National Register of Historic Places

Birdwood

Thomasville, Thomas County, Georgia
Listed
May 1, 1986
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
86000917

About this property

Birdwood is a 17.2 acres (7.0 ha) estate in Thomasville, Georgia. Its main building is a two-story mansion built in 1931–1932 in then-popular Georgian Revival style at the center of what was a 48-acre property. The mansion is basically U-shaped in plan, with a two-story colonnade connecting across the ends. It was built for William Cameron Forbes (1870-1959) of Boston, Massachusetts, "as a seasonal residence and a place to practice and play polo in the winter." Forbes was a grandson of Ralph Waldo Emerson and served as a diplomat for the United States, including serving on the Philippine Commission and as governor general in the Philippines for presidents T.R. Roosevelt and Taft. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. It is now part of Thomas University, now named Forbes Hall.

Location

Thomasville, Thomas County, Georgia
30.81552, -83.96483

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Hollywood Plantation
Industrial
0.7 mi
Gordon Avenue Historic District
Listed
0.7 mi
Millpond Plantation
Industrial
0.8 mi
East End Historic District (Boundary Increase and Decrease)
Listed
1.2 mi
Park Front
Industrial
1.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Action at Thomasville (Brooks County GA 1865)
1865Civil War
1.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Birdwood listed on the National Register?

Birdwood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 1, 1986.

What type of historic resource is Birdwood?

Birdwood is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Birdwood?

The period of significance for Birdwood is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Birdwood?

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