Lenox Place in Decatur in DeKalb County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

Mary Gay House

Photographed By Felch Dumas, July 19, 2008

1. The Mary Gay House Marker

Inscription.

Author, poet, historian and Confederate heroine - Mary Ann Harris Gay (1828-1918) lived in this house from 1850 to 1914. She is best known for her Life in Dixie During the War which describes the Union Siege of Atlanta and the tribulations of the homefront. From this house, Miss Mary and her family, the Stokes, witnessed the skirmishing in Decatur on July 22, 1864, while hiding in the cellar. General Kenner Garrard's cavalry headquartered on the property where the house once stood.

The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and moved from Marshall Street to this site by the Junior League of Dekalb County, Inc. in 1979.

Erected 1981 by Georgia Historic Marker. (Marker Number 044-69.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Georgia Historical Society series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 22, 1864.

Location. 33° 46.345′ N, 84° 18.3′ W. Marker is in Decatur, Georgia, in DeKalb County. It is in Lenox Place. Marker is on West Trinity Place, 0.1 miles east of West Ponce De Leon Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Decatur GA 30030, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of

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this marker. The Swanton House (within shouting distance of this marker); The Beacon Community (approx. ¼ mile away); The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Decatur (approx. half a mile away); The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Decatur (approx. half a mile away); Lynching in America / Lynching in DeKalb County (approx. half a mile away); Old Dekalb County Courthouse (approx. half a mile away); Houston Mill Millstone (approx. half a mile away); Steatite Boulder (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Decatur.

Also see . . . Mary Ann Harris Gay. Gay's account of the siege of Atlanta inspired some of the scenes in Margret Mitchell's "Gone with the Wind." (Submitted on July 21, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)

Photographed By Felch Dumas, July 19, 2008

2. The Mary Gay House Marker

The Mary Gay and Swanton Houses image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Felch Dumas, July 19, 2008

3. The Mary Gay and Swanton Houses

The Swanton House is in the foreground.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 20, 2008, by Felch Dumas of Decatur, Georgia. This page has been viewed 1,647 times since then and 46 times this year. Last updated on July 22, 2008, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 20, 2008, by Felch Dumas of Decatur, Georgia. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.