The Effects of Post-Civil War Recovery on Vernacular Architecture in Middle Georgia Jarrell Plantation & Hay House: Macon, Georgia

M. Ball Spring 2016 HSP2004

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The Effects of Post-Civil War Recovery on Vernacular Architecture in Middle Georgia

The progression in vernacular architecture which took place in the south following the

conclusion of the Civil War varied extensively depending upon the industry in which the

property holder made their living. This historic time of regrowth and reorganization in

Georgia, may have only dispensed a minor impact upon the architecture of the home or a

major one. Exploration of the widely divergent histories of two properties; Jarrell

Plantation and the Hay House, built a decade before the start of the Civil War, circa 1850, in

roughly the same location, Macon, Georgia, will consider their; construction, homeowner

history, historic and current uses as well as the evolution of the surrounding area.

Jarrell Plantation

Jarrell Plantation (photo by M. Ball)

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Located eighteen miles north of Macon in the small town of Juliette, Jarrell Plantation was

first established by John Fitz Jarrell, the eldest son of Blake and Zilpha Jarrell two early

Georgia settlers. Choosing land near his parents, John began the plantation with a single

cabin in 1847. The Jarrell family quickly expanded, closing in most of the front porch and all

of the rear and over time adding more than a dozen outbuildings including: a gin house,

smoke and cook houses, barns for storage and livestock, work spaces, engine houses, a well

shelter, syrup furnace, slave cabins, saw mill, privy and others. A new cabin was erected in

1895 by John’s son, Dick, who also built a much larger house in 1920 where descendants

still reside.

1920 House, Jarrell Plantation (image from patheos.com)

Typical of plantation homes at the time, the original 1847 house was built in the extended

hall and parlor plan, only one story high, two rooms, a loft also divided in two and front and

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rear porches. A single gable end chimney is located at the exterior of the house, to help

reduce ambient heat in the summer. Originally only the main floor had glass in the double

hung windows, while those in the loft had hinged shutters. The entry porch was later

partially closed in to create a “honeymoon” room, space for travelers and guests to stay.

The rear porch was entirely closed in creating a dining room and additional bedroom.

1947 Cabin, Jarrell Plantation (image from mapio.net)

All of the structures on the property are framed in pine, standing upon stacked stone piers

rather than foundations. South Georgia winters are wet but mild, summers hot and humid.

Elevating buildings was necessary for ventilation as well as helping stave off rot. Wood for

building was sourced locally, presumably entirely from within the plantation grounds. For

the earliest structures, logs were harvested on site, floated down the Ocmulgee River to a

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saw mill, the boards returned to

the plantation via oxen powered

carts where they were planed by

hand. The highly self-sufficient

plantation had everything it

needed to build each of the

structures, only purchasing

hinges, window glass and door knobs. (Site tour – Jarrell Plantation)

According to the Georgia Park Service, John Fitz Jarrell established the plantation with his

wife, their seven children and 19 slaves. Only four years later 840 acres housed the family,

25 slaves and a substantial number of livestock. At that time the farm produced cotton,

wheat, Irish potatoes, yams, peas, wool, honey, syrup, pork and beef, and ginned cotton.

Fortune smiled on the Jarrell Plantation, by 1863, the year prior to General Sherman’s

“March to the Sea”, the land, workers and livestock were valued at more than forty-five

thousand dollars. October 1864, began a three month period of tragedy. John’s first wife,

numerous family members and slaves died from typhoid fever. November marched in

Union soldiers, burning outbuildings, taking livestock, wagons and food when they left.

Rebuilding began in December as John married a confederate widow named Nancy Ann

Burden. By his death in 1884 John Fitz Jarrell had hired seven former slaves, two chose to

take his surname, rebuilt his herds, restored the gin house and helped some of his children

start their own farms.

Carpentry and blacksmith shop, Jarrell Plantation (photo by M. Ball)

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Nancy ran the farm on her own but struggled. In 1895 her son, Benjamin Richard “Dick”

Jarrell, a former school teacher and principal returned to the plantation, built his own home

and a saw mill. After Nancy’s death in 1911, the land was divided amongst all the children.

