Rose Hill Plantation
Encyclopedia
Rose Hill Plantation was a moderate sized quail hunting plantation
established by Ralph Nicholson in 1950 and located in Leon County, Florida
, United States
.
In 1830 the western section of what would become Rose Hill was purchased by William A. Carr who already owned the William A. Carr Plantation
.
John Branch
purchased the land in 1834 and it then became a portion of his Live Oak Plantation
. Branch died in 1863 and Live Oak became the property of Margaret Donalson. Margret had married General Daniel S. Donalson, part of the family of Mrs. Andrew (Rachel) Jackson
. Mrs. Donalson stayed on the plantation through the Civil War
.
In 1887, the property was purchased by John MacNicol and in 1892 it was sold to Thomas Reid who described himself in his will as "a merchant of Kilmardinny, Glasgow, Scotland."
In 1936, the property was acquired by Griscom Bettle, who owned much of the land around Lake Jackson
.
Nicholson was an avid sportsman and conservationist. Nicholson and wife Jane designed Rose Hill as a game refuge. Rose Hill’s large 55 acre (22.3 ha) lake, Lake Elizabeth, a natural spring fed body of water, has been a stopping place for thousands of Canadian geese and mallard ducks. While Nicholson owned Rose Hill, it was a tree farm and had a small grove of pecan trees
near the plantation house. In 1979, the Florida Forestry Association honored Mrs. Jane E. B. Nicholson as the state’s "Tree Farmer of the Year".
In 1971, Ralph Nicholson died. Jane Elizabeth Blayney Harvey Nicholson died in 1982. The estate was willed to the two Nicholson daughters, Ann Blayney (Mrs. John Tillett) of Charlotte, North Carolina
, and Martha Jane Fox of New Orleans, Louisiana
. The property was sold to Mrs.Fox and developed by Mrs.Fox with the help of Andrew Jackson Bank. It was the first development in Leon County to embrace conservation and wildlife easements. The main house and surrounding acreage remain in the Nicholson family, via their granddaughter, Jane and her immediate family. The property has become the upscale gated community
of Rose Hill.
Quail hunting plantation
A quail hunting plantation is a large tract of land typically with a natural wooded and grass habitat for the purpose of recreational hunting of bobwhite quail.-Range:...
established by Ralph Nicholson in 1950 and located in Leon County, Florida
Leon County, Florida
Leon County is a county located in the state of Florida, named after the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. At the 2010 Census, the population was 275,487. The county seat of Leon County is Tallahassee which also serves as the state capital. The county seat is home to two of Florida's major...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In 1830 the western section of what would become Rose Hill was purchased by William A. Carr who already owned the William A. Carr Plantation
William A. Carr Plantation
The William A. Carr Plantation was a small cotton plantation of 2000 acres in northwestern Leon County, Florida established by William A. Carr.-Location:...
.
John Branch
John Branch
John Branch, Jr. served as U.S. Senator, Secretary of the Navy, the 19th Governor of the state of North Carolina, and was the sixth and last territorial governor of Florida....
purchased the land in 1834 and it then became a portion of his Live Oak Plantation
Live Oak Plantation, Florida
Live Oak Plantation was originally a small cotton plantation of located in central Leon County, Florida, USA established by John Branch who arrived in Florida in 1832 and served as Florida Territorial Governor while living at Live Oak for 15 years.-Location:...
. Branch died in 1863 and Live Oak became the property of Margaret Donalson. Margret had married General Daniel S. Donalson, part of the family of Mrs. Andrew (Rachel) Jackson
Rachel Jackson
Rachel Donelson Robards Jackson, born Rachel Donelson, was the wife of the 7th President of the United States, Andrew Jackson....
. Mrs. Donalson stayed on the plantation through the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
In 1887, the property was purchased by John MacNicol and in 1892 it was sold to Thomas Reid who described himself in his will as "a merchant of Kilmardinny, Glasgow, Scotland."
In 1936, the property was acquired by Griscom Bettle, who owned much of the land around Lake Jackson
Lake Jackson (Tallahassee, Florida)
Lake Jackson is a shallow, prairie lake on the north side of Tallahassee in Leon County, Florida with two major depressions or sinkholes known as Porter Sink and Lime Sink....
.
The Nicholsons
In 1950, Rose Hill was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Nicholson. Nicholson was a noted newspaperman and publisher of a number of newspapers and chairman of Southern Newspaper Publishers Association. Nicholson bought the New Orleans Item which he pulled together and sold in 1949 at a $600,000 profit, and he made a success of the St. Petersburg Independent, and the Charlotte Observer.Nicholson was an avid sportsman and conservationist. Nicholson and wife Jane designed Rose Hill as a game refuge. Rose Hill’s large 55 acre (22.3 ha) lake, Lake Elizabeth, a natural spring fed body of water, has been a stopping place for thousands of Canadian geese and mallard ducks. While Nicholson owned Rose Hill, it was a tree farm and had a small grove of pecan trees
Pecan
The pecan , Carya illinoinensis, is a species of hickory, native to south-central North America, in Mexico from Coahuila south to Jalisco and Veracruz, in the United States from southern Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana east to western Kentucky, southwestern Ohio, North Carolina, South...
near the plantation house. In 1979, the Florida Forestry Association honored Mrs. Jane E. B. Nicholson as the state’s "Tree Farmer of the Year".
In 1971, Ralph Nicholson died. Jane Elizabeth Blayney Harvey Nicholson died in 1982. The estate was willed to the two Nicholson daughters, Ann Blayney (Mrs. John Tillett) of Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, and Martha Jane Fox of New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. The property was sold to Mrs.Fox and developed by Mrs.Fox with the help of Andrew Jackson Bank. It was the first development in Leon County to embrace conservation and wildlife easements. The main house and surrounding acreage remain in the Nicholson family, via their granddaughter, Jane and her immediate family. The property has become the upscale gated community
Gated community
In its modern form, a gated community is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly-controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. Gated communities usually consist of small residential...
of Rose Hill.