This exceptional home was built for Mrs. Beersheba Jones (1790-1850) circa 1826. It is one of the finest of the many architectural gems in Old Clinton. It has long been attributed to Daniel Pratt, though this attribution is now in question. Nonetheless, it is an important landmark of the transition between Federal and Greek Revival architecture.
In her History of Jones County, Georgia, For One Hundred Years, Specifically 1807-1907 (J. W. Burke, Macon, 1957), Caroline White Williams dates the house to 1820, but most modern sources date it to 1826. I’m unsure as to the reason for the discrepancy. Mrs. Jones only lived here a few years before selling the property to John and Mary Pitts. The James Ross family have had the longest association with the house and his descendants have taken excellent care of this important resource.
Old Clinton Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
The Cabaniss-Hanberry House, located in the vicinity of Bradley, is one of the most iconic works of domestic architecture in Georgia. The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, who stabilized and restored the exterior in 1999, describes it as “…a vernacular example of Jeffersonian Classicism…and possibly the only remaining house of its form in Georgia...”
The builder of the house, George Cabaniss, Sr., (1744-1815), was the Virginia-born son of Mathieu Etienne Cabanis (1710-1789). His grandfather, Henri Hubert Cabanis (1655-1720), was a French Huguenot who fled to Virginia in the late 1600s.
After service in the Revolutionary War, George married Palatea Harrison (1758-1822), in 1781. In the 1790s, he was one of several Cabaniss siblings who “…began a succession of migrations with parts of their families, first to North Carolina and then to Georgia. Some of the family eventually moved on to Alabama.” He first came to Greene County before eventually settling in Jones County.
He built this house circa 1805, undoubtedly with the labor of enslaved men, and sold it to his son Harrison Cabaniss (1782-1819) in 1811, after building another home near present-day Round Oak. After Harrison’s death, his widow, Sarah “Sally” Kirk Cabaniss (1798-1848) remained on the property until her death. She left 1215 acres and 29 slaves to her grandchildren. The house was occupied by descendants of its builder until the late 1950s or early 1960s.
Some notable descendants of George Cabaniss, Sr., include Dr. Palacia “Pallie” Wilson Stewart (1805-1866), one of the first licensed women physicians in Georgia, and Henry Harrison Cabaniss (1848-1934), an early owner of the Atlanta Journal and vice-president of the Cotton States and International Exposition.
Like all of South Georgia, Long County saw what was likely record snowfall from Winter Storm Enzo. Amazingly, similar snowfall occurred in the area in 2018. Some random landmarks from throughout the week are shared below, most of which are in Ludowici. I’ll also be sharing some nature-based images from Griffin Ridge.
Liberty County received historic snowfall on Tuesday night as a result of Winter Storm Enzo, a weather system that brought blizzard conditions to the Gulf Coast and lower Southeast. I’m sharing a few random landmarks from my local rambles of the past week. My only regret is that I couldn’t photograph everything. I hope you enjoy seeing these as much as I enjoyed making them. I’ll be sharing some shots from Long County, as well.
The Martin and Lucretia Stamper House, also known as Merrywood, is one of the finest surviving houses in Talbot County and a representative example of the Early Classical Revival in Georgia. It is an I-House at its core. The Classical look is evident in the full height portico, Ionic pilasters, and most notably, the elliptical fanlights over the four front doors. According to the National Register of Historic Places, “Before moving to Talbot County in 1833, Martin Woodson Stamper (1796-1874) was a prominent citizen of Upson County. Martin Stamper was born in 1796 in Virginia and reportedly served in the War of 1812. In the 1820s, he was living in Upson County, was married to Lucretia Jane Walker (1789-1856) from a prominent Upson County family, and was politically active. In 1825, he was the first sheriff of Upson County and served as a representative in the state legislature in 1832. In 1833, the Stampers moved to Talbot County and were [among] the early settlers of the county. In the 1840 U.S. Census, Martin Stamper owned 40 slaves and over 708 acres of land where this house was built. In July 1850, Martin Stamper sold the house and 690 acres of land to John Harris, a Baptist preacher, and the family moved to Early County.” It is a near certainty that the house was constructed by men enslaved by Stamper, and as with so many of these early Georgia houses, that is usually left out of the narrative.
