Submitted by FHMaster on Sat, 12/17/2016 - 22:39

Springfield Plantation is an antebellum house located near Fayette in Jefferson County, Mississippi. It has been associated with many famous people throughout its history.

One of the oldest mansions in Mississippi, the Springfield Mansion was built between 1786 and 1791. The original plantation had over [2]3,000 acres (12 km2) and was purchased by Thomas M. Green Jr., a wealthy Virginia planter, in 1784. Thomas had the house built to show off his wealth. The mansion was one of the first houses in America to have a full colonnade across the entire facade and is the first such mansion to be built in the Mississippi Valley. The whole house was built by his slaves out of clay from the land. The hinges, knobs, and all metal tools were built at the plantation's blacksmith building.

Possibly what makes the Springfield Plantation most famous is the wedding that took place at it in 1791. Thomas M. Green Sr., the owner's father, was one of the magistrates of the Mississippi Territory and as such, performed the marriage ceremony of Andrew Jackson and Rachel Donelson at the house in August 1791. This marriage would lead to one of the first romantic tragedies in America.

For two years, Green Jr. had to leave his loved plantation to go to Washington, D.C. when he became a Congressman from the Mississippi Territory. The plantation survived the Civil War and the Union occupation of Mississippi during the later half of the 1800s.

Springfield Plantation.jpg

 

Tags

Location
Fayette
State
GeoCoord
31°44′46″N 91°11′35″W
Founded
1791
Status
Active
NRHP Ref Number
71000454