A big image of the South is the antebellum house. Time has taken a toll on the oldest structures. There is a large neighborhood of grand homes in Atlanta that survives because there are enough people with large incomes and a taste of history to maintain the homes. So many have decayed and disappeared.
Macon, Georgia is home to some antebellum homes. In 1962, the Johnson/Felton/Hay house was donated to The Georgia Trust to be changed to a house museum and it is truly an incredible house to tour. The original owners, the Johnson's only lived in the house three years. They toured Europe while it was being built from 1855 to 1859. William Butler Johnson's wealth was accumulated through banking, utilities, and railroads and not from the typical Southern agrarian model.
The house is built in the Italian Renaissance Style. The stature, Ruth Gleaning, by an American expatriate, Randolph Rogers, in Italy is still in the house today.
http://www.georgiatrust.org/historic_sites/hayhouse/history.php
Macon, Georgia is home to some antebellum homes. In 1962, the Johnson/Felton/Hay house was donated to The Georgia Trust to be changed to a house museum and it is truly an incredible house to tour. The original owners, the Johnson's only lived in the house three years. They toured Europe while it was being built from 1855 to 1859. William Butler Johnson's wealth was accumulated through banking, utilities, and railroads and not from the typical Southern agrarian model.
The house is built in the Italian Renaissance Style. The stature, Ruth Gleaning, by an American expatriate, Randolph Rogers, in Italy is still in the house today.
http://www.georgiatrust.org/historic_sites/hayhouse/history.php
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| By Drinnon Studio [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
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| First floor parlor. The statue in the back is Ruth Gleaning and interestingly enough it's feet look exactly like my sisters. |
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| By Blastoids (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Most homes in the South were much smaller and more humble much like this rural church which is still in use today.
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I can't imagine living in one of those massive houses but I think I would like to give it a try if I could have some maids. I would really like to do the tour. It's sad that so many have decayed but I imagine the upkeep is enormous.
ReplyDeleteYou would have to have a lot of maids or tolerate some major dust. They are huge.
DeleteWhenever I tour an old home, my imagination goes soaring and I wish I had the ability to do some time-traveling. I can hear those long skirts swishing along the floor. I see myself sipping lemonade from some delicate crystal. Then I remember the chamber mug and outhouse and am snapped back to reality. These are beautiful homes and I'm glad they are open for tours.
ReplyDelete~Visiting from AtoZ
Good morning Ann! What a cool blog post for the letter "H." :) I know someone who would totally geek out over these houses lol. Southern history is awesome, and it's great to know there are still people dedicated to preserving their stories, memories, artifacts and architecture!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I'm hosting a chapter critique giveaway on my blog as part of my A to Z journey. Would love it if you came to participate and be a part of the fun :) You can find it on my blog under "G is for Giveaway" - don't forget to use the Rafflecopter form!
Have a great day!
-Wendy
http://wendyluwrites.com
Wow, now that is some house. I am not sure I'd ever want to live in something so big, never see half the house
ReplyDelete