This was the home of Dr. Andrew Smoak Marshall (1919-2006). The following biographical background comes from his obituary: Dr. Marshall was born on January 4, 1919 in Perry, Georgia to the late Charles Pierce Marshall, Jr. and Agnes Smoak Marshall. He graduated from Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, and in 1944 from Tulane University Medical School, New Orleans, Louisiana. Upon graduating from Medical School, he was commissioned in the Medical Corps, United States Navy, and served in the Pacific aboard the USS Haraden, DD 585, as the Ship’s Medical Officer. Upon his release from active duty, he completed his medical training at Columbus Medical Center, Columbus, Georgia, and then established his medical practice in Roberta, Georgia. Shortly thereafter, he moved his medical practice to Fort Valley, Georgia and in 1964 was a founding partner in Valley Medical Group. Dr. Marshall was instrumental in the establishment and building of the Peach County Hospital. He was one of the first medical doctors to be certified in the field of abdominal surgery. He retired from his medical practice in 1986…

The present owner of this house writes: I’ve forgotten what I was told by the seller about the original builder. But it was completed in 1922, or at least that’s the first date that it appears on the town records. I’ll have to ask some “old timers” about details going back farther than about 1950.

I can tell you that Dr. Marshall was the area physician for many years; many a child of Peach County was delivered by Dr. Marshall, and indeed, when people ask where I live, I say, “I’ve bought the Marshall house.”

The Marshalls raised their 4 children in the home; at one point, evidently Dr. Marshall got tired of laundry being done at all hours of the night while he was trying to sleep, and he solved that problem by rigging the laundry machines out in the carport. (I had them put back inside.)

The youngest Marshall child raised their child in the home, but that child is now grown, and did not want the house, and so it was sold to me.

It was originally a variation on a shotgun house (note the funky angle of the front door), but it has been altered over the years. Originally, it was a single story; what is now the dining room would have been the 2nd bedroom.

The sunporch (3:00 in the photo) was enclosed into a “family room” some years back, and two bedrooms & a bath were added upstairs. Still later, a “second master” was added to the upstairs, as well.

If you look over the roof line, what DON’T you see? Take a moment … these houses were heated by coal; each main room would have had a coal fireplace (smaller than a wood-burning fireplace). And so this house does have four fireplaces (originally 6) … but you will note that there are NO CHIMNEYS.

Sometime in the 60’s, Dr. Marshall put in central (propane) heating; presumably the chimneys were still there at the time, because the ceramic inserts with the honeycomb plaques are still in place (even in the bathrooms). But during some subsequent re-roofing, (perhaps when central air conditioning became popular?) the decision must have been made to do away with the chimneys. They were sheared off, capped, and roofed over. A shame, if you ask me; I have 4 fireplaces that I can’t use.

Other than that unfortunate reality, I do love this house. It’s big and quirky and charming.

Everett Square Historic District, National Register of Historic Places