USA > Georgia > Greene County > History of Greene County, Georgia, 1786-1886 > Part 23
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Thursday, January 7, 1875
DAVIS RESIDENCE
"Mr. C. A. Davis, banker, of our city, has near completion, one of the most convenient and desirable residences to be found in the State. It is of brick manufactured at his own brick yard, within the corporate limits of the city.
"Messrs Fay & Bruin are the architects. Cook, Grumby & Com- pany, the contractors and builders. A. W. Stroupe, superintendent; D. A. McDuffie & Brother, plasterers: Hunnicutt & Bellingrath, plumbers; John Mason, painter; all of Atlanta.
The house is forty-one by ninety-one feet long, which includes the library and kitchen. The rooms on the first floor are parlor, library, sitting room, dining room, nursery, family room, kitchen, servant's room, bathroom, store room, and butler's pantry. The parlor and prin-
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Charles A. Davis Home, Greensboro. Jefferson Hall, before restoration at Union Point 1820. Jefferson Hall, after restoration.
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cipal rooms are 16 x 18 feet excepting the library which is octagonal, finished off on the eight sides with shelving and glass doors, and closet doors below, all of black walnut.
"The house is built in Italian style with Terra Cotta cornice over the windows and ornamented cornice under the eaves, which are pro- jecting and bracketed, ornamented cresting on comb of the roof, which is of slate. Double box-head frame windows to the library, above and below, and over the front door. Veranda front and south side thirty eight feet, and on the north side fifty-four feet, double columns in a space every seven feet: flooring of veranda 2-1/2 inches by 1-1/2 inches thick; mansard roof to veranda and crested. Front door has double shutters, opening into a recess vestibule, which has glass panel doors opening into a hall twelve feet wide by forty-five feet long: a a grand platform stair case to the second story. The back piazza and veranda are 12 x 26 feet and contains the well supplying the premises with water. A double force pump fills a tank of 300 gallons in the garret under the roof. Windows on first story open to the floor, each lower sash has two panes, double thick glass, 31 x 40 inches; upper sash one pane of same size-sash hung by weights. Slate mantles and grates on lower floor. Walls hard finished throughout with cornice in three rooms and in entry. There are five chambers on the second floor with the bathroom. Every chamber in the house has a stationary marble-top black walnut washstand supplied with hot and cold water: all the rooms except the parlor have closets. All the woodwork was done in Atlanta, and the doors, sash, and blinds, are all made of Geor- gia white pine. Ground broken for foundations August 19th, walls finished and roof on October 6th, 1874.
"We have watched the progress of this building with much inter- est and pleasure and have been delighted with the extreme care with which every part has been put together. The superintendent, Mr. Stroupe, has earned additional laurels in his extreme fastidiousness in having every part to the minutest particular done exactly as it should be, and never have we seen it excelled." (Now owned by Mrs. M. E. Sisk.)
JEFFERSON HALL
Near Union Point, not far from the Georgia railroad cross- ing is Jefferson Hall, a beautifully proportioned house with tall Ionic columns. This was built in 1820 by Lemuel Green, who sold it to Thomas Brooks Hart of Augusta. Mr. Hart used this as a summer home and the railroad trains later obligingly stopped at the front door when the family traveled. In 1857 the place was sold to Ransom Harwell and remained in this family for many years. Next to own the place were Mr. and Mrs. Clem Gunn.
As you walk in between the tall slim columns you see the beautiful fan light over the front door and see overhead the balcony with hand turned bannisters around it. Inside you see the wide hall with the rooms on either side and the lovely stair.
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Top left-Paradise Hill, Greensboro. Top right-Old rock jail built about 1806 and still standing. Lower left-Ruins of the Thomas P. Janes Home, the first Sec. of Agriculture in Ga. Center right-Thornton House, Union Point.