The house is largely obscured today, but was restored in the early 2000s. According to the National Register, the interior retains its historic integrity and most of its original finishes. It’s a magnificent house, even with such a limited view.
This home was built by the first settler and namesake of Homerville, Dr. John Homer Mattox (1827-1895) in 1853. In the winter of that year, Dr. Mattox moved his family from their home on the Suwannee River, near the Florida line, to this location. His wife was Lucinda M. Sheffield (1825-1906), daughter of Isham and Lucinda Harrell Sheffield. They eventually had seven children.
Dr. Mattox was the son of Col. Elijah Bankston Mattox (1798-1856) and Lavinia M. Johnson Mattox (1803-1882), who came to Ware County (Clinch County was created in 1850), from Tattnall County. Though a physician by training, Dr. Mattox, according to Folk Huxford’s History of Clinch County (1916), was more interested in farming and business pursuits than the practice of medicine. His brother, Dr. L. C. Mattox, also a physician, lived nearby.
To attract the railroad to locate a station on his land, Dr. Mattox granted them right of way and gave a large lot in the center of the community for public use. The Atlantic & Gulf Railroad laid track here in 1860. The settlement was first officially known as Station No. 11, but when a post office was opened, it was named Homerville, for Dr. Mattox. There was an immediate push to remove the county seat from Magnolia to Homerville, and the legislature authorized this change in December 1860.
Kathryn Griffis Poppell and Kathy M. Poppell donated the home to the city in 2000 and it now serves as the Chamber of Commerce.
Traveler’s Rest was built upon land granted to Major Jesse Walton in 1785 for his service in the Revolutionary War. Walton was killed by indigenous people near this site in 1789. The Walton family sold the land to Gen. James Rutherford Wyly (1782-1855), who built the original section of the house between 1816-1825. The property was purchased by Devereaux Jarrett (1785-1852) in 1838. Jarrett expanded the original structure to ten rooms. He opened it to the public as an inn, trading post, and post office, to meet the needs of a growing population made possible by the Unicoi Turnpike, an early public road in the area. Among its early guests was G. W. Featherstonehaugh, and English scientist who served as the first geologist for the U. S. government and a surveyor of the Louisiana Purchase.
This 1934 photograph by Branan Sanders for the Historic American Buildings Survey shows Traveler’s Rest looking much as it does today, albeit a bit overgrown. Courtesy Library of Congress.
It was known as Jarrett Manor during that family’s ownership. Notably, the last owner, Mary Jarrett White (1870-1957), was the first woman in Georgia to vote. The site is open, with limited hours, as a state historic site today.
Sign marking the trail leading to Dan Tucker’s grave
Elbert County has always promoted Dan Tucker’s gravesite to visitors based on the assumption that the Daniel Tucker buried here is the “Old Dan Tucker” of 19th-century American folklore. There is no academic or even incidental agreement on this assertion, but it’s a great story, and the public access trail to the historic Tucker Cemetery is one of the nicest walks around. And as a big fan of vernacular gravestones, I’d suggest a visit to others who appreciate this underappreciated art form. Kudos to Elbert County for maintaining it so nicely. It’s a low rise path surrounded for most of its short distance by wooded slopes descending into Richard B. Russell Lake. The small cemetery has several other markers, three of which are identified.
Path to Dan Tucker’s grave
Since the origins of the standard folk song “Old Dan Tucker” are unclear and may never be confirmed, there is no way of proving the identity of its namesake. Some credit the song to Dan Emmett, who popularized blackface minstrel shows and composed the song “Dixie”, but it has also been credited to J. R. Jenkins, and Henry Russell. Dan Emmett told his biographer that he wrote the song circa 1830-1821 when he was 15 years old. “Old Dan Tucker” was first published as sheet music in 1843. The earliest versions (there are many) employed Black Vernacular English, portrayed Dan Tucker as a drunken troublemaker, and breaks with many social conventions. He was a Black man in these iterations. At least four versions with different lyrics and identities for Tucker were published in the 19th century. Some suggest it’s based on a notorious sea captain and widely despised colonist named Daniel Tucker. This seems a bit far-fetched to me. More likely, as has been suggested, it’s derived from earlier minstrel tunes.
