Markers spotlight historic homes of Black Mariettans
Jan. 31—Between their near-century of combined service to Marietta City Schools, Kenneth and Jeanie Carter left an indelible mark on the city's history.
But the Carter family has a new memento of its contributions to Marietta, as the Cole Street home of Kenneth Carter's parents was recently recognized as a historic home in one of the city's historically Black neighborhoods.
The home's marker was unveiled as part of an ongoing, joint effort between Cobb Landmarks and the Marietta History Center. The program looks to memorialize the most storied homes of the city's Black families in the Baptist Town, Louisville, and Fort Hill neighborhoods, among others.
"The Black history of Marietta has just kind of disappeared. There's just not a lot of record of it," said Marietta Councilman Carlyle Kent. "Lawrence Street used to be a Black business district, and then revitalization came along.
"I think it's an awesome idea ... it gives some significance to the neighborhood, that that house has history," he added.
The 1909 Carter house is a worthy member for inclusion. Originally built by Taylor Woods, a Black resident, the house was purchased by Sarah Young and Oscar Carter in 1944. Oscar Carter worked at Marietta's Bell Bomber plant as a custodian during World War II, and later for the city government, while his wife served as head of the Lemon Street PTA and worked as a washer woman, maid, and a nurse in the offices of Marietta physician Dr. Remer Clark.
The couple raised four children in the home, which today is the last private house on the block of Cole Street between Lawrence and Lemon streets. While the Marietta Housing Authority bought the properties to the south, and Cole Street Missionary Baptist bought the properties to the north, the Carter family held on to their home, per Cobb Landmarks.
Among their children was Kenneth "Coach" Carter, who purchased the home when his mother died in the 1990s. Coach Carter, who died in 2019, spent nearly half a century as an educator and coach in Marietta City Schools.
His wife, Jeanie Carter, likewise spent decades working for the district, first teaching to first graders at the all-Black Lemon Street Elementary School in 1957 when she was 22. She went on to become Hickory Hills Elementary first Black teacher in 1967.
"I was the only (Black) teacher over there, and as a teacher, honey, I went through a lot, but if you're determined then you ignore a whole lot of stuff and just work to reach your goal whatever you're reaching for," Carter recalled in an interview with the MDJ a few years ago.
She would later serve 16 years on the Marietta school board, becoming the city's first Black woman elected to public office.
"As a family, we are taking this time to reflect on the significance of this place and the Carter family's legacy in the city of Marietta, and to express appreciation for this honor," said their son, Marcus Carter.
The program was spurred by a donation from Jo-Evelyn Morris, while her husband, former Cobb Juvenile Court Judge Jim Morris, is leading the research of the historic homes.
Morris is a veteran of that work, having researched about 50 homes throughout the city for Cobb Landmarks. But until recently, the group's markers — which pepper yards up and down Cherokee and Church streets — were concentrated exclusively in the city's historically white neighborhoods, he said.
"I think those signs bring attention to the historic assets in Marietta, and inspire people to maintain their historic homes, keep them authentic," Jim Morris said, ticking off a few well-known tales of the families who owned some of the city's notable mansions.
"There are stories like that in the Black community, but they haven't been told ... They are dramatic stories of Marietta history," he added.
Trevor Beemon, executive director of Cobb Landmarks, said a few homes have already been recognized, with several more in the pipeline.
"The thought with this is to encourage folks in Marietta's historically Black neighborhoods to consider the importance of their houses and residences," said Beemon. "I think a lot of times, people don't consider their own homes, places, communities that they grew up in as being as significant as they actually are," he added. "It's an attempt to reach out to folks and let them know that people in the community feel these sites are important, and do deserve to be recognized."
The first home to receive a marker was the Hunter house at 274 Pine Street, on the city's north side. The 1956 home was built by Katie and Charlie Hunter Sr., the latter of whom ran a café near his home for decades, per the history center.
Hunter was also one of the few Marietta business owners to advertise in the Green Book, a guidebook of establishments considered friendly to Black travelers during the Jim Crow era.
"He expanded his enterprises to include rental properties of a grocery store, beauty salon, and cab stand, all at or near the corner of Montgomery and Hunt streets in the Baptist Town Community," according to the historic marker application.
Residents interested in nominating a site for consideration as a landmark can contact Cobb Landmarks at 678-594-4994 or the Marietta History Center at 770-794-5710.
