Josiah Davis House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Josiah Davis House
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The house in 2017
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 Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | South of Canoochee on GA 192, Emanuel County, Georgia |
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| Nearest city | Canoochee, Georgia |
| Area | 321 acres (130 ha) |
| Built | 1869 |
| Architectural style | Plantation Plain |
| NRHP reference No. | 82000145 |
| Added to NRHP | October 5, 1982 |
The Josiah Davis House is an old house located south of Canoochee in Emanuel County, Georgia. It was built in 1869 and is a great example of a style called Plantation Plain. The house sits on a large property, about 321 acres (130 hectares). In 1982, this special property was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site.
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About the Josiah Davis House
The Josiah Davis House is important for a few reasons. It shows how building styles changed over time. The Plantation Plain style was most popular in Georgia between 1830 and 1850. However, this house was built later, around 1869. This was during the time after the Civil War, known as the Reconstruction Era. Many people thought it was hard to build new homes then.
What Does It Look Like?
The house has a simple design. It has two rooms upstairs and two rooms downstairs. There is a hallway in the middle. It also has a porch on the front. The inside walls, floors, and ceilings are made of wide wooden boards. There is no plaster.
The house has fancy fireplace decorations downstairs. But it does not have many other detailed designs. It looks much like it did when it was first built. This helps us see what homes were like back then.
A Look at History
The house also tells us about the Reconstruction Era. This was a time when the Southern states were rebuilt after the Civil War. Historians are still learning about this period. The Josiah Davis House is one of the few homes from this time that still shows the Plantation Plain style. This might mean the style became popular again. Or maybe it was used all along, even during the war.
The house was the main home of Josiah Davis (1847-1902). He was born in Emanuel County. He and his wife, Sarah Canady (1849-1927), built the house around 1869. They had just gotten married.
The Davis Family Farm
Josiah Davis was a soldier in the Civil War. After the war, he came home and started his farm. He never left the area. His farm was about 318 acres. He grew crops like cotton and corn. He worked with sharecroppers, who were often formerly enslaved people. They were paid for their work with a share of the crops.
The Davis family had three children. Their house was small, with only four rooms. Josiah Davis was known as a "frugal and energetic farmer." This means he was careful with money and worked hard. He was buried near his farm.
After Josiah Davis passed away, his son, Dr. George Davis, continued to farm. He grew a special type of cotton. The house stayed in the Davis family for many years. It was sold to the Peacock family after Josiah's wife died. They are the current owners.
Farming in the Reconstruction Era
The Josiah Davis House is also important for understanding farming history. The farm still has the same amount of land that Josiah Davis worked in 1869. After the Civil War, he had to use new ways of farming. Large plantations were not as common. Many smaller farms, like his, started up. This farm shows how a new way of life began after the war. Not many farms from that time have stayed the same, with their original land and main house.
