Carrie Dyer House Saved

Before and after view of Carrie Dyer House in Acworth

The Carrie Dyer Reading Club was established in Acworth in 1898. In 1910, the group purchased a c. 1850 house in downtown Acworth for use as a clubhouse. The house was used to host lectures, special events, and dances, and also served as a meeting place for local organizations such as the Girl Scouts of the USA. The Carrie Dyer Reading Club also operated a library in the home which merged with the Cobb County-Marietta Public Library System in 1963 after a new public library was built nearby. The home then returned to residential use.

The following years were not kind to the home. After decades of neglect, the home was purchased by a developer, and plans were drawn up in 2017 to replace the home with a modern structure. Cobb Landmarks immediately contacted the City of Acworth. Cobb Landmarks felt that retaining the original front rooms and facade of the structure was extremely important. The depth of the lot would allow for a substantial modern addition while the front facade and main front rooms could be retained. Acworth Mayor Tommy Allegood heard our concerns and decided to take off his mayor hat and put on his builder hat, purchasing the home and remodeling and enlarging it for a modern buyer.

The preservation decision was easy because of the wonderful impact the Carrie Dyer House has had on the generations of citizens that have lived in our city. Today the Carrie Dyer House is a wonderful example of how to preserve our history by blending old with new... ."
- Tommy Allegood