Wright Hotel

08/06/2026

Spring Place Festival Highlights America’s 250th

The 28th annual Spring Place Community Festival will be Saturday, August 15 at the Old Spring Place Methodist Church (237 Elm Street) just off Georgia Highway 225 South. The theme this year is “Spring Place: Red, White, and Blue”.

Sponsored by the Spring Place Ruritan Club and the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society, the Festival commemorates Spring Place’s 225th year and America’s 250th. Festival proceeds go toward the continued preservation of the 1875 structure which is Murray County’s oldest public building. There is no admission fee, but visitors are encouraged to purchase raffle tickets on Festival Day for a special $250 first prize and two gift baskets donated by the Robinson and McDaniel families to celebrate their rich heritage in the Spring Place community. Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5.

The festival itself opens at 8 am and will have something for everyone. Breakfast biscuits, coffee, soft drinks, snacks, and bottled water will be available for purchase throughout the morning. Members of the Ruritan Club will have their usual bake sale with homemade cakes, breads, and sweets of all kinds. A huge amount of used books, collectibles, and flea market items such as vintage glass and cookware, dishes, Christmas and other seasonal decorations, pictures and frames, vinyl records, cassette tapes, CD’s and DVD’s, linens, tools, toys, prints from local artists, and household items attract buyers as well.

One special display will be the George Washington brooch, property of the Historical Society, that was originally presented to Nellie Brown by the founding father. Mrs. Brown was an ancestor of the Freylach family of Dalton who donated the unique item to the Historical Society. Saturday will be the first time it has been displayed in Spring Place.

Vendors at the Festival include Judy Alred of Cedartown with seasonal pillows, blankets and other crafts; local author Jodi Lowery who will be on hand to sell and autograph her true crime books, and the Back from the Dead Coffee Truck.

Jacob Howard’s “Family History Videos” will be for sale—one about the interesting burials in the famous Spring Place Cemetery and others based on the “Murray on My Mind” local history class. Other publications of the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society will also be available.

The popular auction begins at 10:00. This year the auction will include a large variety of antique and vintage furniture, local artist prints, gift cards from area restaurants, quilts, a vintage piano, book sets, a new TV, an air fryer, and antique farm items! Auction items can be previewed on the Old Spring Place Methodist Church page during Festival Week.

The Murray High Alumni Association will also have prints, postcards, and notecards featuring the “Old Rock Building” on sale and the Old Church Museum room will be open throughout the day as well.

Parking will be available on Elm Street with shuttles to the church and auction site provided. Handicapped parking is available adjacent to the old church. To find out more about the festival, call Elizabeth Robinson at 706-695- 6021, Jyana and Chuck Smith at 706-695-8297, Tim Howard at 706-280-5535 or check us out on Facebook.

07/02/2026

Second Saturday History Day in Chatsworth

The 2026 Second Saturday season continues on July 11 with History Day at the Chatsworth Depot and Wright Hotel. There is no admission charge for the event which includes the caboose as well as the two historic structures. All will be open 1-4 p.m.

Since both the United States and the Historical Society are celebrating special birthdays this year, the Hotel. (built in 1909) will feature special displays highlighting the U.S. Presidents who have visited Murray County as well as photographs, clippings, publications, and artifacts from the fifty years the WMHS has worked to preserve our rich Murray County heritage. A number of historical publications, maps, and souvenirs will also be available for purchase.

The 1905 Chatsworth Depot will feature Alexander Williamson who was raised in Chatsworth and who is currently writing a thesis on educational and economic development in the North Georgia Mountains. His presentation, given throughout the afternoon in the freight room of the depot, will provide a general survey of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L & N) and its impact on the early years of Chatsworth. Alexander will specifically focus on the railroad as a driver of economic growth and regional development. The Depot, the Chatsworth Brick Plant, the Wright Hotel, and the Cohutta Talc Co. were part of Chatsworth's creation and caused it to grow to be the county seat for Murray County. The presentation will focus on the years 1904-1916 but sets the stage for understanding the Chatsworth as it is today.

