Ask Tim James, Jr.
Pleasant Ridge Plantation circa 1838Pleasant Ridge provides more than a pleasing prospect. We are talking about a historical, an architectural, and a landscape ensemble that is the ideal in the real. The past and present day experiences of this plantation property cause for greater appreciation of that prettiest of places upon a promontory.Located along one of the most picturesque stretches of scenic Highway 28, Pleasant Ridge is defined by its main house. This tall-columned "big house" is not only the last extant brick plantation house in Wilcox County, but also one of less than a dozen brick plantation houses to survive in the Black Belt. The big house at Pleasant Ridge is as practical as it is grand. A two-columned, monumental ionic portico fronts the symmetrical facade. The vista from it is of the almost two-hundred-year-old cedars ringing the u-shaped drive. Formal gardens are to either side. The two-story gallery and its balcony front double doors with arched fanlights accessing first-story and second-story halls. Upon entering the main floor, one can venture to the left into a formal dining room or to the right into a parlor. The grandly scaled room (- x -) possess twelve-foot ceilings and could serve multiple purposes. These rooms, as well as the upper-story chambers, feature exquisite faux grained and marbled treatments on paneling, doors, and mantels. The hall ends in a porch which engages rear service wings. This porch functions as an outdoor living room during most seasons of the year, especially after toddy time! One service wing (extending from the dining room) contains a library, butler's, and huge eat in kitchen. The second service wing is a mother-in-law suite. The main hall's staircase accesses two large bedrooms with the same dimensions as the parlor and dining room below. A bathroom is located between them. The property is being offered turnkey with all antique furniture included in the sale. Pleasant Ridge is but a five mile drive from Camden. With Gaines Ridge Supper Club and The Pecan, that quintessentially Southern county seat offers more culinary options than any other in the Black Belt. Black Belt Treasures, the award-winning artists cooperative, Gee's Bend, and Auburn's Rural Studio are short distances for those with cultural inclinations. The recreational opportunities are abundant. Deer and turkey abound. If birds are your game, there are numerous outlets for you, your guns, and pup.
