The historic home that sits on the hill above Washington Street in Clarkesville, known to the community as the Charm House, is being renovated by its new owners. The Greek Revival mansion is not only being revitalized, it is also being renamed.
The new owners are returning the property to its original name, Oak Heights.
A storied past
W.R. Asbury built the 7,586-square-foot home in 1907 on property obtained from the Clarkesville Presbyterian Church. Dominated by 20-foot-high Corinthian columns, the stately home quickly became the center of social life in Clarkesville. Asbury and his wife had four daughters. The family hosted many parties and receptions at their home in the early 1900s, according to information compiled in the mid-70s by another previous owner, Mabel Fry.
The Asbury’s called their home Oak Heights.
When another couple, the Wallaces, bought the home in 1936, they turned it into a tea room and boarding house and named their establishment the Charm House. It’s been called by that name ever since.
Many people have dined, slept, and been born in the Charm House.
Dr. Bruce Swain bought the house in 1943 and turned it into a medical clinic. Local folklore states he delivered over 1,000 babies in the house during the four years that he owned it.
In 1947, Dr. Lee Walker purchased the home and transitioned it from a medical clinic to a hospital. The Charm House was the only hospital in the immediate and surrounding area until Habersham County Hospital was built in Demorest in 1952.
The years that followed were not kind to the stately mansion on the corner of Washington Street. Passing through the hands of several owners, the Charm House fell into a state of disrepair. It deteriorated until Fry and Rhea Holloway purchased it in 1976. The pair undertook a major restoration project to return the home to its original elegance.
After restoring the Charm House, Fry and Holloway reopened it to the public in 1977 as a full restaurant and inn. Three years later, they closed the restaurant but kept the inn open, serving dinner to their overnight guests and “local diners.”
Eventually, the inn closed, and the Charm House became a private residence once again. It remained that way for many years.
Bob and Betty Congdon, both highly-regarded and beloved local educators, purchased the Charm House in 2011. Betty died in 2017. Bob passed away five years later. Following his death, their estate placed the house up for sale, and that’s how Barbara and Robert Mitchell came to own it.
A new name and era
The Mitchells, of Blue Ridge, first eyed the property while visiting their daughter Sean and her husband, Don Nix, a Clarkesville native. While visiting in 2022, Barbara saw the Charm House was up for sale. Smitten with the idea of restoring the home and living there at least part-time during the year, the Mitchells bought it.
Now, the couple is restoring the home back to its original magnificence. They hired Brookshire Construction to oversee the restoration project. Work began earlier this year. Construction crews are restoring the interior and exterior of the storied structure. They’re replacing windows and rotten wood throughout the building, repainting the interior, refinishing the floors, and repairing and cleaning the magnificent crystal chandeliers.
Crews removed a metal structure at the rear of the house and replaced it with a portico. The Mitchells removed several overgrown and unhealthy trees on the property.
Barbara Mitchell is an expert gardener and will begin work to improve the grounds in the near future.
Oak Heights will be the Mitchell’s private residence. It will not be open to the public. However, they have agreed to showcase the property and host Clarkesville’s Bicentennial Founders Day Gala on Saturday, November 18. That night they will show their support for their new hometown of Clarkesville by opening the doors to its past.
Now Habersham appreciates Clarkesville Mayor Barrie Aycock for her significant contributions to the research and collection of information for this article.
