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Jack Peek's Workshop.
We invite you to tour the Chatt Hills Barn Quilt Trail and learn more about the rich rural heritage of beautiful Chattahoochee Hills. Visitors are welcome to take photos from the public road, and are invited to shop in the local businesses.
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Jack Peek's Workshop (#29)
10701 Hutcheson Ferry Rd 
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A flower patch to brighten your day
Mary Ann Peek lives in the home she and her husband Jack built 61 years ago in the area that is now Chattahoochee Hills, GA. It's a modest brick ranch surrounded by a pasture-sized lawn, with swing sets in the front and back for the grandkids, and plenty of outdoor chairs for family and guests. If homes could talk, this one would say, "Y'all come and stay a while."
Mary Ann had always admired the barn quilts of the Amish Country. They seemed to covey a welcoming message to "Have a nice day." For her barn quilt, she selected a brightly colored pattern called, "Flower Patch," since flowers always brighten the day. It is displayed on husband Jack's workshop. |
Living and working in the town and country of Palmetto
Jack & Mary Ann Peek's family.
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Jack Peek's store in Palmetto, GA.
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Jack Peek's 79th birthday.
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Jack and Mary Ann both grew up in Palmetto, Georgia. Back then, all of the unincorporated country area that adjoined the small town was also referred to as Palmetto, until it incorporated into the city of Chattahoochee Hills in 2007.
Jack was born on a farm and worked the fields as a young boy. Like many farm boys, he learned how to fix things at an early age, since maintaining a home and farm equipment was a part of every-day-life in country communities. When he received his calling card to join the Army, he didn't travel far before meeting the love of his life. Mary Ann also grew up in Palmetto, and as she recalls, Jack followed her home one day, then went away to Germany for his Army service, and about a year later they were married.
The couple returned to the country part of Palmetto and purchased 5 acres of land from Jack's grandfather, Arthur Eidson. Soon after, they built a modest ranch home, which they added onto over the years. Jack held a few different jobs and also did handyman work before coming to the decision that he wanted to go into business for himself. He started out small, initialing doing service work, and over the years established Jack Peek Sales, Inc. in the town of Palmetto, which eventually sold large lawn mowers, chain saws, and other essential outdoor equipment. Mary Ann was primarily a homemaker, caring for the couple's two children, and working at the store as needed.
When Jack passed away in 2019, he was well-honored by his family, friends, and many customers he had provided excellent service to over the years.
Jack was born on a farm and worked the fields as a young boy. Like many farm boys, he learned how to fix things at an early age, since maintaining a home and farm equipment was a part of every-day-life in country communities. When he received his calling card to join the Army, he didn't travel far before meeting the love of his life. Mary Ann also grew up in Palmetto, and as she recalls, Jack followed her home one day, then went away to Germany for his Army service, and about a year later they were married.
The couple returned to the country part of Palmetto and purchased 5 acres of land from Jack's grandfather, Arthur Eidson. Soon after, they built a modest ranch home, which they added onto over the years. Jack held a few different jobs and also did handyman work before coming to the decision that he wanted to go into business for himself. He started out small, initialing doing service work, and over the years established Jack Peek Sales, Inc. in the town of Palmetto, which eventually sold large lawn mowers, chain saws, and other essential outdoor equipment. Mary Ann was primarily a homemaker, caring for the couple's two children, and working at the store as needed.
When Jack passed away in 2019, he was well-honored by his family, friends, and many customers he had provided excellent service to over the years.
Heritage story . . . In Jack's words
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In 2013, Jack Peek was interviewed by a local newspaper, the Newnan Times Herald, for its business column. Mary Ann proudly shared the article, which is framed and displayed in Jack's Workshop. It is reproduced below.
Business – 60 Seconds with. . . Jack Peek: Owner, Jack Peek’s Sales, Inc. By Clay Neely, Newnan Times Herald (Newnan, Georgia) Sunday, December 8, 2013 How did you get started in the business? I’m one of ten children, born on the farm, dirt poor and I went into the field when I was 7 so that I could make food to eat. Back then, no one got any kind of education except the girls. I worked at the service station, working here and there. I had just got married and was working for a saw company in East Point. I came home one night and told my wife, “I put my notice in. I’m not doing what I want to do.” So I went doing odd jobs here and there and finally settled down on being a business man. That was 51 years ago. How has your business changed over the years? We initially did service work. We sold paint, water heaters, and all kinds of things. We even sold televisions for many years. One day, I heard Walmart was already in Alabama and someone said they’re coming to Newnan so that’s when we shifted 100 percent of what we do now. No discount store can do what we do. What’s the best advice to someone who wants to start their own business nowadays. You can’t be everything to everybody. You have to decide on what you want to do and do it. Service what you sell and take care of your customer. I don’t sell anything a discount store sells and I don’t work on anything they sell. If we don’t sell it, we don’t service it. But remember that the customer is #1 because if you ain’t got a customer, you ain’t got a business. |
Mary Ann displays the framed newspaper article featuring a short interview with Jack.
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