According to local historians, the original structure was a Plantation Plain, or I-House, constructed circa the 1820s–1830s, likely by the Davis family or a related branch. In the early 1840s, Andrew Jackson Lane inherited the majority of his uncle Jeffrey Lane’s estate, which included Granite Hill Plantation and extensive landholdings throughout Hancock County, Georgia. Lane married Francis Ann Brooking on January 16, 1845, also in Hancock County. Granite Hill Plantation, associated with both the antebellum agricultural reform movement and granite quarrying, was among the largest plantations in the country.
In the late 1850s, Andrew Jackson Lane acquired this property and undertook substantial expansions to the original house. Around the same time, he established Lane Seminary in the house, a girls’ school that opened in 1860 and operated until the end of the Civil War in 1865. The neighboring residence, known as Brightside Plantation, was constructed in the late 1850s as the home of the George W. Davis family. In addition to serving as a family residence, Brightside provided room and board for out-of-town students attending Lane Seminary.
Following the closure of the Seminary in 1866, Lane sold the property to the Mullaly family, who had also acquired Brightside from the Davis family. The house was once again altered, reverting to use as a private residence. During the 1870s and 1880s, Victorian-era elements, including the front porch and decorative verge and bargeboards, were added, reflecting the architectural tastes of the period.
Over the ensuing decades, the house passed through the hands of several families before being purchased by the Jackson family in the mid-1920s. The Jacksons’ long period of ownership brought further additions and modernizations. Mrs. Helen Jackson Miller, a lifelong resident of Hancock County, was the final occupant. She died at the age of 100 in 2010. At its height, the property was surrounded by extensive landscaping, featuring azaleas, camellias, dogwoods, magnolias, flowering fruit trees, and a wide variety of bulbs. Regrettably, decades of neglect, particularly severe water damage, have taken a devastating toll. Its once-remarkable gardens have been lost, and the house remains in severe disrepair.
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What a shame to see that fade away. I haven’t watched the video yet, but look forward to it. Thanks.
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I love it, and would love to win the lottery or get some commissions coming in to see if I can buy anything! I would get The Ghost Busters and a Priest or A Medicine Man to help me do away with Negative Energy and Evil Spirits. DWB
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Um,…what?
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Love the video!
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Looks like the furnishings were very nice. Is it for sale? Any contacts?
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It’s currently not for sale. I could not find a contact.
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Thank you Shannon!
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I always love the photos but the video was a nice addition! Houses like this left frozen fascinate me. Thank you!
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I appreciate the positive feedback. I will continue to add small clips to the blogs if possible.
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Nearly 40 years abandoned – what a find
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Excellent work Leland, looks great.
James Cool 404.702.5743 http://www.coolnewmedia.net TV / Film / Creative / Aerials
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Thank you James!
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I loved the video…the music was haunting. My imagination ran away….thank you… I would like to see more videos…
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Joan Lee, my mind ran away with me too! I can just see how the Lady so elegantly had such nice things. I love the metal headboard, the small white lamp, and the purple huge throw rug in the one room. It looks to be a baby grand piano sitting there as well. The paintings look to be of her from young to older, as they look the same as the picture taken. All the family photos hanging and everything just left is so sad, like she had no family, and lived alone in such an amazing home. The front and back porches look like they were so inviting to have sit and visited with coffee, and neither of the screen doors were even torn or had any holes. It’s sad to see that maybe some homeless that may have stay there would just ransack it, instead of just admiring and being respectful. I wish I could have met her and visited with her, as I feel she’s probably a very sweet soul, and loved to play piano and read. A quint life.
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It hurts my heart to see beautiful houses go in disrepair. I have always been fascinated by old houses and their history. I live in the south and have seen many. I wish I had the funds to restore them all! Love these pictures. Sometimes I spend my time riding and looking for old houses. I love learning about their history if I can. Thanks for the pictures and video.
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Yes the video was a great touch to come after the pictures. I feel the same, I wish I could restore them back to their old glory, as close as I could to what they were, or what I perceive them to might have been.
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Absolutely amazing place! It looks like someday the owner has lived this place and never return.
I love your photos.
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Would like to find out what is going on with the old plantation home that was moved by ferry down the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland!
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Why is it deserted so it hurts the heart Where are the owners of the house?
I love the photos and the video was a great addition to all the details, thank you!
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I’ve rescued one great old house……but it had only set empty for about 4-5 years. I would save them all if I were younger and had the money! There are so many stories hidden in the walls. Sometimes ghosts too!
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Which State is this in? Looks very familiar and brought back a lot of old memories.
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