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By JOE PALMER It’s said by many to be the oldest house ‘‘in these parts.” But proving it is another However, deeds concerning the property at 912 N. Broad St., now known as the Bryan- Davis House, date back to the 1800's. The original deed, from Thomas S. Adams to Hardy Bryan, signed Feb. 2, 1827, gives a description of the property which ties the transac tion up “legal-like,” but in language that smacks of the backwoods this area was at the time. It reads in part: “. . .all them tracts, pieces or parcels of land situated, ly ing and being in the village of Thomasville. . The document’ also lists the property as containing ‘a half an acre each together. . .” The “History of Thomas County” describes Bryan as Thomas County’s largest land holder and apparently’ he built his house about 1833 in keeping with his financial standing. Cer tainly it was considered “grand” for its day. Although name of the ar chitect has as yet not been established, historians have suggested he might be John Wind, although dates in an 1850 census report would have made him too young. Wind was archi tect for the court house and Greenwood Plantation’s main house. The Bryan-Davis House is a wooden frame two story struc ture with attic and could be considered a forerunner of the Greek Revival style of archi tecture which influenced many stately homes for which the county is famous. The eight rooms and entrance hall have plaster walls and handcarved wooden mantels and woodwork. (As one admirer of the place put it, “It’s so simple, it’s gorgeous! ) Unusual features include the handcarved Maltese Cross on the front above the second story and the hand-blown glass win dow panes (32 panes to a win down and known as “16 over 16 panes’), now a rarity in the US. Thomasville Landmarks Inc. placed a plaque on the Bryan David House in October 1967, first plaque placed by the 300- member organization dedicated to preserving Thomasville’s tangible past. George M. Branner bought the house Nov. 2, 1965 (ac cording to the deed) after Bryan’s death (about 1853) from his widow and it was sold to Moses W. Linton in 1872 (ac cording to the deed). Linton and his wife died with in a week of each other, but the property reportedly re mained in the Linton estate un til 1899 when Charles Franklin “Davis purchased all interests. His sister, Mayne Davis Mitchell, ‘mother of the present owner, bought the property in 1918. Mrs. J. M. Cater, present owner,’ lived in the house for ‘a short time as a child and she recently restored the place for use as an antique shop, ‘which has since closed. Mrs. Cater said the structure had remained in “remarkably” good condition through years. The house at present is un occupied.
Newspaper Details
Thomasville Times Enterprise
Thomasville, Georgia, US
Wed, Jun 25, 1969
Page 20
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 10 Jul 2026
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