Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours Envision Virtual Tours and High Resolution Photography is your best choice to find just what you are looking for in the Ellijay, Ga. area .Ellijay, Georgia, known as the “Apple Capital” of Georgia, is located between the Ellijay and Cartecay Rivers where they join to make the Coosawattee River and is the county seat of Gilmer County, Georgia. The origin of the city’s name is not certain but thought to be the English derivative of an Indian word(s) meaning “many waters”, “place of green things” or “new ground”. Some histories say it may have been named for an Indian chief. Inhabited for countless years by the Cherokee people indigenous to the North Georgia, the area was first mentioned as a village and trade center before the onslaught of white settlers inhabited the region. During the 1830’s both white settlers and Indians occupied Ellijay. During the original land lottery in 1832, Martin Scalf acquired the 160 acre lot where the town now stands. In 1833, Clemonds Quinland bought 10 acres from Scalf, retained one acre for himself and donated the rest of the purchase to the County. A plan for twenty town lots, streets and a public square was created and the streets were oriented to allow maximum sunlight exposure to the buildings. Proceeds from lot sales were used to build a jail and courthouse and pay other city expenses. During this same year, Gilmer County was appropriated $800.00 from the State to build a school, and a three-acre lot was donated for the city cemetery. On December 29, l834, Ellijay was incorporated and designated as the County seat of Gilmer County. By 1837, the town had twenty dwellings, three stores and one attorney. Most of these early buildings were of log construction. Many roads led to Ellijay by 1849. The population had grown to 150 by 1850 and the town at five stores. Some wood-frame buildings were being constructed at this time and in 1854, a new courthouse was built in the center of the square, replacing the earlier building. The County’s first newspaper was the Ellijay Courier, started in 1875, and during this time period, Ellijay was a stop on the stagecoach line. The railroad bridge over the Cartecay River was completed in 1884 and the town now had rail service. With the arrival of the railroad and subsequent tracks to White Path, Ellijay began to grow much faster. Many hotels were constructed and land was donated for a depot east of town. More industries, such as a cheese factory and the Shippen Brothers Lumber Mill, located in Ellijay. By 1898, the city had expanded its limits in every direction and now included the depot. By 1900, all the buildings on the town square were brick. This included the recently completed Hyatt Hotel. Most of the other buildings in town were still of log construction, but new wood-frame buildings were being built. The Shippen Brothers Lumber Company production was expanding and exporting their lumber to Europe. Within the next few decades, this company grew to be one of the largest employers in Ellijay, often with five to six million feet of lumber in the yard at one time. The population of Ellijay grew to 659 by 1910, and began to acquire many new modern conveniences such as electric lights and power, a telephone company and many new businesses. Then in 1912, a fire ravaged the city, destroying 23 buildings. As a result, many new buildings were constructed under new and stricter fire and safety guidelines. The population, however, decreased slightly at this time to 632 in 1920. During the 1920’s the town’s population began to grow again and, by this time, apples were being shipped out of the county and new storage facilities were built. Chickens were also shipped to markets outside of Ellijay and Gilmer County. From the mid 1930’s to 1950, Ellijay received much assistance from the Federal WPA Programs. The old courthouse was removed from the center of town square and the Hyatt Hotel was remodeled to be the new courthouse. A park was created on the site of the old courthouse and the streets around the square were paved. A new street was built at this time entering town from the northeast. Other new roads, bridges, sidewalks and gutters were constructed to improve the city. A school and gymnasium were also built and other structures improved. This growth began to impact the city’s infrastructure and in the l950’s and l960’s, a period of upgrading water systems, roads, and power supplies began. New low-rent housing appeared in l960 and a new hospital was built in l957. Georgia Highway 5 was widened in l962, new buildings around the square replaced old ones and some were remodeled. In 1974, the hospital was enlarged. Currently, Ellijay attracts tourists who love the small-town feel and friendly atmosphere. Hotels and restaurants, unique shops, antiques and art galleries lend their charms to those who visit. A new courthouse constructed to resemble the old one, new streetscaping, family-oriented downtown events and the beautification of the square have stepped up the social and economic activity and have made Ellijay a popular destination.

