Located on East Market Street in the center of this beautiful small Appalachian town of Chatsworth, the historic Wright Hotel has seen more history than ever can be imagined.
The Wright Hotel was built in 1909 by Thomas Monroe Wright, a farmer living in the southern part of the county to provide a home for his family and to provide a spa for visitors coming to Chatsworth in the Summer months to drink the mineral waters.
Mr. Wright was the builder, architect and overseer of the hotel. With the help of his cousin, Thomas Banks from Clevland, Tennessee, his wife Laura Holbrook and their children Jesse, Obb, Essie, Kate, Jeannie May and J.L, Mr. Wright constructed this 3-story hotel and his family’s home.
Another child, Glenn was actually born in the hotel.
Mr. Wright rented the Chatsworth brick plant to construct the soft rose bricks to build the hotel. All the heart pine lumber that was needed for the hotel was harvested from the Wright Farm in Prune, Georgia on Holly Creek and was aged for a year. The floors are made tongue and groove while the walls are made of wooden lattice and plaster.
Mr. Wright and his cousin Mr. Banks wanted the hotel to have a sturdy foundation so the two decided to place the hotel on a ten-foot foundation which mostly sits underground.
After the hotel was built and opened in 1909, guests from all around came for visits including, Hoke Smith former Governor of Georgia, Congressman Gordon Lee and J. Frazier Glenn who helped build talc mines into a multi-million-dollar industry.
On some occasions the Wright Hotel opens for visitors to tour the 22-room hotel including the rooms that the guests stayed in, the dining room, the kitchen, laundry room, the nursing room which displays some of Mr. Wright’s daughter Kate’s paraphernalia while working as a nurse, and even the living room.
The home also has on display many historic artifacts including several Native American artifacts from which Kate and her husband collected during their years of working with Southwest Indians. They also have on display the original program to the movie Gone With The Wind and a sword from World War l.
No matter if you are a history lover or just love to learn about your heritage, the Wright Hotel truly has something for everyone!
Gracie Latrelle 