1886 Victorian Home Now Carriage House Restaurant Centerpiece of Equestrian Estates Resort Community.

Business Editors

JEFFERSON, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 8, 2001

The Carriage House, a magnificently restored 1886 Victorian home featuring a fine dining restaurant will be the centerpiece of "Jefferson Equestrian Estates" residential and resort community.

The Carriage House restaurant represents the first phase of this unique development.

The 286 acre project located on 1235 Athens Street at Highway 129 in Jefferson, will open the new restaurant the latter part of November, 2001. Chateau Elan Hotels & Resorts whose portfolio includes Chateau Elan Winery & Resort in Braselton, will operate and manage The Carriage House restaurant.

In 1885, grand plans for a large and gracious Victorian home were commissioned, but limited purse strings ultimately resulted in a lovely two story "folk" Victorian home of 2,400 square feet. Built by local Jefferson carpenters in 1886, with minor additions in 1913, the house today is strikingly located, well away from the road, and sheltered by ancient oaks, towering locust, cherry, pine and poplar trees.

The Carriage House resonates with charm and sense of place astride the City of Jefferson in Jackson County, a location rich in tradition, and teeming with history. Six stone fireplaces with cherry wood mantels, and the original patina of aged wood on the floors and high ceilings in the five rooms downstairs, and one large room upstairs create a heroic, almost timeless presence.

The fine dining restaurant on the main floor was named the Cameo Room in honor of a stunning antique alabaster Cameo mounted on a wood plaque near the door. Restaurant chefs will take a culinary path to dishes prepared from the Mediterranean region, classic French with American accents as well as regional Southern fare. A full service bar and lounge will occupy the elegantly comfortable salon.

The inspiration to restore this house, establish The Carriage House restaurant and create the distinctive equestrian lifestyle comes from the earliest owner of this home, a lady of indomitable will and purpose by the name of Mrs. Maime Foster. During the Victorian era it was relatively rare for a married woman to do anything more than raise children. Educational opportunities for higher learning were few. Yet from the period between 1886 through World War II, Mrs. Foster, a widow with a college degree, ran the house, bred and raised horses, farmed the land, endured the hard labor necessary to market and sell the crops, paid the bills, put a daughter through college, became financially astute with investments, and was keenly interested in world affairs.

"My goal," said Lisa Wytiaz, principal and developer of Jefferson Equestrian Estates, "is to create a community, expressly designed to facilitate and enhance the distinctive lifestyle of the modern equestrian. Also to retain the wonderful nostalgia of Jackson County and the City of Jefferson and blend it with all the modern comforts and conveniences that characterize a fine residential resort community."

In recent years enthusiastic horse lovers have witnessed a continuing erosion of proper facilities and appropriate acreage so vital to equestrian needs. Here is everything including boarding, training, and shows with covered and outdoor arenas, three miles of picturesque trails, sparkling streams, dense stands of hardwoods and pines, and all within easy walking distance from their private home, condo or farmette. Also, 25,000 feet of horse friendly perimeter fencing is in place to keep unwelcome animals from entering the farmettes.

There is also planned in Phase II an array of important lifestyle amenities. Among them is a quaint English style Village with quiet footpaths, flower gardens, lovely retail shops, exclusive clothing boutiques, herb and health centers, chiropractors and massage therapists, antique and tack shops, a resident's clubhouse, tennis courts, and a swimming pool.

Eventually there will be 80-100 homes with 1-1/2 acre lots and 24 farmettes of 5-9 acres. This acreage is rich in wildlife, including deer, fox, wild turkey and beautiful red-tailed hawks. All planning and carry out of growth has been very sensitive in disturbing the land as little as possible to preserve nature's bounty.