July 8, 2019

CONTACT: Connie Sutherland

Executive Director, GWTW Museum 

Csutherland@mariettaga.gov

770.794.5145 

Lindsey Wiles

Lwiles@mariettaga.gov

770-794-5509

MARIETTA - The Marietta Gone With the Wind Museum and the City of Marietta, are proud to announce that a collection of Tara elements will now call the Marietta Gone With The Wind Museum in Marietta, Georgia its home.

Tara was originally constructed at Selznick International Studios’ “Forty Acres” production lot in Culver City, California. Following the conclusion of filming, the Tara set remained standing for 20 years until Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s Desilu Productions, then owner of the lot, had it dismantled in the spring of 1959.  Tara was removed to be reconstructed on 300 acres of forested land in North Georgia. When plans did not pan out for reconstruction, the Tara facade remained in a storage barn until 1979 when former first lady, the late Betty Talmadge, purchased it with the intent of restoring it to its former glory.

The massive collection of “Tara” facade elements includes shutters and window frames from the front of the house as well as the left wing, including the prominent tall windows and shutters mounted to the right of the front door where Scarlett is first seen at Tara conversing with the Tarleton Twins.  A pair of large interior solid shutters seen in the famous sequence as Scarlett pulls down the draperies to make her iconic dress, is also included.

The Marietta Gone With the Wind Museum, is located at historic Brumby Hall, (pictured above), a pre-Civil War home built in 1851. The museum has plans to renovate a carriage house on the property, to house as many of the Tara elements as possible. Connie Sutherland, director of the museum, said, “the sole purpose of our bid for the Tara façade, was to ensure its place in Georgia, and to share this tremendous piece of history with fans of Gone With the Wind, and of history in general.” 

For more information visit www.gwtwmarietta.com