3 Historic Southern Mansions We'd Buy if We Were MultiMillionaires
by Meghan White.
Ah, that sweet, old fashioned charm of yesteryear. No where is it more apparent than in the beautiful old homes found throughout the American South. Join Meghan as she shares her favorite Southern real estate finds.
From a historic, 380-acre property to an old Charleston classic, I can't stop dreaming about these great Southern estates!
Walnut Hills
12488 Walnut Hills Drive, Orange, VA $4,750,000 Circa 1882
Source: Frank Hardy Sotheby's International Realty
This is the kind of property that most people dream about but don't expect could actually exist. It does! Walnut Hills was constructed in 1882 and sits on the Rapidan River in Orange, Virginia. There's a paneled library inside, and nine fireplaces! The price tag includes not only the house but a
barn, several additional outbuildings, 380 acres (!!!!!!!), and priceless views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The land it sits on is zoned Agricultural, meaning no modern neighborhood developments will pop up and interfere with the tranquility of this pristine Virginia countryside.
From the listing:
Georgian manor house built in 1882 by Governor Kemper in Orange Co. A total of 373 mostly open acres, 3 miles on the Rapidan River, and incredible Blue Ridge views. 6000 sq. ft. brick house exudes a grand style that only a period house can. The main floor has a great hall that is 52 ft. long and 12 ft. across, with a ceiling height of 14 ft. Other details include paneled library, living room, formal dining room, 7 bedrooms, 4.5 baths and 9 fireplaces.
The William Harleston Huger House
140 Broad Street, Charleston, SC $2,500,000
Circa 1870
Source: William Means Real Estate
This 5-bedroom house is one of my favorites to stroll by on Broad Street, the main thoroughfare in the Holy City. The white frame house has a beautiful entryway with a black and white checkered walkway and a front door covered by a portico with Italianate-style brackets. The numerous windows fronting the street allow plenty of natural light to come through. Among its charms is a fully remodeled kitchen with a coffered ceiling, spacious study/library, and a drool-worthy master bathroom. The views from the second floor piazza offer some of the best the city offers. Additional perks include the outdoor pool and the small yard fronting the house. The clincher? Off-street parking. If you're still unsure, note that this Italianate house is just a few minutes away from the newly renovated Colonial Lake, which is perfect for jogging, walking the dog, or reading on one of its benches.
From the listing:
Built circa 1870 in the Italianate style, the William Harleston Huger House is a stunning example of both Charleston's enduring history and charm. Dr. William Harleston Huger was a Civil War surgeon and physician for Charleston Children's Orphanage for 55 years, and his legacy and history has been carefully compiled by the owners. Upon entering this grand Charleston estate, you are greeted by a fabulous entry hall with private office/library to the right, and double drawing room and expansive dining room overlooking the wide piazza to the left. The house features six fireplaces with original marble facades and 14′ ceilings throughout the main level. The owners added an exquisite gourmet kitchen which overlooks a saltwater lap pool in back yard. The second floor features 12′ ceilings andhas two large bedrooms with a third bedroom converted into a private dressing room/walk-in closet along with two fully renovated bathrooms. The master bath is separated into two rooms including her bath and his shower with individual vanities. This double sized lot features majestic Date Palms, chic lap pool area, and parking for multiple cars. All the luxuries of today complimenting the grandeur of Charleston's past. Be the fourth owner in the rich heritage of this beautiful downtown estate. First floor is 2420 Sq Ft, second floor is 2029 Sq Ft, third floor is 1170 Sq Ft. Purchase includes an American Home Shield warranty.
Mimosa Hall
127A Bulloch Avenue, Roswell, GA $7,850,000 Circa 1840
Source: Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty
Whimsically dubbed Mimosa Hall, this c. 1840 home is located in Roswell, GA, a suburb of Atlanta. The town offers a mixture of both historic and modern architecture and is known for its historic main street. It's hard to resist the inviting Southern atmosphere of this property. The full-façade porch of Mimosa Hall, reminiscent of the Early Greek Revival style, perfectly frames the main entrance. Inside, the black and white checkered marble entry-hall floor and flat, thick moldings that surround the doors, windows, and ceilings reverberate of early classical revival aesthetics. The beautifully tall ceilings work with modern central A/C to cool the house during hot Georgia days. The house also contains four fireplaces if the winters become too chilly. Mimosa Hall perfectly conjures romantic images of Southern antebellum homes, though part of its architecture hails from the North– its front door originally adorned a house on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Also situated on the nine-acre plot are several auxiliary structures such as a horse stable (originally a grist mill) and workshop.
From the listing:
Rarely does an antebellum estate of this architectural and historical significance become available so close to Atlanta. The nine acre Mimosa Hall, built circa 1840, is a landmark of neoclassical design with extensive gardens in the vibrant historic district of Roswell, Georgia, twenty miles north of Atlanta. The 6,000 square foot temple-style home has heart-of-pine floors throughout, a black-andwhite marble hall, soaring ceilings, and ten fireplaces. Famed architect Neel Reid made Mimosa his home in the 1920s, creating a double parlor and designing a long fieldstone driveway and courtyard. The gardens include century-old trees, imposing boxwood hedges, rare specimen trees, stone walls, paths, parterres, a swimming pool, and a 19th Century grist mill refashioned into a barn. This listing includes the 21 acre adjoining woods that are for sale separately, one of the few remaining tracts of developable land of its size within walking distance of Roswell's old town square.
AUTHOR MEGHAN WHITE
Meghan is from the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. She studied history and art history at Elon University in North Carolina before moving to Charleston, South Carolina to earn her Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Clemson University & College of Charleston's joint graduate program. She loves living in a city where tangible history is everywhere. Charleston is also the first city in which she can claim a historic property home-she currently lives in a converted stable and carriage house from the early nineteenth century. When not battling the humidity and palmetto bugs, she works at the Aiken Rhett House, a historic house museum with a “preserve as found� philosophy. Meghan is enthusiastic about advocating for the architectural and historical importance of auxiliary structures after uncovering the likely original appearance of George Washington's horse stable at Mount Vernon through an internship and her Master's thesis. She hopes one day to own a Queen Anne fixer-upper where she can live her days reading in its turret.