Pearson-Boyer Plantation, Sparta Georgia

Date added: April 08, 2025

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The history of the Pearson-Boyer Plantation begins with the arrival of the original owner/builder to the land and the county in the early 19^th century.

Stephen Edward Pearson, Sr. (1774-1854) arrived in Hancock County, Georgia, between 1795 and 1805. The county had only recently (1793) been created from lands originally in Greene County. The arrival date is supported by early records and deeds. The development of land holdings in the "Buffalo Creek area" (referred to as the "watery fork" of Buffalo) came after the development of the northern half of present-day Hancock County.

These early settlers of Buffalo Creek bought and sold properties until they acquired contiguous tracts to form their plantations. By 1850, Stephen Pearson, Sr., possessed 800 acres of improved farm land and 4500 acres of unimproved farmland at an estimated value of $40,000 (Shivers, page 331). When Pearson died in 1854, his estate holdings were divided and approximately 2000 acres went to Stephen Edward Pearson, Jr.

Stephen E. Pearson, Jr. was born December 7^th 1835. As one of the Commissioners of Hancock County, he served on the Board of Roads and Public Works and in this capacity was also the official surveyor for the county. Later, he surveyed and farmed for a living until his death in 1913. He was commissioned as an ensign in the Georgia Militia and was stationed at Midway in the outer defenses of Savannah during the Civil War. He was also a member of the Georgia Legislature, 1868-1869. He married Iwanona Strother on November 12^th, 1854.

On this tract, Stephen and Iwanona selected a homesite to build their residence. Construction was begun in 1854 and was completed the following year. Stephen, Jr. had received 1996 acres and Pearson's saw/grist mill as his share of his father's estate. Stephen and Iwanona began preparation for their new house even prior to their marriage in November 1854. Construction was completed within one year using slave labor and skills.

The reference to 1854-1855 was intended to indicate both the beginning and completion times. As was the case in most plantation/farms of this size, slave labor was used in the construction.

Family history provides a clue to the architectural design adopted. Stephen was 19 and his wife 17 at the time. He greatly admired a neighbor, Judge Thomas, and the architectural design of his home, copying the general design. Stephen's mathematical acumen was evidenced in the selection of the site and orientation. He placed the building at 85 degrees to take maximum advantage of the median azimuth of the sunrise throughout the year.

Stephen was an officer of the Georgia militia and, as such, became an officer of the Confederate Army during 1861-1865. Following the Civil War, he represented the county in the Georgia Legislature in 1868, 1869 and 1870 until unseated by an act of Congress enacted December 22^nd, 1869. In 1869, he took advantage of state legislation to salvage part of his 2000 acres by applying for homestead. His lands by now had been reduced to 793 acres. By 1894, that property was put up for sheriff's sale to cover tax liens. His son-in-law, James Madison Boyer, the husband of his daughter Mattie, entered into land purchases to prevent the displacement of the Pearsons from their home and land.

J. M. Boyer (1849-1937) married Mattie Pearson, daughter of Stephen, Jr.), and by 1894 purchased the property of his father-in-law to prevent his displacement from his home and land. At this time, Pearson's property had been reduced to 420 acres from the original 1996 acres he had received from his father's estate. Boyer farmed this property and gradually increased the acreage to 865 acres at the time of his death in 1937. He also farmed his own property, down stream on Buffalo, a tract of 287 acres.

By 1899, James Madison Boyer, his wife, and his family moved from their farm (also on the watery fork of Buffalo) to this property. Stephen and Iwanona maintained their own barn, horse stable, and kitchen garden, while James M. Boyer and his wife established two new barns and proceeded to farm this property as well as the farm they had left. The Pearsons died in 1912 and 1913, respectively. The Boyers raised six children, all of whom attended Georgia Military College and Georgia Normal and Industrial College (now Georgia College), both in Milledgeville. Both James M. and Mattie Boyer died in 1937. The properties were divided among their children.