In 1920 the boll weevil, which began decimating

Georgia’s cotton crop in 1915 and was not eradicated

until 1990 (Georgia Encyclopedia) hit the Jarrell

Plantation. Almost immediately Dick became the only

family member still farming. Continuation of the historic

site can be pinpointed to his perseverance and ingenuity.

Former cotton fields were seeded with wheat, corn, rye,

turnips, peas, yams and sugar cane. Additional services

and productions were added: threshing, corn grinding

and lumber milling. Dick was the last Jarrell interested in

continuing the family business. Fields were allowed to

return to forest and in 1974 fourteen members of the

family donated the plantation and artifacts to the state, establishing the Jarrell Plantation

Historic Site.

For almost 150 years a single family perpetuated and adapted the Jarrell Plantation to

make a life and a living. Beginning as a humble agricultural homestead along the Ocmulgee

River, growing to more than 600 acres worked by slaves and then former slaves. Eventually

the property evolved into a multi-use facility, boasting sawmill, cotton gin, gristmill, planer,

Steam Engine, Jarrell Plantation (photo by M. Ball)

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sugar cane press, syrup evaporator, workshop, barn and outbuildings. Currently this

historic property is helping to educate the public as part of the state park system.

Hay House

Hay House (photo from the Georgia Trust))

Located within the city of Macon, The Johnston-Felton-Hay House, best known simply as

the “Hay House” was commissioned by William Butler Johnston for his new bride Anne

Clark Tracy. Completed in 1859 the residence was referred to as the “Palace of the South,”

(Georgia Trust) The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Johnston, Mary Ellen, inherited the home

after the death of her parents and moved in with her husband, Judge William H. Felton. She

resided there until her own death, after which the Felton heirs sold the home to Parks Lee

Hay. Mrs. Hay was the last to live in the home as a private residence.

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Designed in the Italian Renaissance Revival

style, unusual for the 1850’s south, the Hay

house is a commanding 18,000 square feet,

four stories tall surmounted by a three story

cupola. Constructed of red brick covered in

stucco, intricate woodwork, stone, marble and

highly decorative painted finishes, the home is

splendidly opulent. This is particularly notable

in comparison to the more stoic Greek revival

style popular during the pre-Civil War period.

Impressively technologically sophisticated at

the time of its construction, Hay House has

always boasted: Central heating. Hot and cold

running water provided by an 8,000 gallon,

lead lined cistern located on the fourth floor of the home

and fed by a nearby spring. Gas lighting. Speaker-tube system.

In-house kitchen and complex ventilation system.

The financial status of the families that called Hay House home,

made sourcing materials almost limitless. Documentation exists

of a brick foundry in Macon as early as 1877, but there appears

to be no indication of a local source prior to this. However,

Macon has been a major hub on the Central Georgia Railroad

since 1843. The vast wealth of the Johnston’s as well as the

Entry Way, “Marble Hall”, Hay House (photo by M. Ball)

The Music Room, Hay House (photo by M. Ball)

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home’s close proximity to the rails and associated manufactories would have made it very

easy to transport any desired building materials from virtually any location.

Construction of the home was commissioned by William Butler Johnston and his bride

Anne Clark Tracy. Although a Welsh architect by the name of Thomas Thomas drew the

original plans for the house from Mr. Johnston’s specifications in 1855, Mr. Johnston made

so many alterations before and during building, he is generally credited as the designer.

Unlike most business men at the time, Mr. Johnston was not interested in agrarian pursuits.

Instead his love of machinery and mechanisms, at one time he had been a jeweler and

watch maker, led him to investments in the railroad, banking and public utilities. His

resulting wealth permitted a three year honeymoon with his young bride. Their extensive

travel through Europe, especially Italy would help to determine the style of their home as

well as provide many of the furnishings, artworks and design choices which they brought

back with them.

Original grey stucco finish (photo from Hay House Collection)

1876 update to red stucco (photo from Hay House Collection)

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It is said the Johnston’s treasured their home, taking

great pride in its care and maintenance. When Mr. and

Mrs. Johnston’s daughter, Mary Ellen, married a

prominent judge by the name of William H. Felton in

1888, the newlyweds moved in and continued what

the Johnston’s had started. Mary Ellen lavishly

remodeled the interior and exterior, updating the

plumbing and substantially modernizing with the

addition of electricity.