Second Saturdays are sponsored by area businesses including Bradley Ace Hardware, Peeples Funeral Home, Krystal/Bojangle's/Captain D's, Modern Woodmen, and Murray County's elected officials. Donations are always encouraged to assist with the preservation of these historic buildings which are part of the Chatsworth Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

06/13/2026

One hour until “Singing at the Depot” begins. Wright Hotel and Chatsworth Depot already open for tours, so come on to historic Downtown Chatsworth— First Avenue and Market Street until 4 pm. No admission charge but donations welcome.

06/11/2026

05/22/2026

Tours, Trains and More in Downtown Chatsworth-Second Saturdays This Summer
The Chatsworth Depot and The Wright Hotel, located on First Avenue and Market Street in downtown Chatsworth, have been important local gathering places since the City was founded early in the 20th Century. The Whitfield-Murray Historical Society continues that tradition with its annual “Second Saturday” events at these historic venues.
The 2026 “Second Saturday” season gets underway on June 13 with the return of the popular “Singing at the Depot”. Highlights include group singing favorite selections from the well-known “red back” Church Hymnal used in area churches for decades. There is no admission charged for the event. The Depot and the caboose which will be open from 1-4 p.m. with the singing getting underway at 2:00.
For many years travelers on the original Louisville and Nashville Railroad through Chatsworth could spend the night at The Wright Hotel. This National Register Historic Site was constructed in 1909 and operated into the 1960’s. This three-story structure will be open for tours as well. The building features period furnishings along with exhibits about early Murray County history.
Since both the United States and the Historical Society are celebrating special birthdays this year, the Hotel will offer special displays highlighting the U.S. Presidents who have ties to Murray County as well as photographs, clippings, publications, and artifacts from the 50 years the WMHS has worked to preserve our rich Murray County heritage. Hotel tours are also free and begin at 1 p.m.
Second Saturdays are sponsored by area businesses including Bradley Ace Hardware, Peeples Funeral Home, Krystal/Bojangles/Captain D’s, First National Community Bank, Modern Woodmen, and Murray County’s elected officials. Donations are always encouraged to assist with the preservation of these historic buildings.
For more information check both the Wright Hotel and Chatsworth Depot pages as well as the historical society website. Second Saturday events will continue on July 11 and August 8.

04/23/2026

Tea with Mom Returns to Historic Wright Hotel on May 9

The Whitfield-Murray Historical Society will host "Tea with Mom" at the Wright Hotel in Chatsworth on Saturday, May 9. The first seating is at noon with a second to follow at 2 p.m.

Now a Chatsworth tradition, Tea with Mom features an assortment of tasty refreshments served in the dining and living rooms of the historic Hotel. North Murray High School students will be on hand to assist with hats, hair, and make-up as well as serving the tables. There will also be brief lessons on tea party etiquette, photos, and tours of the building which was constructed in 1909. Plan to arrive 15 minutes before your seating.

Tickets for the Tea are $25 for mom and a guest with additional guests up to four at $5 each extra. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at the Clerk's Office in the Murray County Courthouse or at Pat's Antiques on Market Street in Chatsworth. Seating is limited so reservations should be made early. The deadline is Thursday, May 7.

Proceeds from the Tea go toward the continued preservation of the Wright Hotel, a property of the historical society that is twice listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located on the corner of Market Street and Second Avenue in historic downtown Chatsworth. For more information contact clerk of Court Donna Flood at 706-695-2932 or Ralph Ausmus at the antique store at 706-695-9808. The event is hosted by members of the Society's Wright Hotel Committee.

04/17/2026

New items in the porch sale this morning.

04/16/2026

The spring porch sale at the Wright Hotel opens Friday Morning April 17 at 8:00 AM. Here are some of the treasures that will be in the sale. The book sale will also be going on in the garage. Please come by and purchase some things that you simply cannot live without. Thank you for your patronage and support of the Wright Hotel and our preservation of Chatsworth and Murray County history!