Imported from Bali, these sandstone carvings and water features create the feeling you have stepped across the threshold into a lush garden paradise. The lawns were subsequently replaced with drought tolerant ground cover.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours Envision Virtual Tours and High Resolution Photography is your best choice to find just what you are looking for in the Ellijay, Ga. area .Ellijay, Georgia, known as the “Apple Capital” of Georgia, is located between the Ellijay and Cartecay Rivers where they join to make the Coosawattee River and is the county seat of Gilmer County, Georgia. The origin of the city’s name is not certain but thought to be the English derivative of an Indian word(s) meaning “many waters”, “place of green things” or “new ground”. Some histories say it may have been named for an Indian chief. Inhabited for countless years by the Cherokee people indigenous to the North Georgia, the area was first mentioned as a village and trade center before the onslaught of white settlers inhabited the region. During the 1830’s both white settlers and Indians occupied Ellijay. During the original land lottery in 1832, Martin Scalf acquired the 160 acre lot where the town now stands. In 1833, Clemonds Quinland bought 10 acres from Scalf, retained one acre for himself and donated the rest of the purchase to the County. A plan for twenty town lots, streets and a public square was created and the streets were oriented to allow maximum sunlight exposure to the buildings. Proceeds from lot sales were used to build a jail and courthouse and pay other city expenses. During this same year, Gilmer County was appropriated $800.00 from the State to build a school, and a three-acre lot was donated for the city cemetery. On December 29, l834, Ellijay was incorporated and designated as the County seat of Gilmer County. By 1837, the town had twenty dwellings, three stores and one attorney. Most of these early buildings were of log construction. Many roads led to Ellijay by 1849. The population had grown to 150 by 1850 and the town at five stores. Some wood-frame buildings were being constructed at this time and in 1854, a new courthouse was built in the center of the square, replacing the earlier building. The County’s first newspaper was the Ellijay Courier, started in 1875, and during this time period, Ellijay was a stop on the stagecoach line. The railroad bridge over the Cartecay River was completed in 1884 and the town now had rail service. With the arrival of the railroad and subsequent tracks to White Path, Ellijay began to grow much faster. Many hotels were constructed and land was donated for a depot east of town. More industries, such as a cheese factory and the Shippen Brothers Lumber Mill, located in Ellijay. By 1898, the city had expanded its limits in every direction and now included the depot. By 1900, all the buildings on the town square were brick. This included the recently completed Hyatt Hotel. Most of the other buildings in town were still of log construction, but new wood-frame buildings were being built. The Shippen Brothers Lumber Company production was expanding and exporting their lumber to Europe. Within the next few decades, this company grew to be one of the largest employers in Ellijay, often with five to six million feet of lumber in the yard at one time. The population of Ellijay grew to 659 by 1910, and began to acquire many new modern conveniences such as electric lights and power, a telephone company and many new businesses. Then in 1912, a fire ravaged the city, destroying 23 buildings. As a result, many new buildings were constructed under new and stricter fire and safety guidelines. The population, however, decreased slightly at this time to 632 in 1920. During the 1920’s the town’s population began to grow again and, by this time, apples were being shipped out of the county and new storage facilities were built. Chickens were also shipped to markets outside of Ellijay and Gilmer County. From the mid 1930’s to 1950, Ellijay received much assistance from the Federal WPA Programs. The old courthouse was removed from the center of town square and the Hyatt Hotel was remodeled to be the new courthouse. A park was created on the site of the old courthouse and the streets around the square were paved. A new street was built at this time entering town from the northeast. Other new roads, bridges, sidewalks and gutters were constructed to improve the city. A school and gymnasium were also built and other structures improved. This growth began to impact the city’s infrastructure and in the l950’s and l960’s, a period of upgrading water systems, roads, and power supplies began. New low-rent housing appeared in l960 and a new hospital was built in l957. Georgia Highway 5 was widened in l962, new buildings around the square replaced old ones and some were remodeled. In 1974, the hospital was enlarged. Currently, Ellijay attracts tourists who love the small-town feel and friendly atmosphere. Hotels and restaurants, unique shops, antiques and art galleries lend their charms to those who visit. A new courthouse constructed to resemble the old one, new streetscaping, family-oriented downtown events and the beautification of the square have stepped up the social and economic activity and have made Ellijay a popular destination.

