A ‘Forgotten History’ Marker honors Marietta home of black community leaders

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society, Inc. joined members of the Carter family and community leaders, including Marietta Mayor Steve “Thunder” Tumlin, to dedicate a historic marker at the Carter Family House.

The Cole Street house is significant in that it is among the few remaining historic Black residences in what was once one of Marietta’s largest historically Black neighborhoods.

Over time, the Marietta Housing Authority acquired all of the property south of the Carter House, and the Cole Street Missionary Baptist Church acquired all of the property to the north. At one point, the Marietta Housing Authority tried to buy the Carter property, but the family resisted. Today the 1909 house is the only private residence remaining on the block.

Sarah Young and Oscar Carter purchased the house in 1944. The couple raised four children in the house.

Today the Cater House stands as a reminder of the legacy of the Carter family and as a symbol of the vibrant Black community which once surrounded it.

The historic marker was erected through a partnership between Cobb Landmarks and the Marietta History Center’s Diverse Cobb Committee.

The committee manages a grant fund created to erect historic markers in Marietta’s historically Black neighborhoods. The fund was established by Marietta residents Jo-Evelyn and Jim Morris. To nominate a site, or to contribute to the fund, please contact Cobb Landmarks at 678.594.4994.

ABOUT COBB LANDMARKS: Since its founding in 1974, Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society, Inc. has succeeded in preserving and protecting some of Cobb’s most historically relevant sites. Cobb Landmarks is a historical society rooted in the past but always looking forward. The organization is committed to empowering the community with an understanding of the events, people, and places that formed our past, so that we may all strive for a brighter future.