The Gingerbread / Hunter House

Often called "the most photographed house in Georgia," this 4300 square ft., 4 bedroom, 4 bath home rests on 1.4 acres in the heart of Madison, GA, 60 miles east of Atlanta, 85 miles west of Augusta, and 25 miles south of Athens. Walking distance to dining, shops, & parks, this home is a convenient location for fall UGA football season or the Masters Tournament in April. Enjoy front porch sitting in the middle of the antebellum historic district. Wi-Fi, self check-in, off street parking. The space This home is on the National Register of Historic Places (circa 1883-1887) & has been in one family since it was built as a wedding gift from John Hudson Hunter for his bride. House proud, his initials are on the house. Their children, Mamie & Nathan, inherited the home, & Nathan's wife, Evelyn, lived in it until she passed away at the age of 103, at which point their granddaughters, Layne and Laura, bought the home from the estate & restored it. Nine fireplaces add charm, but only the one in the kitchen is currently set up to operate. Original heart pine floors throughout, following full restoration after being covered for decades under carpeting. Stained glass doors and windows add charm and colorful sunlit lighting throughout this Victorian home, and the ornate gingerbread woodwork adds elegance. This one-of-a-kind house makes a special 'home away from home' while you are working on a film, remodeling your home in Athens, at Reynolds, the lake or anywhere, for that matter, or simply visiting historic Madison. The Gingerbread House is a convenient location to stay for the fall UGA football season or the Masters Tournament in April. Guests beware, however - while this home has been lovingly restored, it has not been remodeled - meaning it is still very much a nearly 150 year old home, complete with its quirks and sometimes inconveniences. We want our guests to love living here (we certainly love our staycations at the Gingerbread House), but we also will ask that you be gentle with this amazing home and patient with any issues it may have. Sometimes the breakers blow, for example. The plumbing/hot water cannot handle too many people at a time, which is why we prefer to keep it down to 6 guests. We feel our price reflects its imperfections, and it is our guess that once you are here, you will appreciate that we warned you, and also hopefully feel that we over-exaggerated its issues. While we have tried to provide everything needed so you can simply move in, please let us know what your expectations are ahead of time so we can work together to provide what we may have missed or ask that you provide them. We definitely don't want you to be without! Enjoy your stay. Other things to note We are very strict about the 6 person limit. No parties or large gatherings, please. We stay in the home often, so you will likely find personal items around the home. The refrigerator won't be completely empty, for example, and neither will the cupboards. Our TV is not hooked up to cable. It is a smart TV only. Nothing is "to code" in the home, so be careful. For example, the last step while entering the home is close to 10" high. There are pot holes around the yard from where trees used to be, so watch your step. A family of deer live in the backyard. We love seeing them around and are gentle around them. If you accidentally spook them, at least try to steer them towards the back and not into Main St. where the traffic is.