St. Elmo is a historic residence on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

, located in

MidTown Columbus, Georgia Midtown (not to be mistaken for Midtown, New York) has an area of six square miles in Columbus, Georgia. It possesses residential neighbourhoods, eleven public schools, the Columbus Museum, the Columbus Public Library, the Muscogee County Public ...

at 2808 18th Avenue.

Overview

Colonel

Seaborn Jones Seaborn Jones (February 1, 1788 – March 18, 1864) was a United States representative from Georgia. Born in Augusta, Georgia, he attended Princeton College and studied law. By a special act of the legislature, he was admitted to the bar in 1808. ...

drew all the plans for his home and called it El Dorado, land of beauty. The house was begun in 1828 and completed in 1833. The materials used to build this house, with the exception of the marble and the mahogany, were taken from the property itself. A small lake now fills the place where the clay was removed. To this El Dorado, Colonel Seaborn Jones brought his wife and children, a daughter and a son, in 1833. In 1833,

Henry L. Benning Henry Lewis Benning (April 2, 1814 – July 10, 1875) was a general in the Confederate States Army. He also was a lawyer, legislator, and judge on the Georgia Supreme Court. He commanded "Benning's Brigade" during the American Civil War. ...

, an aspiring young lawyer, wrote a friend: "Above all things (I advise if you desire ease and happiness) marry. Marry a lady of accomplishment, i.e. worth $100,000. It will be better than quibbling. I am anxious to experiment at least." In 1839, Benning, for whom Fort Benning is named, married Colonel Seaborn Jones's daughter. Many historic personages were entertained at El Dorado among them were President Millard Fillmore,

President James K. Polk James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. He previously was the 13th speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and ninth governor of Tennessee (18 ...

Henry Clay Henry Clay Sr. (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American attorney and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. He was the seventh House speaker as well as the ninth secretary of state, ...

General Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...

, and

Edwin Booth Edwin Thomas Booth (November 13, 1833 – June 7, 1893) was an American actor who toured throughout the United States and the major capitals of Europe, performing Shakespearean plays. In 1869, he founded Booth's Theatre in New York. Some theatri ...

. Also, here Mrs. Jones's niece,

Augusta Jane Evans Wilson Augusta Jane Evans Wilson (May 8, 1835 – May 9, 1909), was an American author of Southern literature and a patriot of the South. She was the first woman to earn through her writing. Wilson was a native of Columbus, Georgia, and her first book ...

, finished her celebrated novel, '' St. Elmo''. In 1878, the home was purchased by Captain and Mrs. James J. Slade who changed its name to St. Elmo in honor of the novel which it had inspired.

Fire

At approximately 2:00 p.m. on October 5, 2011, a fire broke out in the basement wine cellar of St. Elmo. Apparently started by a single candle, the fire did extensive damage to the structure, but was repaired.

References

External links

Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state) Greek Revival houses in Georgia (U.S. state) Houses in Columbus, Georgia National Register of Historic Places in Muscogee County, Georgia {{ColumbusGA-stub

Overview

Fire

See also

References

External links