(rshsdepot) Jonesboro, GA

["Jim Dent" <james.dent_@_itochu.com>]

-From the Clayton County, GA Daily News...

Where the past lives

By Justin Reedy
November 05, 2001

Clayton County has long been the home of "Gone With the Wind," but that
distinction now has even more meaning.

With the recent reopening of the Road to Tara Museum, the Train Depot in
downtown Jonesboro is now home to the largest permanent display of "Gone
With the Wind" memorabilia in the world.

The museum, which was originally housed in an Atlanta hotel, moved to the
historic depot on Jonesboro Road in 1998. It was purchased by the Clayton
County Tourism Authority in 2000, which pumped $350,000 into the project.
The newly renovated museum opened last month.

But more than just a museum about the fictional film about the Civil War
era, the Road to Tara Museum includes historical information about the War
Between the States, including the battles in Atlanta and Jonesboro.

"It tells a little about the people who lived here and the people who fought
and died here," said Stacey Dickson of the tourism authority. "The museum
goes from the reality of the residents of Jonesboro to the fiction of 'Gone
With the Wind.'"

For Gene Hatfield, chairman of the tourism authority, it was important to
incorporate Civil War history into the exhibits, just like Margaret Mitchell
borrowed heavily from the history books for her epic novel.

"As a historian, I am very glad the museum contains information about the
Battle of Jonesboro and General Sherman's Atlanta campaign," Hatfield said.
"We want our tourists to understand the important role Jonesboro played in
the Civil War."

For fans of the film or the book, the museum has a lot to offer. The
majority of the exhibits comes from the private collection of Herb Bridges
of Sharpsburg, who has the largest private collection of "Gone With the
Wind" memorabilia in the world.

The exhibits include artifacts from Loew's Grand Theater in Atlanta, where
the movie premiered in 1939, props from the movie set, an actual shooting
script, and a signed first edition of the novel.

There is also an original movie poster that is nearly one of a kind; the
only other one in the world was auctioned for more than $70,000.

The museum also includes reproductions of costumes worn in the film by
Vivien Leigh. The dresses, which are based on the original designs of Walter
Plunkett, were made by Peggy Miller of Williamsburg, Va.

The exhibits were enough to impress Duluth residents Atsushi and Hitomi
Takahashi, who visited the museum on Friday.

"It's very impressive," Atsushi Takahashi said. "The items inside the museum
were very nice, but I enjoyed the building the most. It has been kept in
very good condition."

For Hatfield and the rest of the tourism authority, the museum is a major
achievement for the county.

"For years we've had visitors to this county ask about 'Gone With the Wind'
and Margaret Mitchell," Hatfield said. "Now we have an excellent facility
where they can find out about the history. This is one step of several that
we feel will attract more visitors to Clayton County."

Although he is happy with the results so far, there are still plans under
way to make the Road to Tara Museum and the rest of Jonesboro more
attractive and accessible to tourists.

"There are plans for landscaping that will tie together the Train Depot and
the old Courthouse," Hatfield said. "We feel that will make downtown
Jonesboro attractive to visitors and our own community. We are working with
Mayor (Joy) Day, the Jonesboro City Council and the Clayton County
Commission to improve parking access as well as pedestrian access to
downtown Jonesboro."

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