Whitfield-Murray Historical Society Benefits from Grants
During the COVID-19 virus pandemic, the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society has benefited from both member donations & government grants. The US government’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), created to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll, enabled the organization to cover employee payroll, payroll taxes, & utilities. The Society also received funds from the Georgia Humanities Council through the CARES Act Emergency Operating grant. WMHS is grateful for this state humanities support.
Organized in 1952 to preserve the Vann House, the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society is the pivot point for all things historical in Whitfield & Murray counties. The Society preserves area history by maintaining structures, archiving objects & materials, & serving as the go-to entity for historical questions. WMHS also conducts historic house tours, bi-annual rummage sales, and Holiday House tours. Among the many activities conducted by the WMHS are Social Distancing Concerts at the Chatsworth Depot. Upcoming date is August 8.
The Society has placed 11 sites on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition, the group has preserved the 1864 Dug Gap Battle Park, the 1909 Wright Hotel, old Spring Place Methodist Church (1875), & the 1905 Chatsworth Depot. The 1840 Hamilton House which is the oldest home in Dalton, and the 1848 Blunt House, home of Dalton’s first mayor, and second oldest house are also part of the preservation done by WMHS. The 1855 Huff House was General Joseph E. Johnston’s headquarters during the winter of 1863-64 preparing for the Atlanta Campaign is another WMHS property.
WMHS headquarters, Crown Gardens and Archives--the 1890 Crown Cotton Mill office building--is a resource for local historical & genealogical research. The Society sells books on local history & publishes a bi-monthly newsletter as well as a historical review. Annual scholarships are awarded to young researchers, & historic preservation awards recognize area preservationists. Meetings feature topics of local historical interest in Whitfield & Murray counties.
Individuals interested in local history are encouraged to join the Society. Donations to aid in the very important work of protecting our local history may be mailed to: WMHS, P.O. Box 6180, Dalton, GA 30722. For more information, call 706-278-0217, or visit http://www.whitfield-murrayhistoricalsociety.org.
Bylines:
Sherrian Hall, Jean Manly, and Joanne Lewis scraping old wall paper at the Blunt House, one of the WMHS historic properties.
Children at one of the history camps rubbing tombstones.
