Hardman Farm State Historic Site

Open — Open year-round, seven days a week, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mansion tours available Thursday through Saturday with the last tour at 3:00 p.m. Self-guided grounds admission available daily 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Camping operates first-come, first-served with no advance reservations.

About

Travel through centuries of culture at Hardman Farm State Historic Site along the iconic Unicoi Turnpike in historic Sautee Nacoochee, just south of Helen in White County. The 173-acre property is best recognized by the gazebo-topped Sautee Nacoochee Indian Mound, a burial site that predates Cherokee habitation and stands as a favorite landmark in north Georgia. The centerpiece is the grand Italianate mansion known as "West End," built in 1870 by Captain James Nichols at the west end of the Nacoochee Valley. The house later belonged to Calvin Hunnicutt, a wealthy Atlanta businessman who used it as a summer retreat, with much of his original furniture still intact. The last owner was the family of Dr. Lamartine Hardman, Georgia's governor from 1927–1931, who lovingly preserved the property before donating it to the state in 1999. Guided tours showcase the 19th-century parlor, original lighting, telephone and climate control systems, and the bedroom of Anna Ruby Nichols, namesake of nearby Anna Ruby Falls. The old barn served as the focal point of Nacoochee Dairy, which operated from 1910 until the mid-1920s. The tree-lined road connecting the visitor center to the mansion is a remaining portion of the historic Unicoi Turnpike, a 200-mile route that began as a buffalo trail, evolved into a Native American trading route, and eventually connected Toccoa to western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. The one-mile ADA-accessible Helen to Hardman Heritage Trail follows the Chattahoochee River from the historic site to Alpine Helen. Camping is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Directions

Located at the intersection of Highways 17 and 75, one mile south of Helen. The entrance is on Highway 75 just north of the intersection.

Nearby Campgrounds