Large Classic Revival Style Home in Atlanta GA

Zuber-Jarrell House, Atlanta Georgia

Date added: August 19, 2024

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The Zuber-Jarrell House is a Neo-Classical Revival style house from the turn of the century. It retains its form, columns, bracket detailing, front porch, portico, porte-cochere, and stained and other decorative glass work on the exterior, as well as the original wood, floors, doors, and spaces on the interior. It has an extremely unusual entrance stair hall with intact stairs. It was obviously the work of a master architect, although the individual or firm has not yet been identified. The high quality of the materials used to build this house, especially the woodwork, and the craftsmanship reflect the fact that the house was built for a lumber baron with extensive resources.

The house is significant in commerce because the original owner-builder, John William Zuber (1867-1936), the son of German immigrants, ran an important wholesale lumber business while owner of this house. The Zuber firm owned timberlands in several southeastern states and had a town named Zuber, for the firm, in Florida, that survives as a placename today. It was from these vast holdings that he drew the timber he sold. The house reflects, no doubt, materials from his own company. He moved here with his bride shortly after their 1907 wedding. The property was originally a 3/7-area tract. The house reflected the high point of Mr. Zuber's professional life. He divided up the estate ca.1926-1928, and he and his family left the house in 1927. The house went through several changes of owners until 1937 when it was purchased by John M. Jarrell. In 1954, he married Martha Frances Mitchell, the current owner. This house is the only known property in Georgia historically associated with John W. Zuber's lumber business and timbering, and it was built at the height of his career.

The location of the Zuber-Jarrell House, Flat Shoals Avenue, was formerly an old Indian trail and one of the oldest roads in this area. The house, known as "the big old white house" on Flat Shoals, has intrigued passers-by for many years. In the days when it did not have a number or a neighbor, everyone knew this site. It was reported that when the Zuber girls were shopping at Rich's the surprised clerk asked, "Don't you have a street number?" And the girls answered, "No, but he knows where we live." Since 1950 people have driven by at Christmas time to see the windows on the four floors lighted with all-white candles. A Jarrell daughter overheard a mother at PTA, "I just had to drive over here so I could see the old big white house all lit up."

This area played a permanent part in the Civil War, and just a few blocks down the street is where General McPherson was killed. There is a monument there to him. Also a neighborhood street is named for him, as well as Ft. McPherson. It was told that John Zuber, father of John William, the builder of the home, was a German immigrant, who enlisted in Buffalo, New York on August 22^nd, 1863, and was assigned to the first New York Light Artillery Regiment, Battery I. He came through there with Sherman's army. When he saw the destruction of Atlanta he vowed then that he wanted to come back and help rebuild the area that had been destroyed.

His dream was fulfilled by his son, John William. John Zuber came to Atlanta with his family in 1871. The property on Flat Shoals was bought in 1892 by John William Zuber, and construction of the home began shortly after the turn of the century. John William Zuber was a contributing citizen to this area with an office at Atlanta's Five Points. He bought timberlands in all the southeastern states, especially in the Carolinas, Alabama and in Florida. There is a town in Florida, between Ocala and Marion City, named Zuber after him. It is about nine miles north of Ocala. Although it is unincorporated now, it is still on the map. He was never in retail lumber business. He bought the timberlands and sold the lumber as trees. Much later his own son had a retail lumber company in Atlanta, The Zuber Lumber Company. At the age of 37, on January 6^th, 1907 John William Zuber married Gertie Rogers from Chattanooga, Tennessee and they came to this home as a bride and groom in 4907. The Linden trees that line the drive were imported from Wales as a wedding gift to the bride. It was told that the blossoms made good tea. Zuber thought he had planted a half a dozen tea trees in this yard for his family, but when the family tried the tea, they didn't like it. But they enjoyed the blossoms that are so fragrant every spring for at least a month.

