The story of Elisha Winn and the home he built near Hog Mountain is really the story of early Gwinnett County, for it was Winn who was not only one of the first settlers in this area, he was a founding father of the county. His home, on Dacula Road, served as the county's first courthouse and it was Winn who supplied the land to create the county seat, Lawrenceville (History of Lawrenceville, Georgia).

When Winn settled near Hog Mountain in 1805 it was on the western edge of the Georgia frontier. Settlers were protected from the Cherokee by Fort Daniel at the top of the mountain. Built along the Dacula Highway (at this time Hurricane Shoals was the name of the road that ran past the house) in 1812 the Winn house is a beautiful sight, particularly at sunset, when the front of the house is lit by the setting sun.

Gwinnett County was formed (December 15, 1818) from portions of Hall and Jackson County and Elisha Winn was appointed judge in the Inferior Court. The courthouse was his barn and the jail was in his backyard. The first Gwinnett County election was held in the house. Winn's homestead continued to serve the county for 2 years when the first temporary Gwinnett County courthouse was completed in 1820. Elisha Winn died in 1842.

Among those related to Winn by blood or marriage are: William Maltbie, an early Gwinnett County businessman; C. H. Brand, a lawyer who served as president of Brand Banking and went on to national fame as a key member of the U. S. House of Representatives; and Thomas Elisha Winn, a lawyer who served a term as U. S. Representative.

For more than 100 years the Winn house was occupied and cared for. After the Second World War it fell into disrepair. Thanks to the Gwinnett Historical Society the home has been completely renovated to the way it looked in 1870.


Location: Dacula Road, north of downtown Dacula
Directions: Take Highway 316 east to Old Winder Road. Turn left. In downtown Dacula, turn left on Dacula Road. The house is just outside of town on the right.
Additional information:
Elisha Winn House
908 Dacula Road.,
Dacula, GA, 30019

Date added: November 16, 2003
Last update: January 4, 2004