Davis-Felton Plantation
Also known as: Mossy Hill
Why it's listed
Mossy Hill, the Davis-Felton Plantation, is a 1,772-acre farm northwest of Henderson in Houston County, Georgia. Its centerpiece is a two-story Italianate house with a three-story tower, an irregular L-shaped plan, corner pilasters, dentil molding and a curved entrance staircase. William Mazyck Davis moved from South Carolina in the early 1850s to find new cotton land, assembled the property by 1864 and moved his family into the house in 1859. Family tradition says he designed it and that skilled enslaved workers built it from lumber cut on the land. Few Italianate plantation houses were built in pre-Civil War Georgia, and this one is largely unaltered. The Davis family held the land until 1926, when the Felton family bought it. Crops shifted from cotton to wheat and peaches after the boll weevil arrived, and later to soybeans. Tenant houses, a 1930s peach-packing plant and possible prehistoric and slave-era archaeological sites add to its importance.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the main house is a unique, early and virtually unaltered example of domestic Italianate architecture, which was rare in pre-Civil War Georgia. The plantation has stayed intact since 1864 and has been owned by only two families, with continuous farming that traces the shift from cotton to wheat, peaches and soybeans. It also contains prehistoric and historic archaeological components.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79000731, listed November 13, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NW of Henderson on Felton Rd., Henderson |
|---|---|
| County | Houston County |
| Listed | November 13, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000731 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 and 1900- (specific dates ca. 1855-present) |
| Architect / builder | probably William Mayzck Davis |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Prehistoric, Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence and agricultural land; main house in good condition and virtually unaltered, with a manager living on the property. |
| Acreage | 1772.5 |
| Coordinates | 32.38605, -83.81776 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79000731.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q105821019
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.