Jarrell Plantation

For over 140 years the Jarrell family owned and worked a plantation in central Georgia. Starting as a small cotton farm, expanding to a 900 acre plantation during the slave era, slowly rebuilding during Reconstruction and finally adding steam and then gasoline engines during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Jarrell Plantation is truly a piece of history.

Eventually the Jarrell family donated some of the land and most of the buildings to the state of Georgia as a historical site for posterity. During our visit we watched the introductory film detailing the history of the plantation, including the raiding and pillaging that went on when Union troops blew through town. Our boys learned here a little of the dark side of war.

After this we explored the grounds including two cabins, barns, a steam powered cotton gin, a sugar cane syrup maker and other interesting items. Live demonstrators were on hand to tell us stories of Christmas celebrated long ago on the plantation. This was the favorite part of our visit as we sat around the fire and thought of kids a hundred and seventy years ago celebrating the birth of Christ with excitement on their little faces. Even during the war, the family still found a way to remember Christmas.

We also got to sample some hot apple cider and ginger snaps and watch some demonstrators spinning thread and others sewing a quilt. We had some nice weather for exploring with temperatures in the low sixties and a few clouds in the sky.