Nacoochee Valley and its secrets

This is a story about a special place in Georgia – the little gazebo that graces the top of an Indian Mound in the Nacoochee Valley near Helen. It is said to be the second most recognized symbol in Georgia (Stone Mountain being the first.)

If you’ve ever seen it, you will not have forgotten it. In spite of the glaring irreverence of a white man’s frilly little hut built upon Native American ceremonial ground – there is a peace about this place that stays with you, even draws you back again and again. White County native Emory Jones has written a book about the mound, the gazebo, and the legends, as well as the artists, photographers and writers that have been drawn to the solitary little icon.

If you’ve driven by, you’ve likely had many questions – who built the gazebo and when? Who owns it now? What’s in the mound? Many of those questions are answered in this beautifully illustrated book, along with other stories about the area. The gazebo was built by Captain James Nichols in 1876. The mound was constructed by the Mound Builder culture during the Mississippian period. It was excavated in 1915 by Heye Foundation archaeologists. A reconstructed pot found during that dig (and owned by the Smithsonian) is on display just down the road at the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia at the Sautee Nacoochee Center. It is generally thought the gazebo’s placement in such an impolitic place is what saved the mound from being plowed under, as have so many others.

The state of Georgia owns the property now. But to the people of this area, whether they live here, have a summer home or just visit – the peace and beauty emanating from this place belong to us all. Drive by and see it (see map.) Then pick up a copy of Distant Voices — The Story of the Nacoochee Valley Indian Mound ($29.95) by Emory M. Jones at Betty’s Country Store in Helen (see map) or Yonah Treasures in Cleveland (see map) and take a little of the magic of this place home with you.

Can’t make the drive at the moment? You can order the book by phone from Yonah Treasures at 706-348-8236. If you know someone who vacations in Helen or Sautee, it would make a great Christmas present!

(Photo: personal collection)