Travelers Rest (Toccoa, Georgia)


Travelers Rest State Historic Site is a state-run historic site near Toccoa, Georgia. Its centerpiece is Traveler's Rest, an early tavern and inn. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on January 29, 1964, for its architecture as a well-preserved 19th-century tavern, and for its role in the early settlement by white men of northeastern Georgia.

Description and history

Travelers Rest is about 6 miles east of Toccoa, Georgia, near the Tugaloo River, on Riverdale Road just north of United States Route 123. It was built upon Cherokee land close to the former Cherokee town of Tugaloo granted to Major Jesse Walton in 1785. Walton, a Revolutionary War soldier and political leader, was killed by Indians near here in 1789. The Walton family sold the land to James Rutherford Wyly who built the main part of the house between 1816 and 1825. Wyly opened the house as an inn for travelers on the newly constructed Unicoi Turnpike. Devereaux Jarrett bought the house on August 21, 1838 and it became the headquarters of his plantation. Jarrett added to the original structure and opened it to the public. Due to the growing population and increased through traffic, the structure served as an inn, trading post, and post office. While the ten room house was open to the public it entertained many illustrious travelers. The Jarrett account books that doubled as hotel registers contain the name of the English scientist and author, George William Featherstonhaugh.
The main building is a large and rambling two story wood frame structure, more than long. It is built out of wide pine planking and has six chimneys. One of the fireplaces has a mantle with drawers for storage of valuables. The front porch has seven rooms on each level with separate entrances, and an inside staircase providing access to the second floor. The rear of the house is where the innkeeper's family lived, with public rooms in between. The post office was located on the second floor. The property includes, in addition to the main building, recreations of typical outbuildings of the 19th century, including slave quarters. It remained in the hands of Jarrett's descendants until 1955, when it was acquired by the state. Today, visitors can tour the house and see many original artifacts and furnishings, some of which were crafted by Caleb Shaw, a renowned cabinetmaker from Massachusetts.