Founded in 1904, Brewton Parker College in Mount Vernon Georgia is a small Christian college about10 miles from my hometown of Vidalia. A few years ago, the College started a small historic village by moving existing structures from the area to its campus. In conjunction with local community groups, it has been opened for visitors by appointment and during special events, sometimes with costumed interpreters and/or college students on hand as docents.
The village currently consists of the Cooper-Conner House built around 1779, the Conner stable built in 1900, the Berry C, Thompson house built around 1842, and the Tyre Chapel. I became interested in the village immediately upon learning of its existence just before the pandemic because Berry C. (or Littleberry C. Thompson) is my 4x great grandfather. I'm descended from him through my maternal great grandmother Thompson, Berry's great granddaughter. I'm probably related to the Conners connected to the Cooper-Conner house as well. There are Conners in my family tree, and in the late 1700s and early 1800s, there were only a handful of families living in the area, so the chances are great that Thompsons and Conners intermarried, worked together, and socialized together. I resolved to visit one day and to see it for myself. Then, of course things got in the way and the pandemic shutdown occurred, so I wasn't able to visit until September 2022 when my wife and I went up to Vidalia for a family reunion (my father's side of the family). So I got in touch with the history professor in charge of the village, and he graciously agreed to meet us and open up the houses for a tour even though there were no classes that day.
My wife and I both love historic house tours, but, of course, this tour hit different because it was my ancestor's house. Berry and his wife Mary had raised ten children (unfortunately, Mary died as a result of the tenth birth) in this house. You might be asking what kind of name is Littleberry? Apparently it was not unheard of in Britain and Ireland, as a first name and as a surname, and it tends to appear more often in the southern United States. However, I still haven't found a definitive origin. Some sources say it's derived from old Saxon meaning either "little fort" or "little stronghold" or "little woods" even. I haven't found a lot about him in my genealogical searches, other than he was born out of wedlock, but, as an adult, he made a success of himself in timber and other enterprises. I was proud to be in his and Mary's "space."
Being able to visit historic villages is an important way of learning history. I've always believed that history is just not great events, great men, and great wars. Real history is what everyday men and women endured and lived through, how they built their homes, families, and communities and lived their lives. The professor told us that the college president and he have big plans to re-open the village and to involve college students, descendants, local community members, and members in efforts to make it more accessible, meaningful, and vital. I hope it comes to pass.
Berry C. Thompson House
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