This project involved a complete refinish of an antique chest of drawers in the Federal/Hepplewhite tradition. The piece features solid hardwood construction in a 2-over-3 drawer configuration, bracket feet with a shaped apron, original cast brass oval bail pulls, and crossbanded stringing inlay in a contrasting light wood framing each drawer face, with a diamond inlay accent centered on each drawer. The client brought the piece to our Fort Collins shop for a full refinish. The existing finish had degraded to the point where it was obscuring the natural figure and warmth of the wood rather than enhancing it. The process involved complete stripping of the existing finish down to bare wood, thorough surface preparation to ensure full penetration of subsequent coats, careful color development to match the natural warmth of the wood's underlying tone, and a multi-step topcoat application to achieve the depth and clarity appropriate to a period antique. Particular care was given to the stringing inlay during stripping and surface preparation to preserve the integrity of the light-wood contrast lines, which are a defining decorative element of Federal-period cabinetwork. The original brass hardware was cleaned and polished, retaining its antique character throughout. The completed piece demonstrates the depth of figure available in well-seasoned hardwood when the finish is built correctly from bare wood - a result not achievable through surface application alone. G. Michaels Restoration has provided furniture restoration, refinishing, and repair services in Fort Collins and the greater Northern Colorado region since 1985. We work with private clients, interior designers, estate clients, and historic preservation projects across Fort Collins and Denver metro. Check us here: https://gmrestores.com/antique-furniture-restoration-projects-fort-collins

This customer from the historic city of Cardiff was keen to see what Tile Doctor could do to put some life back into their treasured Limestone kitchen floor that was laid in 2008. My first observations were mainly centred on the horrific condition of the surface which although adequately sealed initially the floor had not received any subsequent maintenance and its condition had deteriorated over time. The light shining in from the patio doors highlighted all the imperfections in the floor caused by surface wear and tear commonly seen in high traffic areas such as a kitchen. Upon closer inspection, there were further problems: the floor was stained and scuffed, and in most places the sealer had worn off completely allowing the dirt to become ingrained into the pores of the Limestone. Additionally the grout was recessed but was now flush with the tile surface due to dirt build-up. There were also areas contaminated with grease and kitchen cooking oil. The Limestone floor tiles were 20mm thick French Limestone, and had been laid very well so there was no requirement to do any tile or grout repairs however to get this floor back to its original condition the surface would need to be reconditioned using the Tile Doctor four stage burnishing system. I started by giving the floor a wash with a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, focusing mainly on the grout lines in order to remove the muck that had built-up there. I used a special stiff grout brush for this activity; it’s quite narrow and ideal for grout scrubbing. This worked well, but the significant build-up of dirt along some of the grout lines meant more work was required. I tackled this problem with a hand scraper assisted with steam. At the end of this process, the whole floor was then rinsed down with water to remove any soil and the resulting slurry was then extracted using a wet vacuum. The next step was to start the burnishing process, which basically involves applying four diamond encrusted floor pads in sequence over the floor. Each pad is a different grade, starting with the most abrasive coarse pad and moving through to the finer grades using a little water to lubricate and rinsing away any slurry between each pad. I eventually finished with the extra fine pad which builds up shine and lustre on the tile; it had taken two days to clean the grout and burnish the Limestone but the floor was much improved and so after a final rinse down I left the floor to dry off overnight with the aid of the underfloor heating. During this time, I also addressed the stained Limestone in the area of the kitchen where the dustbin was situated. This had been a major upset for the customer and I’m happy to report I managed to deal with it. However, it was quite an involved process, so I’ll write about this in a separate post. On the third day I came back to seal the floor, checking first that it had dried sufficiently with a damp meter. Fortunately, the underfloor heating had done a great job of drying the stone and I was able to seal the floor using three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealant. This sealant not only provides a durable seal but also penetrates deep into the pores of the stone protecting it from within and enhancing the natural colours of the Limestone in the process. After the final layer of sealant, I worked over the floor again with the extra fine burnishing pad both to add shine again following sealing, and to ensure that no smear marks were visible as the lighting conditions were unforgiving and highlighted any imperfections. The customer was delighted with the results: so much so, in fact, that they booked me in to restore their Victorian hallway floor as well but that’s a story for another time! Julian Iancono SE Wales Tile Doctor

