The McConnell-Chadwick Homestead, which is along Arnold Mill Road, traces its history back some 180 years. On this land -- which sits along what's now Arnold Mill Road, near the Little River and Cherokee County line -- Brigadier General Eli McConnell built one of the first homes in what was then Cherokee County.

The historic one-story, Greek revival cottage home features a brick chimney and clapboard siding, along with a nearby wellhouse. Originally owned by the McConnells, it was later passed down through Arnold, Chamblee, and Chadwick families.

The Georgia Trust for Historic Presentation included the McConnell-Chadwick House as one of its ten “Places in Peril” for 2023 – signifying its historic importance as well as its deteriorating condition. The non-profit Milton Historical Society has been active in efforts to preserve the property, including an interior and exterior cleanup.

In 2023, Larry Chadwick offered to donate the house and accompanying land to the City. The City Council voted a year later to make that donation official.

“He could have done many other things,” an appreciative Mayor Peyton Jamison said, noting Chadwick would have profited by selling to a developer. “Instead, he wants to preserve Milton’s history. And … we do as well.”

This donation was followed in subsequent months by quick, but important steps to prevent water intrusion within the structure. Long-term, the City plans to partner with the Milton Historical Society in seeking grants to offset expenses – potentially tackling the project “in pieces.”

Who was Eli McConnell?

This historic home's first occupant was Eli McConnell -- at the time one of the most prominent citizens in this part of North Georgia. In addition to owning this home (one of the first in what was then Cherokee County), his notable distinctions included:

• Brigadier General in the Georgia State militia
• Husband of Savilla Garrison
• State Senator who proposed the creation of Milton County to the Georgia legislature
• The man authorized, by then Georgia Gov. George Troup, to sell Cherokee Indian property seized after the 1832 land lottery
• Builder and owner of the area's first merchant flour mill
• Buried in Hickory Flat Cemetery following his death in 1861, at the age of 59