Roger Smith and his dear friend Mary Norwood can appreciate what dreams are made of.
“I used to drive down Lindbergh, and like so many folks, I was at that intersection. I would daydream about how beautiful this house was,” Smith told Channel 2’s Berndt Petersen.
It’s what was known as the Randolph-Lucas Jones House at the corner of Lindbergh Drive and Peachtree Road in Buckhead. Norwood, a longtime Atlanta City Council member, celebrated her 40th birthday there.
“It’s like Cinderella! It’s going back to a pumpkin at midnight, but it’s mine for the evening,” she said.
But by 2012, the mansion had a date with the wrecking ball to make way for new development.
Norwood convinced Smith and his husband — the late Christopher Jones — to come to the rescue.
Channel 2 Action News was there when the home was loaded onto a truck and moved to Midtown, restored from the ground up, and now, earning what’s known as Landmark Status in the city of Atlanta.
“It’s huge. To have this protected and have Landmark Status means people will enjoy it for generations to come,” the Atlanta Preservation Center’s David Mitchell said.
Smith says too many historic homes in the city have been lost in the name of progress. He said he’s grateful that the century-old Randolph-Lucas Jones House now has its rightful place in history.
“It is definitely—I believe—a treasured piece of Atlanta history. It’s an honor for me to be a steward of this incredible house in this period of time,” Smith said.
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