Antebellum Roswell home guns for oldest, greenest in America

The Roswell City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve work that would turn Mimosa Hall into the oldest net-zero house in America.

Constructed in 1840, the historic home—which was recently purchased by the city after being named one of the 10 most endangered sites in Georgia—will receive a new roof with a solar panel array to produce all power needed on site. (Fun fact: Famed Atlanta architect Neil Reed owned and lived in the home for a few years until his death in the mid-1920s).

The net-zero distinction means that all the power needs of the building will be generated through renewable energy.

The vote sealed the deal, helping Roswell move toward the Atlanta Regional Commission's distinction as a Certified Gold Green Community.

Friends of Mimosa

Earlier this month, Friends of Mimosa Hall & Gardens presented the city’s mayor and council with a proposal to install the solar-paneled roof on Mimosa Hall. Not only will the roof conserve energy, it will save the city utility costs.

Once the project is complete, Mimosa Hall will dethrone Ann Arbor’s Mission Zero House as the oldest net-zero home in the country, beating it by more than six decades!

Work should begin later this year, officials say, paving the way for the home (see more photos of the gorgeous property over here) to leap into the 21st century.

Friends of Mimosa

• Friends of Mimosa Hall & Gardens [website]