John William Zuber was born on May 10^th, 1867 in New York. He was the oldest child born to John Zuber and Margaret Wolff Zuber, who emigrated from Germany in the mid-1800s. Seeking a better life for their children, the Zubers moved to Atlanta when the young John William Zuber was four years old. Fulfilling dreams, John William Zuber became very successful in the wholesale lumber business, owning his own company, the J. W. Zuber Wholesale Lumber Company. At the age of thirty seven, Mr. Zuber married Gertie Rogers from Chattanooga, Tennessee. She was thirteen years younger than he. In anticipation of raising a family, Mr. Zuber built the house on Flat Shoals Road for his bride. They reportedly moved in after the wedding on January 5^th, 1907, and had their first child, William J. Zuber, approximately one year later. The Zubers had a second child named Jane in 1909, and then eight years later the couple had twin daughters named Elizabeth and Barbara. Having lived a full and prosperous life, John W. Zuber died on April 10^th, 1936.

Relying on information from DeKalb County Deed Records, research shows that Mr. Zuber began purchasing the land on which to build his house in 1892. Between this year and 1904, he acquired thirty-seven acres. There is no record of a building permit, however, the house was reportedly completed in 1906. It is also reported that the Zubers did not move in until after their marriage in 1907. The family lived in the house until 1927.

Although today the Zuber House is located within the city limits of Atlanta, when the house was first built it was located in a very rural part of DeKalb County, south of the Atlanta city limits. Mrs. Daniels remembers that for many years the house had no street address other than Flat Shoals Road. The 1924 Atlanta City Directory was the first year to list the Zuber's residence as 764 Flat Shoals Road. Prior to that time, the address was listed as Flat Shoals Road or just East Atlanta. The street address was then changed to its present address of 810 Flat Shoals Road in 1941.

Originally set on thirty-seven acres, the house today is situated on two acres of land, yet it retains its elegance and grandeur within its present orientation. The house is set back a good distance from Flat Shoals Road and is approached by an unpaved circular driveway. It is also sheltered from the main road by large trees that act to create an aura of a stately plantation home situated in an isolated rural area.

When first constructed, the Zuber House was quite secluded from any neighboring structures. On the Zubers' property was a small house for the servants that was located behind the main house. Mrs. Daniels remembers that her father owned some cows and a horse, which would suggest that there was a barn on the property at one time. Mr. Zuber also reportedly had a small garden in which he grew raspberries, strawberries, grapes, and other fruits. An unusual feature of the landscape that still exists are the linden trees that Mr. Zuber imported from Wales. Rumored that the blossoms could be used to make tea, Mr. Zuber found these trees especially interesting. Although the family only tested the tea on one occasion, the trees do contribute to the overall character of the property.

At some point during the Zubers' residence, Mr. Zuber reportedly gave part of his property to his wife's two sisters and their husbands on which they each constructed a home. Although neither the Atlanta City Directories nor the DeKalb County Deed Records offered any information on the dates of construction, or the dates of residence of the McCuen and Methzin families, the houses reportedly were located across Flat Shoals Road from the Zuber House.

As to the question, Why did the Zubers move from the property? Their daughter, Jane Zuber Daniels, recalls that although her father cultivated some of the acreage, he never planned to have a 37-acre farm. He chose the colonial theme or style for his home, but he was more of a "Country Gentleman " farmer, and it seems the property was more of an investment. Mr. Zuber started selling portions of the property in 1926 to different buyers. In 1927, there was some confusion about space for his children in the community schools. When he saw advantages to living in the city for his family, he sold the house and farm in 1927.

The DeKalb County Deeds show that Mr. Zuber sold his property on Flat Shoals Road to several buyers between 1926 and 1928. The family reportedly moved from the house in 1927. The Atlanta City Directories list the new residents as Dr. and Mrs. Richard and Anna Nelson, who lived in the house until 1930. Between 1931-and 1940 a family by the name of Tumlin and a family by the name of Hardy lived here. There was a foreclosure of the property in 1937 when John Jarrell purchased it. This would indicate that the depression played a role in the transfer of the property. In 1937, when the house was purchased by John M. Jarrell, the Hardy family continued to rent from him until he moved here in the early 1940s with his sister, Sarah. In 1954 John Jarrell married Martha Frances Mitchell.

