McNeel Street

is just a little back Street, almost an alley.

Click on each picture to see the details I am mentioning.

McNeel Street is just one block off the Square. It is two blocks long. You could just about throw a rock the entire length of the street – but don’t, you might hit a homeless person.

In the foreground on the left the green building is the delivery door of Brumby Rocker Company. Brumby Rockers have been around a very long time and is known for the quality. They started business sometime in the late 1800s. Their plant was out by Kennesaw Mountain. They hired plenty of workers, which helped the post Civil War local economy.

The last back-of-the-store door on the left is an antique/Tiffany type lamps store. Before it was there, it was a small tea shop. When it was a teashop the owner was having it renovated and discovered a tunnel in the cellar that led out of the area. It is believed it was made as an escape route during the Civil War.

Straight ahead is the Theater of the Square which always has a good play or musical. Once they found themselves a political ping pong ball. Two high officials decided the theater promoted gay life style and cut off a fund that helped the theater make ends meet.

I think the gay-thing got so much publicity more people came and donated so they didn’t needs the funding after all… so, they didn’t have to kiss ass (manner of speaking).

The building on the right is the famous Kennesaw House that was owned by the Fletcher family during the Civil War. Andrew’s Raiders stayed there one night and stole the General locomotive the next morning in Big Shanty (aka Kennesaw). Then was the chase – remember two movies “The Great Locomotive Chase”?... well, it all started here.

If you look carefully you might see the ghost of Fess Parker.

Depot Street bisects McNeel to make it a two block street. If you look stood on McNeel looking west on Depot Street you would see that presently that section of Depot Street serves as a patio for Hemmingway’s Bar and Grill. Beyond the patio-street, you can see Glover Park on the Square with the Statue of Alexander Stephens Clay poking through the foliage.





On the right is Hemmingway’s Bar and Grill – which is facing West Park Square. We have eaten there a couple of times. One time, we either ate in the cellar where the pool tables are or I went down the stairs to go to the restroom – I forgot which. There is a wall that you can see the pavement of the West Park Square and the different layers of cement, brick, cobblestone, rock, and the hard clay…. It is the improvements of each generation that came through. Interesting.

If you are still standing on McNeel at Depot Streets pivot 180◦, or an “about face” you would be facing the old Depot. The old Depot is now The Marietta Visitor’s Center. They have lot of brochures available for what to see while you are in Marietta. They also have good bathrooms available during concerts in the summer.




My late friend Van – his father worked as the clerk in the Depot for many years. We used to drop and see him at work sometimes after we got out of the movies.



Next to the Depot is Atherton Park. It is named after the late mayor, Howard Atherton. I don’t know if the metal table and chairs belong to the city of Marietta or the coffee house, whose back door leads out to Atherton Park. The park seems to attract college kids and the bohemian sect. Most evenings in the not-cold months, there are many youths hanging around, playing guitars, reading, etc.

Which ir kind of ironic, almost a memorial kick in the pants to Mayor Howard Atherton’s father, Doc Atherton, who owned Atherton’s Drug Store. When I was a teenager he hated us teenagers to hang out at his store… he was always telling us “If you are not going to buy anything, get out!” Now, his namesake park is the hangout place for many youth, not buying anything…. Yuk yuk!