A House at the Beginning of Adairsville
Long before Founder’s Manor became a gathering place, it stood at the center of a much larger story — the story of the founding and growth of Adairsville itself.
1832
The Land Lottery
The story begins with Land Lot 168, a 160-acre tract that today encompasses much of central Adairsville. The land was won by Hubbard Williams of Butts County in the Georgia Land Lottery of 1832 and officially granted to him in 1834.
1836
William Watts Arrives
On October 31, 1836, William Watts purchased Land Lot 168 for $1,200 and moved to what was then Cass County.
Watts would become the founder of modern-day Adairsville. He chose a prominent elevation overlooking his land as the site of his own residence — a hill that would later become known as Bowdoin’s Hill.
That home would eventually become known as Founder’s Manor.
1840
The Railroad Changes Everything
Watts understood the importance of the proposed Western & Atlantic Railroad, which was being built between what would become Atlanta and Chattanooga.
In 1840, he deeded a railroad right-of-way through a portion of his property, helping position the emerging community along one of Georgia’s most important transportation corridors.
1840s
The Manor Takes Shape
Historical records describe the house on Bowdoin’s Hill as one of the earliest homes in Adairsville, originally owned by William Watts during the 1840s.
Tradition holds that the house may have incorporated an earlier two-room Native American cabin. During later renovations, previous owners reported discovering old notched logs beneath the floors — physical evidence that an earlier log structure may indeed form part of the home’s earliest fabric.
1846–1847
A Town Grows Around the Manor
In 1846, Watts sold three acres to the State of Georgia for the construction of a railroad depot. The first depot was completed in early 1847.
Once the depot site was selected, Watts brought in surveyors and laid out the Public Square and surrounding business lots in a configuration that still helps define downtown Adairsville today.
The settlement was initially called Adair Station, and an 1847 map identified the area as “Williams,” likely in reference to the tract’s original landowner.
1854
Adairsville is Incorporated
As the railroad community grew, it gradually absorbed an older settlement located to the north.
In 1854, the town was officially incorporated as Adairsville, with its original boundaries extending one-half mile in every direction from the railroad depot.
Founder’s Manor remained perched above the developing town — closely connected to the streets, businesses, railroad and community growing below it.
Late 1800s
The House Expands
Historical documentation states that the original home was later enlarged by the Pavlosky brothers of Poland.
Over the years, the residence evolved into the substantial estate seen today, while retaining pieces of its earliest construction and architectural character.
1866-1942
The Era of Dr. Joe Bowdoin
One of the manor’s most prominent residents was Dr. Josephus Patman “Joe” Bowdoin, one of the most influential figures in Adairsville’s history.
Dr. Bowdoin practiced medicine in the community for decades and reportedly delivered more than 3,000 babies, spending approximately 15 years making medical calls on horseback.
His influence reached far beyond medicine. He served for years in city government, helped establish Adairsville’s public schools and waterworks, owned the Adairsville Banner and Bowdoin Drug Store, helped bring banking to the city, served as president of the Bank of Adairsville, and was a co-founder and vice president of the Georgia Brick Company.
His prominence became so closely connected with the property that the hill on which Founder’s Manor sits became known as Bowdoin’s Hill.
1909
A Masonic Mark
Above the manor’s main doorway is the inscription “A.L. ’09.”
The previous owners connected the marking to the home’s Masonic heritage and to Dr. Bowdoin’s extensive involvement in Freemasonry.
Bowdoin ultimately held some of the highest Masonic offices in Georgia, including serving as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Georgia in 1922 and 1923.
20th Century
The Barton Family “On The Hill”
For more than 75 years, generations of the Barton family lived and worked from the historic home at 115 South Main Street. Within the family it became known simply as “On The Hill.”
The property became the longtime home of R. Dudley Barton & Son Funeral Home, placing the house at the center of community life in Adairsville for much of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first.
For generations, families from Adairsville and the surrounding area entered these doors during some of the most meaningful moments of their lives. At the same time, the manor remained a family home, with multiple generations of Bartons being born and raised within its walls.
The Barton family's association with the property became so significant that historic preservation records identify the home as the Bowdoin-Barton House — and it is also remembered as the Watts-Bowdoin-Barton House, reflecting three major chapters in its history.