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To make arrangements for group tours call 706 695-4313
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Chair: Dale Lowman
Tea with Mom Returns to Historic Wright Hotel
Saturday, May 10
The Whitfield-Murray Historical Society will host "Tea with Mom' at the Wright Hotel in Chatsworth on Saturday, May 10. The first seating is at noon with a second to follow at 2 p.m.
Now a Chatsworth tradition, Tea with Mom features an assortment of tasty refreshments served in the dining and living rooms of the Hotel. North Murray High School cosmetology students will be on hand to assist with hats, hair, and make-up as well as serving the tables. There will also be brief lessons on tea party etiquette, photos, and tours of the building constructed in 1909. Plan to arrive 15 minutes before your seating.
Tickets for the Tea are $20 for mom and a guest with any additional guests $5 each. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at the Clerk's Office in the Murray County Courthouse or at Pat's Antiques on Market Street in Chatsworth. Seating is limited so reservations should be made early. The deadline is Thursday, May 8.
Proceeds from the Tea go toward the continued preservation of the Wright Hotel, a property of the historical society that is twice listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located on the corner of Market Street and Second Avenue in historic downtown Chatsworth. For more information contact Clerk of Court Donna Flood at 706-695-2932 or Ralph Ausmus at the antique store at 706-695-9808
The Chatsworth Depot Museum.
The Chatsworth Depot is the oldest public building in town as it was built in 1905 by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. The passenger waiting room contains a talc museum showcasing the talc industry in Murray County. The station agent’s office and the freight room contain historic railroad artifacts and exhibits related to the depot. The well-furnished 1960 caboose, located behind the Depot, will also be open for guests to visit. Historical Society members will be present to give tours and answer questions.
The Wright Hotel Museum.
The Wright Hotel was built in 1909 and served as a place for Chatsworth’s visitors to stay overnight. The hotel is furnished with period furniture and other items just as it would have been in the early 20th century. You can even see a bath tub where a baptism occurred! Volunteers from the historical society will be on hand to give guided tours and answer your questions about this historic building in downtown Chatsworth.
The Wright Hotel Turns 115
The Chatsworth Depot and the Wright Hotel, owned by the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society, The Hotel is celebrating its 115th anniversary with special displays and souvenirs. Admission to tours and trains will be free, but donations are appreciated.
The Chatsworth Depot, constructed in 1905 by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, is the oldest public building in town. The passenger waiting room contains a museum showcasing the talc industry in Murray County. The station agent’s office and the freight room contain historic railroad artifacts and exhibits related to the depot. The 1960 caboose is located behind the Depot.
Around the corner from the Depot located on First Avenue is the historic Wright Hotel at the intersection of Market Street and Second Avenue. Built with locally produced materials, the Hotel opened in 1909 and the 115th anniversary of that historic occasion is the focus of events there over the next year. The business operated into the 1960’s, sometimes under the name “Chatsworth Hotel” and today is a double listing on the National Register of Historic Places—first as an individual site and again as a part of the downtown Chatsworth historic district.
A property of the historical society for almost four decades now, the site will feature some new photographic displays as well as offering souvenir T-shirts, buttons, magnets, and coasters to commemorate the Hotel’s first 115 years! Proceeds from these items as well as donations will go toward the continued preservation of the amazing three-story building.
The Historical Society would like to thank the 2024 business partners who make the programs possible. Many have been supporting Second Saturdays for many years. Partners are Peeples Funeral Home, Bradley’s Ace Hardware, Bojangles, Captain D’s & Krystal restaurants, Chatsworth First Community Bank, and the Murray County Elected Officials. Be sure to tell them you appreciate their supporting the historic properties of Chatsworth anytime you visit or contact one of these.
Thomas Wright, the creator of the Wright Hotel, opened his once flourishing business in 1909. An influx of Northerners and Southerners alike flocked to the rural town of Chatsworth to drink the refreshing mineral waters, enjoy cool mountain breezes, and to dine on Southern-style cooking. Mr. Wright, a farmer, builder and architect, along with his cousin supervised the construction of the three-story hotel. Not only was it a hotel, but also the home of the Wright family, which included his wife and six children. Mr. Wright rented a brick plant for a year to make the rose colored bricks to build his hotel. The heart pine lumber needed for construction was cut from his farm and aged for a year. The hotel has served many including jurors, school teachers, judges, politicians, and honeymooners.
Many historic displays and memorabilia can be viewed here such as the rock that is present at the bottom of the stairs—mail for the guests was placed under this rock, the 7-foot tub in which Mr. Wright was baptized, original furniture and Indian pottery and baskets. The hotel also houses a collection of nursing paraphernalia belonging to Kate Raine, daughter of Mr. Wright, who served as a nurse on the Indian reservations of the southwest. Hotel registers dating to the 1920s give a glimpse of those who stayed there while it was thriving business.
Mrs. Raine left the Wright Hotel to the historical society upon her death in 1986. The society promised to preserve and maintain the site as close as possible to its original condition. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Share Your Stories of the Wright Hotel
"While I was working at an open house at the Wright Hotel a lady came in with her daughter and granddaughters. She told them she had spent her honeymoon night at the hotel. I offered to look in the register book to see if we could find her name and there it was. We were all excited and I think the children looked at the hotel a little different." ~ Melissa Burchfield
Do you have a story passed down in your family about the time they might have spent at the Hotel? Or maybe you met and spent time with Mrs. Kate Wright Raines, the last family member to own the Hotel. The Wright Hotel Committee is looking for stories about the Wright Family and Hotel for a new book. Please send to Whitfield-Murray Historical Society, P.O. Box 6180, Dalton, GA 30722-6180.