I was called out to clean a Porcelain tiled floor at a newly built property in Winwick near Huntingdon. The tiles were heavily marked with grout and dirt and were impossible to get clean. To make things worse the tiles were pale, almost white, in colour which made the staining more obvious. It was clear to me that the builder had not managed to polish off all the grout after tiling and this had now set hard on the surface. This is a very common problem known as Grout Haze and fortunately there is a solution, in that it can be removed by giving the tiles a rinse with an acidic tile cleaner called Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up. To prove the point, I carried out a quick demonstration so the new owners could appreciate the difference. I always like to test porcelain tiles for a reaction to acid prior to commencing work as acidic cleaners can have a negative effect on some types of polished porcelain however this one had a textured feel to it so there was no issue. The test went well so having got the go head I began by first cleaning the tiles with a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, this was left for about ten minutes before being worked into the tile with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. I also used a stiff brush along the grout lines to make sure the grout was as clean as the tile. This process generates a lot of soiling which was then extracted using a truck mount machine. By Truck Mount I’m referring to a powerful cleaning machine that’s fitted into my van, it blasts the floor with hot water and then immediately extracts it using an equally powerful vacuum to grey tank in the vehicle, it’s incredibly effective and leaves very little water on the floor afterwards. The next step was to tackle the grout haze and this is done as before by Acid Washing the floor using a dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up and scrubbing into the tile as before. Again, the resultant soils were extracted as before using the truck mount. The floor was then speed dried using Dripods which are small horizontal fans designed to blow air downwards and ideal for drying carpets and hard floors. Once dry, a coat of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal was applied, left to dry and any excess buffed away with a White pad. The work was completed in one day and completely transformed the floor much to the delight of my customer who left the following message in a subsequent email: “Thank you very much indeed, we are delighted with the floor.” I’m pleased to say I have since returned to the neighbourhood and completed another identical grout removal job at a neighbour’s property who had the same issue with builder. Tom Conlon Cambridge Tile Doctor

Enter a ‘Modern Chic’ serene and luxurious oasis, where every detail has been thoughtfully designed to create a captivating bathroom experience. The walls are covered with classic white subway tiles, adding a timeless charm to the space. At your feet, a mesmerizing black hexagon charcoal floor starts from the entrance all the way to the back, nicely climbing up the shower wall. Furthermore, it’s a striking and modern touch that immediately catches your eye. Relaxation Starts Here Approaching the shower area, you can’t help but feel a sense of excitement. A sleek glass sliding door begs you to step inside and enjoy a refreshing shower. Easily gliding open, it offers both privacy and a spacious open feel to the room. Take a moment to appreciate the elegant fixtures and faucets in a warm bronze finish. Their subtle glow beautifully complements the white tiles, adding a touch of sophistication and style. In addition, each tap and handle reflects meticulous attention to detail, showcasing the careful craftsmanship that went into creating this exquisite bathroom. Attention on You Turn your attention to the vanity area, where a mirror has built-in lighting. The soft glow creates a flattering ambiance, casting a warm and inviting light across the entire bathroom. It should be noted, the mirror not only serves its practical purpose but also adds a touch of glamour and elegance to the space, enhancing your daily morning routine. Now, focus on the custom-made vanity cabinet, expertly crafted from dark walnut. The rich, luxurious wood exudes timeless beauty and sophistication. Additionally, it offers ample storage and space, cleverly designed to keep all your essentials organized and within easy reach. Sitting atop the cabinet is a stunning white slab counter with delicate grey veins across its surface. Elegant Lighting To enhance the overall atmosphere, recessed LED lights have been strategically placed throughout the bathroom. Casting a soft glow, highlighting the textures, colors, and architectural features. Clearly, the combination of light and shadow creates a captivating visual effect, adding depth and dimension to the space. This detailed designed bathroom harmoniously blends style and functionality, creating a haven of beauty and relaxation. It invites you to unwind and escape from the outside world. Subsequently, immerse yourself in this captivating bathroom experience, where every element has been carefully curated to provide a serene and rejuvenating environment.