Mr. Jarrell was an engineer with the Southern Railway when he purchased the home in 1937. Later when he retired, Mr. Jarrell had completed forty-eight years service with the Southern Railway. When he was working in the fields as a boy at the Jarrell Plantation, now a state-owned historic site in Jones County, he would see and hear the trains as they passed alongside the river near Juliette.

There his dream of "driving the train" was born. John Jarrell and his brother Charlie were both engineers with Southern. Each had their own train whistle signal, a variation of "shave and a haircut, two bits". Each would always blow their signal when they "got even" with their home place so their Mother could know: "There goes Johnny. There goes Charlie. It's time for Johnny's schedule to return, etc … "

John and Martha Frances Jarrell raised six children in the house, including two sets of twins.

The Zuber House is located in the East Atlanta section of Atlanta. Originally a sparsely populated farm community on the outskirts of the Atlanta city limits, East Atlanta was annexed to the city of Atlanta on January 1^st, 1909. This created the new ninth ward. Once annexed, the area began to develop into a thriving commercial and residential area. Prior to this development, there was one general store on the north corner of Glenwood Avenue and Flat Shoals Road. This store, J. W. McWilliams and Son General Merchandise, was opened in 1889 and served as a trading center and post office for the community for many years.

At the turn of the century, the Metropolitan Street Railway Company began service to the area linking it to other parts of the city. The rail line, which reportedly ran north-south along Moreland Avenue to Glenwood Avenue, helped to stimulate the development of the East Atlanta Business District, located at the intersection of Glenwood Avenue and Flat Shoals Road. The Atlanta City Directories show that commercial development began approximately in 1910 with the construction of the East Atlanta Bank Building, and increased every year. By 1920, the business district included such shops as W.B. Owens Meats, McWilliams and Son General Merchandise, Marbut and Minor Grocery, the East Atlanta Bank, W. W. Woodcock Barbershop, B.T. Maynard Shoe Repair, and V. W. Thompson Florist. The development of East Atlanta as a residential community paralleled that of the commercial district. Today one finds traces of homes from the Victorian Era through the I960s.

The 1960s was a decade of change for the community. With the construction of Interstate 20, Flat Shoals Road was terminated just north of the East Atlanta Business District, cutting off the area from easy access to all points north. Business reportedly declined, crime increased, and the area's racial mix changed from predominately white to black.

In 1984 a neighborhood revitalization effort was begun by the East Atlanta Merchants Association and the East Atlanta Neighborhood Association. While the area has certainly experienced a comeback, proponents for revitalization continue to work towards attracting more business to the district.

Building Description

The Zuber-Jarrell House is a two-story, frame, Neo-Classical Revival-style house with four Ionic columns on the front, two-story portico. Rounded-arch leaded glass windows flank the front entrance, and above these windows on the second floor are stained-glass port-hole windows. The house is not symmetrical, since the front porch wraps around the right side of the building. There is a bay window on the right side as well. On the left side is a porte-cochere. There are four carved brackets supporting a second story projection over the front doorway. The first floor interior opens onto a large foyer; at the far end of this room is a fireplace and sitting area. There is a large dining room to the right, and both a large parlor and a library to the left. The interior contains large, sliding double doors, hardwood floors, a massive, three-landing stairway, and stairwell opening into an area where there is a ceiling two floors high. There are other stained glass windows within the house. The second floor contains four bedrooms and a kitchen. The house retains most of its original materials. The grounds contain a large number of large oak trees, magnolias, two grape arbors, pecan and linden trees. There are no original outbuildings. The house is surrounded by streets on three sides; the fourth side is a wooded property. Both yards are fenced, the front with decorator's fence, the rear with a Cyclone fence. Changes to the house include the addition of an apartment in the basement in the 1950s, and in the attic, four rooms have been added. The house is located in East Atlanta, not far from a commercial area, but in an area that remains residential.

