Atlanta Antique Porcelain Marbles

Atlanta, Georgia was an exciting place

to be during the planning stages of the 1996 Olympics.

So much construction went on around town,

it was hard to keep up with it all.

While removing masonry remnants 

of an early 19th Century building,

crews uncovered thousands 

of pre-civil war era marbles

from an old cistern 

located in what remained 

of the building's basement.

 After researching the location,

they found that the building had been a

marble factory from 1820-1837.

 

They are solid marble

 with a porcelain coat. 

Handmade from marble chunks, 

they were dropped down a brick column resembling a shot tower.

The action of rolling and bouncing 

against the sides of the tower 

 shaped them into rough symmetrical spheres.

They were covered in kaolin clay, 

painted,and then some 

were glazed, then fired.

 

No two are alike. 

Some have a glazed sheen

and many have a flat finish.

The green and cobalt blue
marbles are the rarest!

In fact, variation is part of their charm.

Remaining marble stock

 was stored in the basement

of the building after the business closed.

 The building was burned

just before Christmas, 1864

by Sherman's troops 

immediately following the battle of Atlanta, 

during the Civil War.

 A series of other buildings were

later erected over the basement and foundation

where the marbles were stored.

And stayed there ~ 

until they were discovered in 1995,

by a Mr. J. Kirkland of Harriman, Tennessee,

during Olympic construction

and sold to Georgians and tourists during

the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Mr. Harriman sold batches
of marbles to several antique
shops in Atlanta and around Georgia.

My mother, at the time,
managed an antique
shop here in Dahlonega, Georgia
and was lucky enough to 
purchase several jars of the marbles
from the shop inventory.

She gave a jar to each one of her children.

Between 1996 and 1997, 
the remaining stock was sold 

in its entirety,

to Mr. Charles Stewart of

Attic Treasures Antiques 

of Watkinsville, Georgia.

In fact, Mr. Stewart traveled
around Georgia and purchased 
all of what was left from the
other antique shops.

He is now the only source
of what remains.

I had the pleasure of
speaking with Mr. Stewart
this morning and hearing his story!

He still has some in stock
and sells them 
if you are interested! 

The price is based on 
quantity purchased!

You may reach him at
1-706-769-2818
or attictreasures1@aol.com.

He sends them all over the world! 

You never know what surprise 

you might find

on a picking excursion!

Keep your eyes open! 

There have been thousands of

Atlanta Marbles sold for years,
or you can just visit 
Attic Treasures 
and buy a piece of Atlanta history!!

Live Authentically! ~ Be the Real You!

Blessings,

Martha