Two years after Lucille Montgomery passed away, the Montgomery House was purchased by Lavinia Orpha Sewell Wesley and her husband John Wendell Wesley Sr. Lavinia was the daughter of Charles Morgan Sewell[1] and Lucille’s older sister Rosalie Montgomery[2]--the fifth child, and second oldest daughter, of James Middleton Montgomery and Willie Permelia Bobo Montgomery. At the time they purchased the property in 1969, Lavinia was 62 and her husband, John, was 68.[3]
Lavinia and John married in 1929 in Anniston, Alabama. Their wedding announcement described Lavinia as having “enjoyed wide popularity in the south being the center of much admiration for her beauty and charming manner.” A talented pianist,[4] Lavinia graduated from Cartersville High School and later earned a degree from Brenau College where she was a “popular member of the Delta Zeta sorority and the Cotillion Club.” The announcement described her mother Rosalie as “a belle and beauty of the south.” John, according to the announcement, attended Tech High School and the University of Georgia where he was a “popular member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.” He later completed his education at the Georgia School of Technology (now known as the Georgia Institute of Technology) where he studied engineering. The announcement further described him as “one of the most prominent young men in Atlanta, in social and business circles, being a successful young architect and contractor associated in business with his father in the firm of T.C. Wesley & Son.”[5] Terrell Constantine Wesley was a prominent builder in Atlanta in the early 1900s. His company, T.C. Wesley & Son, is best known as the builder of the historic Bona Allen Mansion in Buford, Georgia.[6]
The Wesleys had two children. Their first child, John Wendell Wesley Jr., died in infancy.[7] Their second son, John Charles Wesley, was 27 years old[8] when they purchased the house.
In 1980, the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places with the property name of the Wesley House and the historic name of the William S. Simmons Plantation.[9]
The following year, John Sr. passed away at the age of 80.[10] In his obituary, he was described as a native of Atlanta, a member of St. Mark’s Methodist Church in Atlanta, a former building contractor and a member of the Capital City Club in Atlanta. He was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Cartersville.[11]
In March of 1984, John Charles Wesley died at the age of 41.[12] According to his obituary, he died “following an illness of several weeks.” He was described as a native of Atlanta, a member of Cave Spring Baptist Church, a graduate of Darlington School and a former student at Vanderbilt University. He was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Cartersville.[13]
In 1993, the property was designated as a Centennial Farm by the State of Georgia.[14] The property is listed as the Montgomery Farm with Lavinia Wesley as the owner. According to the State of Georgia website, “The Georgia Centennial Farm Program was developed in 1993 to distinguish family farms that have contributed to preserving Georgia's agricultural history by maintaining working farms for more than 100 years.”
Lavinia Wesley passed away in November of 2000 at the age of 93.[15] According to her obituary,[16] she was a member of the First Baptist Church of Cave Spring. She was also listed as a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Upon Lavinia Wesley’s death, the property passed to her nephew, Charles Whitaker Sewell, and her niece Elizabeth Sewell Arnold.
[1] “Lavinia Orpha Sewell.” FamilySearch Family Tree, FamilySearch, profile ID LDLP‑9ZW. Accessed 9 July 2025. https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/LDLP-9ZW.
[2] “Rose Lee (Rosalie) Montgomery.” FamilySearch Family Tree, FamilySearch, profile ID LKG6-7NZ. Accessed 9 July 2025. https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/LKG6-7NZ.
[3] “John Wendell Wesley Sr..” FamilySearch Family Tree, FamilySearch, profile ID LDLP-9WP. Accessed 9 July 2025. https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/LDLP-9WP.
[4] The Bartow Tribune. The Cartersville News., April 07, 1921, Image 1
[5] "Miss Sewell of Cartersville Weds John Wesley in Anniston," The Atlanta Constitution, Sunday, May 12, 1929, page 47. Accessed 9 July 2025 at https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-marriage-of-sew/80675506/
[6] National Park Service. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form: Bona Allen House." National Park Service, 1983. National Park Service, https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/83000231_text.
[7] Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/36297594/john_wendell-wesley: accessed July 9, 2025), memorial page for John Wendell Wesley Jr. (30 Jan 1932–9 Feb 1932), Find a Grave Memorial ID 36297594, citing Oak Hill Cemetery, Cartersville, Bartow County, Georgia, USA; Maintained by Pythonyssa SoothSayer (contributor 49208454).
[8] “John Charles Wesley.” FamilySearch Family Tree, FamilySearch, profile ID L63V-MGV. Accessed 9 July 2025. https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/L63V-MGV.
[9] https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/80001061
[10] Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/36297595/john_wendell-wesley: accessed July 9, 2025), memorial page for John Wendell Wesley Sr. (9 Jul 1901–10 Sep 1981), Find a Grave Memorial ID 36297595, citing Oak Hill Cemetery, Cartersville, Bartow County, Georgia, USA; Maintained by Pythonyssa SoothSayer (contributor 49208454).
[11] Rome News-Tribune, September 11, 1981, page 5A.
[12] Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/36297593/john_charles-wesley: accessed July 9, 2025), memorial page for John Charles Wesley (2 Nov 1942–27 Mar 1984), Find a Grave Memorial ID 36297593, citing Oak Hill Cemetery, Cartersville, Bartow County, Georgia, USA; Maintained by Pythonyssa SoothSayer (contributor 49208454).
[13] Rome News-Tribune, March 27, 1984, page 5.
[14] Georgia Department of Community Affairs. (n.d.). Centennial Farms Program. Historic Preservation. Retrieved July 9, 2025, from https://dca.georgia.gov/community-assistance/historic-preservation/centennial-farms-program
[15] Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/36297596/lavinia_orpha-wesley: accessed July 9, 2025), memorial page for Lavinia Orpha Sewell Wesley (31 May 1907–21 Nov 2000), Find a Grave Memorial ID 36297596, citing Oak Hill Cemetery, Cartersville, Bartow County, Georgia, USA; Maintained by LookingForFamily (contributor 47127361).
[16] Atlanta Journal Constitution - https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-obituary-for-la/123255037/