Open for special occasions and events. Please check Facebook and this web site for opening announcements.
To make arrangements for group tours call 706 695-4313
For Event rentals call 706 695-4416.
Chair: Dale Lowman
Porch Sale at the Wright Hotel
201 E. Market St.
October 11 and 12
from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. both days
The Wright Hotel, at the corner of Market Street and Second Avenue, has been an anchor in the Chatsworth Historic Business District since it was built in 1909. Today, the one-of-a-kind structure is a property of the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society and is twice listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Obviously, it's a very important place--and not just to Chatsworth.
In August lightning struck the north dormer of the three-story building and those who are responsible for preserving it are raising money for repairs and regular operation. Donations have paid the deductible, the insurance company has done its part, and County Commissioner Greg Hogan provides a grant every year, and the City of Chatsworth assists with maintenance and mowing. New windows were already in the making before the lightning damage--these paid by a gift from the McDaniel Family Foundation.
The Hotel has been a busy place since the spring events on Super Museum Sunday and the Model Train Expo held in conjunction with the Chatsworth Depot. Tea with Mom in May was again a success, private rentals, and the summer Second Saturday openings have brought a few hundred visitors to the site just in the last few months.
Twice-a-year Porch Sales bring in more of the money needed to preserve and operate the property through the year. The next such sale is set for October 11 and 12, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. both days. The upcoming sale is even more critical in light of the storm damage, rising utility costs, and annual insurance premiums. The goal for this sale is $5,000. Already potential sale items are coming in from donors in both Murray and Whitfield Counties. Customers can expect the usual variety of vintage pieces, household items, tools, furniture, antiques and collectibles in the porch sale--even a beautiful pump organ.
Volunteers will spend the first part of sale week unpacking, sorting, and pricing things for the sale. They look forward to seeing regular customers as well as meeting new ones. As always, the garage will be open for the popular used book sale that will also have treasures galore at bargain prices. The hotel has a pretty large porch, so it promises to be a pretty big sale, too.
For more information check out the Wright Hotel's Facebook page where pictures will be posted just prior to the sale.
The Chatsworth Depot, now a 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, now a 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.
