An exquisite example of pre-Civil War architecture, Rockwell House in Georgia was left vacant following a fire in 1969. Photographer Leland Kent of Abandoned Southeast captured the tumbledown treasure in all its derelict glory before renovations began. Click or scroll on to take a look inside this enigmatic Southern mansion and discover the truth behind the mystery of its buried gold...

Built in 1838 for Colonel Samuel Rockwell, an attorney, slaveholder and veteran of the Creek Indian War, this magnificent house is located in the quaint historic town of Milledgeville, which at the time, served as the capital of Georgia.

Rockwell hired Maine architect Joseph Lane to design the house. No expense was spared on the imposing mansion, which commands an enviable elevated position in a grove of ancient oak and magnolia trees. Every single piece of lumber that went into the construction was hand-cut and crafted with the utmost skill.

Unlike many other Southern mansions of the period which were painted in pristine white, Rockwell House was finished in light yellow and offset by Charleston green shutters, as shown in this digital recreation by Kyle Campbell of Preservation South.

Staggeringly, the wrought-iron fence that runs around the front of the property is said to have cost the same amount as the house to make!  The story goes that Colonel Rockwell had a heart attack when he saw the bill totalling around $2,600 (£1.9k), which was a fortune at the time. Rockwell died at the mansion in 1841 – whether the extortionate fence hastened his passing is left up to speculation.

The property eventually passed on to Georgia Governor Herschel Vespasian Johnson in the 1850s and was used as his summer retreat. One of the property's best-known residents, Johnson was a prominent American politician and even ran as Vice President for the Democratic Party in 1860.

Following Johnson's death in 1880, Rockwell House was home to a succession of wealthy merchants and farmers before it was acquired in 1904 by Marshall Bland, an agent for the New York Life Insurance Company. Bland attempted to sell the house in 1910 to a man from out of town but despite paying a deposit, the buyer mysteriously failed to claim the property.

The mansion was eventually bought by Bland's cousin Oscar Ennis. This image, taken during Ennis's tenure and believed to have been featured in a 1950s magazine, shows the majestic residence in its heyday, complete with manicured lawns and a tree-lined drive. 

Back to the 21st century and stepping inside the entrance, it's not hard to imagine this regal residence's grand former life. Flanked by intricate glasswork and ornate covings, the front door is a work of art, while the curved sweeping staircase would've offered an impressive welcome to Milledgeville's well-to-do.

When Leland Kent photographed the interior, signs of damage and wear and tear were evident, yet the palatial property's ground floor has weathered the years pretty well. This light-filled sitting room is particularly charming, with its decorative fireplace and stunning sash windows. 

Gorgeous period features abound in the light-filled space, from the carved wooden doorways to the ceiling rose and wainscotting. Ennis and his family called the residence home until 1962 when it was purchased by local dentist Dr Robert Watson. 

When Dr Watson acquired the home, it was in a sorry state of disrepair, so he embarked on an ambitious renovation project to restore the property to its former glory. The kitchen, with its engraved wooden cabinetry, was likely installed during this overhaul. The extensive revamp was making impressive progress until one fateful day in August 1969...

While removing paint with a blow torch – never a good idea in a historic house made largely of wood – workers accidentally set fire to the upstairs southeast bedroom. This photo of the charred room taken in 1976 shows the extent of the damage.

The fire damage was made good, but the room, which is likely to have been exposed to the elements and neglected for some time following the blaze, still showed signs of severe water damage when it was captured by Leland Kent. With its worn floorboards and damaged hearth, this once-regal room was crying out for a thorough revamp.

Not long after the fire, the mansion's beautiful dining room was selected for preservation at the Winterthur Museum near Wilmington, Delaware. The museum purchased the black marble mantle, intricate woodwork, architrave and impressions of the plaster around the ceiling. The proceeds of the sale went towards repairing the fire and smoke-damaged interiors, which were in dire need of restoration.

The dining room was painstakingly recreated in all its splendour at the museum and is now known as the Georgia Room. In 1999, the museum's curators uncovered a period picture of the room, which showed it decked out with elegant red and gold-fringed curtains, and the space was reinterpreted to reflect this.

Despite being stripped of its features, the bare bones of the dining room still dazzle, from the stunning panelling to the ceiling cornicing. However, the property's heritage was put in peril in the early 1970s when a local man planned to purchase the property and sell off its remaining original features. Fortunately, realtors Joanne and Cecil Ogden snapped up the property instead.

Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, little work was carried out on the home apart from the bare essentials, and the mansion deteriorated further. Nevertheless, vintage schemes like this vintage bathroom survived relatively unscathed. 

Other elements that weathered the home's neglect include the breathtaking double doors on the first-floor landing that lead out to the front balcony. Mirroring the design of the grand entryway below with their intricate leaded-glass surround, they flood the open stairway with natural light.

Photographed here with flaking plasterwork throughout the first floor and a staircase badly in need of attention, the dilapidated dream home remained vacant until 2019. Things then took a turn for the better when Rockwell House was acquired for a bargain $350,000 (£259k) by a team of investors led by Atlanta realtor Ross Sheppard, who specialises in restoring historic properties.

Sheppard enlisted the assistance of conservation expert Kyle Campbell of Preservation South to oversee the renovation. While the conservation team is sticking religiously to authentic, heritage materials for the job, they have employed some innovative modern techniques to restore the interiors and exterior of the property.

The ornate woodwork in the dining room, which now resides in the Winterthur Museum in Delaware, is being recreated using the latest 3D-scanning and printing techniques. The conservationists are keen to faithfully recreate every aspect of the house down to the light fittings.

Outside, the historic mansion's stunning grounds span 12 rolling acres and feature a spring-fed pond, plus several outhouses that were once living quarters for slaves. A covered porch to the rear would've offered an idyllic spot to kick back on a sunny day and admire the acreage.

According to local legend, there's much more to the grounds than what meets the eye. Rumour has it that a hoard of gold is buried somewhere on the land, with some even speculating that the treasure is nestled under the foundations. Who knows what the renovations might unearth!

A registered historic landmark, much of the home's original woodwork and period features are well-preserved. However, during the 1940s, the front porch column bases were remodelled in concrete and brick rather than their original wood. Campbell and the team have since remedied this and restored the exterior to its past splendour.

With renovations nearing completion, Rockwell House is now available to rent out on Airbnb. Nestled amongst landscaped grounds and framed by that lavish wrought-iron fence, the mansion was repainted its original sunny yellow. Once derelict and unloved, this palatial property is now reclaiming its former glory – though as of yet, there's still no word on the buried gold...

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