“It took a lifetime to acquire it all and a night for it all to be gone.” Those were Juli Eddy’s words after watching the building that once housed her family’s business go up in flames.
When the former Eddy West furniture shop and showroom burned to the ground on July 19, the Eddy family lost pieces of their past. Factory equipment, antiques, and precious family heirlooms stored in the wooden barn turned to ash.
Juli’s daughter, Eryn Adkins, said the fire destroyed irreplaceable family keepsakes—many passed down from her grandmother, Joyce Eddy, who died last fall.
Adkins called the fire “heartbreaking” and “devastating.” Members of the Clarkesville community also lost pieces of their past that night.
Local landmark
The old Eddy West shop was a landmark to locals. Joyce Eddy opened it as Habersham Plantation in the 70s. It was a place where many in the area once worked and shopped.
“A lot of men from our area started their careers in that building. So many memories,” said Debbie Whiting.
Nick Robinson grew up near the property and passed by the old Habersham Plantation building every day. “Such a shame,” he said in a social media thread after the fire.
Now in their 70s, Juli and Craig Eddy were looking to reopen the barn as a store and community gathering place. They once held bluegrass festivals on the property and had hoped to revive the space with similar events before it burned.
“Our hope was to make the property a place where the Clarkesville community could come together to enjoy music, connection, and American-made furniture,” said Adkins. “We wanted to create memories that could be remembered and brought into the homes of others, just like the purpose of our furniture once did.”
Cause of the fire
Adkins pointed to lightning as the likely cause of the fire. She said the family heard a loud lightning strike when a storm swept through hours before the fire, but at the time, they couldn’t find any damage.
“Hours later, a neighbor came to tell us there was smoke—and quickly, a fire,” she said.
Firefighters from multiple agencies battled the blaze throughout the night. Since then, they have returned to put out hotspots to ensure the fire does not reignite.
Tanya Zamora of the State Fire Marshal’s Office told Now Habersham the cause of the fire is still under investigation, “but that lightning has not been ruled out.”
Online fundraiser
Unfortunately, the barn was not covered by insurance. The family now faces tens of thousands of dollars in cleanup costs, including hazardous waste removal, equipment rentals, and permitting.
To help with costs, Adkins and family friend Anna Sarkisian launched a GoFundMe fundraiser.
“If you know the Eddy family, you know their home has always been a place of open doors, generosity, and welcome,” Sarkisian wrote. “Over four decades, they have shown up for many in the community by creating jobs and inspiring faith—now it’s our turn to show up for them.”
Fundraising organizers say they will use any leftover money from the cleanup to help kick-start the family’s vision: rebuilding the barn into a space the entire community can enjoy.
