When I was photographing the Mars Theatre before its restoration, about ten years ago, some of the nice folks with the City of Springfield suggested I photograph this property, as it’s considered the most historic farmstead in the county. I believe the referrer was a relative of the family. It’s not a public property but I was lucky to find the road to the farm open. As the sign says, this land was first surveyed in May 1800.

The land was first owned by David Reiser (1765-1836), a descendant of one of the early Salzburger families who came to Effingham County from Austria in 1736. Reiser received a grant of 450 acres from the State of Georgia in 1802. The farm, which grew into plantation with the addition of 150 acres, was inherited by David’s son, Christopher F. Reiser (1813-1884). Christopher and his wife had two sons and thirteen daughters.

One of Christopher’s sons, Virgil Herbert Reiser (1852-1918) purchased 100 acres of the family plantation in 1874 and developed his own farm, which became the present-day Reiser-Zoller Farm. After his marriage to Ella Gnann in 1879, they began living on the property. The small house behind the two-story house was their home originally, and all of their children were born here. The principal crop of the farm was corn but Virgil also raised cattle and hogs, which were floated on timber rafts and sold downriver in Savannah. As more crops were raised and timber cleared, the farm concurrently included a turpentine operation.

In 1900, Virgil’s relative, Pierce Edwards, was hired to build the larger farmhouse, needed to accommodate his growing family and farm. Upon Virgil’s death, his son Herbert (1880-1970) inherited the property. He added pecan and grapes, as well as tobacco, and more livestock, to the operation. It continued to grow under his stewardship. Herbert never married, and a nephew, Walter Zoller, became the next owner, and the fifth generation of the family to own the land.

Such an intact historical farm is rare anywhere and the family’s commitment to its preservation is inspiring. It is of statewide importance as a landmark of agricultural heritage.

National Register of Historic Places