Thornhill Plantation, Talladega County, Alabama

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Talladega, Alabama, United States
Surnames/tags: Hardie Black Heritage

US Black Heritage Index of Plantations Alabama Plantations

Contents 1 Background 2 Historic Buildings/Photographs 3 Owners 4 Slaves 4.1 1840 Census 4.2 1850 Slave Schedule 4.3 1857 Estate Inventory 4.4 1860 Slave Schedule 4.5 1866 Alabama State Census 5 Sources

Background

Not to be confused with Thornhill Plantation in Greene County, Alabama

The Thornhiil plantation property lies within the boundaries of Talladega County, Alabama. The historic property is situated adjacent to Highway 21 just outside of the southwestern city limits of Talladega.^[1]

John Hardie was an immigrant from Scotland, arriving in the Alabama Territory in 1818. He first established himself as a merchant in Whitesburg near Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama. In the 1830s, he acquired 700 acres near Mardisville, in what is today, Talladega County, Alabama. His cotton plantation, Thornhill grew to 1,700 acres and featured a large slave population. ^[2]

Thornhill was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998,^[1]

Historic Buildings/Photographs

Thornhill, also known as the Hade–Lewis House, was constructed in 1835. Thornhiil is a Greek Revival styled house which features an L-shaped configuration, cross gable roof, five bay façade, central double bay entry, and pedimented portico.

Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) Photo of Thornhill, Front and West Side

The property includes several buildings. The heart of the property is contained within a white picket fence and includes the old plantation office and the Thornhill plantation house (The "Big House.")

The old plantation office was constructed at the same time of the house, 1835. The office is one-story frame covered in weatherboard with a side gable roof and brick side chimney.

A two-story frame transverse-type barn (1830s) is situated east of the house. Clad in board-and-batten, the barn contains a long gable roof with a recently added cupola, ample loft space for hay, and a stone pier foundation.

A building that once served as servant's quarters stands east of the main house at the end of the drive.

There is also a circa 1872-1880 horse racetrack, a residence that was built circa 1990 and a 1994 chapel.

Thornhill Plantation Site Map

The old family grave-yard is about one hundred yards south west of the house and contains tombs of the original family.

• John Hardie. Born 1797, Died 1848,
• Mary Mead (Hall) Hardie, daughter of Rev. Isaac Hall, and wife of John Hardie, Born 1812. Died 1872.
• Annie Hardie, daughter of John and Mary M. Hardie, and wife of J. M. Lewis. Born 1846, Med 1880.
• Mary A, Hardie, wife of John H. Lewis, Born 1877. Died 1916.
• William Hudson, son of John and Sarah Hudson, Born 1831, Died 1853,
• Helen Hardie Spence, daughter of John Hardie and wife of William Spence, Died 1886,

Owners

Date of Erection; 1835
John Hardie. From 1835 to 1848
Mary A Hardie, From 1835-1871
James Jefferson Montgomery Lewis, From 1872 to 1880
T. H. Lewis, From 1880 to 1905
T.L. Welch^[3]

Thornhill passed from John Hardie to his wife in 1848. Following Mary's death in 1872, Thornhill passed to Ann Eliza Hardie Lewis, one of John and Mary's daughters, and her husband Jefferson M. Lewis. Her husband sold Thornhill to a H. P. Coffee in 1901. Mary Welch Lee bought Thomhill sometime around 1936. Anna Meade Minnigerode, one of John and Mary Hardie's great-granddaughters, and her husband bought Thomhill in 1959.

Slaves

1840 Census

The 6th Census of the United States John Hardie is recorded with 43 slaves at Thornhill in Talladega County, Alabama in 1840.^[4]

Age Group	Number
Slaves - Males - Under 10	10
Slaves - Males - 10 thru 23	6
Slaves - Males - 24 thru 35	4
Slaves - Males - 36 thru 54	4
Slaves - Females - Under 10	9
Slaves - Females - 10 thru 23	6
Slaves - Females - 24 thru 35	2
Slaves - Females - 36 thru 54	2
Total	43

1850 Slave Schedule

In1850, after John's death in 1848, Mary M. Hardie held 54 enslaved people listed on the United States Slave Schedule in Talladega, Talladega, Alabama, United States.^[5]

Name	Sex	Age
Mary M Hardie
	F	17
	M	15
	M	14
	M	13
	F	12
	M	12
	M	11
	M	11
	M	11
	F	11
	M	11
	M	10
	F	9
	F	9
	M	9
	F	8
	M	8
	F	7
	M	7
	M	6
	M	6
	F	6
	F	67
	F	5
	M	63
	F	5
	M	47
	F	4
	M	47
	M	3
	M	47
	F	3
	M	43
	M	3
	F	42
	F	1
	M	40
	F	1
	F	40
	M	0
	F	39
	M	32
	F	0
	F	32
	F	30
	F	30
	M	30
	F	30
	M	29
	M	29
	F	28
	F	23
	M	20
TOTAL		53

1857 Estate Inventory

On Folder 1 (of 9) for the Estate of John Hardie in Talladega County, Alabama, a listing of 51 slaves is made. Dated 1857. ^[6]

