Goodwood Plantation
Encyclopedia
Goodwood Plantation was a medium sized cotton plantation of about 1,675 acres (7 km2) in central Leon County
, Florida
, established by Hardy Bryan Croom. It is located at 1500 Miccosukee Road. The plantation was added to the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places
on June 30, 1972.
, textiles, glassware, art and personal effects. The rooms have been decorated to appear in the years surrounding World War I
. The house is visited by guided tour.
The grounds cover 16 acres (64,749.8 m²), and the gardens also feature an early 20th century design. Admission to the gardens is free.
, North Carolina
began purchasing land in North Florida in the 1820s, including plantations in Mariana
, Quincy
and Tallahassee
. Hardy Bryan Croom, a planter and recognized naturalist
, discovered the rare Torreya tree
. He began amassing the land for Goodwood, purchasing about 640 acres (2.6 km²) of the Lafayette Land Grant in 1833.
On Saturday, October 7, 1837, Hardy Bryan Croom and his immediate family boarded the steam packet liner S.S. Home
in New York City
bound for Charleston
when it sank during the 1837 Racer's Storm
. Hardy Bryan Croom and family were killed in the wreck. His brother, Bryan Croom, inherited the property.
Bryan Croom began as owner of Goodwood completed construction of Goodwood in the 1840s. By 1845, Bryan owned 2,500 acres (10 km²) of land in Leon County alone, making him one of the wealthiest men in the territory.
Relatives of Hardy, the Smiths, and his wife Frances fought what became a landmark case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Smith family was awarded the estate in 1857. It was decided that in all cases where an entire family is destroyed, that the last member of the family assumed alive would inherit, and his heirs would receive the estate. It was assumed that Hardy Croom would have survived the longest and his brother Bryan inherited the majority of the estate including Goodwood, which he finished about 1840. Bryan Croom took some of the furnishings to his new plantation in Montgomery, Alabama
, which later served as the Little White House during the Civil War.
Arvah Hopkins purchased Goodwood in 1858. Hopkins was a prominent local merchant who had married Susan Branch, the youngest daughter of former North Carolina Governor John Branch
.
In 1885 an Englishman by the name of Dr. William L. Arrowsmith, surgeon-general to the Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi
, purchased Goodwood and 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) surrounding it and brought with him some of the paintings and furnishings still in the house.
In 1911, Mrs. Arrowsmith sold Goodwood to another wealthy widow, Mrs. Alexander Tiers. Fanny Tiers, whose principal estate, Farmlands, was in Morris County, New Jersey
, was related by marriage to the Fleischmann family, owners of Waverly Plantation
, which was adjacent to Goodwood. Although she spent only limited time at Goodwood, Mrs. Tiers instituted an expansive renovation of the estate and remodeled the house to a Mt Vernon style and replaced the wrought iron
with Georgian columns. The Goodwood of today is largely the result of her efforts. Mrs. Tiers then sold the home to Senator William C. Hodges in 1925. Sen. Hodges died in 1940.
In 1948, Margaret Hodges married Thomas M. Hood, an army officer she had met through the rental of the guest cottages at Goodwood. After his wife's death in 1978, Tom Hood began planning for the restoration of Goodwood as a house museum and public park. He established the Margaret E. Wilson Foundation in her memory. Upon his death in 1990, the Wilson Foundation and its operating agent Goodwod Museum and Gardens, Inc. assumed stewardship for Goodwood.
Leon County, Florida
Leon County is a county located in the state of Florida, named after the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. At the 2010 Census, the population was 275,487. The county seat of Leon County is Tallahassee which also serves as the state capital. The county seat is home to two of Florida's major...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, established by Hardy Bryan Croom. It is located at 1500 Miccosukee Road. The plantation was added to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on June 30, 1972.
Goodwood Museum & Gardens
The plantation home is now a historic house museum known as Goodwood Museum & Gardens that features original family furniture, porcelainPorcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
, textiles, glassware, art and personal effects. The rooms have been decorated to appear in the years surrounding World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The house is visited by guided tour.
The grounds cover 16 acres (64,749.8 m²), and the gardens also feature an early 20th century design. Admission to the gardens is free.
