The John Ross House, a landmark in Rossville that is the oldest building in Northwest Georgia, has been named to the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation's 2011 Places in Peril List. While the designation does not meant the structure is in danger of immediate collapse, it does strongly suggest that steps should be taken now to preserve it for future generations. Such a reminder is both useful and timely.
Though the building was listed on a Georgia preservation list, the history and the importance of the John Ross House transcends the state border. Constructed in 1797 near a spring and the junction of several Indian trails, the Ross House is tied directly and indirectly to early settlements in Tennessee and Alabama as well as Georgia.
The house was built by John McDonald, a Scot who established a trading post on the Tennessee River. The post was first called Ross's Landing, and the settlement around it later evolved into the city of Chattanooga. The house now carries the name of John Ross, a McDonald descendant who became a principal chief of the Cherokee nation.
The building is structurally as well as historically important. University of Georgia researchers say it is oldest two-story log structure of its type in the region. Despite its significance and on-going efforts to preserve it, the future of the John Ross House is uncertain.
The Chief John Ross Association maintains the building and its site, but faces significant challenges in doing so. A relatively new cut shingle roof has slowed deterioration, but problems at the house persist. The most troublesome is noticeable settling that threatens the integrity of the structure. The association is finding it hard to raise or obtain funds for emergency repairs or to take long-term measures to counteract the toll of age and climate. Current economic conditions exacerbate the money issues.
Members of the association are aging, and there appears to be little interest from young people in the region in joining the effort to maintain and preserve the landmark. Those issues, as much as the physical condition of the building, attracted the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation's interest and led to the inclusion of the structure on its imperiled list for 2011. All is not bleak, however.
The Rossville Downtown Development Association has expressed an interest in the structure and its preservation. Other groups and individuals also are starting to work with the Chief John Ross House Association to increase awareness and to raise the funds necessary to stabilize the house in a manner consistent with its historical importance. Such work will take time, but it is vital if an important piece of the region's past is to be preserved for future generations to study and enjoy.