The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-11
COUNTRY MANSIONS.
Something about the Homes of
Old-lime Wealthy Planter.

SOm9JnlnR ABOUT Gne homes OF the
Old-lime Wealthy Planter.
From the Atlanta (Ga.) Journal
Old style southern mansions are passing
away.
The more modern Queen Anne OF East
Lake houses are taking their place.
In ante beiIttnl DAYS low-roofed 2-story
mansion, surrounded by wide porch, with
high huted pillars extending to the roof,
was seen in every part of the southern
states Every planter lived in one of these
| houses, and all of them were built after the
| same pattern.
Prior to 1910 the homes of the southern
planters were very unpretentious affairs.
About that time, Samuel Sloan of PhiIa-
| delphia, one of the leading architects in the
country. came to the south and charmed the
people with the beautiful plans he made
He was the only architect practicing in the
south.
He had numerous plans, all different, hut
after the same pattern, low proof, wide
piazzas, high ceilings large rooms and
| small narrow doors.
Mr. Sloan's style of architecture pleased
| the people, and he did furnishing business
from 1910 to 1860.
Contractors were very scarce in those
| days, but each planter owned numerous
slaves.
If he wanted to build new house he
| hired finished workman to boss the Job
| and put great many of his slaves to car
pentering, instead of picking cotton. This
was very slow work, aud sometimes three
years elapsed before the house was ready
for occupa ICY.
The work, although long delayed, was
generally well executed, and there was a
certain degree OF comfort IN the old style
southern mansion not to be found in the
more modern house. The wide piazza ex-
tending all around the house, the broad
hallway, the plain front door, with glass on
either side, the little doors on the inside,
the plain bat sturdy staircase, the hign
walled commodious rooms, fron one side of
which smiled a huge fireplace, surmounted
by mantle reaching half way across the
room, all combined t. give an air of free
dom and home not 10 be found in the fancy
houses of the present day.
The cost of one of these old southern
mansions was all the way from $4,000 to
1926, 900
When the war came on the planter lost
his slaves, and having no one to cultivate
his cotton, he was forced to move to town
TO find some more lucrative business than
that of planting cotton.
The negroes gradually began taking up
the place, giving so many bales of cotton
for the rent.
AT first in the southern and southwestern
portion of Georgia the old family mansion
was kept closed.
Finally they were thrown open to the
negroes, aud now they are stripped of all
their former glory, and stand but as monu-
ments telling CT the departed grandeur of
that section of the country which is now
inhabited mostly by negroes, partridg es,
rabbits, owls, alliga ors and snakes, with a
comparatively small number of white men
thrown in TO leaven the whole lump.
The country homes of the present day
are entirely different from the old style
houses.
They are much more attractive to the
eye, but there is a certain stiffness about
them not seen in the old-time house. They
seem to speak of fashion and style instead
of simple-hearted. unaffected hosnitalitY.