To make it a little easier, the key clue is that today’s mystery is that the building is a museum. Your job is to tell us about the museum and where it is located. Send your thoughts to ebrack2@gmail.com, and include your home town
The last mystery was first solved by Mandy McManus of Lilburn, who told us: “That photo is the Wynne Russell House in Lilburn. It has been lovingly restored and entered into the Registry of historic properties by the Lilburn Woman’s Club. It is now owned by the City of Lilburn. The photo came from Rachel Baumann of Lilburn.”
Jay Altman of Columbia, S.C. added: “The Wynne-Russell House was built in 1826. The house was abandoned during the 1970s before it was restored. The original property consisted of 400-600 acres of farmland. The Wynne-Russell House was modified over the years, in the 1840s, 1860s, and during the Victorian era. The Lilburn Community Partnership oversees the operation of the house. The house is on the National Register of Historic Places.”
Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas, also tells us: “Built around 1826 by Thomas Wynne (1788–1839), a veteran of the War of 1812, it is reportedly the oldest pioneer house in Lilburn, and one of the oldest in Gwinnett County. It was the center of a sprawling 500-acre corn and sweet potato plantation that Wynne and his wife, Mary Prince Benson (1796–1866), established to raise their large family.
“But if the home was built and owned by the Wynne family, why is it now called the Wynne-Russell House? Well, after Mary’s death in 1866, the home passed to their son, Robert Reed Wynne (1822–1885), and his wife, Martha Ann Russell (1829–1910). This marked the first entry of the “Russell” family name into the home’s history, which remained with the Russell family until 1971.
“If you would like to see a lot of photos from inside the house (taken in 2015), and learn more about its history, check out the excellent article by Georgia architect Greg Mix here.”
Also recognizing the photograph were George Graf, Palmyra, Va.; Stewart Woodard, Lawrenceville; Sara L. Davis, Lawrenceville; and Michael Green, Milton.
- SHARE A MYSTERY PHOTO: If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Click here to send an email and please mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
