Lyndhurst Plantation, Monticello Florida

Date added: May 17, 2025

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Lyndhurst Plantation is situated on a tract of land first obtained from the United States by Ayles B. Shehee on October 13^th, 1830. From Mr. Shehee, the property passed to Colonel William Bailey, who is credited with construction of the mansion in the early 1850's. That Lyndhurst was indeed a sizable estate engaged in numerous activities is attested to by the estate papers of William Bailey. Included among his personal and business papers are found vouchers and receipts paid for improvements to buildings on the plantation, and for supplies and equipment. In addition, a testamentary letter signed by Mr. Bailey's children, and sent to Honorable James Bell, Judge of the Second Judicial Circuit in 1875, specifies the exact land holdings of Bailey at the time of his death. The documents confirm that Lyndhurst was a thriving plantation of enormous proportion during Mr. Bailey's lifetime. Sometime after the death of William Bailey in 1872, foreclosure proceedings were initiated against Lyndhurst. Through the action of Bailey's daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. John B. Mays, the house was saved, and remained in possession of Bailey descendants until 1864.

The later owners of Lyndhurst have made few alterations to the mansion; those which have been made include replacement of the wooden steps and porch on the main entrance; the conversion of a closet to bathroom; and conversion of a pantry to a larger, modern kitchen. The most extensive alteration was made by Thomas Sumter Mays who removed the original two-story portico and replaced it with the Greek Revival portico now identified with the mansion. Lyndhurst survives as an example of a mid-nineteenth century middle Florida plantation.

Building Description

The plantation known as Lyndhurst is situated on 3,500 acres of land in Jefferson County, Florida. The house plus outlying buildings comprises approximately twenty acres, and is today an active plantation engaged in cattle raising and farming.

Estate papers on file at the County Judge's office reflect that Lyndhurst was a plantation of sizable proportion and activity in the mid-19^th century, at which time it was owned by Colonel William J. Bailey. The property was acquired by Bailey, a nephew of General William Bailey, in the early 1840's and the house itself was begun in 1850, taking approximately five years to complete.

Basic style of the plantation house is square, having a large central hall with two rooms deep on each side. Rooms are immense, measuring 25 by 25 feet with 18 foot ceilings on the first floor. The two and one-half story house is constructed of hand-made brick on the lower portion and wood on the upper. Some of the wood was obtained locally, and some from Governor Drew's sawmill at Ellaville, Florida.

An interesting feature is the unusual construction technique of the brick foundation which extends in a solid pattern under each of the rooms on the ground floor. Through this construction design, each room on the first floor above is delineated, and crawl holes permit access from one area to the next. It is possible to traverse the entire area under the first floor by this means.

The symmetrical appearance of the main facade, including regularly placed elongated windows with shaped lintels and wooden sills, and the Greek Revival portico with its four massive doric columns rising the full two stories, lend an imposing nature to the house. The portico is a later addition. It replaced the original two-story portico which had a balustrade balcony and gabled pediment. The original columns have been replaced by the present ones, which are concrete drainage pipes, painted white.

The main entry consists of a paneled wooden door with framing pilasters, vertical side-lights and rectangular transom with a plain cornice above. The brick steps and brickwork on the porch are replacements necessitated by deterioration of the original material.

Extending from the gabled roof with its projecting eaves are two pair of chimneys, each pair being located at the gable ends. On the gable ends of the house are found two six-light, double-hung sash windows. This portion of the house is now utilized at attic storage.

Windows throughout are double-hung sash, six over six; however, at the second story the windows are shorter in length in order to create a more balanced appearance to the facade.

The interior of the mansion contains very elaborate touches, such as the dentilled molding in each of the rooms, the hand-carved features such as ceiling medallions, and an intricately carved hand rail on the stair. Doors are paneled oak, and the flooring, which is original, is composed of nine-inch wide pine planks. Agate door knobs appear on the sliding wooden doors which separate the formal parlor from the dining room. Above these doors is found a hand-carved cornice of Greek motif, and framing pilasters alongside give the appearance of a formal entry from room to room. Rooms on the east side of the house are presently used as a den and a bedroom. An adjoining closet has been converted to a bathroom.

Throughout the house are found eight fireplaces, all with wooden mantles.

A back porch extending the width of the house has been enclosed, and includes some other alterations such as replacement of-older windows with tall, modern awning-type ones. Another bathroom at the east end of this porch has been added and a kitchen at the west extremity has been converted from a smaller pantry in the original house.

Two cemeteries exist on the surrounding property; one, the Bailey family cemetery contains the grave sites of both Colonel Bailey and his wife, Eliza, as well as other family members. The other cemetery contains the headstones of those other than the Baileys.

The house is surrounded on the southwest side by numerous out-buildings. Of these are included a blacksmith shop now used as a stable; a commissary; corn crib; two tobacco barns; a feed storage barn, and an additional barn presently utilized as a workshop.