“InNewN ”
hands
A new kind of history is now
being made at one of
Marietta’s most historic
and beloved homes
and wedding venues
BY KATY RUTH CAMP
Just off the Marietta Square on Whitlock Avenue is
a stately home that has been given a lot of love in
its 120 years, and has seen a lot of love, too. The
Whitlock Inn is one of the city’s most popular
wedding venues with its grand rooms, dramatic staircases
and a courtyard whose blooming trees and vines provide
the perfect backdrop.
The person who lovingly restored the home 27 years
ago and made it what is today, Alexis Amaden, has seen
nearly 3,500 glowing brides and almost half as many galas,
parties and celebrations as its owner. But on May 11, 2020,
Amaden made the decision to free up her nights and
weekends to spend more time with her family, and faithfully
turned the veil to a new owner.
“It’s of course bittersweet, but I’m so excited, too. The
new owner is just wonderful, and I know she will take such
good care of it and the legacy will continue,” Amaden said.
That new owner is Kathy Heilman, who came to The
Whitlock Inn from Barnsley Resort in Adairsville as its
wedding director. She and her husband, Jim, live in
Acworth and have three daughters. Heilman purchased
both the business and the building, but she and Amaden
confirmed that all of the staff and Carriage House catering
would remain, with no major changes to operations.
A HISTORY OF LOVE
According to Amaden, the grounds originally held the
M.G. Whitlock House in the 1890s and was a famous
150-room Marietta resort before it burned to the ground.
Prior to that and before the Civil War, it was a popular
showplace for tourists taking the train from hot coastal
towns, like Savannah, to the cooler foothills of Georgia. The
resort occupied nearly the whole block of Whitlock Avenue,
where The Whitlock Inn, a private residence and the Trust
Company Bank building now stand.
In 1900, part of the land was purchased by Herbert C.
Dobbs and his wife, Annie. That is when they built The
Whitlock Inn as it as seen today, serving as a home for their
family of eight. In 1910, the home was sold to Mr. and Mrs.
Kemper Smith, who, after several years of residence, sold
the home to the Dosser family. The much-loved Dossers
were active in the First United Methodist Church of Marietta,
which is located directly across from The Whitlock Inn.
Mrs. Dosser is remembered as a favorite piano teacher and
the giver of elaborately-decorated Christmas parties, which
is appropriate for The Whitlock Inn’s own use today as the
site of the annual Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home
Tour (pre-pandemic).
In 1977, the Dosser heirs sold the home to the city of
Alexis Amaden
with her family
in front of The
Whitlock Inn
10 COBB LIFE | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021