crossroads of W. Cove Road and Highway 193. The two-story, frame house was constructed in the 1850s. Originally built as a dogtrot, the opening was enclosed during the early 20th century. The Coulter Farm is one of Georgia's Centennial Farms and has been actively farmed since 1874. The farm complex contains several historic buildings randomly grouped behind and to the rear of the main house. These buildings range from a store used before the Civil War to a c. 1915 milk-house and several barns. A historic roadway used during the Civil War is also located on the property.

Building Types Historic houses in the district are located primarily along the major roads. Most of the houses are wood-framed with wood finishes and detailing and range in date from the 1850s to the 1940s. Many of the buildings are constructed with limestone foundations. Stone retaining walls are also common landscape features (photograph 20). The majority are vernacular farmhouses with little stylistic detailing and prominent porches.

The Martin Davis House constructed in the 1850s (also known as the Widow Davis House) is located at Davis Crossroads at the crossroads of Ga. Hwy 341 and Ga. Hwy 193. Originally a dogtrot, the center section was enclosed c. 1902. A stone addition was added in 1884. A log smoke house remains at the rear of house. The front yard of the house is formally landscaped with boxwood hedges as foundation plantings. Cedar trees are also symmetrically placed. During the Civil War, the Martin-Davis House served as headquarters for U.S. General James Negley (September 1863) before the Battle of Chickamauga.

Schools The one-room, log, c. 1840s Coulter School (named after Jefferson Coulter) is one of the oldest remaining buildings in the district. Later called the Oak Hill School, the building is located along West Cove Road, south of Cedar Grove, and features hand-hewn logs with 1/2 dovetail notching (photograph 6). The Pleasant Grove School is a historic African-American school located in the northwest section of the district. Constructed c. 1931, the frame, two-room building exhibits gable brackets and vents, exposed rafters, a metal gable roof, a brick chimney, and a gabled front entrance (photograph 47). The building is now used as a kitchen for the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. The current church building dates from c. 1955. Communities The community types represented within the Cove are "crossroad," "linear," and "railroad" communities. The housing settlement patterns in most of these areas are denser than those of the surrounding rural areas. Almost all of the communities had at one time post offices, stores, churches, depots, and schools, although many of these historic resources are gone. What remains is mostly residential settlement. Cedar Grove The community of Cedar Grove is a crossroads community located at the intersection of West Cove, Capt. Wood, and Crow Gap Roads in the southwest section of the district. During the 19th-century, settlement was encouraged in this area because of several paths which converged here from Pigeon Mountain and Lookout Mountain. Besides historic residential buildings, Cedar Grove retains its historic churches, stores, and a historic marker. A brick springhouse remains near the intersection of West Cove Road and Crow Gap Road. The community also contains two non-historic buildings, the former Cedar Grove School constructed in 1951, and a new fire station.

The 1923 Cedar Grove Church features a simple gable front with a central steeple. The 1929 Antioch Baptist features a temple front with square columns. Historic cemeteries remain for both churches and date from the mid-19th century. Stacked stone graves are found at both cemeteries. During the Civil War, an encampment of Union troops was at the former Cedar Grove Methodist Church next to the Cedar Grove Cemetery. Two early 20thcentury commercial buildings remain. The Cedar Grove Grocery and the Shankle Store are both located near the crossroads. Both buildings are simple, one-story, clapboard, gable front stores.