Among these children were the present owner's mother, Mary Boyer Muldrow, and her husband, Joseph Francis Muldrow. They owned their portion of the Boyer estate until 1975, when they deeded it to their son, the present owner, and his wife. In 1976, another portion of the Boyer estate came to the present owners from Mrs. Lucille B. Boyer, widow of James P. Boyer. This was parcel 5 of the 1941 division and it included the Pearson-Boyer House.

Thus the current owner, James J. Muldrow, is a direct descendant of the original builders of the main house, Stephen and Iwanona (Strother) Pearson. He and his wife, Sue Eileen Muldrow, have begun the restoration of the property and are living there.

Traditionally, cotton and timber were the main money crops. Corn and wheat were also produced for feed and food. Both Pearson and the Boyers had large orchards and "kitchen gardens." Farm animals included horses, mules, cows, and hogs. Poultry included geese, ducks (for feather beds and food), turkeys, guineas, and chickens. Of the latter, "Domin-ekkers" (Dominiques) and "Barred rocks" were preferred. No farm of that era was without its share of bird dogs and coon dogs, and this place was no exception. The farming operation ceased upon the death of J. M. Boyer and the resulting division of his estate in 1937.

As to the mill operation, among the deeds and plats retained by Stephen Pearson, Jr. in his capacity as a surveyor, references are found to the "old mill", usually with measurements downstream from Sheep Creek and upstream from "the cucumbers". The term cucumbers was a mystery at first, and the current owners thought that the "cucumbers" referred to an odd formation of large rocks shown on plats but eventually came to realize that this was a grove or "head" of cucumber magnolias, perhaps rare enough to the area to make a ready reference point in surveys. One such deed entered into by George Boyer (uncle of James M.) made provision for access to the "old mill" area for the purpose of building a dam or dams required to operate the mill and machinery being added, and, further, to provide building materials (rocks and timber) for that construction. Additionally, "ingress and egress" was guaranteed for "men, horses, oxen, wagons and carts" for those purposes. An agreement had been reached in 1832 and registered on April 7^th, 1834. Another deed records the purchase by Stephen Pearson, Sr., of the Boyer property described above in 1838. Another deed describes the line between that property and the adjacent property of John Boyer (father of James M.) wherein the wagon and cart road became the new boundary. Stephen Pearson, Jr., entered into this agreement with John Boyer in 1861. It should be safe to assume that a mill did exist at the site prior to 1832 and that the new construction completed by 1838, with added machinery and water power capacity, is the mill referred to as "Pearson's Mill." It follows that the mill remained active until at least 1861, hence the interest in clearly defining the access road. At the end of the Civil War, Stephen Jr's property holdings were drastically and rapidly reduced. In 1869 he filed for homestead to protect from further losses and the plat for that homestead application excluded the mill site. There is no information that we have been able to locate that would indicate that the mill continued in operation following the end of the war.

Site Description

The Pearson-Boyer Plantation consists of a main house complex made up of four connected structures, a number of outbuildings and sites of former outbuildings, and a large tract of mostly wooded land. It is located in rural Hancock County. The main house complex consists of the one-story, early house with its two-room, central-hall plan with rear shed rooms. On either side of this building, and connected to it by open galleries, are two separate rooms, one original, one restored, now used as bedrooms. The original kitchen and dining room wing to the rear has been expanded recently into a separate living space with modern conveniences. Evidence of marbling and other graining survive in several rooms, especially in the baseboards of the parlor. The parlor ceiling medallion and moldings are the most elaborate plasterwork in the house. The original structures contain hand-hewn beams, hand pegged joints, original exterior planks, original window panes, porcelain door knobs, and mantels. There are eight remaining frame outbuildings or sites: the historic carriage house, two barns with side sheds, store, two privies (one recently nearly destroyed by storm), pantry (in ruinous state), and site of the log house. The property also includes the foundation of an old home site and remains of the Mathis Dam. Changes to the house include the rebuilding of one of the front detached rooms, the expansion of the rear appendages into a modern wing, and a new heating system.

The main house consists of four structures joined by covered porches. These are the main antebellum residence, two front wing rooms, and the newly formed rear addition incorporating the original kitchen wing.

