If you’ve ever been to Quitman, Georgia, this eclectic Queen Anne home sits on the edge of town. Built in 1884, it has been empty for years. It’s a home with a great deal of interest in it due to its imposing size on an open field and the continuing myth that it was the site of a double murder. Jamie Snow Branch, and her husband, Lee Branch, were murdered by her brother Livingston Snow on December 17, 1937. These types of homes, rusty yet beautiful, always lend themselves to great stories and myths.

Jamie and Lee Branch lived on North Court Street, north of the courthouse, in town. Census records show that they were living there in 1910, 1920, and 1930. Their death records show that they died on Court Street. The home above is not on Court Street.

The 1900 Census records do indicate that Jamie and Lee Branch were living with her family. Her brothers, Livingston and Russell, and her parents were living at the home with them. Additionally, two boarders lived with them. I suspect this is the home where all of them lived together in 1900, but it is NOT where the murders happened.

The home where this happened is still standing. I used old Sanborn maps of Quitman and Google Street View to determine the location. Street numbers do not match, but it is common for cities and towns to renumber homes and businesses as they grew. Additionally, I utilized tax records to determine the age of the homes. A friend who grew up in the area confirmed which house it is, and it is still standing.

Thanks to Brian Brown for mentioning that the murders might not have happened here, so I decided to research historical records.