In 1936, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) erected a stone monument to John McLemore who served in the Battle of 1812 (photograph 21). The Cove was named after John and his brother Robert, who were sons of a Scottish trader and a Cherokee mother. Kensington Kensington is an example of a railroad type community. During the 1890s, Kensington developed as a boom town with the completion of the Chattanooga Southern Railroad (later called the Tennessee-AlabamaGeorgia Railroad) and went from Chattanooga, TN to Gadsden, AL. The town was developed by the Kensington Land Company, a group of investors who came from Kensington, PA. To encourage development, the town was laid out using a grid pattern. Sixty-foot wide streets were planned, a five-story hotel was built and the town soon boosted a depot, stores, a post office, a cotton mill, an electric plant and 40 houses. A fire in 1892 destroyed the mill and electric plant and the 1893 Depression put an end to further development. Unfortunately, very little remains today of Kensington. The former Kensington Hotel (Miller Brothers Farm) is already listed on the National Register (1987). The Davis-McAdoo-Whitlow House is one of the few remaining residential buildings in Kensington (photograph 50). A metal building used by the cotton mill now serves as a barn. A portion of the railroad tracks remains, now owned by Norfolk Southern Railroad. Two nonhistoric industries are located in Kensington, the Reichhold Chemical Company and the former E.T. Barwick Carpet Mills; both were constructed in the area during the 1960s. A nonhistoric fire station is located in the former commercial section of Kensington.

Hiniard's (or Hinnard's) Crossroads/Bailey's Crossroads/Coulter's Crossroads/Cassandra The intersection of West Cove Road and Ga Hwy 193, was called Hiniard's Crossroads during the 1840s-1850s, named after William Hiniard who was the first postmaster. During the Civil War, the area was called Bailey's Crossroads. Union soldiers were reported to have camped in this area. After 1874, the area was called Coulter's Crossroads. The James W. Coulter farm is currently located at this intersection. A pre-Civil War store and an old roadbed remains on the Coulter property. Several historic houses also remain in the area, including the former Payne's Chapel Methodist church parsonage (photographs 26-34) . During the late 19th-century, the name of the crossroads was changed yet again. Payne's Chapel was originally located near the crossroads. The chapel's pastor, Dr. Amos Thornburg, suggested the name be changed to "Cassandra" after the ship which brought him to America from England. In 1890, the few businesses that had developed, plus the town name, moved one mile north to take advantage of the newly completed Chattanooga Southern Railroad. However, Cassandra never developed extensively and today only a few residential buildings remain from this time period.

Cooper Heights Cooper Heights is a crossroads community in the northwest section of the district. Located at the crossroads of West Cove Road and Lookout Mountain Scenic Highway (Ga. Hwy 136), Cooper Heights also grew when the railroad came through in 1890. Examples of early 20th-century bungalow type houses and a double-pen storage building remain in Cooper Heights (photographs 44-46). Two nonhistoric convenience stores are located at the crossroads.

Pond Springs The linear type community of Pond Springs is located in the northeast section of the district along Ga. Hwy 341. Old Bethel Church Road intersects just north of the community. The area contains good examples of vernacular mid-19th century to early 20th-century buildings. The c. 1850 Henderson House (photograph 62) and the Owings House are located along Old Bethel Road as well as the Owings and Bailey family cemeteries. Horseshoe Cave is also located near Pond Springs. A non-historic convenience store is along the main road.

At the intersection of Ga Hwy 341 and Kensington Road just south of the community is the Cove Methodist Church. Constructed in 1896, the Cove Church is an excellent example of the Folk Victorian style of architecture. The one-story, wood framed building features a gable front entrance, decorative brackets, stained glass, press metal steeple, and a beaded board interior. Large oak and cedar trees are located on the property. Behind the church is the historic cemetery (photograph 60). Across the street from the church is Arcadia Farm, a large dairy farm with a gambrel roof barn, silos, several outbuildings, and pastureland.

Davis Crossroads/Shaw/Estelle The crossroad area called Davis Crossroads or Shaw is located at the intersection of Ga. Hwy 341 and Ga. Hwy 193. The former community of Estelle is located approximately one mile east on Ga. Hwy 193. The c. 1850s Martin Davis House (Widow Davis House) is located at the crossroads. The area is significant for the role it played during the Civil War with the skirmish at Davis Crossroads in September of 1863. The smokehouse behind the house retains several bullet holes. The house was used for headquarters by U.S. General James Negley. The crossroad area was never extensively developed but rather occurred down the road in the community of Estelle. Today, Davis Crossroads contains a few historic residential buildings and a refurbished historic building now home to the Pigeon Mountain Grill.

