The Nichols-Hardman House 1869---A Sampler in the Making!

 My creative mind never tires of ideas and places to go and homesteading in the mountains!  Alot of times, I don't have to go very far to find the absolutely stunning gems in the North Ga. mountains, valleys and hills.

I would like to share with you some pictures Mr. Darcy took this afternoon of the old Hardman House right here in Sautee-Nacoochee, Ga, very close to where we live in this beautiful mountain country we call home.  He drove by and stopped to take several pics of the gorgeous, absolutely stunning restoration of a home from the 1800's here. The house touring will start and open this week. He said he had to take the pics from the road. A couple of folks were there still working on the inside of it today.

 People from all over visit Helen, Georgia, the little town next to it all year long. 

The house was originally built in 1869-1873 by Captain James H. Nichols. Nichols actually served as a Colonel in the Confederate army, but was called, "Captain" by those who knew him well. The farm was sold in 1893 to Calvin Hunnicutt of Atlanta. He sold the farm to Dr. Lamartine G. Hardman in 1903. Hardman later served as Governor of Georgia 1927 - 1931.

Captain Nichols named Anna Ruby Falls after his daughter, Anna Ruby, which is a beautiful waterfall just a couple miles away. I think I have posted pics in the past of Anna Ruby Falls. 

The house has been in the process of restoration for several years so I'm excited when I drive by to see all the restorations in progress and almost to completion now.

The estate will be reopening this Thursday for tours. A lot of the furniture of Dr. Hardman still remains in the house.

This is the main house. Yup. Isn't it beyond beautiful? Would this not make a gorgeous sampler???????

 It was modeled architecturally in an Italianate style after Nichols' aunt's house in Milledgeville and he called it West End.  "An unusual feature of the porch is clustered columns. A scroll-saw railing encloses the porch. The arched entrance has double doors with sidelights carrying over in the form of a transom arched at the bottom and top".~~~ from Digital Library of Georgia.

This is a fountain to the right of the house.

This is a second house on the property.  Not sure right now, but we think it was a guest house or the home of the care taker of the property years ago.

Side view of the Hardman house

One of 15 farm buildings on the property

The left front side to the Summer kitchen

Three of the fifteen other buildings on the property

We can't wait to see what is inside this fenced in area.

All these pics are taken from the highway or outside of the property until it opens this week.

This is a close up pic of the Summer kitchen.

http://www.snca.org/bp/history/bldgHardman.php for more information on the grounds.

These pics intrigue me for a future sampler design. I can feel the birth of a new design to work on right now! So, somewhere down the road..........in the future, know that I will be recreating my take on this beautiful house.

#inspirationisrightatyourfingertips

I hope you have enjoyed these pics that Mr Darcy made this afternoon and when this site opens, for an inside tour, if they allow pictures, I will for sure be taking some detailed pics for the blog. I never thought of myself as loving history in school so much but as I get older, I really enjoy seeing something old, restored and valued just as before. 

A sampler of the entire property front, or including the Indian mound across the road.....just ideas now....... I do know that the first picture with the detail of the house would make a gorgeous linen sampler. The red roof, the white house and the shutters.

Of course, when the leaves change their beautiful colors in just a couple of weeks, my heart will be happy soaking in the views here. 

There's always, always, always, things to do at the homestead here and with working full time as a practitioner, I've been quite the busy one. However, I'm still clicking my needles at night and weekends, along with reading some good books and taking one room at the time right now week by week, cleaning out and redesigning our home for the two of us. I'm still on track with my 2014 goal to simplify.

I love to stay busy in my life, especially when I'm so blessed with a loving husband, a continuing career in women's health as an NP, and the love of needlework, homesteading, designing, music, and reading. 

~~~~~~~ And all of this started with a dream in my heart at age 10 in Ridgecrest, North Carolina with my church youth group. I said a little prayer to God that He would let me live in the mountains
when I grow up..........because literally each Spring when we traveled there and then again to Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the Fall with the church group, my heart fell in love especially during the Fall. 

Being raised in South Ga at the time and really not thinking that life would slow down enough for me to have that dream come true, I pushed it away until one day. One day, I made the move. God didn't share with me all the things I would have to go through to get my dream of a loving, kind husband, and a home in the mountains, and working in nursing but I can say it was all worth it in the long run. I know He watches me.

 If you are reading this and you have had dreams and prayers, please know even though it seems the impossible, with God all things are possible. It's the timing that makes the difference. He showed me through circumstances, some very surreal, what His promises hold in His timing, not mine. It's so good to know He loves us all unconditionally without rejection and judgement. After all, we are sons and daughters of a King.

I always appreciate all your comments, both private and public. They really do mean so much to me and have through the years. Have a Blessed Monday!

Best and Blessings,

Jennifer