Sunny Hill Plantation

Sunny Hill Plantation was a large hunting plantation in northern Leon County, Florida, established in 1913 by Lewis S. Thompson from land associated with the former W. G. Ponder Plantation. It was created as a private sporting estate rather than as a consumer-facing commercial brand. Thompson expanded the property shortly before World War I by purchasing additional land to the north, bringing the plantation to approximately 20,000 acres, or about 8,100 hectares. Its neighboring plantations included Foshalee Plantation to the west, Horseshoe Plantation to the southwest, and Norias Plantation to the east. The estate was closely associated with Lewis S. Thompson and his wife, Geraldine Livingston Thompson. Lewis Thompson was a New Jersey Republican, a member of the Boone and Crockett Club, and an affluent sportsman whose interests included marksmanship, hunting, fishing, and dog breeding. He died in 1936. In 1937, the property was purchased by Walter E. Edge, a former governor of New Jersey who had previously owned part of nearby Norias Plantation. Edge spent more time at Sunny Hill after completing his second gubernatorial term in 1947. By the 1960s, the property had shifted from its earlier identity as a large hunting estate toward a mixed agricultural and ranching use. A portion of approximately 6,000 acres was documented as being used for cattle and crops, including a herd of about 100 Black Angus cattle, 780 acres of corn, 14 acres of cotton, and 27 acres of peanuts. John W. Mettler Jr. subsequently purchased 6,000 acres of Sunny Hill. By 1967, land historically known as Sunny Hill had been acquired by other interests and incorporated into or identified with Loveridge Plantation and Welaunee Plantation. The Sunny Hill name therefore describes a historic estate rather than an active operating company, product brand, or modern plantation business. The area's continuing significance is primarily environmental and historical. Today, land associated with the former Sunny Hill property is identified as part of the Audubon Society's Important Bird Areas of Florida, in connection with conservation easements and nearby properties including Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy, Horseshoe Plantation, Chemonie Plantation, Foshalee Plantation, and Woodfield Springs Plantation.

Sunny Hill Plantation was established in 1913 in northern Leon County, Florida, by Lewis S. Thompson. The estate was formed from the former W. G. Ponder Plantation and initially served as a private hunting and sporting property. Thompson, a wealthy New Jersey resident and Republican political figure, was interested in hunting, fishing, marksmanship, and sporting dogs. He belonged to the Boone and Crockett Club, an organization founded by Theodore Roosevelt. Shortly before World War I, Thompson enlarged Sunny Hill by acquiring land to its north. The resulting estate covered roughly 20,000 acres. It formed part of a concentration of large plantations in the region, with Foshalee Plantation, Horseshoe Plantation, and Norias Plantation among its neighbors. The property was also connected to the Thompson family's broader interests. Geraldine Livingston Thompson co-owned Brookdale Farm, a thoroughbred horse-training facility in New Jersey, while Lewis Thompson remained associated with the operation of Sunny Hill until his death in 1936. In 1937, Walter E. Edge acquired Sunny Hill. Edge had previously sold his interest in part of Norias Plantation and later devoted more time to Sunny Hill after completing his second term as governor of New Jersey. His ownership continued the estate's association with prominent New Jersey political and business circles. By 1966, the property was being used for a combination of cattle raising and agriculture. Documentation from that period describes a herd of approximately 100 Black Angus cattle. Of a 6,000-acre tract, 780 acres were devoted to corn, 14 acres to cotton, and 27 acres to peanuts. John W. Mettler Jr., a New Brunswick, New Jersey, businessman and heir to the family associated with the Interwoven Stocking Company, later purchased 6,000 acres of Sunny Hill. The original plantation identity did not persist as a unified estate. By 1967, land formerly known as Sunny Hill had been purchased by other interests and was associated with Loveridge Plantation and Welaunee Plantation. The site is no longer an active plantation under the historic Sunny Hill name. Its modern importance is tied to habitat protection: land connected with Sunny Hill is listed within the Audubon Society's Important Bird Areas of Florida as part of a conservation-easement landscape that also includes Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy and several neighboring plantations.

• 1967

  Historic Sunny Hill land transferred and renamed

  [1]Sunny Hill Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  Land historically identified as Sunny Hill was acquired by other interests and became associated with Loveridge Plantation and Welaunee Plantation.

• 1966

  Agricultural and cattle operations documented

  [1]Sunny Hill Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  A 6,000-acre portion supported Black Angus cattle and crops including corn, cotton, and peanuts.

• 1937

  Walter E. Edge acquired the plantation

  [1]Sunny Hill Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  Walter E. Edge purchased Sunny Hill in a transaction involving extensive deeds and land records.

• 1936

  Death of founder Lewis S. Thompson

  [1]Sunny Hill Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  Lewis S. Thompson died, ending his personal ownership of the estate.

• 1914

  Estate expanded before World War I

  [1]Sunny Hill Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  Thompson purchased additional land to the north, expanding the estate to approximately 20,000 acres.

• 1913

  Sunny Hill Plantation established

  [1]Sunny Hill Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  Lewis S. Thompson established Sunny Hill Plantation from land associated with the former W. G. Ponder Plantation in northern Leon County, Florida.

• Conservation recognition

  [1]Sunny Hill Plantationen.wikipedia.org

  Land associated with the former plantation is identified within the Audubon Society's Important Bird Areas of Florida as part of a conservation-easement landscape.

A private sporting and agricultural estate whose present relevance is historical and conservation-related.

1. 1Sunny Hill Plantationen.wikipedia.org