Weracoba – St. Elmo

St. Elmo, a literary paper by Mrs. Edward Lummus, 1965

" One of the most exquisite examples of classic houses of America. A bona fide Greek temple for a home," was said of St. Elmo by Mr. Howard Major of New York, a well know architect. The marker placed by the Georgia Historical Commission on the grounds of the home state that it was built on the Stage Coach Road by Colonel Seaborn Jones for his wife Mrs. Howard Jones who was the daughter of Major John Howard, a Revolutionary soldier of Milledgeville.

Seaborn Jones first visit to Columbus was when as Major Jones he was a member of Gov. Troup's staff and came over from Milledgeville in 1825 with General Lafayette. Colonel Jones was a famed entertainer and once had the honor of serving as toastmaster at a banquet given by the elite of Columbus for Lafayette. Later he was sent on a commission to investigate Indian affairs. As lawyer and planter from Richmond County he was well established and prominent in Georgia when he chose Columbus for a home. He had already been Solicitor General of the Ocmulgee Circuit in 1817-1818. He was a member of Congress in 1835 - '45 - '47. Several sections of land were purchased by Colonel Jones adjacent to the Stage Coach Road. All of what we know as the St. Elmo section was included in the purchase. The land extended to Wildwood on the East and to the Shepherd land on the South.

Wildwood was built in 1831 for Mrs. Jane Vivien Howard, widow of John Howard of Milledgeville who died April 13, 1822. Mrs. Howard came to Columbus with a large family of grown sons and daughters and a considerable fortune. She came to be near her daughter and son-in-law, Seaborn Jones. Colonel Jones drew all the plans for his home and called it El Dorado, land of beauty. And a place of beauty it was. No expense was spared to make it the most elegant and luxurious in the vicinity. The house was begun in 1828 and completed in 1833.

In Medora Field Perkerson's book, "White Columns of Georgia" in the chapter on "Ante Bellum Beauties" she gives the perfect description of the exterior of the house: "Of Greek Revival architecture, this beautiful old house is distinctly individual. Delicately elaborate details build up a superb unity of effect, enhanced by the fine architectural balance of a massive facade of twelve Doric columns forty feet high and which extend across the front and around two sides. These columns are crowned by a balustrade similar to the one that links them together at the floor level on the wide portico. A hanging iron balcony in medallion design highlights the entrance with its identical first and second floor doors, which have graceful fan and side lights. The house is built of handmade brick smoothed over with plaster and painted white stucco shaded by trees planted when pioneer predecessors occupied the place."

The massive white columns - three feet thick and two stories high - and the 18" thick walls of the house were built with great pieces of brick dug from a strata found right on the place. Slaves dug the clay, molded the brick and left it to harden under the southern sun. (A small lake now fills the place where this clay was removed.) There are three stories; the first, opening on the ground level, the second beginning about head height and the third atop it in regular fashion. There are four rooms on the second and third floors. On each floor the two front floors were 20x20 feet and the back rooms 20x16 feet. These rooms were separated by a 12 foot hall the length of the house. The ceilings on the main floor are 14 feet high. The top floor is approached by a beautiful winding stair to the 12 foot high ceiling rooms. The shuttered windows are large, the numbers of panes in each varying in the front and on the sides.

There are many interesting notes on the use of the ground floor. Other than serving as storerooms and a wine cellar there were rooms for the slaves. Also part of it was used as the kitchen and dining room. In one of these first floor rooms there is a fire place and over which is a replica of the one in Shakespeare's home in Stratford on Avon. Hot embers are put in the oven to heat it, and then raked out and the food placed inside for baking. All the interior woodwork - except the doors and stairways which are of mahogany - is of heavy oak and cedar, felled on the place. The floors are of pine, wide boards still preserved in their natural color.

Just at the back door of the house there stands the old smoke house - its many small holes to let the smoke out gives it the appearance of a fortress. Also is the renovated original spring house where butter and milk and melons were kept cool in the summer. The grounds of the estate were beautiful, too. In front there was an old boxwood garden and on either side were formal gardens in which priceless statuary gleamed in the Georgia sunshine. There was a conservatory in the yard 50 x 25 feet in which rare and tropical plants were grown to perfection - lemon, orange, and banana trees. Fountains played and the artificial heats made this one of the most perfect and complete conservatories in the country. The lake on the side of the house was covered in water lilies and wisteria vines climbed the oaks and cedars. A scuppernong arbor 300' long led from the house to the lake.

To this Eldorado, Colonel Seaborn Jones brought his wife and children, a daughter and a son, in 1833. A winding sandy road over which carriages and horses driven by Negro coachmen led through rose gardens to the house, where many historic personages were entertained. Among them were President Millard Fillmore, President James K. Polk, Henry Clay and General Winfield Scott, William Thackeray and Edwin Booth. Here Mrs. Jones' niece, Augusta Jane Evans ( Wilson), finished her celebrated novel, "St. Elmo."

It was here that Mary Howard Jones at the age of three had been flower girl. The only daughter of Colonel and Mrs. Jones she grew up and married a young lawyer, Henry Lewis Benning, who became famous of the Confederate General "Old Rock". ( Fort Benning is named for General Benning.) The Bennings and their children, five daughters and one son, lived at her father's home. Here, too, was born Anna Vivian Jones shortly after her father was killed in the battle of Gettysburg. He was Colonel John Jones, only brother of Mrs. Benning. He was married to Mary Leonard of Wildwood and they lived on an estate called Bonnie Doon, given him by his father, west of Eldorado.

After the war, General Benning felt it was dangerous for his family to remain at Eldorado and moved them all to town to the Benning home on upper Broad Street. Little Anna and her mother accompanied them. (As you know little Anna grew up and married Norman Pease.) For ten years, the mansion remained unoccupied. Then in 1878 it was purchased by Captain and Mrs. James J. Slade who changed its name to St. Elmo in honor of the novel which it had inspired.

Records do not tell us how long Capt. Slade used St. Elmo as a girls' school, but he lived there until his death in 1917. It was then inherited by their youngest daughter Florence. She greatly treasured the mansion and the many Augusta Evans' relics she had collected. In 1933 she opened it to the public and many were the tourists from many states - most of them coming to visit their families at Fort Benning.

In 1946 St. Elmo was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Mobley who made extensive repairs and changes for the comforts of modern living, but carefully preserving the classic lines of the house. They were gracious hosts, always delighted to welcome friends and interested parties. St. Elmo was open on the State Garden Tour in 1954. St. Anne's guild of Trinity Episcopal Church had a tea - Betty is a member of that guild. Mrs. Mobley, formerly Betty Pou, has a great appreciation and attachment for ante bellum homes, having been reared in the beautiful old Fontaine mansion on Front Street (now demolished.) She furnished St. Elmo with handsome heirlooms of the Fontaines and Pous and the Peabodys of the Mobley family. It was their home for eighteen years. After Mr. Mobley's death, Mrs. Mobley built a beautiful brick smaller home across the street from St. Elmo.

Once again this classic and historic mansion will be a home for a young family. Dr. Philip Schley has recently purchased it and making needed repairs. He plans to bring his wife and children home this coming summer.

May these legendary halls echo with voices and laughter of a happy family and, perhaps, the great who visit as guests will be from the profession of Medical Science!" (end of 1965 paper)

(Note: Dr. Philip Schley continues to call St. Elmo his home for him and his family. The home is not open to public tours. There is a historic marker in front of the house on 18th Avenue which includes details of the house and of Augusta Jane Evans.)