The Northcutt-Whitaker-Gillis House, c. 1915

453 Church Street

 

Ralph and Lucille Northcutt built this home in 1915 to replace their former home on Cherokee Street (next to the Blair House), which had been destroyed by fire the previous year. The lot itself was actually Freyer’s Pond, belonging to the Ivy Grove Estate. The pond was drained, filled and the present home was built. Mr. Northcutt owned the first Buick dealership in Marietta in the days that cars were first replacing the horse and buggy. Upon Mr. Northcutt’s death, the Tumblin family purchased the house. In 1941, Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Whitaker bought the property. Members of the Whitaker family lived in the house until 1988, when it was purchased by the current owners, Mary & Don Gillis.

The original design profile of the house is a classical style of architecture known as “American Foursquare,” a style popular and typical of the era between WWI and WWII. Its elements include a box design with column brick pillars and a large wrap-around porch. Other features of the home include ten-foot ceilings, wide moldings, faux-grained doors and oak and heart pine flooring. In 1997, the Gillis added a 2,000 square foot addition to the home in order to create a better functioning living space for their family. Working with architect Gary Parker, a seamless and flowing design was created to transition the old and the new, without compromising the home original design integrity. The home has been featured in “Country Victorian Home” magazine.