Huston House: step inside this abandoned home on Butler Island, Georgia

Explore the mansion built by baseball boss T L Huston

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The famous co-owner of the New York Yankees, Tillinghast L'Hommedieu (T L) Huston was pivotal in the Major League Baseball team's rise to the top. After selling his stake in 1922, Huston used the proceeds to build an elegant clapboard mansion in Georgia, now left to wrack and ruin. Captured by photographer Leland Kent of Abandoned Southeast, take a tour of the forlorn property and discover its shocking history.

Overseas success

Bain News Service / Library of Congress / Wikimedia

Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1867, T L Huston (nicknamed 'Cap') trained as a civil engineer and went on to serve as a captain in Cuba during the Spanish-American War of 1898. Following the conflict, Huston remained in the country to help rebuild its infrastructure, establishing a small fortune while he oversaw the construction of motorways, ports and sewerage systems.

Yankees purchase

Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty

In 1915, Huston partnered with Jacob Ruppert to buy the struggling New York Yankees baseball team, paying £369,000 ($460k) – £9.4 million ($11.7m) in today's money – for the then-ailing club. The duo spent lavishly on new talent and the team's fortunes began to turn around spectacularly.

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Major signing

Irwin, La Broad, & Pudlin. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The pair's major achievement came in 1920, when they bagged legendary player George Herman 'Babe' Ruth from the Boston Red Sox for £100,000 ($125k), which works out at £1.3 million ($1.6m) when adjusted for inflation. Widely regarded as 'The Deal of the Century', the purchase cemented the Yankees' success, and then some. By 1921, the club even amassed enough money to build a shiny new stadium of its own in the heart of the Bronx.

Stake sold

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The opening day programme for 'The Cathedral of Baseball' is pictured here. Depicted on the cover, Huston, who had been promoted from captain to colonel during World War I, sold his stake to Ruppert in 1922 for £1.2 million ($1.5m), a whopping £18 million ($22.5m) in today's money.

Plantation purchased

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In 1926, Huston used the proceeds of the sale to snap up the Butler Island Plantation near Darien, Georgia, and set about building an elegant clapboard mansion. However, the former rice plantation came complete with a shocking past. Established by Founding Father Major Pierce Butler in the 1790s, the estate was home to hundreds of enslaved people from West Africa who were forced to live and work in the most atrocious conditions.

Horrific conditions

Reb1981 [Public domain] / Wikimedia Commons

The plantation later passed to Major Butler's grandson Pierce Mease Butler, who spent the winter of 1838/39 at the estate with his wife, the British stage actress Frances Anne 'Fanny' Kemble, and their two daughters. An ardent abolitionist, Kemble was appalled by what she witnessed and kept a journal recording the horrendous treatment of the enslaved people and the disgraceful conditions they had to endure.

The Weeping Time

Bubba73 / Wikimedia Commons

The couple divorced in 1849, partly as a result of their widely differing stances on slavery. Butler went on to run up massive debts. To save himself from penury, the unscrupulous slaveholder organised the largest single sale of enslaved people in US history in March 1859. The Great Slave Auction, aka the Weeping Time, separated families and caused untold distress. In defiance of her ex-husband, Kemble went on to publish her anti-slavery journal which was lauded by abolitionists.

Ruins of a dark past

Judson McCranie [CC BY-SA 3.0]

After the war and outlawing of slavery, Butler attempted to operate the plantation with free labour but was unable to turn a profit. The estate remained in the ownership of the Butler family until it was acquired by T. L. Huston in 1926. The chimney of the rice mill and brick kiln are the only original plantation structures that have survived to the present day and are stark reminders of the estate's sinister history.

A new beginning

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Huston's mansion was completed in 1927. The retired colonel opted for traditional Colonial-style architectural featuring a pitched roof, dormer windows, brick chimneys and narrow clapboard siding, as well as two classic porches. The property was recently captured by photographer Leland Kent and features on the fascinating Abandoned Southeast website.

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Spacious estate

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The imposing timber-framed house, which is arranged over three storeys, has a total of 11 spacious rooms, including several grand reception rooms, six bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms – more than enough space for Huston, his family and the many visitors who stayed there.

High-profile guests

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Indeed, Huston often entertained guests at the property and having retained close links with the New York Yankees, hosted a number of the team's players, including Babe Ruth. Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Athletics outfielder Ty Cobb is also said to have stayed at the house. But the property wasn't just a haven of leisure and relaxation.

