The Sale of Homestead Place

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Harris, Georgia, United States
Surnames/tags: Black Heritage Project John William Davidson

Written by William H. Davidson in 1959, this is an article on the sale of the estate of Elizabeth Nichols Davidson, widow of John William Davidson, builder of Homestead Place--Davidson Plantation in the Davidson District of Harris, GA.

THE DAVIDSON FAMILY The Sale of "Homestead Place"

John Davidson, owner and builder of "Homestead Place", died in 1862. His estate was left as dower by will to his wife, Elizabeth Davidson. When she died in 1870, their sons, Albert and Elias Davidson, were administrators of the estate, and appraisers were appointed to inventory it.

"Homestead Place" is located on Land Lot 2701 4th District, (Whitesville District) Harris County, Georgia. The home and lands left in dower to Elizabeth Davidson were Land Lots 270 and 271 of the 4th. District and Land Lots 46 and 47 of the 5th District (Davidson District) of Harris County, Georgia. The 810 acres were, more or less, appraised at $7,400.00.

John Davidson's plantation home was known as “Homestead Place” and was sold to his son, William Davidson, in 1872, for $2,831.0O The price paid included Land Lots 270 and 47. Land Lot 271 was sold to Murdock Cameron for $2,065.00, and Land Lot 46 was sold to Nicholas Hutchinson for $1,850.00.

The estate was inventoried and appraised in October, 1870•. A sale of the "Perishable Property of Elizabeth Davidson" was held shortly thereafter. The list of people recorded as buyers reads somewhat like a census of the county neighborhood at the time. More than fifty people bought one hundred and forty-two lots of goods at the sale. Davidsons attending the sale and recorded as buyers were the following:

Albert Davidson Elias Davidson William Davidson

F. R, Davidson

Thomas Davidson

P. G. Davidson

Nathan Davidson

Henry Davidson

George Davidson

Reese Davidson

Frank Davidson

Bill Davidson

Albert Davidson bought a washstand, a chest, a featherbed, mattresses, bedding and tablecloths, and two scythes. Elias Davidson bought a table, cover, feather pillows, bowl and pitcher and another table. William Davidson bought a gin and cotton press, two bedsteads, bedding, a ward­ robe, and window curtains. F. R. Davidson bought six chairs, a clock, candlesticks, trays; teaspoons, a lot of tubs and a hog. Thomas Davidson bought a cow, “Lize”, a castor and a lot of tools. P. G. Davidson bought a bedstead and a silver watch.

Nathan Davidson bought a cow, “Dalla", a hog and a buggy. Henry Davidson bought a cow, “Molly", a hog, and two cotton mattresses, George Davidson bought one counterpane. Reese Davidson bought three chairs. Frank Davidson bought six plates and two pickle dishes. Bill Davidson bought one table.

That the Davidson home was well and comfortably furnished is evident from the long list of household items. The bedsteads, tables, chairs, cupboards, looking glasses, china, goblets, a silver clock, and other furnishings, together with a large variety of plantation equipment, brought good prices, perhaps, for the times - - so soon after the War Between the States.

Among the machines that had seen much service during the war years were a spinning wheel, a reel, a loom and a sewing machine. These were sold along with such personal items as a Bible, two histories, a Life of Christ, miscellaneous books, and "specks case". Details of the sale on which this article is based are to be found in the Records of the Ordinary’s Office, Hamilton, Harris County, Book 56, pages 36, 272.

Research has not been done to determine how long “Homestead Place” was owned by William Davidson. In the years after 1872 it was owned Lorenzo D. Hutchinson, whose plantation lands adjoined the Davidson lands. From the Hutchinson Estate, it was sold to Mrs. Eunice Davidson Moss on January 7, 1903. It was then owned by the late A. C. Booker and W. E. Booker, of West Point, Georgia. For many years colored tenant farmers lived in the house and produced fine cotton and corn crops. On May 31, 1937, the place was conveyed to Mrs. Rossa A. Booker (Mrs. W.E. Booker) who sold the house and Land Lot 270 to Thomas T. and J. Phillip ·Jones, of West Point, Georgia, on November 7, 1946, the present owners.

---William H. Davidson May 23, 1959

This document was transcribed by Judith Davidson. It is page 62-63 in the “The Davidson Family” an unpublished manuscript produced by Martha Phyllis Davidson, Margaret Davidson Davis, William Hutchinson Davidson, and Janie Lovelace Heard, 1959.