Greenwood Plantation, Thomasville Georgia

Date added: September 26, 2023
Front facade looking south (1975)

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Greenwood Plantation is one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in Georgia and one of few surviving structures designed by John Wind. Later additions and landscaping were done by noted architect Stanford White. The original part of the plantation was owned by one of Thomas County's pioneer families. Its later owners were wealthy northerners who were winter residents thereby contributing to Thomas County's reputation as a winter resort.

Greenwood Plantation was first owned and the main house built by Thomas P. Jones. The Jones were among Thomas County's early settlers, acquiring four 250-acre land lots in District 18 from men who had drawn these lots in the 1820 Land Lottery. Jones acquired his first lot in 1827. The house was built over a 9-year period, 1835-1844 to replace an earlier frame house. Jones and his wife, Lavinia Young, had moved to Thomas County from the Savannah area. Six children were born to them after coming to Thomas County. By 1860, Thomas County ranked 7th in rice production in Georgia and Jones was the county's leading rice producer with 8,000 pounds in 1860. In addition, he was one of the original Trustees of the First Methodist Church of Thomasville and was one of the owners of the first bank to be chartered there. Jones owned more than 2000 acres for several years but, after selling some acreage, Greenwood in the last years of the Jones ownership consisted of around 1300 acres. Jones died in 1869 but his widow continued to live there until 1889 when she sold 1300 acres to S. R. Van Duzer of New York. Lavinia Jones requested burial at the Jones cemetery at Greenwood in her will. This cemetery is maintained at Greenwood today.

The new owners in 1889, the S. R. Van Duzers of New York, began Greenwood's tradition of being a winter residence and hunting preserve. The Van Duzers had a townhouse in Thomasville and used Greenwood as a hunting lodge. They renamed the plantation Vaalnysten. Van Duzer was a well-known merchant and manufacturer. When Van Duzer's health began to fail, he offered the plantation for sale in 1899.

Thomas Jones had had numerous slaves before 1860 to work the plantation. With the fall of the slave economy, agriculture in Georgia came under the sharecropping system. Greenwood was farmed on this system after the Civil War. It was also one of the best known quail hunting plantations after 1889.

In 1899, Greenwood was sold by the Van Duzers to Colonel Oliver Hazard Payne of New York. Colonel Payne commissioned architect Stanford White to design wings, rear additions, an iron gate, and sunken gardens, all of which were added to the estate, as well as additional acreage. White had designed other notable buildings including Madison Square Gardens, the Gorham and Tiffany buildings in New York, the capital at Albany, N.Y., and others. Colonel Payne, born in 1842, was a Director of the Standard Oil Company and the American Tobacco Company and President of the Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railway Company. He helped finance the first Cornell Medical School and endowed it with $4,500,000. He also gave large sums to the University of Virginia and Western Reserve University.

Upon Colonel Payne's death in 1916, Greenwood passed to his nephew, Payne Whitney, according to the stipulations of Colonel Payne's will. Payne Whitney was the son of William Collins Whitney, former Secretary of the Navy, political figure, and financier. Payne Whitney married Helen Hay, daughter of John Milton Hay, Secretary of State under William McKinkey, and Theodore Roosevelt and author of the Hay-Pauncefort Treaty. On Mr. Whitney's death in the late 1930's, Greenwood became the property of his widow, Helen Hay Whitney who managed the place until her death around 1943-44.

In 1944, Greenwood was inherited by John Hay Whitney, b. 1904, the son of Payne and Helen Hay Whitney. Until this time, Greenwood was still farmed by sharecroppers and used for quail hunting by the owners. Sharecropping there, as elsewhere in Georgia, came to an end around 1945. Greenwood's purpose has been threefold since that time, according to Mr. John Hay Whitney's plans.

It is a center for the development of southern agriculture and its facilities have developed hybrid corn seed that has increased the productivity of corn per acre in the southeast. It is an example of natural resource conservation and land use planning. The forests are continually replenished. There is a tract of virgin long-leaf pine (one of few in the United States) on the home place. The wildlife management program makes Greenwood the home of quail, deer and other varieties of wildlife.

Greenwood Plantation today consists of 3 non-contiguous tracts of land. A portion of the smallest tract, known as the "home place", is the house location. This tract is the site of the main house, outbuildings, Jones cemetery, gardens, virgin long-leaf pine stand, Pine Tree Boulevard and the hybrid seed company, all of which contribute to the historical significance of this site and protect the environmental and historical integrity of the plantation. The Greenwood of the 20th century combines 19th-century design and purpose with 20th-century technology to continue its tradition as a successful, functioning plantation of South Georgia.