04/12/2026

Model Train Expo at the Chatsworth Depot; Caboose and Wright Hotel Open
The Model Train Expo will return to the Chatsworth Depot on Saturday, April 25, 2026! The Expo has become a popular annual event with model trains of various scales operating inside and outside the depot, including a couple of ride-ons. Groups and individuals from the surrounding areas will come to display their model trains and railroads.
The Depot, built by the Historic Louisville & Nashville Railroad in 1905, completely altered life and the course of history in Murray County. Located at 219 N. First Avenue in Chatsworth the depot as well as the 1960 SCL caboose will be open for tours and viewing model trains from noon until 4 p.m. Also open is the historic Wright Hotel, built in 1909 and located just around the corner on Market Street. The Hotel got many of its customers from railroad staff and passengers.
A model train set will be raffled on Expo day as well. Raffle tickets are $1.00 each and can be purchased at the event or in advance from the Crown Gardens and Archives in Dalton and at Pat’s Antiques in Chatsworth, or from depot committee members. The model train is a complete, ready-to-run Bachmann Thomas the Tank Engine train with locomotive, cars, track, and power supply. A $100 cash prize will also be one of the raffle prizes.
The depot’s big blue train will be giving rides. Operating model trains will feature N, HO, and G Scale operating layouts, Vendors expected to be on site will offer model trains and accessories of all scales.
One of our returning ride on trains will feature kid powered flat cars. The youngsters can use hand cranks to go as fast or slow as they like. This was very popular last year.
The Wright Hotel will offer docent led tours on all three stories of the family enterprise which was built with locally produced bricks and lumber, operating for over half a century as an anchor of the downtown business district. That area is now a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places which gives it a special historical significance.
To celebrate the building and Chatsworth’s place in U.S. history, the Hotel will host two special displays this year. In honor of America’s 250th Birthday, items from the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society’s archives housed at the Hotel that connect to U.S. presidents will be on display—some for the very first time ever. Visitors can see souvenirs that Katherine Wright Raine (owner and donor of the building) picked up in Washington, DC when she attended President Jimmy Carter’s Inauguration. Also included in the display is the President who once spent the night in his private railroad car at the Chatsworth Depot, but visitors must come in person to learn which president that was and see a special image of his pet dog.
Admission to the expo is free compliments of our 2026 business partners Modern Woodmen, Peeples Funeral Home, Murray County Elected Officials, Captain D’s, Bojangles, Krystal, and Bradley’s Ace Hardware. Donations are always needed and appreciated as the WMHS preserves these two one-of-a-kind historic buildings.
A century ago, the Chatsworth Depot and the Wright Hotel were popular gathering places during Chatsworth’s early years. On Saturday afternoon, April 25 you will see why that was true then and remains so today!

04/09/2026

Porch/Book Sale Fundraiser Planned for Historic Wright Hotel, April 17-18

The Wright Hotel, located on the corner of Market Street and Second Avenue in downtown Chatsworth, is one of our area's most unique pieces of history. Owned by the Whitfield-Murray historical Society for the last four decades, the Hotel is twice listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1909 by Tom and Laura Holbrook Wright using local produced bricks and lumber, the three story structure was operated as a hotel for six decades.

One of the Wright's daughters, Katherine Raine, left the Hotel and its collection of furnishings and artifacts to the Historical Society, charging the group with maintaining the structure as nearly as possible as it was during her and her mother's lifetimes--that would be from the later 1800's to the 1980's! Naturally, money is always needed to meet her request and preserve this one-of-a-kind building so closely connected to Chatsworth's earliest days as a new railroad town.

The main fundraiser to the Hotel is a twice-a-year Porch and Book Sale which features a wide variety of collectibles, glassware, tools, decorative items, artwork, household items and used books at good prices. The Spring Sale will be Friday and Saturday, April 17 & 18 from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. both days. All items are donated for the cause and all proceeds from the sale will go toward repairs needed at the building, a new roof for the porch, restoration of furniture, replacing rotten boards on the columns and regular maintenance. Everything will be priced to sell!

All are welcome to shop during the sale or send a donation to the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society, Wright Hotel Committee, c/o Melissa Burchfield, Treasurer, 59 Coffey Church Road, Crandall, GA 30711.