Presented by the City of Decatur and Georgia Historic Preservation Division, the sixth annual Decatur Old House Fair is set for this Saturday February 9th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel and Conference Center at 130 Clairemont Avenue.

This year’s theme is “Form Follows Function”, which “explores the relationship between home improvement and historic charm through an array of DIY, sustainable living, maintenance and renovation tracks.”, according to a post on Atlanta Intown.

The exhibit area will open at 9a and seminars begin at 10a. Among the topics being presented/discussed this year:

• A wood window workshop
• The Architecture and Career of Leila Ross Wilburn
• Creating a Maintenance Plan for Your House
• Creating a Master Plan for Your Landscape
• Reviving Old House Chimneys and Fireplaces
• Plumbing Pitfalls in Older Homes
• The American Small House

Decatur’s Preservation Planner, Regina Brewer, highlights the American Small House in a note to the community…

Decatur has a wealth of historic home styles and a large inventory of what architectural historians have named “The American Small House”. What is this house style? You can find it in the Sycamore Drive area and in College Heights. It’s tucked into corners and small lots in all of Decatur’s neighborhoods including Oakhurst and Winnona Park. It’s usually 2 bedrooms with 1-2 baths and was built during WWII and after. As GI’s came home, they could afford to buy their own homes with VA financing and this house sprang up everywhere. It is uniquely American-you won’t find it in Europe. Clad in wood siding (though sometime it has brick), it will often have a small gable in the front and front door that is open to the elements or has a small little portico to give relief from the rain.

Sadly, it is also the most endangered house in Decatur and the Atlanta region. Its single crime is that it is thought to be too small and a plain Jane next to its older sibling-the bungalow. Perhaps people just need to see it in a different light. Can you expand this small house? Can it be renovated to fit today’s family? Yes it can! At the Decatur Old House Fair on February 9sup>th, come find out about this unique American house and than learn from award winning architect Stacie Monroe how sensitive additions can be designed for these little jewel boxes and how it can continue to be a wonderful housing choice for families. Don’t tear that house down until you see this session!