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It is easy to imagine the hoopskirted ladies descending this stair in the plantation days of Greene County. No doubt this place was the scene of much entertaining and gallantry and the atmos- phere of the place no less than the architecture seems to deter- mine the strong character of it.
PARADISE HILL
This is probably the most historic house in Greensboro and in the early 1800's was a showplace in the town. A white two story sturdily built structure with four Ionic columns on the front porch and green shutters at the many windows surrounded by great green trees which cast their shadows back and forth as the winds blew. It was a haven on a hot summer day.
The first owner of the land was Robert Dale, a merchant and Postmaster in the town who sold it to John Clark, Pres. of the Trustees of the University of Ga. in 1805, who sold it to Nicholas Lewis. On Dec. 22, 1818 Lewis sold the property to Charles A. and Elizabeth Redd who it is thought built the house. This house was sold later to Senator Thomas W. Cobb of Oglethorpe County. After Judge Cobb's death U. S. Senator William Dawson bought the home and made many improve- ments. When the house was remodeled it had 20 large rooms and a wine cellar in the basement. After Senator Dawson's death, Oliver Porter bought the place who later sold it to Phillip Clayton of Clarke County in 1859. He was appointed Sec. of the U. S. Treasury in the absence of Sen. Cobb from Ga. Later he was minister to Peru and his son Robert succeeded him. The last member of the Clayton family to own this home was Miss Maude Townsend. This home was used as a hospital in 1865. The last owner is Mrs. C. L. Rhodes.
THE PARK HOME
The Park home was once a tavern and inn and the road in front was once the road called Seven Islands highway extending from New Orleans to Philadelphia. This home witnessed the passing of the Indians, it rested many weary travelers, and sur- vived floods, fire, Sherman's troops and sheltered Pres. of the
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I
James B. Park, Sr. Home (now in Morgan Co. Fred White, owner) The room where Pres. of the Confederacy slept May 5, 1865.
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Confederacy, Jefferson Davis. The big house at Park's Mill is still sturdy after 150 years. James Edrington Parks built the house in 1821 and also built a mill, and a toll bridge across the Oconee, and sons and sons-in-law built grist mills, three stores, saloons and a blacksmith shop. In 1840 floods swept away the bridge and Park built a ferry. The old house has pegged walls and was ballasted with brick between the walls to keep the flooding river from washing it away. There are two long ram- bling porches as you may see in the picture as well as many rooms and there were many well trained servants. There is a total of eleven rooms, the rafters are heavy and hand hewn, the mantels are simple but beautiful with designs of the rising sun cut on them. The dining room is paneled in walnut. In the room where Pres. Jefferson Davis slept are wide smooth boards and a fireplace. There are two sharply curving stairways leading to the upstairs. This is a typical gabled, house of its era.
Only the stone foundation of the old mill is left now and the land of the Parks spread across the river. As you stand on the old Seven Bridges road, now a dead end road, you can imagine the thriving community and the settlement as it looked to the stagecoach drivers a century ago. Mr. and Mrs. Fred White now own the place and have added modern conveniences and their children enjoy swimming in the nearby Oconee river. "White Columns in Ga." mentions Mr. and Mrs. Ed Askew as owners of a "Park House," on the other side of the river and her grandfather, Dr. Park, built this home.
HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS
At Union Point is "Hawthorne Heights" so named because of the thick hawthorne hedge surrounding the eight acre garden. The house is impressive Greek revival and owned by Mr. and Mrs. Harold Lamb. In the garden stands one of the tea bushes sent to Washington from Japan by Commodore Perry when he opened the ports of that country in 1854. Nearly all of the fine old furniture in the house has a history. Several of the upstairs bedrooms are unchanged since they were furnished by brides of different generations.
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1
Top-Hawthorne Heights. Right center-Cunningham Home (Mrs. P. A. Colhepp) . Left center-Davis-Rice Home-1797 Greensboro. Bottom-P. F. Merritt Home, 1954.
