At 473 Cherokee Street stands Ivy Grove. It was built in 1843 in the Greek Revival style, then remodeled in the late Victorian era and again in the Georgian Revival period. Its National Register nomination says it shows features of both later styles. It is the earliest surviving house in the Church-Cherokee Historic District. That district is where the Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour will take place this year, December 4 through 6.
The five private homes on the tour will each be decorated for the season. In Church-Cherokee, houses from the 1840s through the 1930s stand within a few blocks of each other. Ivy Grove's two remodels show the district's history in a single house. Many places here were built in one style and later rebuilt in another. The neighborhood itself grew out of large estates that were later divided into residential streets. Ticket holders will pass that history at every corner between tour stops.
A Different District Than Last December
Last year's tour was on Kennesaw Avenue. In its 2025 announcement, Visit Marietta listed five homes in the Kennesaw Avenue Historic District. They were the Gignilliat-Griffin-Gilbert House from about 1840, Turnbull Manor from 1883, the Buttolph House from 1886, the Harrison-Hines House from 1885 and the Harris-Fenton-Myrick House from 1923. The same tour visited Kennesaw Avenue in 2021, according to the City of Marietta's announcement that year.
In 2026 the tour moves to Church and Cherokee Streets. Visit Marietta and Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society host the tour, which has run for almost 40 years. It is always held the first full weekend in December, and each year it chooses a set of homes in one of the historic districts around the Square.
Tickets cost more this year. They are $40 in advance and $45 during the tour weekend. In 2025 they were $35 and $40. Last year Visit Marietta named the tour homes in an article published October 30. If this year's five aren't listed yet, the official Tour Homes page is where they will appear.
What the National Register Says About These Blocks
The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 30, 1985, as the "Church Street - Cherokee Street Historic District." The nomination lists Church, Cherokee and Campbell Hill Streets as its location. The City of Marietta approved a local historic district map on August 10, 2016. The city's map also includes Frances Avenue, Seminole Drive, Chicasaw Drive, Freyer Drive, Hillside Avenue, Etowah Drive, Margaret Avenue, Sessions Street, Montgomery Street, Brumby Street, Cuthbert Street, Hunt Street and Fowler Circle.
The nomination calls the district significant for domestic architecture from antebellum times through the mid-1930s. It also cites the district's landscape architecture and its development from large estates into residential subdivisions. Some of that subdividing happened fairly late. The nomination says Freyer Drive, Seminole Drive and Frances Avenue were not paved until after 1930.
The building materials also help date the houses. The nomination says almost all houses built before 1900 were wood, in both framing and siding. After 1900, and especially in the 1920s and 1930s, brick became a popular exterior material. The styles include Victorian, Greek Revival, Dutch Colonial, Neoclassical and cottage forms. Colonial Revival and Craftsman houses become common from the 1920s on. Some houses have a hidden third floor that shows only as dormer windows on the roof.
Six Addresses the Nomination Singles Out
These houses are district landmarks named in the 1985 nomination. They are not announced 2026 tour stops. All are private residences, so view them from the sidewalk.
| Address | House | Built | What to look for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 473 Cherokee Street | Ivy Grove | 1843 | Greek Revival origins, remodeled in Victorian and Georgian Revival styles |
| 440 Cherokee Street | Sessions-Blair House | 1895 | Built as a Victorian mansion with large porches and a cupola, remodeled in the early 20th century in Georgian Revival style |
| 331 Church Street | McNeel-Hawkins House | 1895 | Neoclassical |
| 367 Cherokee Street | Northcutt House | 1890 | Simple Victorian cottage |
| 401 Church Street | W. P. Stephens House | 1910 | Late post-Victorian mansion with a wraparound porch and Ionic columns |
| 362 Cherokee Street | George F. Montgomery House | 1921 | Noted in the nomination alongside the McNeel-Hawkins House |
Walk them in order of age and you see the change the nomination describes. The 1890 Northcutt House is a simple Victorian cottage. The W. P. Stephens House, built 20 years later on Church Street, carries the same style forward with a wraparound porch and Ionic columns. A short way up Cherokee Street, 392 Cherokee has a front porch with its own porch cupola. The nomination calls it a more elaborate version of the Victorian cottage.
Campbell Hill Street has smaller houses. Many are Victorian Eclectic, with carved gable panels and brackets on the porch posts. These details are easy to spot from the street. A walk down Campbell Hill between tour houses gives you context the decorated rooms won't.
The nomination also mentions Edward Denmead, who helped establish St. James Episcopal Church in Marietta. Organizers say the tour includes several churches, museums and other historic public buildings along with the five homes. The specific buildings appear on the tour materials each year.
The Tour Weekend Runs Differently From an Ordinary Saturday
On a normal afternoon, you might park on a side street and walk Cherokee Street. Tour weekend works differently. The official site says no street parking is permitted along the route, so the shuttle buses can keep moving. The same page says street parking around the Square fills quickly. Plan on the designated lots instead. Those are the lots off Mill Street and the Cobb County parking deck off Cherokee Street.
Free shuttles run every 15 to 20 minutes on a continuous loop. They pick up and drop off at Mill Street and the William Root House, and most of the tour is walkable once you arrive. Some house rules may change how you plan the day.
- One ticket is good for all three days. You can visit the homes in any order, but each home only once.
- Tours are self-guided. Docents inside each home point out special features and explain the house's history.
- Expect steep and narrow steps in some homes, so wear comfortable shoes. Children under 8 are not permitted.
- The tour homes have no restrooms. Restrooms are open at the Welcome Center, the William Root House and the public buildings during operating hours.
- Photography, food, drinks, strollers, umbrellas and backpacks are not allowed inside the homes. The tour runs rain or shine, and tickets are not refundable.
On timing, the organizers advise:
"To avoid long lines, we recommend touring homes late in the afternoon on Saturday or morning hours on Sunday."
That comes from the Pilgrimage's own guidance. The Friday evening hours are shorter. They're the only time to see the decorated houses after dark.
The Weekend, in Order
Online ticket sales close on the same Thursday the Square holds its tree lighting. Plan your purchase before Thursday afternoon.
- Thursday, December 3. Online ticket sales close at 4 p.m. The city's Ugly Sweater Parade & Christmas Tree Lighting runs from 4 to 8 p.m. at Glover Park, 50 N Park Square NE, according to the City of Marietta calendar.
- Friday, December 4. Tour homes are open from 5 to 8 p.m.
- Saturday, December 5. Tour homes are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Organizers suggest the late afternoon for shorter lines.
- Sunday, December 6. Tour homes are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Organizers suggest the morning for shorter lines.
Tickets are never mailed. You can buy them online or in person at the Marietta Welcome Center or the William Root House. Online orders are held at those two locations, and you can pick them up in advance or on the day you tour. Tour homes do not sell tickets.
If you own an older home in Marietta, the Pilgrimage is a good chance to see how other owners have cared for houses like yours. If you've started thinking about what comes after your own home, Lisa Swann and the team at SoldBySwann can take you through every step, from preparing a historic house for market to coordinating the move. Schedule a Free Consultation whenever you're ready.
