Who said that entering a time capsule in todays world is fictional? A fantastic day trip adventure would be to visit the Travelers Rest Historic Site. It is located on 4339 Riverdale Rd. in Toccoa, Ga. it is a few miles from Toccoa Waterfalls. Visiting Travelers Rest is just like stepping into a time machine back to the 1800s. For the historical enthusiast this day trip is well worth the small admission fee. The stagecoach inn is open Saturday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. The admission fee is $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens, $3 for children and $1 for children under 6.
Travelers Rest Historic Site is a stagecoach inn and plantation home that was built in 1815 by James Wyly. It was built over a busy highway over the Appalachian Mountains and used as an inn for travelers crossing over the Unicoi Turnpike. In 1833 Wyly sold the inn to a neighbor who was known as the richest man in the Tugaloo Valley named Devereaux Jarrett.
The inn was run by three generations of Jarrett's and in 1870 because the times were changing and travelers stop coming through, the inn was no longer needed. The Jarrett family kept the plantation and used it as a living quarters for family members.
In 1955 Devereaux Jarrett's granddaughter Mary Jarrett White sold the buildings and land to the state of Georgia. Mary was the first woman in the state of Georgia to cast a vote in 1920. Three months before the nineteenth amendment gave women in Georgia the right to vote. It is unknown how Mary got her name on the voter rolls.
Travelers Rest was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. The stagecoach inn still has most of the heart pine wood used in the original construction. When you visit the inn you will see a lot of original pieces from the 1800s including furnishings that were crafted by Caleb T. Shaw a furniture maker in Massachusetts, kitchen ulitilies that were used to cook with, some clothing and so much more.
When you visit the Inn, it is self tour and you are able to watch a movie to give you a little background history of the plantation and surrounding area. The kitchen is located in the basement which is unbelievable to see. There is not one area on this tour that you will not learn a lot of history and also be fascinated by what you see.
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