Following the death of the Felton’s no heirs were

interested in living in the massive home, Hay House

was sold to its name sake, Park Lee Hay in 1926 as a

surprise for his second wife Maude. Mr. Hay was the

president of Bankers Health & Life Insurance Company in Macon, an entity he himself had

started in 1904. Which eventually became one of the largest insurance companies in the

south. Undergoing another substantial renovation and redecoration with the Hays, Hay

House saw an update to the electrical and plumbing, the oil furnace was replaced with a

gas-fired one and the original, now obsolete coal lift was replaced with an elevator.

Unhappy with the basement kitchen, Mrs. Hay charged the butler’s pantry off the dining

room turned into a kitchen. Following a basement fire in 1939 the entire interior of the

home was again refurnished with new paint, light fixtures, draperies, artwork etc. Many of

the pieces remaining in the house today come from this time. Following the death of the Mr.

and Mrs. Hay the family established the P.L. Hay Foundation in 1964.

Recently renovated cupola stairs (photo by M. Ball)

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For three generations Hay House was a private residence. The P.L. Hay Foundation ran the

site as a house museum from 1971to 1977. The financial strain of upkeep quickly made it

clear further steps would need to be taken to ensure the long term safeguarding of the

home and grounds. The decision was made to convey the property to the Georgia Trust for

Historic Preservation. Hay House now serves an educational purpose, between 15,000 and

20,000 people each year visit to learn the history of the property and view ongoing

preservation work.

Surrounding Area

The history of the land that would eventually be called Georgia is extensive. Evidence of

human inhabitance stretches back 10,000 years. Multiple Native American tribes, including

the Creek Indians, still called the acreage home in 1805 when white settlers began to

steadily move in from Tennessee and the Carolina’s. By the 1820’s the entire Native

American population had been decimated or relocated. Around that time land lotteries

were held to parcel out remaining property.

Prior to the Civil War the fertile Georgia soil and extensive river

systems made agriculture a major source of income, with the

primary cash crop being cotton. Macon’s geographic location, at the

head of the Ocmulgee River’s easily navigable stretch to the coast,

made it a prime location for trade, drawing merchants down from

Atlanta and the north beyond it, as well as up from Savannah and the coastal region to the

southeast. River travel was replaced by the railroad in the early 1840’s, just before the time

of Hay House’s construction. Brought to Macon by the Central of Georgia Railroad

Central of Georgia Railroad Logo

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Company, the area continued to be a navigational hub between increasing numbers of

surrounding cities, towns and territories.

The structural integrity of the city weathered through the Civil War mostly unscathed.

Railway systems that had drawn business to Macon became the headquarters for the

Confederate army supply route. For men like William Butler Johnston, this meant his

finances remained stable and may have even continued to grow. Union soldiers attempted

attacks on Macon three times, failing on every occasion. This explains why homes in the

city suffered virtually no damage, while in surrounding areas, like Juliette and the Jarrell

Plantation were not so lucky.

Georgia as a whole suffered during the war and the years following it. The cotton

dependent, agrarian society was weakened by the casualties and losses incurred only to

deteriorate further with the boll weevil epidemic. The widespread popularity of the

1903 Central of Georgia Railroad Map – Showing Macon as a major connection hub (Poor’s Manual of Railroads)

s)

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automobile and subsequent decline of the railroad would draw the need for goods and

services outside the city, following the highway system. Ultimately it would take a new war

to reignite Macon. World War II preparations in the 1940’s and the construction of Robins

Airforce Base as well as a massive industrial complex just south of the city limits revived

the area and continue to fuel its growth, prosperity and existence today.

