Atlanta Betterment Fund schedules open house for Atlanta’s newest tourist attraction

 

[June 29, 2018] 

The public is invited to an Open House at the J.P. Hieronymus Carriage House, one of Atlanta’s last remaining, wooden carriages houses, now restored and turned into a tourist attraction. The event will take place on Sunday, July 15, 2018 from 2:00pm-4:00pm on the grounds of J.H. Hawes Grain Elevator Museum in downtown Atlanta, Illinois.

In the early days of the 20th century, most homes in Atlanta included a structure that housed the family’s carriage and the trusted horse that pulled it. As the automobile gradually took the place of horses and buggies, many wooden carriage houses were replaced with more modern garages. In 2015, the Atlanta Betterment Fund group, recognizing the community was close to losing a piece of its transportation history, put a plan in place to save one of the town’s last standing wooden carriage houses.

Originally located at 607 NW Vine Street at the family home constructed in 1908 by John Pendelton Hieronymus, the Carriage House was purchased, moved 9 blocks to its new site, and fully restored for the public to enjoy.

The Carriage House now contains a two-wheeled buggy, life-sized fiberglass horse, along with an interpretive panel and short video that tell the story of this small part of Atlanta’s transportation history. The purchase and restoration of the Carriage House was made possible through a combination of support from the City of Atlanta’s hotel/motel tax, fundraising efforts of the Atlanta Betterment Fund, and personal donations – including several generous contributions from descendants of J.P. Hieronymus.

Light refreshments will be served during the Open House.

[Bill Thomas]