On Tuesday, March 13, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond and the Board of Commissioners authorized funding to stabilize the historic Lyon Farm.  The property contains a historic farmhouse and smokehouse that are believed to contain the oldest homestead in DeKalb County.

The 100-acre Lyon Farm was purchased by the DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management in 2006 as part of the Pole Bridge Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant and Sprayfields. In 2016, the historic structures were placed on the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s “Places in Peril” list due to excessive damage to the roof and other structural elements. This project, budgeted at $225,000, will restore the structural integrity of the farmhouse and smokehouse, repair the roof, and provide much needed weather proofing.

“The Arabia Alliance looks forward to actively working with DeKalb County to stabilize the historic house and find an adaptive reuse that will engage the community with its vibrant past,” said Executive Director Mera Cardenas. 

The Lyon Farm is part of the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area and has been identified as a future site for tourism and youth education. It will eventually tie directly into Atlanta’s Beltline through the Arabia Mountain PATH, a multi-use trail that is more than 33 miles long.  The Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance will coordinate the restoration of the structures and look for opportunities to add some sweat equity to bring them to a reusable level.  This unique public-private partnership will help control project costs and ensure that the restoration meets the requirements for historic preservation.