| The Past... | |
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The story of Orange Hall begins
when the north half of Lot 43 in
St. Marys was purchased by the
Reverend Horace S. Pratt and his
father-in-law, John Wood in
1826. However, the history of
the property extends back
thousands of years prior to this
event. Physical evidence of
human activity on the site
dating from prehistoric times
through the founding and early
settlement of St. Marys has been
found during archaeological
investigation. Analysis of the
recovered artifacts coupled with
historical research has led to a
broader understanding of the
earliest history of the
property. Horace Southworth Pratt, a graduate of Yale University and the Princeton Theological Seminary arrived in St. Marys around 1820 as a young missionary and soon thereafter helped to organize the First Presbyterian Church. The purchased property was conveniently located across from the church and was therefore an ideal location for Pratt to establish a home for himself and his young family. His plans however were interrupted by the sudden death of his wife and father-in-law in 1829. He remarried and after much internal debate made the decision to remain in St. Marys. Proceeding with inheritance from his deceased wife’s family, Pratt employed a Massachusetts builder named Isaac Slayton to construct his new home. Once again, however circumstance would prevent him from completing his plan. A few years prior, the University of Alabama had attempted to recruit Pratt to join their faculty. At the time he had given a “qualified promise” to accept the position if a more experienced candidate could not be found. It was only after considerable time passed and thinking that he would not be required to accept that Pratt proceeded with the construction of his residence. The University ultimately demanded he honor his earlier promise and as a man of his word Pratt reluctantly left St. Marys and his home which was in the final stages of completion. |
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The residence
that Pratt constructed was at
the time a statement in modern
architecture, its style and
scale unprecedented in St. Marys
and along the lower Georgia
coast.
As its timber structure
was raised and the building took
shape, it would have been a
spectacle attracting the
attention of local citizens and
visitors alike.
The project required
Slayton, the builder, bring to
bare all of the skills and
experience he had accumulated
executing similar projects in
the northeast.
However, the building
would never serve the purpose it
was intended.
Although Pratt retained
ownership of the property when
he left town, less than two
years later in 1840, he fell
sick and died during travel
between Tuscaloosa and St. Marys.
The heirs to Pratt’s
estate held onto Orange Hall
until it was sold at public
auction in 1846.
The string of
owners and occupants that would
succeed Pratt include the names
of many important figures in
local history.
Famed military general
Duncan Lamont Clinch rented
Orange Hall from Pratt after he
had departed to Alabama, and
therefore Clinch may have been
the first true occupant of the
house.
James Mongin Smith, a
wealthy planter was the second
owner of the property residing
at Orange Hall for ten years.
Smith sold the property
to Francis Adams who was the
Mayor of St. Marys, Principal of
the local academy and delegate
to the Secession Convention in
1862.
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During the
Civil War, Orange Hall was
occupied by the Union Army,
however, for reasons that remain
unknown the building was spared
from destruction. Following the
War, Orange Hall was purchased
by Silas Fordham a real estate
speculator from upstate New York
who used the property as a
winter retreat.
Fordham and his family
owned the property for over
thirty years and during this
time the house became known as
the social center of the town.
After the turn
of the century, Orange Hall was
owned by Joel Lee Sweat, a Judge
and Senator from Waycross,
Georgia, who was said to be
partly responsible for bringing
the railroad to St. Marys.
Sweat held the property
for eight years, seling it to
James Howard Becker, an
automobile manufacturing tycoon
who made extensive improvements
to the property but fell out of
favor with St. Marys after a
short time due to “local
political disputes.” During the
late 1920s, the effects of the
Great Depression were felt in
St. Marys and Orange Hall fell
into a state of neglect and
disrepair.
Times were so bad that
the property was seized by the
county when owner George
Fryhofer failed to pay the
property taxes.
The amount owed was a
mere $252.66 and the owners were
eventually able to reconcile. Orange Hall
was purchased by S.C Townsend in
the 1930s and the upper floors
converted to apartments.
This configuration would
later attract the St. Marys
Kraft Corporation which
purchased the property in 1951
using it to house mill employees
for ten years.
Recognizing the value of
Orange Hall as a significant
architectural resource and
community asset, the property
was purchased by the City of St.
Marys in 1965. As a testament to
its commitment to preserving
this important resource, the
city has now been in possession
of Orange Hall longer than any
of its previous owners. |
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