Glenn-Thompson Plantation, Pittsview Alabama

Date added: May 27, 2024 Categories:

Constructed in 1837 as the home of one of Russell County's earliest settlers, Cedar Heights is one of the finest examples of the smaller Greek Revival plantation houses in the county and illustrates how the style was perceived by leading settlers in the area.

The plantation lands were originally inhabited by the Creek Indians. In 1832 the Creek Cession in Eastern Alabama took place, clearing the way for settlement. The original 640 acres of land was deeded to Samuel B. Benton in 1835. Benton, however, quickly sold the land to Massilon McKendree Glenn. Massilon Glenn was the eldest son of the Reverend James Glenn, founder of nearby Glennville. The younger Glenn was a leading voice in literary societies in this area. His knowledge of literature and English aided him in his position as President of the Board of Trustees of the Glennville Female Academy.

It was Glenn, along with his father, who in 1837, had the present house constructed by skilled plantation laborers. This was one of the first houses to be built in the area after the Creek Cession. In 1840, Mr. George Hargraves Thompson, a successful cotton planter, traded his nearby house and plantation for the Glenn place. It was the Thompson family that developed Cedar Heights onto a 12,000-acre working plantation. Willis Thompson, a son, was among the first in the county to convert his acreage to the production of pecans. Sometime during the first decade of the century, he planted trees and established the Eagle Pecan Company and Nursery. The house and lands are still in the hands of the family, but the main crop is timber.

Site Description

This is a one-story, mortise and tenon, clapboard structure with a hipped roof. Sills supporting the house measure 45" above ground level and rest on 30" x 16" limestone piers. Originally the house contained four rooms, two on either side of a central hall. In 1840, three years after it was built, a rear section was added to provide extra living space; nearly a century later, a one-room wing was added to the western side of the house. The original kitchen building was attached to the house by a breezeway, but it has been relocated to the west of the house and serves as a horse barn.

The facade of the original block consists of five bays with a centrally located entrance. This entrance has double doors made up of two vertical panels which are surrounded by sidelights and a transom. The two double-hung windows on either side of the main door are 6/6 and measure 41" x 80". All windows on the house are shuttered and have original hardware. A portico supported by six square columns features an entablature that is continued around the house. To the rear of the house is a shed roof veranda which originally had square posts across the rear. It has since been enclosed and is used as part of the interior living space. Other alterations include the addition of aluminum siding, the change in roofing material from cedar shingles to asphalt tile, and new brickwork for foundations and walkway.

The interior of the house is basically intact. Fireplaces are located in the original four rooms and the 1840 addition. In 1970, when the house underwent renovation, these fireplaces were sealed on the interior, and marble hearths and fireplace surrounds were put in. The original wood mantels are intact and are paneled and beveled. The woodwork on the mantels reflects that in the central hall. This hall contains a distinctive pilastered archway in the center. To the rear of the hall is a narrow stairway which leads up to the sleeping attic. Beneath the stairway is a small closet. The floors of the house are of heart pine. The interior doors have two vertical panels. The walls and 13' high ceilings were originally plaster but have been redone with sheetrock. The locks on the interior doors are brass; those on the front and back doors are from the c. 1900 Pittsview Bank.

Changes to the interior throughout the years have been sympathetic. The entrance to the solarium (the west wing added in the 1940s) is an archway copied from that in the hall. This solarium has nine large sash windows which are 6/6 in configuration and 34" x 80" in size. In 1970, numerous additions were made, including a three-car garage, a utility room, a bedroom, and a bathroom. Baths and closets were also added to rooms on the east side of the house in a way so as not to disrupt those rooms.

The plantation is located in a rural area and faces south on County Road 12, The entrance is marked by large brick piers or posts and electric gates. A low brick wall runs along the road in front of the house. The only remaining structure associated with the original plantation is the previously mentioned kitchen. To the east of the house is a small Delco plant which furnished the house with electricity in the early 20^th century.