Kennesaw House

1867

ca. 1955

Built around 1845, by John H. Glover, the first mayor of Marietta, the Kennesaw House is one of the oldest buildings in Marietta. Originally serving as a breakfast house and cotton storage facility, the then four-story structure was purchased in 1855 by Dix Fletcher, who renovated it and reopened it as the Fletcher House Hotel.

During the Civil War, the building was used by both Confederate and Union forces. Although much of Marietta was burned in 1864, the Kennesaw House survived; embers from nearby fires destroyed its fourth floor, leaving the three story building seen today. After the war, the hotel reopened as the Kennesaw House.

Ownership later passed to A. A. Fletcher and Francis Freyer, who became the sole owner in 1887. By the end of the century, the hotel welcomed travelers and winter visitors drawn to Marietta's mild climate. For much of the 20th century the Kennesaw House remained in the hands of the Freyer family.

Over the years, the building evolved through a series of updates and renovations, reflecting the changing needs of Marietta. After Francis Freyer's death in 1907, ownership passed to his wife, Julia. In 1933, their daughter Ada Freyer McNeel, renamed the building the Marietta Hotel and modernized the rooms with private bathrooms. Ada would pass ownership to her son Frank McNeel, who ran the hotel until his death.

The building continued to house street-level businesses and hotel rooms upstairs until 1977, when it was purchased by private investors from the McNeel Estate. The property was sold to the current owner, Downtown Marietta Development Authority in 1993. Since the last major renovation in 1979, the building has been the home of a handful of different restaurants, private businesses, and since 1996, the Marietta History Center. In 2010, the Center officially occupied the entire building.