- Chinqua Penn Plantation
-
Chinqua--Penn Plantation
Nearest city: Reidsville, North Carolina Coordinates: 36°23′4″N 79°42′0″W / 36.38444°N 79.7°WCoordinates: 36°23′4″N 79°42′0″W / 36.38444°N 79.7°W Built: 1923 Architect: Ingalls,Harry C.; Et al. Architectural style: Eclectic Governing body: State NRHP Reference#: 93000235
[1]Added to NRHP: April 08, 1993 Chinqua Penn Plantation is an English manor home mansion near Reidsville, North Carolina in Rockingham County, (about 25 miles north of Greensboro, NC) and was built by Thomas Jefferson Penn ("Jeff", 1875–1946) and Margaret Beatrice Shoellkopf Penn ("Betsy", 1881–1965) in the 1920s. The name "Chinqua Penn" was derived from the chinquapin, a species of American chestnut that was once plentiful in the area.
Chinqua Penn Plantation ranks high among North Carolina's finest well-preserved early 20th century homes, including Reynolda House, and Duke Mansion.
Contents
History
Thomas Jefferson 'Jeff' Penn (1875–1946)
After inheriting a portion of the Penn family tobacco interests, they relocated from Penn's Store, Patrick County, Virginia to North Carolina; Jeff Penn then augmented his fortune in stocks and bonds during the depression. He also operated a dairy husbandry and raised Holstein cattle. In later years he raised Black Angus. The Penn Tobacco Company was later purchased in 1911 by American Tobacco Company, the Duke family behemoth that made Lucky Strike cigarettes. The coats-of-arms above the picture window show the Penn family crest, as well as that of the Spencer family of Spencer, Virginia, to whom the Penns were related.[2][3] Betsy's father was Chairman of the board of directors of Niagara Falls Power Company and mayor of Niagara Falls, New York. Betsy Penn survived Jeff by nearly twenty years, during which time she became increasingly involved in philanthropic and community activities. She created the Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Educational Center on part of the estate.
The house and related buildings, and ultimately the internal furnishings, were given into the trusteeship of the University of North Carolina System and were alternately open and closed to the public at various times[citation needed] until August 2006, when the estate was acquired by Calvin Phelps, the founder of Renegade Tobacco Company.[4] The Phelps family maintains a small residence on the property, but operates the mansion and gardens as a museum. Most of the furnishings and art, showcasing 30 countries, were placed by the Penns.[citation needed] Federal agents seized the property and assets on September 28, 2010 as part of an ongoing bankruptcy proceeding.[4]
Tourist attraction
The house is now open for tours. The Phelps family is restoring the grounds and have added some of their own furnishings to enhance the authenticity of the tour by showcasing the splendor that was evident during the Penns' residency.
Jeff Penn and his wife were both well-traveled, Penn having lived for some time in San Francisco, where he represented family tobacco interests in the East, including China. The Penns went on three world tours and amassed an extensive collection of priceless art, artifacts, and architectural pieces. Among those on display are a replica of King Tut's chair (one of only two such replicas), and a full-size Chinese pagoda. Elements of Spanish architecture and Don Quixote-related art works are plentiful.
Farmland adjoining the property is still operated as an experimental agricultural station by North Carolina State University.
The property was not an antebellum-era (pre-Civil War) farm tilled with slave labor, thus not a true "plantation."
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
- ^ James Harrison Spencer, cousin of Thomas Jefferson Penn, Men of Mark in Virginia, Lyon G. Tyler, 1908
- ^ "The History of Spencer-Penn". http://www.thecentreatspencerpenn.com/History.html. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
- ^ a b "Feds confirm seizure of Chinqua Penn Plantation". Winston-Salem Journal. 2010-09-29. http://www2.journalnow.com/business/2010/sep/29/2/plantation-is-seized-after-phelps-lawsuit-ar-425305/. Retrieved 2010-09-29.
External links
U.S. National Register of Historic Places Topics Lists by states Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • WyomingLists by territories Lists by associated states Other Categories:- Historic districts in North Carolina
- Buildings and structures in Rockingham County, North Carolina
- Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina
- Historic house museums in North Carolina
- Museums in Rockingham County, North Carolina
- Plantations in North Carolina
- 1923 architecture
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