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Here were reared the Harts and the Sibleys. The sons and daughters of Mrs. Jennie Hart Sibley were also reared here. Mrs. Harold Lamb a daughter of Mrs. Jennie Hart Sibley col- lected fine antiques and added to the ones her mother and father had bought while traveling abroad and unlike most old homes the place has improved with age and is still the most beautiful in Greene Co.
CUNNINGHAM HOME
This home was owned by one of the Cunningham brothers but when Robert Wheeler bought the place he had the house turned around to face the next extension of Main Street. The home is one of the outstanding ante-bellum places of the county and was later bought by Mrs. P. A. Cohlhepp. There were two Cunningham brothers who built homes in the 1818's and both are now standing, the other one is owned by C. W. Smith.
THE MERRITT HOME
The Merritt home was built by W. G. Johnson in 1854 and is a handsome structure, on the same block was built the E. A. Copelan home in about 1880. These homes were surrounded by large trees and beautiful gardens and are still used even though progress has pushed out the large gardens and lawns, the homes stand to remind us of, "The Gone With the Wind", country. (Owned by the Merritts and Copelands for over 100 years.)
OTHER OLD HOMES
There were many other homes in Greene County that the older citizens recall. The W. G. Armor home, the Dr. H. H. King home built in 1820, W. W. D. Weaver built a substantial home where Judge W. M. Weaver lived also. The Jonas Fauche house, the Spinks house, John Colt (1800), the Thomas Morgan house, the Nickelson home and old Judge Godkin's home. Capt. in the Confederate army was W. H. Branch who lost an arm in the battle of Antetiam and had built an attractive home across from Judge Godkin's in 1845. The Nicholas home, now the Radford's home was moved across the railroad when Judge Lewis built his home.
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1
Top right-Dr. Walker's Home (Old Williams Home) Left center-Old Vincent Home. Right center, Cunningham Home owned by C. W. Smith. Lower left-Nicholas-Radford Home.
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THE CHAPPEL HOME
The home of Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Thompson was built by a Mr. Chappel before the Ga. railroad was built in 1833-37. He was a rock-cutter and is said to have made rock window sills in the house and stone steps. He had a large apple orchard which the school boys delighted in robbing until Chappel caught one up the tree and gave him a good thrashing.
Across from Calvin Thompson's home stood the home of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Robinson which was built in the 1840's. The B. F. Green's home stood near these and Mr. Green will be remembered as saying, "A turkey is an inconvenient fowl, a little too much for one to eat and not enough for two". He liked to eat and was a large heavy man.
Judge Cone owned a fine home on the corner of East and North Streets which was destroyed by fire about 1878.
Green Thompson built a home before the War on the corner of Greene and Walnut Streets, and it is now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Harrison.
The Story home and the Vincent home were both torn down many years ago. Judge Durham was an honored citizen of Greensboro and built his home near the Richter house and later sold it to Mrs. Stevens. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Markwalter was built at the corner of Broad and Walnut Streets. At the corner of South Street stood the home of Nich- olas Lewis, a lawyer and pioneer citizen of Greensboro. When the old chimneys were torn down several had the date of 1797 on them. It was a two storied house and was owned later by Samuel Davis in the 1830's. This house later belonged to Mrs. T. B. Rice.
The Foster home was built by Dr. Thomas Foster and here Bishop Geo. Foster Pierce's mother was born.
DR. JOHN E. WALKER HOME
At the east end of South Street Dr. John E. Walker built his home for his bride, Mary E. Gaston after their wedding in 1849. He lived here all of his life and his daughter, Mrs. Tor-
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Top-Copeland-Evans Home, Greensboro. Bottom-Davis-Evans Home, Greensboro.
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bert inherited the home. The attractive home is now owned by Carey J. Williams.
