Red Door Cottage, c. 1920’s

346 Church Street

This charming bungalow-style cottage was built c. 1920’s. It was built on land that was originally part of the Ivy Grove Plantation. In 1899, the land was divided and purchased by W.W. Phillips. There is a gap in the records until 1923, when J. H. Hawkins purchased the house for $1,000. J. Harold Hawkins was judge of the Blue Ridge Circuit and Chairman of the Marietta Board of Education. He later bought the McNeel-Hawkins-Hamrick House. After Hawkins’ widow, Irene Northcutt Hawkins, sold it in 1942, the house changed hands several times over the next 40 years. It was made into a duplex and was used as rental property. In 1982, Tom and Melody Unger bought the house and returned it to a single-family dwelling. The current owner, Stephanie Ausburn, acquired the property in 2004.

The house was most likely built from a Sears Craftsman kit. The porch was originally screened. The house was completely renovated in 2004. The kitchen was gutted and refitted. Square footage was taken from the hallway and a closet to enlarge the bathroom and add a shower. A gable was added to the back of the house and created a vaulted ceiling in the office. The trim is all original. Of special note are the ten-foot ceilings and the heart pine floors. The interior is furnished with eclectic collections and family artwork.