Thornhill, historic plantation in Talladega County, Alabama
Thornhill is a Greek Revival house built in 1835 situated on about 6 hectares of land in Talladega County. The two-story structure features an I-shaped floor plan with a central hallway, a front portico supported by columns, and large windows arranged across its five-bay facade.
John Hardie, a Scot who arrived in Alabama in 1818, purchased the land in 1834 and built the house starting in 1835. The estate was primarily used for cotton cultivation and relied on about 50 enslaved workers whose labor sustained both the household and plantation operations.
The name Thornhill comes from John Hardie, a Scottish settler who named the property after his family's Scottish farm. The main house layout with its central hallway, parlor for receiving guests, and library shows how wealthy families organized their daily life and social gatherings in this era.
The property is easily accessible along a main road near Talladega and can be visited without difficulty. Plan enough time to walk through the main house, explore the outbuildings such as the chapel and barn, and observe the surrounding grounds including the family cemetery and former racetrack area.
The estate bears a personal connection to Hardie's Scottish heritage, as he named it after his family's Thornhill farm in Scotland, reflecting a direct link to his homeland. The racetrack on the grounds reveals that the plantation was not solely focused on agriculture but also served as a venue for leisure activities and the social life of the wealthy family.
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