EVANS-DAVIS HOME
This home was built for William S. Davis by Wiley G. Johnson about 1858 and is now owned by Mrs. J. W. Evans and prior to this, owned by H. T. Evans. For over 100 years only two families have owned this place. The house has two stories and a basement. On either side of the front door is found Bo- hemian glass sidelights in grape design. The overhanging roof of the house has delicate carved woodwork underneath the eaves. In the hallway, which is broad, there are ceiling decorations of handsome design as well as the two formal rooms. The day- light basetent has a large fireplace and seems to keep the in- terior ccol in summer. Note in the picture the large columns and shutters at the windows.
THE COPELAND-EVANS HOME
This home is next to the Merritt house and is very old, having many gables and one floor. It was probably built about 1854, and is still in good condition.
CHAPTER IX EARLY PERSONAGES
MOSES WADDEL
Moses Waddel a famous teacher and preacher was born in N. C. July 29, 1770. He acquired an education the hard way, by walking long distances, with few books and only the encouragement of his parents and his thirst for knowledge kept him going.
After teaching for a short time in N. C., he and his par- ents moved to Greene County, Ga. He became interested in religion and on the advice of Dr. John Springer he entered Hampden-Sidney and graduated in one year. He preached at Carmel in Ga. and taught school all week. He moved to the Calhoun settlement in S. C. and here he met and married Catherine Calhoun the sister of the famous John C. Catherine lived only four years and then Waddel married Elizabeth Pleasants of Virginia and moved to Vienna, S. C.
In 1819 Dr. Moses Waddel was elected Pres. of the University of Georgia. The institution was at a low ebb hav- ing only seven students but with the prestige of Waddel the number soon increased to 100.
Many of the famous men of Ga. went to school here and under his tutelage felt honored to walk at his side on many occasions.
After ten years of active work he returned to Willington, S. C. where he hoped to spend a quiet old age. He died at the home of his son Jamis P. Waddel in 1840. Possibly no teach- er has set a finer example, nor any preacher led a truer life than Moses Waddel.
RICHARD HENRY WILDE
Richard Henry Wilde was a poet, statesman and a scholar coming to Augusta, Ga. from Baltimore. He studied with his mother and later a fine lawyer, Joseph Hutchinson and came
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to Greene County to stand the bar examination. He was not of legal age but his knowledge brought forth commendation from the Bench and Bar.
By hard work and study he was by 1811 the Attorney General of the State of Ga. In 1815-17 he served in the 14th Congress with such men as Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun and Henry Pinckney.
In 1818 Wilde married Mrs. Caroline Buckle who died in 1827 leaving several children. Henry Wilde in 1824 suc- ceeded T. W. Cobb in Congress. He was a Whig, bitterly op- posed to Andrew Jackson's removal of deposits from State banks and actions concerning the S. C. nullification dispute. Wilde was an important figure in politics for many years and also wrote poems and was a man of letters. He wrote, "My Life is Like the Summer Rose" and " The Captive's Lament" and others. At one time Wilde taught law at Tulane Univer- sity and traveled abroad for several years. He died of yellow fever in New Orleans, later his body was moved to Magnolia Cemetery in Augusta.
CHARLES ALFRED DAVIS
Charles Alfred Davis Sr. born in the "Crackerneck" sec- tion of Greene Co. Ga. on August 4th, 1820 was the son of William and Amy Ransom Davis from Ransom's Bridge, N. C. and the son of Samuel Davis b. 1787-d. 1875 and Mary An- geline Gant, 1797-1866.
Charles A. Davis, Sr. married Amanda Swift of Morgan Co. Ga. and their children were: Charles Alfred Davis Jr. b. 1850 and married Emily Sanders Willett of Macon, Thomas Samuel Davis, Mary Amanda Davis who married W. R. Jack- son and had ten children.
Charles Alfred Davis Sr. was a very successful mechant and spent his whole life in Greensboro, Ga. He amassed a fortune. His business was known as Davis and Bro. and later Davis and Son.
