The Plantation is on the National Registry of Historic Places.
An original slave house has been restored and is being used as part of the Inn's accommodations. Garden tours are available for $10. Please call 770-463-3010 in advance for an appointment.
Date Built: Circa 1835
(not before 1830 nor after 1840) on National Register
Original Owner:
Charlie Arnold, migrated from the eastern part of the state after the Land Lottery of
1825-27.
Original Architect:
Unknown. The house is of a common floor plan found in the interior of Georgia during this
period and was probably built on the basis of simple plans carried by itinerant builders
whose guidance was sought by plantation owners in constructing their homes.
Style: Federal
Vernacular, four-over-four, central hallway, full third-story attic.
House floor
plan exactly doubles the
simple two-over-two layout of early Plantation Plain and Federal homes. By expanding the
two-over-two format to four-rooms-over-four, the house foreshadows expansive floor
plans of
Greek Revival manor houses from the late 1840’s to The War Between The States.
All front windows are trimmed above
with a deeply cut complex tripartite molding and are flanked with primitive pilasters
ingeniously constructed with dowels. Molding above the front double doors is similar to
that above the windows but is larger and more complicated. Traditional side-lights frame
the front and rear doors. Large, flat dentails dot the eaves.
Four
exterior chimneys partially retain stucco-like covering which was painted to resemble
scored blocks of stone. Between northern chimneys is a small wood room which housed
seasoned fuel for the house’s eight fireplaces. All mantels are original and stretch
window to window.
A number of double-paneled doors and
the parlor wainscoting retain their original feathered grain-painting. Although the walls
were plastered, the ceilings on the second floor were constructed of fitted planks, all of
which are in their original colors. Two hand-shaped barricade boards slot into metal
mounts on each side of the front and rear double doors to secure the family at night.
The house was occupied by various farm
overseers from 1886 until the death of Thomas Arnold in 1980, so, was spared
"modernization" over the years.
Wiring, plumbing, and central heating
were not added until 1981. The kitchen and master bath were added in 1985 using materials
from the old Calhoun-Hill house in Newnan, torn down in the 1950’s to make room for a
strip mall. The strip mall has recently been replaced by Newnan City Hall.
In
addition to the Arnold family cemetery, which lies approximately 40 yards from the house,
there are numerous garden areas on the premises.
A gazebo, made
with columns that once held up the back stoop of the house, is adjacent to the romantic
perennial garden. The herb garden, pool garden, patience garden and vegetable garden
adjoin the site of the sunken garden which is designed for outdoor entertainment and is
planted with only white blooming flowers. (See our photo gallery of the
garden and grounds for more information.)
The homeowners have established a plant
nursery on the property and have opened an antique shop called "My Favorite Things," located in nearby Palmetto, Georgia.
They have also added an adjoining shop, Hullabaloo, specializing in unique gift items and hand-crafted sweaters, jewelry, and children's things. So come see what all the "Hullabaloo" is about!
The latest addition is a carriage house finished
with local architectural accents, upstairs is a common room overlooking the pasture with a
vintage kitchen. There are two master suites with garden tub Jacuzzis and furnished with
antiques. The Carriage House is now open as an Inn with comfortable overnight Accommodations.