The plan of the main house consists of two large rooms separated by a central hall and two smaller rooms separated by a porch. The two front rooms are 17 x 17 feet, with ceilings 12 feet high, separated by an 8 foot hall with a ceiling also 12 feet high. The center hall enters a back porch with adjoining rooms each 12 x 14 feet with 8 foot ceilings covered by a shed roof. The front porch is U-shaped and connects the two wing rooms 18 x 20 feet with 12 foot ceilings. Originally a kitchen, said to have been approximately 12 x 18 feet, existed on the north side of the shed roof structure, that is adjoining the main house block. This structure was dismantled in 1911-1912 and a dining room/kitchen was built directly behind the rear porch using original timbers and lumber.

The two front rooms have been finished with 1 x 12 planks with beaded design along the joints and highly polished. Later, during construction, these finished walls were over-plastered. This was done to be in keeping with the plaster work in the ceiling of the parlor. As a result of this over-plastering, the door frames of the forward-two large rooms are flush with the plaster. This application does not occur in the center front hall which suggests that while the two large rooms were completed and then changed, the center hall had not been completed. (Heavy restoration was required in the center hall due to water damage, and, perhaps, vandalism, while the building was unoccupied and it was found that the plaster was attached to laths not the 1 x 12 planks found in the two rooms.) The craftsmanship involved with the plasterwork has been attributed to Tim Crowley according to family and county histories.

Interior door and window frames are wood grained and feature the dog-eared molding pattern. Capitals on door frames are hand carved from a single piece of wood. Both front rooms and the front hall have baseboards 1 x 12. It appears that the baseboards were at one time all marbleized; however, only the baseboards in the parlor appear in original condition. In the other room and the hallway, removal of successive coats of paint revealed that the artificial joints (spaced vertical lines) used in marbleizing still exist.

All floor boards in these rooms are the original boards, 1 x 6s, heart pine extending from wall to wall without joint or splice. The hall and the original master bedroom were used throughout the years and the painting of baseboards was done by later occupants.

The fireplace in the parlor was originally painted and designed to appear like granite although several coats of later applied paint had to be removed. Much of the detail has been preserved.

Ceiling light fixtures in the front two rooms and forward hall include globes that were part of a carbide system installed prior to World War I. Light fixtures on either side of the front door, with hand blown globes and brass "coolie" type caps, are of the same era.

Walls of the two rear rooms and back porch contain wide boards, mostly 1 x 12, and board-and-batten ceilings. All of the above described planks are from the original construction. Floors in this area have been replaced due to water damage from inadequate plumbing installed in later years.

The doorknobs are porcelain and are original. The front door and all interior doors have mortised locks although the keys are no longer available.

The house's structural systems are very basic. The holes and pegs in all joint construction were completed by a slave of the Pearsons, assigned this as his major job in the construction. Additionally, also from family history, the Pearson family owned and operated a saw mill and finishing mill (with planer equipment) on this property and that all timbers were cut from the virgin forests that still existed at the time of purchase. Ship-lap joints and beading previously described were hand-tooled.

Examination of the major beam structure reveals hand-hewn heart-pine wood and cross section dimension joints that were hand-pegged. Exterior walls of the front of the main house and two wing rooms were made using 1 x 12 planks. The siding is ship-lapped and beaded at joints, the planks running the full length of the house. Roofs were originally split shingles later covered by hexagonal roofing materials. Chimneys appear to be sunbaked brick plastered with cement.

The window panes are either original or replacements made at an early date since they contain bubble glass. Shutter hinges are of particular interest, they are of a two piece design of vertically inserted upper and lower halves.

The carbide generator is in the possession of the owners. The gas was conducted to lighting fixtures by pipes similar to those used in natural gas systems today. Ventilation with the main structure was assisted by a moveable lower window with fixed upper window and there is evidence that the window stop molding can be loosened to allow the lower sash to be raised and held in place.

