The Mason-Todd House
The Mason-Todd House, the first house built in Snellville, sits on land that originated from the Cherokee Land Lottery of 1825, land lot number 39. The land was first deeded to Richard Fold in the amount of 250 acres. Richard Fold sold his property to John Adams, who left the land to his son, Darrell Stone Adams, whom in turn sold 50 acres of the land to Levi Loveless for a dollar an acre. William Locklin bought the rest of the property in 1839 and sold 200 acres for $100 to James McNeal in 1841.
Willard Pickney Mason bought the land from James McNeal in 1848 and several years later built the Mason house. The original house is where Willard and his wife, Miranda Flowers raised their nine children, and consisted simply of four rooms and two rock fireplaces on the north and south sides with a hallway (back porch) that was attached to the original detached kitchen. Still visible today, the interior walls of the house are built with wide-plank wooden boards, the house and detached kitchen are built with chestnut logs and locust pegs and the house still sits upon the same stacked stones that Willard set in place in 1850. In the original part of the house, the doors and window casings are original but only the window in the south room still holds the original glass.
The north fireplace was used in the mid-19th century as a landmark for surveyors in the southern part of Gwinnett County. The rock well and detached kitchen, are the only remaining outbuildings on the property. It is known by oral tradition there was also a washhouse and barn on the property.
The foyer was originally an uncovered porch with three doors that lead into the house. Two front doors lead directly into the family living space and the third door lead into what is referred to as a visiting parson’s room as it was common during pre-civil war time in rural areas to have a room set aside and available for pastors traveling through.
Tony and Helen Todd bought the property in 1966, and are credited with most of the renovations that converted the old house into a modern structure. The Todds installed a new roof, built a front stoop with side staircases, added dental mold trim to the exterior of the house, constructed a large family room complete with a stone fireplace, dining room and kitchen and a bay window with copper roof. In addition, they moved the original detached kitchen to the back of the property for an antique workshop, Tony and Helen also built the current two car garage and covered breezeway that connects to the house. Many of the trees on the property were planted by the Todd family in honor of their children and grandchildren.
The Mason–Todd house has a rich history in the Snellville community and has been the home to many families and tenants over the years.