ABOUT THE HERMITAGE

The Hermitage

The Hermitage is a Swim & Tennis community that offers a charming, Southern-style clubhouse with a wrap around porch and covered lower area with an outdoor grill for parties and gatherings. The clubhouse is conveniently located next to the pool, tennis courts and children’s playground and basketball court. The wide streets are lined with streetlights and planned natural areas that are professionally landscaped for enjoyable and safe evening strolls.

Out and Around The Hermitage

The Hermitage lies in the western shadows of Lost Mountain in Powder Springs, GA. Within 12 miles are many shopping and dining experiences including upscale shops and restaurants at nearby West Cobb Avenue on Dallas Highway (East of the Hermitage), Hiram shopping along Rt. 278 (South East) and Town Center Mall on Barrett Parkway (North East)

Also nearby are Lost Mt. Park (softball and tennis), Oregon Park (baseball), Allatoona Lake, Red Top Mountain, Lake Lanier (hiking, camping, swimming and boating), and the Silver Comet Trail (biking, jogging) for those that like physical and/or competitive activities.

For your visiting guests, consider these nearby attractions: Atlanta and it’s sports, theater, GA Aquarium, World of Coca Cola, and museums. But, here within Cobb County…Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, Marble House Arts Center (Mableton), Marietta Gone With The Wind Museum, The Smith Gilbert Gardens, Silver Comet Trail, Six Flags Over GA and Six Flags White Water.

And, if you're willing to go a little further, consider these attractions to our northwest: Bartow History Center, Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville-Bartow County, Chief Vann House State Historic Site, Funk Heritage Center, New Echota State Historic Site, Pickett's Mill Battlefiled State Historic Site, Rome-GA, Tellus Science Museum.

A Little History of the Area

The Hermitage subdivision was developed by Jimmie "Hal" Ayer. It was designed to be a small executive community of custom homes nestled deep in the forest of historic West Cobb. It featured secluded lots - one acre or more - of rolling hills and trees. As described in the first ad, "Many lots are on the scenic Allatoona Creek, some have panoramic views of the [lost] mountain, and all are hidden beneath a lush cover of mature pines and hardwoods." (See original advertising photo, right).

In 1985 it was turned over to the residents as a covenent community - "The Hermitage Homeowner's Association". The original subdivision plan included 57 two+ acre lots plus a clubhouse. The original ad encourages interested new homeowners to contact agent Newton Malone "Newt" Landers, third child of Newt Mayes "Newt" Landers, a prominent Georgian family and for whom the new streets in phase 2 - New Landers Drive and Malone Court - were named. A second phase started in 1991 added an additional 12 lots bringing the number of lots/homes we have today to 69 plus a clubhouse. 

A recollection by Frank Belko, one of our earliest homeowners in The Hermitage, recalls when they first looked at their lot: "'Homes Away From Homes. This was selling the idea of our large lots which was unheard of at that time. The only large lot subdivision I remember was Jefferson Township in East Cobb and their lots were smaller. There was nothing out here but farmland. There was even a buffalo farm on Friendship Church Road. If you called for pizza delivery they would call you when they departed The Square in Marietta so you would drive to the cemetery on John Ward Road for pickup. That was as far as they would come into "Historic West Cobb." But that drive took about 3 minutes because there was no traffic and no signals. It was quiet and it was beautiful." And regarding the salesman, Mr. Newt Landers: "Newt would sit down in the middle of the road in a lawn chair with an umbrella and sleep. There was no road up the hill at that time. His junker was parked in the middle of the road with a sign made from a cardboard box with large lettering that said "OFFICE". They fired Buckhead Brokers because those folks did not know how to sell out here. They got a good old boy in Newt and he was so good they decided to continue to develop up the hill."

Just around the corner from the subdivision at the intersection of Mars Hill Road and Dallas Highway is the old Lost Mountain Store. In the mid-1800's, Judge Aaron Lafayette Bartlett had a vision for the wild land that sat alongside Dallas Highway and Lost Mountain. He purchased  two hundred acres as well as a house on this property for a grand total of $2.95!  He and his brother-in-law, John Coleman Watson, used bricks they made themselves and built a store called The Watson and Bartlett Store which became a crucial point of commerce for the rural community of Lost Mountain. Today, it is now a branch of United Community Bank. (See WestCobbLife.com for more history about the store.) 

Going further back in time, Indian tribes have roamed this area from 1000-1550 A.D.,  and were originally known as the Mississippian Culture. The Mississippian Indians were known as “the moundbuilders” because their leaders built temples atop large earthen mounds overlooking a central ceremonial plaza.  Nearby Etowa was a capital city in this area and the Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site is the most intact Mississippian Culture site in the Southeast. The Creek Nation is believed to be the southeastern descendant of these Moundbuilders. 

However, the area of Lost Mountain is best know for its small part in the Civil War.

In June 1864 confederate troops created a battle line between Lost Mountain and Kennesaw Mountain to hold off Union Troops. Hardee’s Corps held the left-most position of Lost Mountain. Although the Union forces were superior in number, the southern troops had the advantage of holding the high ground of four key mountains – Lost Mt., Pine Mt., Brush Mt. and Kennesaw Mt. – spanning 12 miles of battle line. From the mountain heights, Confederates would look down on the Union camps and observe every movement. Their batteries sent rumbles to the enemy below, but did little harm because of the extreme height causing the shot and shell to pass harmlessly overhead. (See About North Georgia for more details about "The Blue and Gray Trail".)