Traveler’s Rest State Historic Site,
standing on a crossroads of history
near the intersection of the Old King’s
Highway and Unicoi Turnpike, showcases
Georgia’s last stagecoach inn, longtime
residence of the Jarrett family. The
site displays incredible craftsmanship,
provides visitors with a glimpse into early
American travel, and peers back into life
in nineteenth century Georgia.
This stagecoach inn and plantation home
was built around 1815 by James R. Wyly.
He operated the inn until 1833 when he
sold it to his neighbor Devereaux Jarrett,
the “richest man in the Tugaloo Valley.”
Jarrett continued to operate the inn, but
doubled its size to make it the home
of his 14,400-acre plantation along the
Tugaloo River. Three generations of
Jarretts inhabited the site until the state
of Georgia purchased the remaining
few acres of the once-vast plantation
for $8,000 in 1955. Thanks to both its
architectural significance and its role in
the early history of the area, Traveler’s
Rest was designated a National Historic
Landmark in 1964. Today, visitors can
tour the house and see many original
artifacts and furnishings.