Hills and Dales Estate facts for kids
Hills and Dales Estate is a beautiful historic home located in LaGrange, Georgia. It was built for a very successful businessman named Fuller Earle Callaway and his wife, Ida Cason Callaway. The house was finished in 1916. This special property also includes the amazing Ferrell Gardens, which were started even earlier, in 1832, long before the American Civil War.
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Building the Callaway Home
Fuller E. Callaway bought the land for the estate in 1912. He hired a talented architect named Neel Reid to design their new house. The home is quite large, about 13,000 square feet (1,208 square meters)!
An Italian-Style House
Neel Reid designed the Callaway home to fit perfectly with the beautiful Italian-style garden that was already there. The house looks like an Italian villa, with its white stucco outside walls and a bright red tile roof. The front of the house has a grand, round porch with tall, classic Ionic columns. Inside, Neel Reid's design includes a fancy double staircase and stone fireplaces. One special room is the long, narrow palm room, which has a cool vaulted ceiling.
Hills & Dales Estate is an important part of the Vernon Road Historic District. This district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's recognized for its historical importance.
The Amazing Ferrell Gardens
The story of the gardens began with Blount and Sarah Ferrell, who married in 1835. Sarah Ferrell started creating a formal garden in 1841. Before that, the land was used to grow cotton.
A Garden of Faith and Beauty
Mrs. Ferrell designed her garden with many religious symbols. She believed the garden should show her faith. She grew all sorts of plants and used local stone to build walls, steps, and terraces.
The Ferrell Gardens, also known as The Terraces, became famous across the country for their beauty. They were even open for people to visit! A local newspaper, The LaGrange Reporter, wrote about the "majestic grove of oaks" and how visitors were "speechless with astonishment" at the "bewildering paradise."
When Fuller and Ida Callaway opened their new home in 1916, a newspaper called The Atlanta Journal wrote, "Italian Villa Built In Georgia's Most Famous Garden." Mr. Callaway himself said that experts were amazed at how well the plants grew, even rare ones from far-off places. He believed the secret was the "seventy years of love and devoted care which Mrs. Ferrell gave to the garden."
When the Callaway home was built, architect Neel Reid added fountains and statues to the gardens. This helped connect the house even more closely with the beautiful outdoor spaces.
The Callaway Family Legacy
Fuller Earle Callaway (1870-1928) was born in Troup County, Georgia. He was an entrepreneur from a young age, meaning he started businesses early on. He sold goods to people in the countryside and also farmed. When he was just eighteen, he opened a five-and-ten-cent store. Soon, he owned many stores and a wholesale business. Later, he invested in textile factories, which make cloth. Eventually, he owned several businesses that employed thousands of people.
Fuller married Ida Jane Cason (1872-1936) in 1891. They had two sons: Cason Jewell Callaway (1894-1961) and Fuller Earle Callaway Jr. (1907-1992). Both sons grew up working in their father's textile mills. The mills were later sold in 1968.
Passing Down the Estate
After Ida Callaway passed away in 1936, her two sons, Cason and Fuller Jr., both wanted to live in the family home. They submitted secret bids to see who would get it. Fuller Jr. won the bid and moved into Hills & Dales with his wife, Alice Hinman Hand.
After Alice's death in 1998, the estate was given to the Fuller E. Callaway Foundation. The Callaways wanted the estate to become a museum so that everyone could enjoy it. After some updates and building a visitor center, Hills & Dales Estate opened to the public in October 2004. More renovations were completed in 2010, and now visitors can explore all three floors of the home.
