Historic Marker Unveiled at Chesser-Williams House Near Buford

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Gwinnett County Commissioners unveiled a new marker this week at the historic Chesser-Williams House located on the campus of the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center in Buford.

This marker is the first in a pilot program championed by the Gwinnett Historical Restoration and Preservation Board to identify historic buildings and sites on county-owned property. Staff from the GEHC developed the template for the marker.

“With Gwinnett County’s bicentennial celebration only a few years away, it’s very important that we support initiatives like this historic marker program to help residents and visitors learn about our rich history,” Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash said in a news release.

The following narrative appears on the sign:

One of the oldest surviving homes in Gwinnett County, this house [the Chesser-Williams House] was built in the 1850s. The house was originally two rooms wide and one room deep. This style is referred to as an I-house. The house is unique because of the beautiful, hand-painted folk art found on the exterior and interior, making it one of the only surviving examples of painted exterior decorations in the state of Georgia and perhaps the South. The unknown artist was a traveling German painter who created the artwork in exchange for room and board. The house was located on property originally owned by Sue and Jerald Williams and moved from its original site six miles away.