On a small side street in Atlanta, Georgia, there is a two-story brick building that is located on 152 Nassau Street NW. There are plans to demolish the building to make way for a new Margaritaville Restaurant. However, this little brick building has some pretty big history associated with it that is causing some preservationists to question the move.
At this brick building located on Nassau Street NW, nearly a century ago, a talent scout for a record label set up a recording studio. Here in that studio, an Atlanta musician by the name of Fiddlln’ John Carson recorded a song called “The Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane” which historians say was the first commercial country record. This building is now considered the birthplace of country music.
Preservationists are appealing to another famous musician, Jimmy Buffett, in hopes that he will step in an help preserve the building. “Nobody is trying to say, ‘Don’t do a Margaritaville, don’t do a hotel,’” said Kyle Kessler, an amateur historian who has launched a petition to save the building. Instead, Kessler is hoping that the building can be incorporated into any new structure built there.
There has been no comment from Buffett or the chain that bears his name, but it will be interesting to see what happens down the road to this little bit of country music history.