Built in 1915, Madison’s Echo House is a piece of Georgia history. Designed by Leila Ross Wilburn, one of the state’s first ever female architects, the century-old home has a number of stories to tell. Its first owner was Dan Carter, reportedly one of the county’s last horse-and-buggy doctors. It’s most recent owner was renowned journalist James McManus, a former White House correspondent.
The next chapter of the Echo House is now ready to be written, as the home recently hit the market for $849,000.
The home features three bedrooms and three bathrooms across its 3,300 square feet of space. While the home offers plenty of modern comforts, it’s that rich history that elevates the property to something more special than a living space.
“This property is one of (Wilburn’s) earliest designs and is a good representation of her first period plan book-1911-1920,” Madison Realty reported in the listing.
“This design came from her original plan book and was the first house built on Billups Avenue. It is one of the only properties on the street to have its lot still intact. One of the many characteristics of the house is the 50 foot terrace that runs along the length of the front of the house. The unique design offers two front entrances- french doors off the front terrace and the actual front door that opens into the long room. The long room has remained unchanged for 113 years and accurately represents the vision of Ms. Wilburn.”
Born in Macon, Leila Ross Wilburn was granted her first commission by the age of 22.
“With an entrepreneurial spirit not common in young women of her era, Leila’s career flourished,” Georgia Women of Achievement reported. “Her earliest works were single-family homes and apartment buildings, mainly in Midtown Atlanta. These buildings, many of which were in the Craftsman style that is still popular today, projected her vision of family values, hearth and home. They are still prized by their owners and praised by architects and scholars today. She later moved into designing commercial buildings and a church (Gordon Street Baptist).”
In 1961, following a career of incredible accomplishments, Wilburn was inducted into the Society of American Registered Architects. In 2003, she was posthumously recognized as a Georgia Woman of Achievement.
Listing by Chris Hodges and Madison Realty
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