One of our community’s most historic buildings is one step closer to officially being among our entire country’s most historic.

The State of Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs this spring deemed the City-owned McConnell-Chadwick House eligible to be on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to bolstering legitimacy and civic pride, being on this National Register paves the way for otherwise unavailable grant and other funding. Such financial support could go towards renovating the property off what’s now Arnold Mill Road while retaining its unique, historic characteristics.

The McConnell-Chadwick House was built near Little River on property acquired in 1837 by Eli McConnell – a Brigadier General in the state militia, State Senator who advocated for the creation of Milton County, governor’s designee to oversee the sale of departed Cherokee Indians’ personal property, and founder of the area’s first flour mill. Beyond those notable roots, the 186 year-old, one-story cottage stands out as a vivid example of Greek Revival architecture. (You can learn more about the McConnell-Chadwick House at https://www.miltonga.gov/residents/history/historic-sites/mcconnell-chadwick-house.)

That architectural significance was pivotal for this structure clearing the State hurdle to be eligible for the National Register. The non-profit Milton Historical Society – specifically a sub-committee consisting of Joan Borzilleri, Bill Lusk, Pat Miller, and architectural historian Bob Gamble – spearheaded the successful effort to secure the Department of Community Affairs’ decision to open the door for national recognition. 

The Milton Historical Society can now apply to be part of the National Register of Historic Places, which the National Park Service (the federal entity overseeing this program) calls the “official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation.” If that application succeeds, this structure would be the lone Milton property on the Register – joining the Rucker Log House in Alpharetta as well as Barrington Hall, Bulloch Hall, and the Archibald Smith House in Roswell, in our immediate vicinity. 

Many grants require that a property be on the National Register or, at least, be deemed eligible for it. So this progress could open the door for projects like foundation repair, window replacement, porch repair, and generally repurposing the house for a more public use. While saying community input will be sought before decisions are made, Historical Society members have suggested the historic home could become a Milton welcome center, an interpretive center for Cherokee and early pioneer culture, a creative arts space, or offices. 

In 2024, Larry Chadwick donated the property to the City. Since then, work has been done to prevent water intrusion and deterioration from the elements. These measures helped to maintain the structure’s current condition so that more can be done in the future. 

“A community benefits from the preservation of historic places – to educate citizens about life in past generations and engender pride in place,” said Borzilleri. “Saving historic structures is important both now and for the future.”