Life
moves at a gentle, slow pace in Thomasville,
Georgia. Deep in the farthest reaches of the
southwest part of the state, this is a town
where time seems to have stood still. The quiet
lull of delicate breezes through the tall pines,
punctuated occasionally by the whistle of bobwhite
quail, sets the stage for an unforgettable journey
into the past.
Thomasville is exactly what you would expect
of rural Georgia: rolling green hills, thick
red clay, immense magnolia and oak trees drizzling
with Spanish moss, graceful plantations, and
plenty of warm southern hospitality.
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The
natural beauty of Thomasville has drawn visitors
since the 1820s, when Thomas County was formed,
but just after the War Between the States,
an explosive growth of tourist trade began.
"From 1870 to 1900, a period of thirty
years of Reconstruction, we were the Miami
of our day before Florida opened up to tourism,"
says Thomas Hill, a local historian. And,
touts Hill, "There is not another area
in the United States that has a history of
plantations like we do. One of the things
that is so unusual about the plantations is
that they are still here."
Of the seventy-one plantations poised over
300,000 acres between Thomasville and Tallahassee,
only two are open to the public. The others
are private homes that have hosted former
presidents William McKinley, Dwight D. Eisenhower,
and Jimmy Carter, and dignitaries like Jackie
Onassis, Dixie Carter, and the Duke of Windsor.
The
first of the two plantations open to the public
is Pebble Hill, a house museum rich in art
and history that was once a "shooting"
or "quail" plantation. Office manager
Whitney White explains its past, "Pebble
Hill's history dates back to the 1820s, and
we were 'the' place for people to spend winters
during the resort era from 1870 to the turn
of the century."
Taking over eighteen months to build, Pebble
Hill-comprising 3,000 acres and forty rooms-was
once the winter home of the Hanna family of
Cleveland. Elisabeth Ireland Poe, the last
of the Hanna heirs, was a gracious host, collector
and patron of the arts, and an avid sportswoman.
"Miss Pansy," as she was affectionately
known, willed her home to be opened to the
public upon her death, so that others could
view her extensive collection of crystal,
antiques, porcelain, and artwork, including
thirty-three Audubon originals.
Melhana,
the Grand Plantation Resort is the only plantation
open for overnight guests. First built in
the 1820s, the property was purchased by the
Hanna family in the late 1800s. Now owned
by Charlie and Fran Lewis, the property has
a history of elegance and beauty. Peacocks
and squirrels roam the grounds, as hummingbirds,
quail, and cardinals flit about in the trees.
The wide verandahs, abundant wicker, and vivid
azaleas, camellias, angelwing begonias, and
hibiscus complement formal English gardens
and luxury accommodations, all of which draw
guests from all over the world. "Ninety
percent of our guests are return guests or
friends of guests," says Charlie Lewis.
There
are dozens of historic buildings dotted over
forty acres of Melhana's grounds, including
the Showboat, a private theater where "Gone
with the Wind" was first screened in
the 1930s. Melhana's restaurant offers some
of Georgia's finest dining. Unique dishes like plantation fried
green tomatoes and potato crusted grouper
pave the way for mouthwatering desserts such
as chocolate soufflé cake and South
Georgia peaches.
In addition to the accommodations at Melhana,
there are a number of chain hotels in Thomasville,
including Hampton Inn, Quality Inn, and Shoney's
Inn. But you may want to experience one of
the town's fine bed-and-breakfast properties,
including the 1884 Paxton House. Located in
a quiet residential historic district, the
Victorian-style inn boasts twelve fireplaces,
double heart pine floors, and fine art in
every room. The aroma of homemade bread, baked
fresh every morning, is an added pleasure.
When it comes to eating out, Thomasville has
a little bit of it all, including the historic
Plaza Restaurant, which serves the best mixture
of Greek cuisine and down-home southern cooking
in Georgia. The smell of barbecue fills the
air of the town from Fallin's Real Pit Bar-B-Q,
a restaurant that is a favorite among the
locals and even celebrities like Jimmy Buffet
and Newt Gingrich. Richard's Evening Grill
combines a touch of Key West and New Orleans,
and whose coconut shrimp is to die for. No
matter where you are in Thomasville, good
food is never far away.
From the earliest settlers to the Grand Hotel
Era after Reconstruction to the present day,
the Thomas County Museum of History provides
a captivating look at the area's uncommon
history. Dedicated to preserving and sharing
the story of Thomas County, visitors are allowed
glimpses into the past, including exhibits
showcasing memorabilia and costumes from the
1820s to the 1940s, military relics from the
Civil War through World War II, a cumulative
plantation history-including the unique lifestyle
of African-American families who lived and
worked on the plantations, antique cars, and
historic buildings.
The Thomasville Cultural Center, first constructed
in 1915 as the Eastside Elementary School,
is a three-story brick building that was renovated
and reopened in 1986 as a historic arts center.
Listed on the National Register of Historic
Places, you can visit on your own or schedule
a guided tour of the galleries and exhibits
by local, regional, and national artists.
On occasion, renowned theatrical or musical
productions are performed in the center's
auditorium.
The
Birdsong Nature Center, located fifteen miles
south of Thomasville, is a 565-acre haven
for birds and other native wildlife. Visitors
can watch hundreds of birds and small animals
from the amazing "bird window,"
or walk miles of red clay dirt roads beside
fields and pastures filled with flowers and
butterflies. Now dedicated to wildlife preservation,
the property evolved from pine woods, and
then to a cotton plantation, and still later
to a farm and private home to the nature center.
To learn more about Thomasville's beautiful
homes, buildings, and history, visitors may
want to opt for a walking or driving tour.
Gathering your map from the Welcome Center,
you can visit the Hardy Bryan House, considered
the oldest two-story house in Thomasville,
or the Lapham-Patterson House, which has no
right angles and features other architectural
elements, including a walk-through staircase.
At the corner of Crawford and East Monroe
Streets, see the 325-year-old Big Oak, the
largest oak tree east of the Mississippi River
and wider than the Niagara Falls is deep.
The Thomasville Rose Garden, one of over a
hundred gardens in town, is a dazzling display
of colors and scents. Located along the waters
of Cherokee Lake, the rose garden is complete
with a Victorian gazebo. The Thomasville Black
Heritage Trail Tour will introduce you to
historical sites significant in Thomas County's
African-American history.
Thomasville,
a Georgia Main Street City, is chockfull of
matchless architecture and tree-laden brick
streets and sidewalks. Thomasville is still
a small town by most standards, and but even
so, its "never ordinary, always extraordinary"
downtown provides an endless selection of
shopping opportunities, festivals, and fairs
that draw visitors from all over the Southeast.
Thomasville,
once simply the end of the railroad line in
Georgia, has always been a well-kept secret
because of its remote location. But now, visitors
are discovering the town and surrounding county
have a natural attraction, and more and more
are drawn to it as a place to sojourn into
the past.
For
more information... |
For more information on planning your
stay in Thomasville contact:
Destination Thomasville Tourism Authority,
135 Broad Street
Thomasville, Georgia, 31792
The telephone numbers are (800) 704-2350
or (229) 227-7099
or visit the website at www.thomasvillega.com
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