RTHL # 11021 Area 40 ha Year built 1857 | NRHP Reference # 14000104 Designated RTHL 1964 Phone +1 903-863-2633 Added to NRHP 31 March 2014 | |
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Address 11992 Co Rd 4233, Cushing, TX 75760, USA | ||
Monte verdi plantation
The Monte Verdi Plantation is a historic Southern plantation in Rusk County, Texas. It was used to grow cotton in the Antebellum South.
Contents
History
Julien Sidney Devereux, a member of the Sixth Texas Legislature, purchased land from 1845 onwards. By 1849, he called it Monte Verdi, which means "green mountain" in Italian. By 1850, seventy-four African slaves worked on the plantation. They produced 120 bales of cotton every year, making it one of the 100 most productive plantations in Texas. At its peak, the plantation covered 10,700 acres.
The mansion was built from 1856 to 1857. It was designed in the Greek Revival architectural style. It is two story high, with six Doric columns and a balcony on the second floor. It was restored by Emmett F. Lowry and his wife in the early 1960s.
In 1962, historian Dorman H. Winfrey wrote a history of the plantation entitled Julien Sidney Devereux and His Monte Verdi Plantation, published by the Waco-based Texian Press.
Historic site
The plantation house has been a Texas Historical Landmark since 1964. Additionally, the 100 acre core of the plantation has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since March 31, 2014. The historic core area preserves the history of a large cotton plantation, active for many years surrounding the Civil War. The Greek Revival plantation house is a good example of its type and retains much of its original materials. The main house, restored in 1960, has an L-shaped plan for the first floor and a rectangular plan for the second; a total of 2960 square feet. The plantation main house and a water well are historic structures at the site, which also includes a relocated house and several structures of more recent vintage that are not contributing resources.