Chinqua Penn Plantation
Encyclopedia
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.
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.
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 until August 2006, when the estate was acquired by Calvin Phelps, the founder of Renegade Tobacco Company. 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. Federal agents seized the property and assets on September 28, 2010 as part of an ongoing bankruptcy proceeding.
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."
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
near Reidsville, North Carolina
Reidsville, North Carolina
Reidsville is a city located in Rockingham County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 14,485.Originally established in the early 19th century as an outpost and stop on the stage line that ran between Salisbury, NC and Danville, VA called Wrights Crossroads,...
in Rockingham County
Rockingham County, North Carolina
Rockingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 93,643. Its county seat is Wentworth.- History :The county was formed in 1785 from Guilford 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
Word play
Word play or wordplay is a literary technique in which the words that are used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement...
from the chinquapin, a species of American chestnut
American Chestnut
The American Chestnut is a large, deciduous tree of the beech family native to eastern North America. Before the species was devastated by the chestnut blight, a fungal disease, it was one of the most important forest trees throughout its range...
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
Reynolda House Museum of American Art
Reynolda House Museum of American Art displays a premiere collection of American art ranging from the colonial period to the present. Built in 1917 by Katharine Smith Reynolds and her husband R. J. Reynolds, founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the house originally occupied the center of...
, and Duke Mansion.
History
After inheriting a portion of the Penn family tobacco interests, they relocated from Penn's Store, Patrick County, VirginiaPatrick County, Virginia
Patrick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 18,490. Its county seat is Stuart. It is located within both the rolling hills and valleys of the Piedmont Region of Virginia and mountainous Southwest Virginia....
to North Carolina; Jeff Penn then augmented his fortune in stocks and bonds during the depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. He also operated a dairy husbandry and raised Holstein cattle
Holstein (cattle)
Holstein cattle is a breed of cattle known today as the world's highest production dairy animal. Originating in Europe, Holsteins were bred in what is now the Netherlands and more specifically in the two northern provinces of North Holland and Friesland...
. In later years he raised Black Angus
Angus cattle
Angus cattle are a breed of cattle much used in beef production. They were developed from cattle native to the counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus in Scotland, and are known as Aberdeen Angus in most parts of the world....
. The Penn Tobacco Company was later purchased in 1911 by American Tobacco Company
American Tobacco Company
The American Tobacco Company was a tobacco company founded in 1890 by J. B. Duke through a merger between a number of U.S. tobacco manufacturers including Allen and Ginter and Goodwin & Company...
, the Duke family
James Buchanan Duke
James Buchanan Duke was a U.S. tobacco and electric power industrialist best known for his involvement with Duke University.-Personal life:...
behemoth that made Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike is a brand of cigarette owned by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and British American Tobacco groups. Often referred to as "Luckies", Lucky Strike was the top selling cigarette in the United States during the 1930s.- History :...
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
Spencer, Virginia
Spencer is an unincorporated community in Henry County, Virginia, United States. It takes its name from its earliest settler, James Spencer Sr., who moved from Loudoun County to Henry County with his sons in the eighteenth century. Spencer's son ensign James Spencer, Jr. died of wounds suffered...
, to whom the Penns were related.
Betsy's father was Chairman of the board of directors of Niagara Falls Power Company and mayor of Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
. 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
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
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
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
System and were alternately open and closed to the public at various times until August 2006, when the estate was acquired by Calvin Phelps, the founder of Renegade Tobacco Company. 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. Federal agents seized the property and assets on September 28, 2010 as part of an ongoing bankruptcy proceeding.
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
Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
, 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
Pagoda
A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist,...
. 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
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
.
The property was not an antebellum-era (pre-Civil War) farm tilled with slave labor, thus not a true "plantation."