For those of us who love to travel, sometimes it’s good to have a reminder to find and visit those hidden gems, right in our own backyards. There is one such gem in suburban Atlanta called Hyde Farm, or now, technically, Hyde Farm Park.
Nestled on the banks of the Chattahoochee river sits a slice of preserved 1800’s rural, agrarian life. It is fascinating to step into the shoes of those from a bygone era, often glorified, but actually a very satisfying, tough existence. As fulfilling as it might be to be self-sufficient, it was tough work that called for a lot of grit and ingenuity.
The farm is comprised of several outbuildings including a corn crib, barn, chicken coop, and of course an outhouse.
The gem is the built by hand farmhouse. This view is from the back but to the front and right is the original house built with no nails. The stone stacked fireplaces built using river stones and clay is beautiful and functional. The original house was one big room with the fireplace in the center and an upstairs loft where the original family lived with 12 children! The next addition added a second big room and another fireplace, top left.
Originally the kitchen was a separate building by the main house. That makes sense because if there was a fire, you did not want everything to go up in smoke. A later addition moved the kitchen to the back of the house and much later in time, a bathroom and electricity was added.
The hand dug well goes down about 40 feet and still delivers cold, fresh water. The farm is known for its sweet potatoes and corn, but you will also see this surprise, muscadine grapes bursting on vines that are over 100 years old!
With lush fields, streams, and woods to explore; it’s well worth an afternoon spent daydreaming about a bygone time steeped in history starting with the Cherokee Indians that were driven off of this land that was subsequently owned by two legendary Marietta, Georgia families, the Powers family and the Hyde family.
Here are some bonus pictures from the farm. I hope this inspires you to get out and explore. You might be surprised what you find in your own backyard!
For more on Hyde Farm Park, check out:
https://www.cobbcounty.org/parks/events/hyde-farm-tour
https://www.ajc.com/news/local/protecting-cobb-county-hyde-farm/CN4m4tgccd6d40iB44hrbJ/
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