Conclusion

The progression in vernacular architecture which took place in the south following the

conclusion of the Civil War varied widely depending upon the industry in which the

property holder made their living. The transition from a primarily agricultural society to

one dependent upon multiple forms of commerce forced a number of property owners to

change and adapt to varying degrees. Some, like the Jarrell’s altered their homes and land

to meet the demand of the new market. While others, like those living at Hay House,

continued to gain wealth and prosperity and were able to steadily modernize with the

times. More than one

hundred and fifty years

after their construction,

despite vastly different

histories, a humble family

plantation and the Palace

of the South, now both

serve to educate the

public. Artifacts from Jarrell Plantation on the left and Hay House on the right (photos by M. Ball)

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Research and Analysis

Considering and comparing two vernacular structures, alike only in their age of

establishment and current use proved to be more challenging than expected. Depending

heavily upon the research available from the Georgia Park Service and Georgia Trust for

Historic Preservation, the entities charged with the care of these valuable historic

resources, for accurate timelines and factual information left large gaps in the railroad,

manufacturing, local and state histories. Fortunately resources that would have previously

been very difficult to access are now available to anyone willing to seek them out. Course

texts from American Vernacular, American Architecture and Traditional Building Materials

also proved to be very helpful regardless of their lack of specificity to the subject.

Both the Jarrell Plantation and Hay House defy stereotypical perceptions of the pre-Civil

War south. Cinema and literature have ingrained the idea into much of the population that

a plantation house was always a big, white Greek revival with tall columns surrounded by

vast, flat cotton fields. Even current educational systems in the south focus on agriculture

as being the sole source of income. Implicating that when the Civil War and slavery ended

the economy crashed and everyone more or less scratched at the dirt until WWII called for

an increase in manufacturing. By this model, Hay House should have been abandoned,

repurposed or demolished long before the Felton’s or Hay’s moved in. For that matter it

never should have existed because it was not a proper plantation home.

Two homes, one built from meager beginnings and only knowing one family, the other a

product of limitless wealth and multiple owners. Both have ultimately ended up serving the

same purpose, representing the past as it actually happened, not as man has written it.

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View of Macon from the Hay House Cupola (photo by M. Ball)

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Sources:

Jarrell Plantation

Downing, A. J. The Architecture of Country Houses; including Designs for Cottages, and Farmhouses, and Villas, with Remarks on Interiors, Furniture, and the Best Modes of Warming and Ventilating. New York: Dover Publications, 1969.

"Boll Weevil." New Georgia Encyclopedia. Accessed May 1, 2016. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/boll-weevil.

Glassie, Henry. Vernacular Architecture. Philadelphia: Material Culture, 2000.

"Jarrell Plantation State Historic Site | Juliette, Georgia." Georgia Department of Economic Development. Accessed May 1, 2016. http://www.exploregeorgia.org/listing/2663-jarrell-plantation-state-historic-site.

Kniffen, Fred. 1965. "Folk Housing: Key to Diffusion." Annals of the Association of American

Geographers 55 (4): 549-577.

Site Tour. Jarrell Plantation, Juliette, April 7, 2016.

Hay House

"The Hay House | Macon, GA | Museum Tours in Macon, GA." Hay House. Accessed March 2016. http://www.hayhousemacon.org/.

"Historic Preservation Division -- Georgia Department of Natural Resources." Historic Preservation Division -- Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Accessed March 2016. http://georgiashpo.org/.

"History." Cherokee Brick Company. Accessed May 2016. http://www.cherokeebrick.com/index.php/history.

"Johnston-Felton-Hay House." Johnston-Felton-Hay House. Accessed May 2016. http://tomitronics.com/old_buildings/hay house/index.html.

McAlester, Virginia, and A. Lee McAlester. A Field Guide to American Houses: The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America's Domestic Architecture. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2015.

Site Tour. Hay House, Macon, April 7, 2016.

CSPAN. "C-SPAN Cities Tour- Macon: Historic Hay House." YouTube. February 13, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZB6aKsK9Vo.

Georgia (Macon)

"Macon." New Georgia Encyclopedia. Accessed April 2016. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/macon.

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"Macon Facts | Find Facts, Information, and Statistics." Macon Facts | Find Facts, Information, and Statistics. Accessed May 2016. http://www.maconga.org/media/fact-sheet/.

Railroad

Caramia, John A., Jr. A Brief History of the Central Georgia Railroad. PDF. Savannah: Coastal Heritage Society, 2013.

"Georgia Railroad History Index." Georgia Railroad History Index. Accessed May 2016. http://railga.com/railhistlist.html.

"Railroads." New Georgia Encyclopedia. Accessed April 2016. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/railroads.

Poor, Henry V. Poor's Manual of Railroads. -57th Annual Number; 1868/69-1924. New York: H.V. & H.W. Poor, 1868.