Plantation specifics
The Leon County Florida 1860 Agricultural Census shows that Goodwood Plantation had the following:- Improved Land: 1050 acres (4 km²)
- Unimproved Land: 625 acres (2½ km²)
- Cash value of plantation: $United States dollarThe United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
33,640 - Cash value of farm implements/machinery: $600
- Cash value of farm animals: $3000
- Number of slaves: unknown
- Bushels of corn: 2500
- Bales of cotton: 150
The owners
The Croom family of Lenoir CountyLenoir County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of 2005, there were 57,961 people, 23,862 households, and 16,178 families residing in the county. The population density was 149.2 people per square mile . There were 27,940 housing units at an average density of 68 per square mile...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
began purchasing land in North Florida in the 1820s, including plantations in Mariana
Marianna, Florida
Marianna is a city in Jackson County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,230 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,200 . It is the county seat of Jackson County and is home to Chipola College...
, Quincy
Quincy, Florida
Quincy is a city in Gadsden County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,982 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,975...
and Tallahassee
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
. Hardy Bryan Croom, a planter and recognized naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, discovered the rare Torreya tree
Torreya
Torreya is a genus of conifers comprising five or six species, treated in either the Cephalotaxaceae, or in the Taxaceae when that family is considered in a broad sense. Four are native to eastern Asia; the other two are native to North America. They are small to medium-sized evergreen trees...
. He began amassing the land for Goodwood, purchasing about 640 acres (2.6 km²) of the Lafayette Land Grant in 1833.
On Saturday, October 7, 1837, Hardy Bryan Croom and his immediate family boarded the steam packet liner S.S. Home
SS Home
The SS Home was a steam packet ship built in 1836 and sunk in 1837 and commanded by Captain Carleton White.The Home was built for Mr. James B. Allaire, of New York City, a ship of 537 tons , 220 feet long and with a beam of 22 feet , propelled by two paddle-wheels mounted amidship...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
bound for Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
when it sank during the 1837 Racer's Storm
1837 Racer's Storm
The 1837 Racer's Storm was one of the most powerful and destructive hurricanes in the 19th century, causing heavy damage to many cities on its 2,000+ mile path...
. Hardy Bryan Croom and family were killed in the wreck. His brother, Bryan Croom, inherited the property.
Bryan Croom began as owner of Goodwood completed construction of Goodwood in the 1840s. By 1845, Bryan owned 2,500 acres (10 km²) of land in Leon County alone, making him one of the wealthiest men in the territory.
Relatives of Hardy, the Smiths, and his wife Frances fought what became a landmark case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Smith family was awarded the estate in 1857. It was decided that in all cases where an entire family is destroyed, that the last member of the family assumed alive would inherit, and his heirs would receive the estate. It was assumed that Hardy Croom would have survived the longest and his brother Bryan inherited the majority of the estate including Goodwood, which he finished about 1840. Bryan Croom took some of the furnishings to his new plantation in Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, which later served as the Little White House during the Civil War.
Arvah Hopkins purchased Goodwood in 1858. Hopkins was a prominent local merchant who had married Susan Branch, the youngest daughter of former North Carolina Governor John Branch
John Branch
John Branch, Jr. served as U.S. Senator, Secretary of the Navy, the 19th Governor of the state of North Carolina, and was the sixth and last territorial governor of Florida....
.
In 1885 an Englishman by the name of Dr. William L. Arrowsmith, surgeon-general to the Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
, purchased Goodwood and 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) surrounding it and brought with him some of the paintings and furnishings still in the house.
In 1911, Mrs. Arrowsmith sold Goodwood to another wealthy widow, Mrs. Alexander Tiers. Fanny Tiers, whose principal estate, Farmlands, was in Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, was related by marriage to the Fleischmann family, owners of Waverly Plantation
Waverly Plantation
Waverly Plantation was a large cotton plantation of unknown area located in southern Leon County, Florida, United States and owned by George Taliafero Ward.-Multiple Plantation Statistics:...
, which was adjacent to Goodwood. Although she spent only limited time at Goodwood, Mrs. Tiers instituted an expansive renovation of the estate and remodeled the house to a Mt Vernon style and replaced the wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
with Georgian columns. The Goodwood of today is largely the result of her efforts. Mrs. Tiers then sold the home to Senator William C. Hodges in 1925. Sen. Hodges died in 1940.
In 1948, Margaret Hodges married Thomas M. Hood, an army officer she had met through the rental of the guest cottages at Goodwood. After his wife's death in 1978, Tom Hood began planning for the restoration of Goodwood as a house museum and public park. He established the Margaret E. Wilson Foundation in her memory. Upon his death in 1990, the Wilson Foundation and its operating agent Goodwod Museum and Gardens, Inc. assumed stewardship for Goodwood.