General view of Tucker Cemetery
Elbert County’s Dan Tucker was Daniel Tucker (14 February 1740-7 April 1818), a Virginia native who served as a captain of the Amelia County Militia during the Revolutionary War. For his service, he was awarded a land grant on the Georgia frontier. He developed a successful plantation, Point Lookout, with an enslaved workforce, ran a ferry on the Savannah River, and served as a minister, particularly known, through oral tradition, “…to bring Christianity to those he enslaved.” He was a neighbor and good friend of Governor Stephen Heard.
Frances Tucker (25 April 1790-19 May 1818). The nice vernacular headstone, of local material, reads: Sacred to the memory of Frances Tucker W of Rev Eppes Tucker – Born April 25 1790 – dp this life May the 19 1818 -Age 28 years.
A 1957 Georgia Historical Marker, which is no longer standing, claimed this about Daniel Tucker: “…Esteemed by his fellow planters, he was loved by the Negroes who composed the many verses of the famous ditty, “Old Dan Tucker,” a favorite song at corn shuckings and other social gatherings.” There is no evidence whatsoever to support this claim, other than local tradition. While I never dismiss it outright, oral history is spotty at best. I mean no ill will in pointing this out, and I enjoyed my visit to Dan Tucker’s grave. I never gave it much thought when I first heard it on The Andy Griffith Show and Little House on the Prairie as a boy.
Decedent unknown. I’m working on translating the name but haven’t gotten it yet.
There are several unidentified stones in the cemetery, all relatives or in-laws of Daniel Tucker as best I can discern.
Frances Epps Tucker (4 April 1750-6 August 1823). The stone reads: In Memory of Frances Tucker W. O. Daniel Tucker-who was born April the 4th 1750-dp this life Aug the 6th 1823-Age 73 Yr. [The maker of this marker used a backward capital D for the letter R, and for the number 5 in the birthdate, quite an unusual characteristic.]
Daniel Tucker’s grave is also quite primitive.
Rev. Daniel Tucker (14 February 1740-7 April 1818)
A newer military-issued marker has been placed in recent years, and it’s a good thing, as these memorials are all fading fast.
This historic cemetery near the lost plantation village of Heardmont is best known as the final resting place of Stephen Heard (1741-1815), who served briefly as governor of Georgia, from 1780-1781. It’s also referred to as the Stephen Heard Cemetery, Heardmont Cemetery (historic), and God’s Acre Cemetery. The earliest identified burial dates to 1800. It has been maintained by the Daughters of the American Revolution, though I’m not sure if that arrangement is still in place. It’s very well maintained. A granite marker near the entrance states: John W. McCalla, husband of Mary Allen McCalla, daughter of Singleton W. Allen*, deeded ten acres more or less, to the order of the “Daughters of the American Revolution” on November 24, 1903. The northeast corner, known as Heardmont Cemetery and church lot, to be reserved for burying purposes of the family members and relatives of Singleton W. Allen. *-Singleton Walthall Allen, Sr. (1793-1853), married Jane Lanier Heard, daughter of Stephen Heard.
He and his family came to Georgia in 1759, and in 1766 was the beneficiary of a 150-acre land grant for service rendered during the French and Indian War. Tensions remained high among the British settlers and the Creek and Cherokee peoples, and after both tribes signed the Treaty of Augusta in 1773, land north of the Little River was opened to settlement. To help protect new settlers from Native American incursions, Heard and his brother Barnard constructed Fort Heard, at present-day Washington, in 1774. Around the same time, Stephen and Barnard, along with their father, established another fort, known as Heard’s Fort, seven miles north of Fort Heard near Fishing Creek.
The Heards were patriots (Whigs) and were part of a larger group of rebels that included Nancy Hart, Elijah Clarke, and John Dooly. Far from being embraced by their fellow settlers, these colonists were the target of British sympathizers, known as Tories. As the British occupied Georgia, the Tories committed widespread acts of violence, culminating for Stephen Heard in the loss of his wife, Jane Germany, and their adopted daughter. The Tories invaded the Heard property and forced the women outside and into the snow. They later died of exposure.
His resolve greater than ever, Stephen Heard participated in the Battle of Kettle Creek on 14 February 1779. The battle was a major setback for the British in northeast Georgia, as only 270 of a force of 600 survived, but Tories continued to create chaos in the area. During one such campaign, Heard was captured and taken as a prisoner to Fort Cornwallis in Augusta. Legend holds that he was saved by one of his slaves, Mammy Kate.