Site Description

The main house at Greenwood Plantation was built between 1835 and 1844 and was designed by English architect, John Wind, Wind was architect for many other Thomas County structures including the Courthouse and Susina Plantation, but no other work of John Wind is known to be extant in the United States, Twentieth-century additions were designed by Stanford White, an architect with a leading New York firm, McKim, Mead and White. Mr. White described Greenwood as "the most perfect example of Greek Revive architecture in America."

The Greenwood main house is a two-story brick-and-frame Greek Revival mansion. The bricks were burned in kilns on the plantation and the timbers used were cut from the plantation and hewn by hand. Construction took 9 years.

A large, wooden, pedimented gable roof is supported by four two-story Ionic columns set on square brick bases which rest directly on the ground, in front of the portico rather than resting on top of it. There is a two-story portico, the second story is supported by four simple columns rising from the deep first story. The front-end gable, built of native red cedar, is ornamented by a magnolia blossom and flanking garlands. Four laurel wreaths adorn the simple frieze, one over each of the Ionic columns. The blossoms, garlands, and wreaths were hand-carved by the architect, John Wind, although parts of these have had to be replaced due to deterioration.

The interior has a fine, symmetrical winding staircase at the rear of the front or main center hall. Wainscoting and interior doors are of panel design. Mantels are simple and straightforward and door and window trim extremely plain. There are dentil cornices throughout. The living room has Doric-engaged pilasters and the main hall is divided by a wide flattened arch supported by simple columns. The center, front doorway consists of a double: glass paneled door flanked by sidelights and capped with a leaded glass, rectangular fixed transom.

The floor plan of the original portion is a 4-room, central hall plan with 4 rooms on each floor. Greenwood was enlarged and improved in the early 20th century by the owner Col. O. H. Payne, including rear additions that attach the original kitchen to the main house, two one-story wings, sunken gardens, and iron gates. These additions were designed by Stanford White. The wings are rectangular and the front portico balusters of the 2nd floor are repeated above each wing. These wings contain extensions to the living room and the 2 downstairs bedrooms. Both the wings and the rear additions are perfectly compatible with the original design. The gardens added by Col. Payne included marble statuary, benches, and fountains, but have since been removed. Further landscaping has been done by the Whitneys. The ornate bronze gates designed by White still remain in place.

Greenwood is completely free of modern intrusions. The main house is set back from the main highway and reached by a long drive that curves around to the side of the house. The house is barely visible from the road, being hidden by large magnolias and other types of trees and shrubs. Directly in front of the house is a large expanse of grass in a circular design bordered by magnolias, tea olives, and other plants. The gardens flank the sides and rear. There are numerous outbuildings to the southwest of the main residence including kennels, garage, and employee dwellings. These outbuildings are not original with the main house, but, although built in the early 20th century, their architectural style is compatible with the main house. The architectural quality of the main house is greatly enhanced by its surroundings. The estate proper consists of about 40 acres including dwelling, outbuildings, and gardens. The remaining portion of the 18,000-acre plantation consists of agricultural and pine lands. Agricultural pursuits and quail hunting are the primary activities. Pine Tree Boulevard cuts through the east side of the plantation. This boulevard is a clay road that encircles the city of Thomasville and was cut there in the late 19th century. The Jones family cemetery, which dates to the early 19th century, stands to the west of the main house. It is surrounded by a high brick wall in an arch design with iron gates. Greenwood Plantation consists of 3 non-contiguous tracts. The main house is located on the smallest tract known as the "Home Place". The outbuildings, a seed company, the cemetery, Pine Tree Boulevard, and a stand of virgin long-leaf pine are also on this tract.

Greenwood Plantation, Thomasville Georgia View of living room fireplace looking south (1975)
View of living room fireplace looking south (1975)

Greenwood Plantation, Thomasville Georgia Staircase and central hall, looking south (1975)
Staircase and central hall, looking south (1975)

Greenwood Plantation, Thomasville Georgia Front facade looking south (1975)
Front facade looking south (1975)

Greenwood Plantation, Thomasville Georgia East side of house looking west (1975)
East side of house looking west (1975)

Greenwood Plantation, Thomasville Georgia Employee dwellings to the southwest of main house (1975)
Employee dwellings to the southwest of main house (1975)

Greenwood Plantation, Thomasville Georgia Entrance drive and gates, northeast of main house (1975)
Entrance drive and gates, northeast of main house (1975)