A 1930s retreat near Columbus, built by the family that founded Callaway Gardens, has been sold for nearly $1.28 million.
The Lodge at Blue Springs, which played host to famous guests that included President Franklin D. Roosevelt and three other U.S. presidents, was sold in late March to an undisclosed buyer.
The home and surrounding property was developed by the late Cason and Virginia Callaway and held by the family for decades. The seller is the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation.
The property features a five-bedroom main house, a guest house, indoor pool and a 14-acre lake on the 127-acre grounds. It was previously listed for sale in 2017 for $5.8 million, according to a story in Columbus’ Ledger-Enquirer. At the time, the listing included about 1,100 acres of surrounding forest, but the forest was not included in this sale.
The lodge was a getaway for the Callaways, who became one of Georgia’s most prominent families. They started a textile business in 1900 that grew into an empire in LaGrange. Callaway Gardens was founded in the 1950s.
Atlanta architects Ivey and Crook designed the Adirondack-styled compound, which is listed in the federal National Register of Historic Places, a news release said. The property sits along Ga. 116 near the city of Hamilton, about 90 southwest of downtown Atlanta.
“The Lodge at Blue Springs is unique and special,” Sister Hood, an agent with Harry Norman Realtors, who represented the foundation, said in a news release. “The home is immersed in history, and the new owners will enjoy it as much as our U.S. presidents did.”