Heard was appointed governor by the executive council of the House of Assembly on 24 May 1780 and served just over a year, departing the office on 18 August 1781. Clay Ouzts writes: “During his term, the British, who had overrun most of the state, were in control of its principal cities, and the backcountry was in a state of anarchy. Heard’s Fort functioned temporarily as Georgia’s capitol, but raids by Tories and Indians forced Heard and the council to move about continually to avoid capture by the British.“
Elizabeth Darden Heard (October 1765-5 June 1848)
After the Revolutionary War, Heard was granted nearly 7000 acres. He built Heardmont about 30 miles north of Washington on land which became part of Elbert County in 1790. He married Elizabeth Darden (1765-1848), a great niece of George Washington according to Findagrave, and they had nine children. Heard was an early justice of Elbert County, a delegate at the state constitutional convention of 1795, and a member of the committee that laid out the county seat of Elberton in 1803. He died at Heardmont on 15 November 1815. Heard County is named for him.
Col. Stephen Heard (13 November 1741-15 November 1815) The memorial doesn’t mention his brief service as governor, but notes: He was a soldier and fought with the great Washington for the liberties of his country…
Just past the group shelter as you approach the cabin, you’ll see this marker, noting the location of a spring on Nancy Hart’s property at Wahachee Creek. It was erected by the New Deal Works Progress Administration and the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1936, as part of ongoing work inside the Nancy Hart park.
Though to my knowledge she never made a flag, Nancy Hart (c.1735-1830) is the Georgia equivalent to Betsy Ross, in the sense that she’s the best known woman of the Revolutionary War era in the state. As a spy and combatant, she far exceeded the expectations of her gender at the time. She’s also the only woman to be the namesake of a county in Georgia; nearby Hart County was so named in 1853. The city of Hartwell, and Lake Hartwell also bear her name. At the outset of the Civil War, a group of wives of Confederate soldiers in LaGrange formed a militia group to protect the home front and called themselves the Nancy Harts.
Though details about her life are varied and sometimes in conflict, most historians believe Nancy Hart was born Nancy Ann Morgan in the Yadkin River Valley of North Carolina circa 1735. She was a cousin of Daniel Morgan, who commanded a successful American force at the Battle of Cowpens. She married Lieut. Benjamin Hart (1732-1802), himself a relative of Thomas Hart Benton and Henry Clay. Her family came to the Broad River Valley of Georgia in the early 1770s, just as tensions between Tories, English soldiers and other British sympathizers were coming to a head. As to her personal qualities, Clay Ouzts writes: “…Aunt Nancy,” as she was often called, was a tall, gangly woman who towered six feet in height. Like the frontier she inhabited, she was rough-hewn and rawboned, with red hair and a smallpox-scarred face. She was also cross-eyed. One early account pointed out that Hart had “no share of beauty—a fact she herself would have readily acknowledged, had she ever enjoyed an opportunity of looking into a mirror.” And, her “physical appearance was matched by a feisty personal demeanor characterized by a hotheaded temper, a fearless spirit, and a penchant for exacting vengeance upon those who offended her or harmed her family and friends. Local Indians soon began to refer to her as “Wahatche,” which may have meant war woman“.”
The greatest legend about Nancy Hart was that she killed six Tories who had come to her cabin looking for a patriot (Whig) leader whom she’d just help escape. Details of the event have emerged as fact and folklore, but the story goes that the Tories killed one of her turkeys, ordered her to prepare it and feed it to them, and became drunk on the wine she served. After killing two of them with their own weapons, she held the others captive while reinforcements were gathered. The survivors were then hung from a nearby tree. Some proof of this may have been uncovered, literally, when railroad crews unearthed six human skeletons near the site of the original cabin, in 1912.
A bronze plaque notes that this replica of Nancy Hart’s cabin was built by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1932, at the approximate site of the original and using some of the original bricks in the chimney.
After the war, Nancy became quite religious, later moved to Brunswick and upon Benjamin’s death in 1802, returned to her Broad River homesite, which had at some point flooded and washed away the cabin. After briefly residing in Athens with her son, John Hart, they settled near relatives in Henderson County, Kentucky, where Nancy spent the rest of her life.
I’m glad that such a fascinating character in Georgia history is remembered. There may be as many myths as truths in her story, but she certainly embodies the spirit of resistance that flowered in Georgia during the Revolutionary War.