Located on approximately 12 acres of upland hillside that include old bluestone quarry sites, this project has developed over time through a series of alterations and additions to an existing late eighteenth century farmhouse. Initial new work included a new entry, screen porch and shed dormer additions to the main house, as well as a subsequent detached new ceramics studio. More recent complimentary additions include new dining, living and screened in porch spaces as well as new entry and connection links. Conceptualized as a cascading series of vernacular forms on a moderately sloping hillside, all new spaces feature extra height ceilings and plenty of glass and light connecting inside to out with new bluestone terraces, retaining walls and garden features. We also created a 246 square foot studio with a generous southwestern exposure and a passive cantilevered roof coverage for an aspiring ceramic artist. Inspired by local agrarian features, this new structure takes its cue from nearby chicken coops, but transforms with careful window, door and exterior material detailing. Built upon the tailings of an early bluestone quarry, the exterior landscaping includes the integration of existing adjacent ledge outcropping, dry laid bluestone walls, steps and terraces with a mature hardwood canopy. Planned for year round occupation (although with easy seasonal shutdown mode), amenities include: in floor radiant heating, slop sink, floor drains, insulated windows and doors, code compliant (spray foam) insulation envelope

Enter a ‘Modern Chic’ serene and luxurious oasis, where every detail has been thoughtfully designed to create a captivating bathroom experience. The walls are covered with classic white subway tiles, adding a timeless charm to the space. At your feet, a mesmerizing black hexagon charcoal floor starts from the entrance all the way to the back, nicely climbing up the shower wall. Furthermore, it’s a striking and modern touch that immediately catches your eye. Relaxation Starts Here Approaching the shower area, you can’t help but feel a sense of excitement. A sleek glass sliding door begs you to step inside and enjoy a refreshing shower. Easily gliding open, it offers both privacy and a spacious open feel to the room. Take a moment to appreciate the elegant fixtures and faucets in a warm bronze finish. Their subtle glow beautifully complements the white tiles, adding a touch of sophistication and style. In addition, each tap and handle reflects meticulous attention to detail, showcasing the careful craftsmanship that went into creating this exquisite bathroom. Attention on You Turn your attention to the vanity area, where a mirror has built-in lighting. The soft glow creates a flattering ambiance, casting a warm and inviting light across the entire bathroom. It should be noted, the mirror not only serves its practical purpose but also adds a touch of glamour and elegance to the space, enhancing your daily morning routine. Now, focus on the custom-made vanity cabinet, expertly crafted from dark walnut. The rich, luxurious wood exudes timeless beauty and sophistication. Additionally, it offers ample storage and space, cleverly designed to keep all your essentials organized and within easy reach. Sitting atop the cabinet is a stunning white slab counter with delicate grey veins across its surface. Elegant Lighting To enhance the overall atmosphere, recessed LED lights have been strategically placed throughout the bathroom. Casting a soft glow, highlighting the textures, colors, and architectural features. Clearly, the combination of light and shadow creates a captivating visual effect, adding depth and dimension to the space. This detailed designed bathroom harmoniously blends style and functionality, creating a haven of beauty and relaxation. It invites you to unwind and escape from the outside world. Subsequently, immerse yourself in this captivating bathroom experience, where every element has been carefully curated to provide a serene and rejuvenating environment.