Dairy farm established

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Never one to rest on his laurels, the ever-entrepreneurial Huston was keen to make some serious money from the estate, arranging the construction of a dairy barn for raising Guernsey cattle. Locals are said to have raved about the quality of milk, which was purportedly considered the finest for miles around.

A penchant for persistence

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Nonetheless, Huston struggled with the dairy farm, likely due to the estate's hot and humid climate. Huston threw in the towel in 1932, selling off the remaining cows to the highest bidder. He had more success with his next venture, an iceberg lettuce farm. In next to no time, the estate was producing one of the biggest iceberg lettuce crops east of the Rocky Mountains.

Sudden death

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On 29 March 1938, Huston suffered a devastating heart attack and died at his desk in the mansion's study. The property, complete with the lucrative iceberg lettuce-growing business, was sold to tobacco heir Richard J Reynolds Junior after World War II. By the 1970s, vegetable production has ceased. The once-grand property fell into disrepair and eventually passed into the hands of the Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Division.

Faded grandeur

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Step inside and the property's palatial past is still clear to see. While the entrance hall is suffering from neglect, its grand proportions would've been dazzling back in its heyday. Seemingly affected by rising damp – the house is located in one of the most humid parts of the US after all – paint is peeling off the ceiling and the hardwood flooring is dull and cloudy.

Not beyond rescue

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Be that as it may, the entrance hall looks to be easily salvageable, with key elements such as the staircase and wall panelling still in a decent condition. It really shouldn't be too much of a challenge to restore the space to its former glory.

Ornate interiors

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Huston clearly didn't scrimp when it came to outfitting the interiors of his charming clapboard mansion. Beautiful wood panelling and built-in bookcases adorn the walls of the parlour, while the room's piece-de-resistance, a stunning marble fireplace, is in excellent decorative order.

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Marble masterpiece

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Blackened over the years by layers of soot, the brick hearth looks like it has warmed the house through many a Georgia winter, but the marble fireplace surround has more or less kept its white exterior, which is a bonus. We bet it'll look as good as new after a little restoration work and a good clean.

Elegant proportions

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It's not hard to imagine this palatial property playing host to some of society's biggest sporting names. With elegant double glass doors and spectacular warm wood cladding, this space has surely seen its fair share of soirees.

Property in peril

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Local conservation organisation the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation placed the Huston House and former plantation on its Places in Peril list for 2019. Whether the publicity surrounding the house prompts increased preservation efforts is anyone's guess, but plenty of properties have been saved from ruin after appearing on the trust's round-up of endangered buildings.

Diamond in the rough

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Moving up through the house, the first-floor landing and staircase appear to be in even better condition than the entrance hall and parlour. While the wood floor is scratched in some areas and paint is coming away from the ceiling, this could easily be remedied with a sensitive revamp.

Delicate details

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Many original features including the gorgeous cast iron radiators and ornate windows remain in place. From the outlook of this small bathroom, you can catch a glimpse of the old rice mill chimney, which dominates the grounds.

Vintage charm

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More historic design gems can be found in the master bathroom too. The antique sink may be rusting in places, but just look at those stunning mint green subway tiles! With a little love and a bit of regrouting, this vintage space could really sing.

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Rustic retreat

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Clad floor to ceiling in warm wood, this cosy bedroom tucked away in the eaves offers another enchanting space in need of rescue. The window alcove is particularly charming – just add a window seat and you'll have the perfect vantage point to admire the estate from.

Exterior damage

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Outside, the side porch isn't in the best of shape, having been damaged by hurricanes and extreme weather. The glass is missing, the screened door has come off its hinges and the brick paving is in dire need of some care.

Vacant property

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So what's next for this historic home? The mansion was recently used as offices for the Georgia Nature Conservancy, a registered charity, but is now vacant. Popular with picnickers, anglers and bird-watchers, the grounds are open to the public who are free to visit as and when, but the house is strictly off-limits.

Balanced on the brink

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With no long-term plans for renovation, the future of the Huston House looks uncertain, and a succession of recent hurricanes in Georgia has thrown the property into even more peril. One thing's for sure, it'd be a terrible waste to see such a historic landmark reduced to rubble.

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