The Asa May House (also known as the Rosewood Plantation) is a historic house located along U.S. 19, between U.S. 27 and

I-10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the originall ...

(the house is closer to US 27 than I-10) in Capps,

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

on December 15, 1972.

Description and history

The

Greek Revival style Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

farmhouse was possibly built c. 1836 for Burwell Miles McBride shortly after he moved to Territorial Florida from

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

. McBride was reportedly the father of Caroline (McBride) Murray and the grandfather of Margaret (Murray) May (1829-1898) who married Asa May (1820-1878). May was one of the wealthiest planters in North Florida, at one time owning more than 3,000 acres of land in Jefferson County alone. Burwell either gave Rosewood Plantation to his daughter Caroline, who later passed it onto her daughter, Margaret; or Burwell gave it directly to his granddaughter Margaret, and then her husband Asa, through marriage. Asa May married Margaret Martha Murray on December 23, 1846. The home may have been built in the late 1840's by the enslaved people on Margaret "Martha" (Murray) May's 1,000 acre plantation. It is located 10 miles south of

Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary residence and plantation of Thomas Jefferson, a Founding Father, author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third president of the United States. Jefferson began designing Monticello after inheriting l ...

on the east side of Capps Road. The Asa May House exhibits characteristics of the Sand Hills cottage style. The exterior is constructed of

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs from the ''Cupressus'' genus of the '' Cupressaceae'' family, typically found in temperate climates and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. The word ''cypress'' ...

, the interior of

heart pine Heart pine refers to the heartwood of the pine tree, which is the non-living center of the tree trunk, while the sapwood is the outer living layer which transports nutrients. The heartwood from the pine tree, heart pine, is preferred by woodwork ...

both native to

. The bricks used for the chimneys and piers are believed to have been made onsite. There appear to be no additions and only a few minor alterations throughout the history of the structure. The house and surrounding property were divided out from the rest of the plantation sometime in the 1900s and is currently under private ownership.

References

External links

Jefferson County markers
Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs * *

Sand Hills cottage architecture Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...

* Florida Cracker Architecture Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida National Register of Historic Places in Jefferson County, Florida Houses in Jefferson County, Florida Historic American Buildings Survey in Florida 1840 establishments in Florida Territory Greek Revival houses in Florida {{JeffersonCountyFL-NRHP-stub