Our H istory becomes Yours

The Kellum's were one of the most prominent and wealthy families in the United States during the early 1900's. Mrs. Elizabeth Carnegie Kellum was the niece of Pittsburgh steel magnate, Andrew Carnegie.  At the time, Elizabeth had inherited a trust fund worth millions and was considered the richest woman in the country.

While visiting the North Georgia Mountains in 1922, Mr. & Mrs. Kellum and their children fell in love with a valley, approximately nine miles north of Cleveland, Georgia. This area is now known as Kellum Valley. The family purchased over 1000 acres and established a working farm, raising Arabian horses, angora goats and other livestock.

In addition to the farming operation, the Kellum's built a school and dormitory for underprivileged children. Students from as far away as California, Colorado and New York attended this progressive school.

As part of the Kellum Estate, the school house and dormitory were impressive structures.  Many local craftsmen were hired to build the 3 story dormitory, that was constructed with a full stone basement, two massive chimneys, water tower and indoor plumbing.

On July 4, 1923, the family invited the entire county to a barbecue dinner at the farm and about 1800 people attended. Guests were treated to store bought ice cream, movies in the private theater, dips in the swimming pool and a firework display.  In 1924, the Kellum's left the farm to make a trip around the world on their private yacht, the Kaimiloa. Only occasionally did they return to the area, and in 1928, the school and dormitory burned, leaving the beautiful stone foundations and chimneys as testament to a bygone era. These ruins are still part of the original acreage known as Kellum Valley.

DeAnne Major purchased the property in 1996, from a place of love for history and the mountain views! Eventually, the Ruins were cleared from under the trees and over-growth to host the first wedding in 2005.

DeAnne spent most of her career in event planning, working for Atlanta philanthropists, hosting dinner parties and private performances with celebrities like Toby Keith and Shania Twain. Her work included fundraising events for political figures, The Atlanta International School, Michael C Carlos Museum, The Taste of Atlanta Festival and more.

Naturally the first wedding inspired DeAnne's love and talent for event planning and she decided to open the property to couples who enjoy history and mountain views. The Ruins at Kellum Valley Weddings was born in 2006. Since then Kellum Valley has hosted more than 450 all inclusive weddings. Today, The Ruins is one of the most exclusive and sought after venues in Northeast Georgia hosting only 15 weddings per year. When those 15 weddings are booked, DeAnne and the Dream Directors give their attention to those 15 couple’s perfect wedding day.