The Elisha Winn House, the first seat of Gwinnett County government, will get site upgrades and the 1840 Hudson-Nash Farmhouse will be restored after commissioners approved two SPLOST-funded projects on October 15.

Department of Community Services Director Tina Fleming said the improvements at both houses will set the stage for interpretive programming for grades K-12 and the public to learn more about Gwinnett County’s history.

The Elisha Winn House site, located at 908 Dacula Road in Dacula, will get new parking, restrooms, a covered outdoor stage with seating, plus accessible walkways and associated electrical, landscaping, and drainage improvements.

Elisha Winn was instrumental in forming the new county in 1818 and offered his house and barn for elections, courtrooms, and a jail. The Board awarded the $2.28 million contract to Multiplex LLC of Duluth.

Earlier this year the County moved the Hudson-Nash farmhouse across the street to the Yellow River Post Office historic site on Five Forks Trickum Road between Lilburn and Snellville. Now it will be stabilized and restored by Finch Finishes under a $286,748 contract.

The work includes paint removal; specialized cleaning; rehabilitating windows, doors, and mantels; painting; and interior restoration. The house had been on the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s Places in Peril list before it was donated to Gwinnett County two years ago.

Thomas Hudson built the house as part of a plantation on the Yellow River that covered 562 acres by the time of the Civil War. He also ran a store and post office in a building that is now preserved with other historic structures at the Yellow River Park.

William Nash bought the property around 1880 and it remained in his family until 1996. “We believe it is the only 19^th century house with a detached kitchen that is still standing in Gwinnett County so we’re excited to preserve it for future generations to see,” said Fleming.