Help Preserve The Simmons-Bond House
Donation protected
The Simmons-Bond house was built in 1903 and seen numerous homes and businesses grace this Victorian mansion. Built by James Simmons for his wife, it was a family residence for several generations. Many residents of Toccoa have memories of their childhood playing in and around this beautiful home. For the last 20+ years, the home has operated as a landmark Bed & Breakfast in downtown Toccoa, Georgia. It is listed on the county and national historic registers.
The Simmons-Bond house is loved by the residents and other businesses in Toccoa and is critically important to the community and travelers from around the country, from overseas, and to those in the north Georgia mountains.
My husband and I purchased the home in October of 2017. We were welcomed by the town with open arms and have loved every day we have lived here. We knew there would be some issues with a 116-year-old home. But for us it would be a labor of love to continue preserving this historic home. Unfortunately, there were some hidden issues that were recently uncovered. Over the past year and a half, we have had to do many repairs on the home.
Because we want to see this magnificent house be here for generations to come, we inspected the chimneys and other areas of the house and have found some concerns. The alcove in the dining area had a roof leak for an unknown amount of time which caused a lot of water damage. We were able to get the roof and rotted wood replaced to prevent anymore damage but there is still a good amount of work that needs to be done to fully stabilize the alcove. The four chimneys that grace the roof of the house must be stabilized and re-mortared. The roof over the back of the house also needs to be replaced as it is currently leaking during heavy storms. There are also some plumbing and electrical issues that need to be addressed to prevent flooding or fires in the home.
Daniel and I will continue to put all we have into preserving the Simmons-Bond house and making it available for everyone to enjoy for decades to come. Our currently plan is to create a 5 member Board of Directors, which will then allow us to start applying for historic home grants that will match the cost of repairs per project. For example if we apply for a grant to help stabilize the four chimneys and it will cost $10,000 for the work the grant will cover $5,000.
Our vision is to return and maintain the character of this magnificent home and preserve the quality of this 116-year-old grand dame for the community and those who stay at the Bed & Breakfast.
Thank you for taking the time to read about this wonderful home and for any contributions you can make. Even if you just share our story, we are eternally grateful for everyone involved with helping us preserve the Simmons-Bond house.
Kind Regards and God Bless,
Tanya
The Simmons-Bond house is loved by the residents and other businesses in Toccoa and is critically important to the community and travelers from around the country, from overseas, and to those in the north Georgia mountains.
My husband and I purchased the home in October of 2017. We were welcomed by the town with open arms and have loved every day we have lived here. We knew there would be some issues with a 116-year-old home. But for us it would be a labor of love to continue preserving this historic home. Unfortunately, there were some hidden issues that were recently uncovered. Over the past year and a half, we have had to do many repairs on the home.
Because we want to see this magnificent house be here for generations to come, we inspected the chimneys and other areas of the house and have found some concerns. The alcove in the dining area had a roof leak for an unknown amount of time which caused a lot of water damage. We were able to get the roof and rotted wood replaced to prevent anymore damage but there is still a good amount of work that needs to be done to fully stabilize the alcove. The four chimneys that grace the roof of the house must be stabilized and re-mortared. The roof over the back of the house also needs to be replaced as it is currently leaking during heavy storms. There are also some plumbing and electrical issues that need to be addressed to prevent flooding or fires in the home.
Daniel and I will continue to put all we have into preserving the Simmons-Bond house and making it available for everyone to enjoy for decades to come. Our currently plan is to create a 5 member Board of Directors, which will then allow us to start applying for historic home grants that will match the cost of repairs per project. For example if we apply for a grant to help stabilize the four chimneys and it will cost $10,000 for the work the grant will cover $5,000.
Our vision is to return and maintain the character of this magnificent home and preserve the quality of this 116-year-old grand dame for the community and those who stay at the Bed & Breakfast.
Thank you for taking the time to read about this wonderful home and for any contributions you can make. Even if you just share our story, we are eternally grateful for everyone involved with helping us preserve the Simmons-Bond house.
Kind Regards and God Bless,
Tanya
Organizer
Tanya Thrasher White
Organizer
Toccoa, GA
