Waverly Plantation

Waverly Plantation was a large cotton plantation in southern Leon County, Florida, in the 19th century, worked by enslaved people, its size unknown, and owned by George Taliaferro Ward. The plantation bordered Southwood Plantation on its west side. Ward was born in Kentucky in 1810 and moved to Tallahassee in 1825. That same year, he succeeded Samuel R. Overton as register of the land office. From 1838 to 1839, he represented Leon County on the Legislative Council and took part in the constitutional convention. In 1844, he married Sarah Jane Chaires of the wealthy Benjamin Chaires family of eastern Leon County, and they had at least three daughters—Georgima, Anna, and Mattie—as well as several sons. Besides Waverly, Ward also operated Clifford Place and Southwood Plantation. Including Waverly, his holdings totaled 4,200 acres (1,700 ha), of which 2,500 acres (1,000 ha) were cleared. Ward enslaved 160 people in all and produced 7,500 bushels of corn and 500 bales of cotton. The original mansion built at Southwood in 1865 was destroyed by fire. In 1939, George Henderson, grandson of Colonel John and Mattie Henderson, moved the family home from downtown Tallahassee onto the foundation of the original Southwood residence. As a historic plantation rather than a modern commercial brand, Waverly Plantation is documented mainly through agricultural census records, voter lists, and archival materials such as the Special Collections at Florida State University's Robert Manning Strozier Library.

Waverly Plantation was a large cotton-growing slave plantation of unknown size, located in southern Leon County, Florida, United States, owned by George Taliaferro Ward. It bordered Southwood Plantation on the west. George Taliaferro Ward was born in Kentucky in 1810 and moved to Tallahassee in 1825. In that same year Ward became Register of the Land Office, succeeding Samuel R. Overton. From 1838 to 1839 Ward served on the Legislative Council from Leon County and attended the Constitutional Convention. George T. Ward inherited the land now known as Southwood from his father, George W. Ward. In 1844 Ward married Sarah Jane Chaires of the wealthy Benjamin Chaires family of eastern Leon County and had at least three daughters, Georgima, Anna, and Mattie, as well as brothers. Sarah Jane would inherit other properties that were later incorporated into Southwood. Besides Waverly, Ward also maintained his plantations of Clifford Place and Southwood. Including Waverly, his holdings totaled 4,200 acres (1,700 ha) of which 2,500 acres (1,000 ha) were improved. Combined, Ward held 160 persons enslaved, produced 7,500 bushels of corn and 500 bales of cotton. The original mansion built in 1865 at Southwood was destroyed by fire. In 1939, George Henderson, grandson of Colonel John and Mattie Henderson, moved the family home from downtown Tallahassee to the old foundation of the original Southwood house. References for the plantation include Special Collections at the Robert Manning Strozier Library, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida; Rootsweb Plantations; Largest Slaveholders from 1860 Slave Census Schedules; the 1845 voters list; Clifton Paisley's From Cotton To Quail (University of Florida Press, c1968); the Florida Memory Project; and an FSU thesis.

• 1939

  George Henderson moved the family home to the old foundation of the original Southwood house.

• 1865

  Original mansion at Southwood built; later destroyed by fire.

• 1844

  Ward married Sarah Jane Chaires.

• 1838

  Ward served on the Legislative Council from Leon County and attended the Constitutional Convention.

• 1825

  Ward moved to Tallahassee and became Register of the Land Office.

• 1810

  George Taliaferro Ward born in Kentucky.

Product categories. cotton · corn

1. 1Waverly Plantation (Leon County, Florida) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Waverly Plantation - Wikidatawikidata.org