Wisenbaker-Wells-Roberts House , built in 1845 , adopted its famous Victorian structure by 1895 .
Many Troupville residents migrated to nearby Valdosta due to the railroad ’ s growing potential . Valdosta , a completely new town , was incorporated on December 7 , 1860 . Between 1859 and 1863 , Wisenbaker extended the house , transforming it into a two-story , ten-room “ planter ’ s home ” or Plantation Plain house with a front porch that spans the whole width of the structure and is framed by columns . Wisenbaker moved to the Lake Park neighborhood after selling his property to William N . Peacock in 1863 .
William N . Peacock owned the house from 1863 until he died in 1866 . The historical record indicates Peacock was possibly a teacher , as it is thought he ran a school in the house . Peacock likely died in the house , as his widow sold the house in 1866 after his death .
In 1866 , the home was purchased by Jeremiah W . Wells . He had fought in the Civil War and was a businessman and farmer . Between 1881 and 1882 , Wells served as mayor of Valdosta . He is honored by the naming of Wells Street in Fairview .
John T . Roberts bought the house in 1891 . He had a downtown office and trading floor for a well-known buggy / harness firm . From 1892 until 1906 , he was a member of the Valdosta City Council , and from 1906 to 1916 , he was the city ’ s mayor . In 1895 , Roberts started turning the home into the Folk Victorian / Queen Anne structure that is now . The project was designed and supervised by Stephen Fulghum , a prominent architect in the area . Roberts wed Catherine ( Kate ) Margaret Young , with whom he had nine children . Roberts ’ offspring owned the house until 1982 . Two of Roberts ’ descendants bought the house in 1996 . They donated it to the Valdosta Heritage Foundation in 1999 , with the duty to preserve , restore , and manage the home and grounds , almost 4.52 acres , including a Georgia Camellia Trail , for public enjoyment and education .
While the home had fallen into disrepair by the time the VHF was willed , the house was nearly destroyed by a fire exposing the original 1845 cabin framework built by the Wisenbaker family in 2011 . The home was stable , but the interior remained unfinished for several years until renewed interest . In 2019 , VHF received permission to convert the house into a bed and breakfast leased to a live-in manager . Work on the restoration is currently underway .
Jessica Ganas , the owner of the downtown Curate , realized that restoring it to its former glory would be an expensive project due to the structure of the house . Ganas came up with the idea to host tours of homes built by Valdosta ’ s prolific architect Lloyd Greer to raise money .
This endeavor has turned into a success as far as moving renovations forward . According to Vickie Everitte , president of the VHF , the foundation partnered with Kellerman Construction and J . Glenn Gregory & Associates Architects to complete Phase I of the Wisenbaker-Wells-Roberts House renovation project on September 13 , 2022 , costing just over $ 95K .
February 2023 | Valdosta Scene 17