Name	Status	Age
Claborn	Man	54
Harriet	Woman	46
John	Man	36
Mary	Woman	37
Dick	Man	20
Hopkins	Man	18
Simon	Man	52
Louvinia & child	Woman	37
Waide	Man	18
Turner	Boy	16
Solomon	Boy	14
Linet	Girl	12
Amanda	Girl	10
Robtert	Man	39
Louisa	Woman	49
Richard	Boy	18
Cornelia	Girl	15
Ephraim	Man	37
Nicey	Woman	37
Louesa	Girl	14
Tacy	Girl	11
Martha	Girl	7
Priscilla	Girl	3-1/2
Betty	Girl	1-1/2
Nancy	Woman	18
Sarah	Girl	3
Jerry	Boy	1-1/2
Claiborn T.	Man	69
Chloe & child	Woman	35
Jane	Woman	19
Wesley	Boy	17
Silas	Boy	15
James aka Jim	Boy	13
Caroline	Girl	9
Margaret	Girl	4
Annie	Girl	2
Lucy	Woman	74
Willis	Man	36
Linnet & child	Woman	31
Abraham	Boy	13
Hubbard	Boy	10
Lidia	Girl	8
Leonidas	Boy	6
Persia	Girl	4
Kate	Girl	1-1/2
Marshall	Man	19
Jourdan	Boy	17-1/2
Harriet	Woman	16
Mason	Boy	11
Seila	Infant	3 mos
Robt	Infant	6 mos

1860 Slave Schedule

In 1860, the estate of John Hardie held 44 enslaved people in Talladega County, Alabama.^[7]

Name	Relation	Sex	Age
John Hardie, Estate	Owner
1	Slave	M	60
2	Slave	F	70
3	Slave	M	50
4	Slave	M	45
5	Slave	F	50
6	Slave	F	45
7	Slave	F	35
8	Slave	M	38
9	Slave	F	37
10	Slave	M	40
11	Slave	F	40
12	Slave	F	38
13	Slave	M	25
14	Slave	M	23
15	Slave	M	23
16	Slave	M	22
17	Slave	M	22
18	Slave	F	21
19	Slave	F	21
20	Slave	F	20
21	Slave	M	20
22	Slave	F	18
23	Slave	F	18
24	Slave	M	18
25	Slave	F	15
26	Slave	F	13
27	Slave	F	13
28	Slave	M	16
29	Slave	M	15
30	Slave	F	10
31	Slave	F	8
32	Slave	F	6
33	Slave	M	0
34	Slave	F	2
35	Slave	F	5
36	Slave	M	4
37	Slave	M	1
38	Slave	F	11
39	Slave	F	9
40	Slave	F	2
41	Slave	M	0
42	Slave	M	16
43	Slave	M	14
44	Slave	M	11
TOTAL			44

1866 Alabama State Census

In the 1866 Alabama State Census in Talladega, Alabama, United States lists 12 black heads of households with some variation of the Hardie last name. It must be noted that some or none of these individuals may have been enslaved on Thornhill Plantation.

Link	First	Last	Residence
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6P2-H24	Hardie	Abrah	Talladega, Alabama, United States
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6P2-HPT	Hardee	Louisa	Talladega, Alabama, United States
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6P2-CVV	Hardee	Robt	Talladega, Alabama, United States
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6P2-CVG	Hardee	Harriet	Talladega, Alabama, United States
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6P2-CV2	Hardee	Dewey	Talladega, Alabama, United States
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6P2-HYY	Hardee	Marshal	Talladega, Alabama, United States
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6P2-HPN	Hardee	Elisa	Talladega, Alabama, United States
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6P2-CVP	Hardee	Harriet	Talladega, Alabama, United States
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6P2-CVL	Hardee	Lillian	Talladega, Alabama, United States
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6P2-Z9G	Hardy	Melia	Talladega, Alabama, United States
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6P2-CV5	Hardee	Jordan	Talladega, Alabama, United States
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6P2-CVK	Hardee	Bill	Talladega, Alabama, United States

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} National Register of Historic Places Nomination for Thornhill. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/bc8f0563-9b4f-40c9-a0af-8c0ddc7669e7/. page 6.
2. ↑ "Winterboro Stagecoach Inn" NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES (https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/05000651_text) (PDF). United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
3. ↑ https://loc.gov/pictures/item/al0763/
4. ↑ 1840 Census: "United States Census, 1840"
   citing p. 266, NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll ; FHL microfilm .
   FamilySearch Record: XHB4-P2F (accessed 10 April 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9YYN-SZQJ Image number 00545
   John Hardie in Talladega, Alabama, United States.
5. ↑ 1850 Census: "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1850"
   citing Affiliate Publication Number: M432; Line: 1;
   FamilySearch Record: HRWB-X4N2 (accessed 10 April 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: S3HY-DTF7-LKX
   Mary M Hardie in Talladega, Talladega, Alabama, United States.
6. ↑ FOLDER: Hardie, John (1848) Talladego County AL Estate File 104 1 of 9, "Alabama Estate Files, 1830-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G5NN-92N7?cc=1978117&wc=MXRS-YZ9%3A314238901%2C316671901 : 19 May 2014), Talladega > Hardegree, William Bryan-Hardie, John (1848-1942) > image 88 of 474; county courthouses, Alabama
7. ↑ 1860 Census: "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1860"
   citing Page: 29; Line: 24; FHL microfilm: 000803036; Record number: 043658;
   FamilySearch Record: WKJ3-7DN2 (accessed 11 April 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9YBT-72H Image number 00101
   Estate of John Hardie owner in Talladega, Alabama, United States.