A warm welcome from the Wilson family!

We would like to make your visit more informative by telling you about the McDuffie County area and about Best Western White Columns Inn in Thomson.

In 1951 we constructed Thomson's first motel, the Cotton Patch, on land adjacent to what is now McDuffie County Hospital. In 1981 we relocated near 1-20 and built "phase one" of Best Western White Columns Inn, the 100 Building. In 1984 the 200 Building was added and in 1985 the Plantation House was constructed. In 1990 the Courtyard Building was built, giving us a total of 136 rooms. This popular addition contains suites and larger rooms with all the latest amenities, including coffeemakers, refrigerators, and microwave ovens.

All of these were built by Wilson Homes, another family business, headed by our son Jim Wilson.

Our family has loved Thomson and this area for seven generations. Our ancestors, both the Wilsons and the Watsons, came here in the 1760's, settling in the Wrightsboro area of what is now McDuffie County.

In 1777, the first Captain John Wilson (1756-1847) was commissioned and served during the American Revolution as a Captain of the First Battalion under Major John Lawson of Warren County. McDuffie County was not formed at that time. His grave is in a beautiful pecan orchard on Cedar Rock Road, near his old log cabin which has been restored by the present owners, Mr. & Mrs. Ben Howell, Jr. The local D.A.R. is named the Captain John Wilson Chapter.

A Century later there was another Captain John Wilson in the family. A member of the Confederate Army, he was also a member of the "Stampede Legislature" which was meeting in Milledgeville at the time of Sherman's March to the Sea. He escaped to Thomson by horseback, Thomson being out of Sherman's line of March.

In 1870, this second Captain John Wilson surveyed McDuffie County under orders of then Governor Conley of Georgia. McDuffie was formed from parts of Columbia and Warren Counties. Hanging in the prefunction hall of the lobby is the original hand-drawn map with old tin types of Captain John Wilson and the survey crew attached. The map shows a lumber railroad, the Goodrich and Usry, that left the Georgia Railroad at Dearing and went South to Brier Creek. It is no longer in existence. Also shown are several gold mines that were located along Little River. Most of this area in now under the waters of Clark Hill Lake.

There was also a 20th century Captain John Wilson, my late brother, John Watson Wilson. He was a Captain in the Tank Corps in the Pacific arena in World War II. He left the army as a Lt. Colonel.

My mother was a Watson, a descendent of Tom Peter Watson who came to this area in the 1760's. She was the niece of Senator Thomas E. Watson, the "Sage of Hickory Hill," and the daughter of Senator Watson's brother, John Forrest Watson. Senator Watson, while a U.S. Representative, fathered the bill to form our Rural Free Delivery System. The original R.F.D. was out of the post office in Norwood, Georgia in Warren County, near here.

Hanging above the Plantation Room mantel is a painting of Hickory Hill, Senator Watson's home, which was built in 1860 by my great grandfather, James Robert Wilson. His son J. E. Wilson, Sr., my grandfather, sold it in 1900 to Senator Watson who remodeled it. The present owner is Tom Watson Brown, Senator Watson's grandson.

Tom Watson was later elected to the U.S. Senate, and ran twice for President on the Populist ticket. He died in 1922 while serving in the Senate. A special train brought his body and dignitaries to Thomson for his funeral. It is said that the crowd of 10,000 people is the largest number of people ever to have been in Thomson at one time. Thomson's current population is about 7000.

Upstairs off the balcony we have a meeting room named for the late Senator Watson. There are various old photographs of his funeral, the funeral train at the Thomson Depot, the crowd of mourners at Hickory Hill, and sketches of the home by Ruth Wilson.

Our sons are seventh generation in McDuffie County and two of them are active in the operation of Best Western White Columns. Epp is our General Manager and Gordon, along with his wife Debi, are our Food and Beverage Managers.

It is good to have you at the Plantation House. You are welcome to tour the building, and do come back to see us. We just LOVE to have Company!

Some of you have asked about the paintings that are in various locations throughout the Plantation House. All are originals and were done by local artists. Feel free to browse if you choose.

The large painting across from the hostess' desk in the dining room is "Belle Meade Hunt at Maddocks Creek" on Stagecoach Road West. This is about 3 miles north off GA 17, just past Belle Meade Country Club. This was Belle Meade Hunt's first Opening Meet, November 1966.

Over the mantel hangs a water color painting of Hickory Hill by artist Helen Hall. This 1860 home is located in Thomson, was the residence of the late Senator Tom Watson, Father of Rural Free Delivery. It is currently owned and lovingly maintained by his grandson, Tom Watson Brown.

The painting of the Bowdre-Rees-Knox House was done by Lavonia Ricketson. This is an 1806 "Plantation Plain Style" house located in the Belle Meade Hunt country. It was built by Thomas Bowdre, who came here from Virginia. It is on lands of the R. E. Knox family and was restored by Mr. Knox and Belle Meade Hunt for use as its club house.

Also of interest is a Helen Hall water color painting of Snow Hill, built in the 1850's. This home was restored by the J. E. Harrison family and is now owned by the William White family. It is in the Thomas Carr Historical District, located on Stagecoach Road East.

In this same area, not far from Snow Hill, is the historically significant home Alexandria. Built in 1805 by Thomas Carr, the house was restored by E. Wilson Hawes, complete with a small formal boxwood garden at the rear. Alexandria is said to be the oldest documented brick house in Georgia. Its plans are on file in the University of Georgia Library. It is currently owned by William Wansley. The painting was done by Helen Hall

Another interesting historic home in the Thomson area is the Rock House, painted by Helen Hall. The Rock House, the oldest house in Georgia, was built by Thomas Ansley, who came to the Wrightsboro area with the Quakers. The town was named for the Royal Governor of Georgia, James Wright, who made the 40,000 acre land grant to the Quakers. The state of Georgia has restored the Rock House and built a picnic pavilion in the back yard. The Ansley family regularly holds a large family reunion in McDuffie County.

In the dining room are hung several water color and pastel paintings of flowers and birds, done by Ruth Wilson. In the lobby you will see a Jack Cheatham drawing of the Plantation House and fountain.

The colorful flags in the lobby represent all the countries who had horses training here at our family’s Pine Top Farm for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta! This was an exciting time for our community! Pine Top Farm still hosts several Combined Training Events each year – typically drawing competitors from over 20 states and Canada.

Prints and photographs relating to the War Between the States, the University of Georgia, Fox Hunting and Combined Training, are hung throughout the building. Some brochures of historical interest are in the rack by the registration desk. Further information is available at the Thomson-McDuffie Tourism Bureau, located at the depot downtown. Telephone 595-5584.

The newest addition to our Best Western White Columns Inn facility is the Continental Room, located across from the swimming pool. Here our motel guests can enjoy an extensive complimentary breakfast surrounded by wall hangings and prints featuring sports attractions of our area including the Masters Golf Tournament.

We hope you have enjoyed your visit with us and will come back again.

James E. Wilson, Jr.

and Family