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Hardman site near Helen opens to public
State hopes historic site will draw more tourists
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The Hardman Farm main house sits behind a row of black walnut trees, which line a path that leads to it. The house at the state historical site was built in 1870 by Capt. James Nichols. Gov. Lamartine Hardman, who served from 1927-1931, also lived at the farm, which was preserved by the Hardman family until it was donated to the state in 1999.
The stately mansion with Italianate architecture may seem a bit out of place amid the surrounding area’s cow-filled pastures, country homes and stores. But the Georgia Department of Natural Resources is hoping it, along with 162 acres making up the Hardman Farm State Historic Site, will help draw more visitors to the already tourist-laden area, as the property opened Thursday to the public. Many tourists likely have seen it from the road heading into Helen, a busy Alpine village just north of the site.