There are five remaining frame outbuildings and five sites of former outbuildings on the property. Two barns with side sheds ca. 1895-1900 still stand but are in need of repair. One family store still standing needs some repair and restoration. The store was originally used to provide food, dry goods and condiments to Black families living on the property. In later years, this building was used as a smoke house. A carriage house, later converted to a garage, once housed an early family car (an El-car, manufactured in Elkhart, Indiana), parts of which are still on the property. Also contained in this structure are farm implements of the era to include horse and mule collars and various tools for farming. Of the two privies one is in fairly good condition and can be restored, the other was recently lost in a storm. A pantry behind the main building existed until recently, although the design and dimensions are known. Of particular note was the interior of this structure, lath and plaster, to insure stability of temperature and moisture. Family stories are that moistured hay was placed in the "attic" of this small building to assist in cooling against summer heat. There is also the site of a log house at the rear of the modern addition to the main house.

The property may have historic archaeological potential due to the known sites of the Mathis House, mill and dam, but no formal archaeology has been done on the site. Deeds in possession of the owners show that certain acreage to the west of the house were in the possession of Thomas Mathis in 1828, who was faced with losing his property for failure to pay taxes. Stephen Pearson, Sr. purchased under Fi-Fa that property and returned it to Mathis. Upon the death of Mathis, his estate deeded the property back to Pearson. In efforts to identify this acreage, the owner was assisted by a game ranger from the Game and Fish Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and he discovered, first, the Mathis dam, the source of power for the mill, the earth works of which still exist. He later discovered a building foundation believed to be the original site of the Thomas Mathis home. That home and mill probably ceased to exist after 1830. This is supported by the fact that the major source of water power was what is now known as Mill Creek and the other creek always known as Drawhorn which together form Little Buffalo Creek (the "watery Fork" of Buffalo at the point of that dam site.) There exists clear evidence that these old dam works were to power his sawmill and grist mill downstream on Buffalo Creek. That mill had earlier been operated by the Sayer family. Also on this property, perfect flint arrowheads have been recovered through the past generations to include scimitar or crescent shaped skinning knives which would fit between the index finger and the thumb. Geodes from prehistoric volcanic activity have been found just to the south of this property on the farm owned by James Madison Boyer before he purchased this property.

The location of the Pearson Mill is in parcel #6, now in the possession of Blanche Muldrow Shamma (sister of the owner). Descriptions of the mill are contained in an article entitled "Down the Road-Buffalo Creek" in the May 29^th, 1980 issue of The Sparta Ishmaelite. In addition, there is a site on that adjoining property which we believe can be traced to annual migrations of the Creek Indians from the Ocmulgee Mounds area, near present-day Macon. This site is identifiable by a mound of large granite boulders of such weight that would require a number of persons to build. In the close vicinity of that mound is an elongated circle (measuring approximately 8 x 12 Feet) of flat stones which might indicate a temporary dwelling of the Indians who visited the area.)

This property is in a very rural setting, as it always has been. The site was obviously selected in the early 19^th century for that of a homestead because it was close to several important creeks which were chosen as mill sites. It is surrounded today by farmland, just as it always has been.

There have been some changes to the property. As shown on the floor plan the south wing room was destroyed by fire in 1919. It was rebuilt in 1979 during the restoration using the interior and exterior measurements and details of the existing north wing room. To the rear of the main structure (west) the dining room and kitchen built in 1910-1912 as described above were retained. The owners have added to the north and south of that structure additional living space, interior bathrooms, family dining room, a breakfast room, a canning kitchen, a sewing room and a family room with porch. The original kitchen was adapted for modern conveniences but retained the wood color, the use of porcelain knobs and those things which would reflect the original construction. All door facings and window facings duplicate as closely as possible the Federal capitals and wood graining of the original structure. The added small, family dining room is floored by 1 x 12 planks removed from the shed roof of the original structure necessitated by continual rain damage from leaks. The interior of the breakfast room contains wainscoting at a 4 foot level using the interior boards of the dining room (1912). From exterior appearances the additions were made in closest detail to the original architectural structure.