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Charles Davis had a trade area of forty miles around. He served during the Civil War as a Confederate soldier and came back to his "Big Store" after the war having lost about all that he had made. He re-established connections with the firms in New York with which he had done business and soon had his store stocked and was making money again.
For years he lived in the old brick residence on Main St. which was once a branch bank of the State of Ga. Later he built a large home in the northwestern Greensboro which still stands. He was a deacon in the Baptist church for many years and a faithful member. Mr. and Mrs. Davis had nine children; Mary Davis Jackson, Edwin Davis, Mrs. Lucie I. Stevens of Gainesville, Mrs. Cora D. Cleckly of Augusta, Mrs. Victoria D. Seals, Charles A. Davis and Oscar Davis of Atlanta, Ga.
EDWARD A. COPELAN
Edward A. Copelan was born in Greene Co. Ga. August 8, 1849 and was clerk for Charles A. Davis Sr., "the mer- chant prince". Copelan married Leila Davis, daughter of Wm. S. Davis the bro. of Charles A. Davis. They had three chil- dren, a son, Annie and Mary.
Edward Copelan opened a private bank which years lat- er became the Copelan National Bank. He bought the Statham Hotel property and he and Wm. R. Jackson subscribed over half the capital stock for a much needed industry the Mary- Leila Cotton Mill.
Thomas Flournoy Foster, was a noted lawyer and legislator of the ante-bellum days. He was sent to Congress while a resident of Greene Co. He afterward lived in Columbus.
Miles W. Lewis, long a member of the General Assembly of Ga. lived here.
R. L. McWhorter, was for many years a power in politics in the State, as was Hon. Hamilton McWhorter, who was born in Greene Co.
Julius C. Alford, a member of Congress and was called, "The old war horse of Troup," spent his boyhood in Greene.
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BENJAMIN WEAVER
Benjamin Weaver, a Revolutionary soldier who served in a North Carolina Regiment had a record of bravery and gallantry in battle and participated in numerous engagements. He married Elizabeth Daniel from Va. and N. C. daughter of John W. Daniel of Va. Two sons were born to the Wea- vers, William Wiley Daniel and Travis Archibald. The first son remained in Greene Co. and the latter moved to Upson Co.
The Weavers were prominent in Greene Co. for 100 years. After the death of Judge Weaver in 1905 the old home was broken up.
JUDGE THOMAS STOCKS 1786-1876
Three days before Greene County was carved from Wash- ington County and three years before Gen. George Washington was elected President of the United States, Thomas Stocks was born in a fort near the Oconee River below Scull Shoals. His father Isaac Stocks was a Revolutionary soldier and set- tled on the lands ceded by the Indians that became Wilkes County in 1773. After the Revolution Isaac Stocks (d. 1804) married a daughter of Gen. Stephen Heard and when Washing- ton County was laid out in 1784, Isaac Stocks moved his family into that part of Washington which was cut off to make Greene County in 1786.
In order to protect his family from the Indian raids he built a strong fort near his home and it was in this fort that Thomas Stocks was born. The legislature was meeting in Au- gusta and at this session the Act was passed creating Greene County. Thomas Stocks was born three days too soon to claim the distinction of being the first white child born in the new county.
Thomas Stocks so distinguished himself in many lines of endeavor that his life should be an inspiration to every boy and a rebuke to selfish politicans. Isaac died a few years after Thomas was born and the boy had to assume the respon- sibility of looking after his mother and younger brothers and
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sisters. He attended school only six months but he became a self-educated man and was a power in Georgia politics for many years. He was one of the founders of the Ga. Baptist Convention, Mercer University, Georgia's first state fair, and the first Agricultural Society. He was Judge of the county's Inferior Court. Pres. of the Ga. Senate for many years and a Commissioner for Ga. in establishing the boundary line be- tween Ga .and Tenn. in 1818.