Estelle During the late 19th-century, the Shaw family owned much of the surrounding land in the area. The town of Estelle is named after Estelle Shaw. A post office was established in 1883, with Avery H. Shaw serving as the first postmaster. The community of Estelle grew during the late 19th-century due to its location along the railroad line. A major iron ore mining industry also developed at this time and was active until 1924. The Chattanooga Iron and Coal Corporation began operation c. 1897. Mining tipples, a six mile railroad, a crusher, scale house, and wash houses were all part of this mining operation. During this time period a commissary, 175 houses, businesses and two schools were located here.

During the 1920s, the mining operation became unprofitable since the ore became more difficult to dig. The mining operation closed in 1924. The population declined and the commercial and residential buildings either burned or were sold for wood. The Estelle Cemetery and the Chattanooga Southern Railroad bed remain as remanents of the community (photographs 77, 78). The iron ore mining property is now part of the Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area and contains various ruins including concrete tipples from the mining operation (photographs 79-88). Further east of Estelle is a historic structure, the Chattanooga Southern Railroad tunnel at Dug Gap. The 1890s tunnel is approximately 2000' in length.

Cemeteries The historic district contains several historic church, community, and family cemeteries. Common landscaping features found in most of the cemeteries are large hardwood and cedar trees, some decorative iron fencing, limestone walls, and a few elaborate but mostly simple headstones. One of the more unusual aspects to the cemeteries in the Cove is the use of stacked limestone graves. Coulter and Cedar Grove Cemeteries contains examples of stacked stone graves (photographs 15, 36). Nothing is known about these unusual stacked stone graves except the fact that limestone was readily available in the area. Several small family cemeteries such as Porter, Bailey, Harding, and Anderson are found throughout the district. The western side of Garmany Cemetery is the historic African-American cemetery located along Ga. Hwy 136. Landscaping features include mature oak and cedar trees and simple stone markers.

Archaeological Resources - Prehistoric A 1986 reconnaissance level survey of an area in Back Valley between Lookout Mountain and Harp and Roland Ridges found a diversity of site types and time periods. The report concluded: "that this area was extensively utilized throughout the Archaic and Woodland periods. Archaic use was probably based in habitation camps and they probably maintained those locations for relatively long periods of time. Woodland use probably involved revisiting certain locations for specialized activities. Both occupations would have had brief hunting camps... Since raw material is so plentiful... expedient tool manufacture and use may be common... All aspects of tool manufacturing were evident on sites surveyed. There are extensive chert deposits which were used by the aboriginal population!" (Cedar Grove Alternative).

The Cedar Grove Alternative study recorded sixty-eight prehistoric sites in the Back Valley area. About two-thirds of the sites require additional work to determine National Register eligibility and three sites were described as."the kinds of sites...which could offer much more information with little additional work." Contributing/Noncontributing Properties Overall the area retains a sufficient level of integrity to qualify as a single historic rural district. The generally unobstructed vistas of the historic landscape of the Cove and mountain regions is the key factor that ties the district together and creates a unified cultural landscape. Also contributing to the "sense of district" are the relationships between natural terrain and historic settlement patterns and the relationships among the various historic communities and farmsteads. Historic buildings such as farms houses, farm outbuildings, commercial buildings, churches, schools; structures such as bridges, water towers; sites such as mining ruins, and objects, such as the John McLemore marker are all considered contributing resources to the historic district. Due to the enormity of the district, not all of the smaller contributing outbuildings such as corn cribs, smokehouses, and sheds were marked on the district map.

Non-historic properties in the district are either buildings that are not yet 50 years old or historic buildings that have lost their integrity due to non-historic alterations or additions. Examples of non-historic buildings include metal Butler buildings used for agricultural purposes, the former E. T. Barwick Carpet Mills, the Reichhold Chemical Company, various mobile homes, and brick ranch type houses constructed from the 1960s to the present. Non-historic concrete bridges are noncontributing structures. Noncontributing resources are marked with an "X" on the district map.