Houston County Black Heritage

"Their DNA is BURIED in your SOUL" ~ "WE are the HOPE and the DREAM of the SLAVE"
"Their DNA is BURIED in your SOUL" ~ "WE are the HOPE and the DREAM of the SLAVE"
PETER DAVIS
Born 1824 in . S.C.
"
"The House That Peter Built"
PETER DAVIS
Born 1824 in . S.C.
"
"The House That Peter Built"
Mossy Hill Plantation /Davis-Felton Home
Peter Davis was a slave on the William M. Davis plantation in Henderson, Georgia of Houston County; an area that was once fully populated with Creek natives. Peter was born in South Carolina on the Santee Plantation, near the Santee River in 1824. Peter with approximately 200 other slaves came to Houston County with their slaveowner, W.M. Davis in 1850.
Peter was given the task of building his master’s home, but first he was sent up north to learn the skill of carpentry. It is said that bets were placed when he left, that he would never return. On the date of his return, people had commenced to collecting on their bets, but Peter came walking and smiling into town.
Peter along with several other slaves on the Davis Plantation took approximately 4 years to build the home, which was completed in 1854. It was know as the Mossy Hill Plantation Home, later the Davis-Felton Home. After the home was completed, Peter along with the help of other slaves completed the structure of the Perry Methodist Church. If Peter got his freedom afterwards, I do not know. It is stated he left Houston County for New York after completing his master's home, there is also another newspaper article stating he left in 1861 after the completion of the church. Of course, both of those are far from the truth. I found Peter and his family on the census of 1870 and 1880 still in Houston County, over 20 years later. By 1880 he had acquired at least 35 acres of land in Houston County. Furthermore, the "slave narrative" of Mose Davis, an ex-slave of this plantation, never mentioned Peter or anyone else being emancipated on that plantation - I am sure he would have remembered that big event. You can read Mose Davis' entire interview under the link for SLAVE NARRATIVES.
The next time you are on Felton Road or downtown Perry, stop and take a look at Peter’s masterpieces.
Perry Methodist Church
- HOME
- A Tale of Two Citizens NEW!!
- DONORS
- MISSION
- Warner Robins Oral History Project
- EVENT
- WORKSHOPS
- HIGHLIGHT
- STATUES-MONUMENTS
- JUNETEENTH in HOUSTON COUNTY
- The Clark Brothers
- The House That Peter Built
- Houston County Training School
- Nathan Toomer / Jean Toomer
- Music Makers of Houston County
- Nimrod Jackson
- The Baby Catcher
- Black Wall Street - Greenwood, OK
- Austin Thomas “A.T.” Walden
- The COLOR of MONEY
- Rare Slave Narratives in Their Voices
- Mose Davis - Slave Narrative
- ANCIENT AMERICA
- AFRICA BEFORE the INVASION and the SLAVE TRADE
- REPARATIONS
- BASEBALL LEGENDS of Houston County
- YESTERDAY'S BUSINESSES
- FRANK DUHART, Ex-Slave Interview
- THE BLACK CHURCH
- THE CULTURE CORNER
- VOTE!
- ELECTION VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
- History Maker- Elector from Houston County
- CONTACT
- ARCHIVES
- SHOP
- HOME
- A Tale of Two Citizens NEW!!
- DONORS
- MISSION
- Warner Robins Oral History Project
- EVENT
- WORKSHOPS
- HIGHLIGHT
- STATUES-MONUMENTS
- JUNETEENTH in HOUSTON COUNTY
- The Clark Brothers
- The House That Peter Built
- Houston County Training School
- Nathan Toomer / Jean Toomer
- Music Makers of Houston County
- Nimrod Jackson
- The Baby Catcher
- Black Wall Street - Greenwood, OK
- Austin Thomas “A.T.” Walden
- The COLOR of MONEY
- Rare Slave Narratives in Their Voices
- Mose Davis - Slave Narrative
- ANCIENT AMERICA
- AFRICA BEFORE the INVASION and the SLAVE TRADE
- REPARATIONS
- BASEBALL LEGENDS of Houston County
- YESTERDAY'S BUSINESSES
- FRANK DUHART, Ex-Slave Interview
- THE BLACK CHURCH
- THE CULTURE CORNER
- VOTE!
- ELECTION VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
- History Maker- Elector from Houston County
- CONTACT
- ARCHIVES
- SHOP