The John William Zuber House, located on Flat Shoals Road S.E. approximately one half mile south from the intersection of Glenwood Avenue S.E. and Flat Shoals Road S.E., is a fine example of Neo-Classical Revival-style architecture. Inspired by a growing national interest in the use of classical designs and forms in architecture, the Neo-Classical Revival style was popularly employed in the designs of American residential architecture at the turn of the century. The return to classical forms was especially befitting to Atlanta, as classical styles evoked associations of the grand old Southern plantation homes that were a part of the South's heritage. The Zuber House is a two-story white painted wood-frame house that manifests many of the characteristics of the Neo-Classical Revival Style. The house is a simple rectangular block fronted by a Greek-style portico with four Ionic columns. Round-arched leaded glass windows flank the front doorway on either side. Above these windows on the second floor are stained glass port-hole windows. Although the facade of the building appears symmetrical at first glance, it is not. The sides of the house are treated differently to provide interesting character-defining elements that add to the whole. The front porch is extended to wrap around the right side of the building. Also on this side is a projecting bay window. The left side of the house is treated as a flat surface to which is attached a porte cochere. The house is also decorated with carved brackets that support a second-story projection over the front doorway.

On the interior are found many intact details. The front door opens into an imposing entrance to a large foyer. On the other end of the front hall, furniture is clustered around a fireplace for informal visiting, and built-in window seats are on each side of the front door. A large dining room with china molding and a bay window area suitable for afternoon tea is on the right side as you enter the front door. Adjacent to that is a breakfast room that leads into the kitchen area. Left of the front door is a parlor-type living room which opens into a den/library. The 3 large double sliding doors that connect the dining, living, and den areas emphasize the feeling of openness.

There are hardwood floors, a massive three-landing mahogany stairway and a stairwell opening into an area where there is a ceiling two floors high. There is a countryside mural alongside the stairway. A stained-glass sunburst is directly over the front door and there is a beveled glass window on each side of the front door. There are six other stained glass windows that can be seen from the hall area. There are two portholes of stained glass windows in two front closets on the second floor, which decorates the house at night from the outside. There is also a stained glass window in the bathroom as well as the old fashioned claw foot bathtub.

Being in the lumber business, the builder, John William Zuber, chose the best of materials and workmanship for his own home.

The same heating is used that was used in 1906. The hot water radiators heat the entire house from a furnace in the basement. The ventilation is enhanced by transoms over all six doors on the second floor, and they are placed so that if there is any breeze from north, east, south or west, it will circulate throughout the entire floor. In the life of the home, all maintenance of the pipes and wiring and plumbing have been updated. Even though they have been maintained as need required, part of the systems are still the original.

In the front yard, there are six large old oak trees, two magnolia trees, two grape arbors, several pecan trees, and six Linden trees. They all lend to the authenticity of the history of the home. In the back yard are pecan trees and fruit trees.

The two-acre lot is surrounded by streets on three sides. Behind the house is Palmer Street, bordering one side is Pasley Street, and the front of the house borders Flat Shoals Avenue. The other side has wooded property where a neighbor presently lives, who has lived there since the early 1920s. The front yard is fenced with a decorator's fence and the back yard is fenced in with a six-foot chain-link Cyclone fence. It also has a screen on the fence for privacy. The home being in the middle of the property gives it a lot of front-yard space and back-yard space.

Nothing has changed on the first floor or the second floor, and this was deliberate to preserve the architecture of the home. However, on the basement level a two-bedroom apartment with a bath and a living/cooking/dining area was built in the 1950s. This replaced a laundry unit. On the top floor where there was one large attic, this is now four rooms, three bedrooms and a large bathroom area. There is room in the basement for 2 more efficiency apartments.