Manos House
1890, present location 1998 | 512 Candler LaneThis lovely Queen Anne Folk Victorian home was originally built in 1890 in Social Circle, Georgia, for the Stevensons. The family of seven lived in town where Mr. Stevenson worked. Mr. Stevenson suffered a tragic heart attack at an early age leaving Mrs. Stevenson to raise the children alone. It was not long her husband’s death that she became the Assistant Postmaster for Social Circle, a real achievement for a woman at the turn of the Twentieth Century.
In 1998 the house was cut in two and moved to Madison from the lot in downtown Social Circle where the Ace hardware store is located today. It was one of the first houses established on Candler Lane. The Manos house is the only historic structure on the quaint street of historically-inspired new homes and is the only one with an historical marker. The previous owners partnered with the owners next door to buy the lot between the houses and split the land giving each more space, including room for the driveway and two-car garage which is now a man’s den/TV room.
Structural changes were made over the years. An open loft space on the second story was enlarged by raising the roof and separate rooms were created. A breakfast room, master bath. laundry area and half bath were added. The previous owners removed a fireplace and the wall dividing the dining room from the kitchen to create open space.
The current owners are Jan and Bill Manos who moved into the house in March of 2019. When they purchased the house there were steep exterior steps going to the center of the porch. Jan was determined that the steps be made easier to climb and that they would line up with the front door. That project has just recently been completed. The wooden porch rails were designed by Jan and were made by a craftsman in Knoxville, Tennessee. The rails were installed once they were brought to Madison. The iron handrails were made here in Madison by Garry Phelps Welding. A large patio was put in, along with new landscaping that includes Bill’s extra tall garden planter boxes. A new fence was built, and an original outbuilding, also moved from Social Circle, has been restored.
Once inside visitors will see high ceilings, deep woodwork, stained glass, and a tall staircase going to the second floor. The first floor includes a living room and a dining room – both with English style furniture and decorative accessories. The ground floor also includes a new country kitchen designed and built by Andrew Whitley plus a breakfast room and a large master bedroom with bath. A back hall includes a laundry room and guest bath. The house is full of color and original paintings and prints by Donna Brass. The upstairs has 3 bedrooms and a bath. All rooms will be open for guests to visit. This is the first time this house has been on tour, and Jan and Bill Manos are happy to share it with you.