Historic House Marker presented to Carter Family home in
Marietta’s Historic Black Neighborhoods

Marietta Mayor Steve “Thunder” Tumlin and other community leaders were on hand as the Carter family was presented a historic marker from the Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society, Inc. for their home on Cole Street in the Fort Hill area of Marietta.

Built-in 1909 by Taylor Woods, an African American resident of Marietta, the home was sold in 1944 to Oscar Carter and continues to remain in the Carter family today.  

Located in what was known as one of Marietta’s largest historically Black neighborhoods, Sarah Young and Oscar Carter purchased the house where they raised their four children. 

An excerpt from the marker application says that Oscar, Sr. worked as a custodian for Bell Aircraft Company during WWII, and later for the City of Marietta. His Wife Sarah worked as a “washer woman” and later as a Practical Nurse at Dr. Remer Clark’s office. She was an active school advocate and President of the Lemon Street P.T.A. 

Oscar and Sarah’s youngest son, “Coach” Ken Carter, and his wife Jeanie purchased the home in 1991. Coach Carter and Jeanie served 99 combined years teaching in the Marietta City School System. They both taught at Lemon Street School, the segregated school for black children, and were instrumental in the integration of the school system in 1966. 

“Coach” Carter was a longtime Marietta City Schools coach, teacher, and mentor who was beloved by all. Over the span of 48 years, he devoted his life to teaching and coaching young men and women. After retirement, Jeanie became the first black woman to be elected to the Marietta City School Board. She served in that role for 16 years. Their Cole Street house is among the few remaining historic residences on this block. 

Through the decades, property on Cole Street, south of the Carter House, was acquired by the Marietta Housing Authority. The Cole Street Missionary Baptist Church acquired all of the property to the north. At one time, the Marietta Housing Authority attempted to purchase the Carter property, but the family resisted. Today the 1909 house is the only private residence remaining on the block.

The Carter House is a reminder of the legacy of the Carter family and stands as a symbol of the vibrant Black community which once surrounded it.

The historic marker was erected through a partnership between Cobb Landmarks and the Marietta History Center’s Diverse Cobb Committee which manages a grant fund created to erect historic markers in Marietta’s historically Black neighborhoods. 

Homes over 50 years old and in the neighborhoods of Baptist Town, Louisville, Fort Hill, and others, can be considered for inclusion in this program. Funding for this project started with a generous donation from Jo-Evelyn Morris. To nominate a site, or to contribute to the fund, please contact Cobb Landmarks at 678.594.4994. Those who wish to nominate a home, support this project with a donation or learn more about the homes recognized may contact Marietta History Center Director Amy Reed at areed@mariettaga.gov.