Named after a general from the War of 1812, Jett Thomas, Thomasville is one of the largest cities in Georgia’s south-west. It has been nicknamed the “City of Roses” due to the fragrant flowers planted throughout its centre. Thomasville hosts an annual rose festival that attracts growers from around the world.
Things to do in Thomasville
One of Thomasville’s most impressive architectural landmarks is Lapham-Patterson House, a Queen Anne-style residence built in the 1880s as a winter cottage for C.W. Lapham. It features an asymmetrical design and a beautifully decorated porch, as well as a cantilevered interior balcony that wraps around a double-flue chimney. A highlight of the property is the stained-glass window that projects sunlight during the spring and fall equinoxes.
If you’re interested in the contributions of African Americans to the community, visit the Jack Hadley Black History Museum. It houses exhibits related to the Buffalo Soldiers and Dr. Martin Luther King, as well as life on Georgia’s plantations. The Jack Hadley Black History Museum is named after its historian founder and occupies a former Black school that remained segregated until 1970.
A short drive south-west of Thomasville is the Pebble Hill Plantation, a Neoclassical mansion where cotton, tobacco and rice were once grown by slaves. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and open to the public, with antique furnishings and Audubon lithographs decorating its rooms. In addition to the mansion, the property includes a historic pumphouse and a stable complex.
Getting around Thomasville
Thomasville is around 45 minutes’ drive from Tallahassee and an hour from Tallahassee International Airport, which has flights to destinations across the United States. Inter-city buses connect to Thomasville and the city centre is compact enough to explore on foot.