Margaret Mitchell House

  Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With The Wind" is considered, by Americans, to be the second most read book (next to the Bible). Mitchell wrote this Pulitzer Prize winning novel while living in an old mansion that had been converted into 10 apartments, as she was recovering from a stubborn ankle injury. That house still stands today ( on the corner of Crecent Ave. and Peachtree St. N.E.) across from the Federal Reserve Bank building. We found this three-story Tudor building quite by accident (our favorite way of discovering things) while searching for the Atlanta Visitors Bureau. The house has been converted into a museum dedicated to Mitchell and her grand novel. Our timing for visiting this museum was perfect, as we were able to catch a guided tour just as it was beginning. There was so much information presented about Mitchell's life and her novel, it was hard to absorb it all. Among the interesting facts we did learn was that Margaret was a bit of flirt, dating several men at the same time. In addition, Mitchell often referred to her apartment building as "The Dump" because of poor maintenance during the depression years she lived there. While it was interesting to tour her apartment and get a feel for what life might have been like for her here, it was a bit disappointing to learn that none of the furniture actually belonged to Mitchell, but rather are period pieces gathered over the years by the museum staff in an effort to recreate her living quarters as closely as possible. Still, it was an interesting and fun time.

The former mansion on Crescent Ave. in which Margaret Mitchell and her husband, John Marsh, lived.

The back porch area. In 1919, this former mansion was converted into ten apartments.

This 1936 photograph by Atlanta Journal Photographer Kenneth Rogers was Mitchell's favorite.

Margaret Mitchell worked as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal. Here, she is seen interviewing silent movie star Rudolph Valentino in 1923.

Margaret standing on the front porch of her home.

The tiny kitchen area of the apartment.

Because space was so limited in the apartment, the ice box was located out in a hallway next to the kitchen.

The bedroom in which Margaret and her husband, John Marsh, slept was located between the kitchen and the parlor.

The only other room in this apartment was the parlor.

Mitchell liked to work by the corner window of the parlor because it was bright and airy here.

Margaret Mitchell at the December 15, 1939 world premiere of the film "Gone With The Wind" at Lowe's Grand Theater.

Clark Gable was a big fan of Margaret Mitchell and arranged for a private meeting with her after the premiere of the film.