Rare art key feature of historic Gwinnett home

The artist who painted the interior and exterior of the Chesser-Williams House also painted this mural above the parlor fireplace. (Staff photo: Kristi Reed)

In just a few months, visitors to the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center (GEHC) will be able to tour one of the oldest surviving homes in Gwinnett the Chesser-Williams House. The home is historically significant not only for its age, but also because it is decorated inside and out with rare folk art paintings.

One of the things that makes this house so valuable is the art, said GEHC Director Steve Cannon.

The art is believed to have been the work of an itinerant German artist who painted in exchange for room and board during his travels from North Carolina to Texas in the late 1800s. Only seven other structures are known to have intact examples of the artists work and none of his exterior paintings apart from those found on the Chesser-Williams House are known to have survived. All of the painting was done freehand which resulted in some characteristic marks which enabled historians to identify his work at homes and churches across the region.

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Rare art key feature of historic Gwinnett home