Barratt House Plantation – Greenwood County

Basic Information

• Location – Greenwood County

  Southeast corner of Callison Highway and Bryan Dorn Road
  

• Origin of name – Named for the home's builder, Dr. John Perkins Barratt (National Register, p. 2).
  

• Other names – Chinquapin Ridge (National Register, p. 4).
  

• Current status – Privately owned
  

Timeline

• 1826 – Dr. John Perkins Barratt married Lavina Brooks Watson who was a young widow. They lived in the plantation house, Chinquapin Ridge, Lavina inherited from her late husband. This house was razed in 1959 (National Register, p. 3).

• Circa 1830 – Dr. Barratt constructed a school on the property for the education his children and neighboring children (National Register, p. 3).

• Circa 1853-1856 – Dr. Barratt designed and built a house for his son, John Joseph Gall "Jack" Barratt, on his plantation, Chinquapin Ridge. This house is still standing (National Register, p. 2).

• 1859 – Dr. and Mrs. Barratt died. Their son, Jack, moved his family into his parent's house and offered Barratt House to a neighbor rent-free (National Register, p. 7).

• 1862 – Jack died at the Battle of Sharpsburg. His wife subsequently remarried and moved to Tennessee (National Register, p. 7).

• ? – Barratt House was sold to J.S. Chipley (National Register, p. 7).

• ? – Richard Davis became Barratt House's next owner (National Register, p. 7).

• 1883 – Andrew C. Stockman purchased the property from Davis (National Register, p. 7).

• ? – Stockman also acquired Chinquapin Ridge from the Barratt family (National Register, p. 7).

• ? – Stockman sold Barratt House to his brother, James Hampton "Hamp" Stockman (National Register, p. 7).

• 1932 – Thomas E. Dorn purchased Barratt House from the Stockman family (National Register, p. 7).

• 1952 – Congressman William Jennings Bryan Dorn acquired both Barratt House and Chinquapin Ridge (National Register, p. 7).
  

Land

• Number of acres – 288.5; approximately 35 in 1985 (National Register, p. 6)
  

• Primary crop – Probably corn

Owners

• Chronological list – Mr. Watson, Lavina Brooks Watson (?-1859), Dr. John Perkins Barratt (?-1859), John Joseph Gall "Jack" Barratt (1859-1862), J.S. Chipley, Richard Davis (?-1883), Andrew C. Stockman (1883-?), James Hampton "Hamp" Stockman, Thomas E. Dorn (1932-?), William Jennings Bryan Dorn (1952-?)
  

Slaves

• Number of slaves – ?

Buildings

• The Barratt house is of stuccoed, brick construction in the Gothic revival style. Wings were added onto the house in 1957 and 1969 (National Register, p. 2).
  

• Dr. Barratt was a budding artist and painted several murals at both houses and carved elaborate, wood carvings that are still part of Barratt House (National Register, p. 3).
  

• There is a hewn-timber building still on the property. It is believed to be the school building built circa 1803 (National Register, p. 3).
  

• Also still standing is a corn crib (a building used to dry and store corn) with an estimated construction date in the 1880s (National Register, p. 5).
  

References & Resources

• National Register of Historic Places
  – Nomination form - PDF - submitted in 1985
  – Photographs, architectural overview