He was the only Georgian who ever elected a Governor by his single vote. This man was Gov. George M. Troup. There was a clash between the Clark and Troup factions al- though Talbot was Troup's opponent in the race. Clark had had a duel with William H. Crawford and so the latters friends threw their support to Troup. The vote of the joint session of the House and Senate resulted in a tie and Thomas Stocks broke the tie and elected Troup for Gov. of Ga.
Thomas Stocks and his mother attended old Shiloh Baptist Church in 1832 near Penfield. He walked along beside his mother as she rode the horse on the trail and he carried a gun on his shoulder as protection against the Indians. Pickets were posted during the services so as to prevent a surprise In- dian attack. The church had over 400 members. Some were later outstanding men such as; William Reid, Oliver Porter, William Moncrief, Thomas Stocks, and preachers were: Syl- vanus Landrum, Adiel Sherwood, Dr. N. M. Crawford, and others equally important.
Thomas Stocks first married Cynthia Coffee, daughter of Gen. Coffee of the War of 1812, after her death he mar- ried Frances A. Davis of Greensboro daughter of Samuel Davis and aunt of Chas. A. and Oscar Davis and Mrs. V. D. Seals of Atlanta. Thomas Stocks had no children but his achievements should live in Ga. history.
Isaac Stocks, father of Thomas Stocks married Catherine Heard who was the daughter of Thomas Heard b. 1742-1808 and Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, b. 1750-1790. He married 2nd Mary Veasey dau. of James Veasey. Isaac Stocks, a Rev. Sol. b. 1767-1807, his ch. by Catherine were: Thomas b. 1786, John, Elizabeth and William.
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Thomas Stocks was a Mason of the St. Marino Lodge No. 28. of Greensboro, Ga. He helped to educate more than 50 boys and girls from his own funds. A school building erected in 1880 was named the Thomas Stocks Institute. Thomas went by stagecoach in 1832 to a triennial convention of the Baptist and while there he was a guest in the home of Wm. Colgate the founder of Colgate Soap Mfg. While he was in New York he rode on his first steamboat and train. The population then was 200,000 His diary of this trip is in the possession of Mrs. T. B. Ricce of Greensboro. John Stocks, his brother married Nancy Fitzpatrick in 1809, a sister Eliza- beth married Aaron Bledsoe in 1807.
Thomas Stocks lived a full life and died at his beautiful home, "Oak Hill' within sight of the fort in which he was born.
From Thomas Stocks Bible-Thomas Stocks b. Feb. 1, 1786, Cynthia Coffee Stocks b. Feb. 5, 1791, Frances, Ann Maria Davis b. June 6, 1822, Thomas Stocks mar. Cynthia Coffee Oct. 27, 1807, Mar. Fannie A. Davis Nov. 26, 1848, Cynthia died Nov. 2, 1847, Thomas died Oct. 6 1876, Fannie A. Stocks died, Sept. 5, 1898. Thomas is buried in the Greens- boro cemetery between the two wives.
ELIJAH CLARKE
Elijah Clarke was not a citizen of Greene County, how- ever his Trans-Oconee Republic so affected the growth of the county in its early days that I shall give an account of this as an influence on the county's early growth. Clarke was known in the county and often seen there.
Elijah Clarke was a Major-General in the Georgia Mili- tia and served his country well in the Revolutionary War. Then he dreamed of setting up a Republic of his own and did so on the south side of the Oconee River. Greene County had about 100 miles of territory facing the opposite side of the river be- fore Hancock County was cut out in Dec. 1793 and Oconee County formed in 1794.
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Clarke's Trans-Oconee Republic was a constant menace to lives and property and greatly retarded the development of this land for a while. He built blockhouses and the cut- throats and thieves would go over the river and terrorize the citizens of Greene and use rough tactics to get good citizens to join up with him, and sad to relate some of them did, hoping to gain more land and some of the profits. With Indians and Clarke's men raiding, Green County citizens spent many sleep- less nights
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