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Old Polly Home
Published: 01/01/1937 by Anonymous
"MAJESTIC IN ITS FOUR SCORE YEARS" REMINDER OF ANTE-BELLUM DAYS
Mansion scene of many brilliant affairs when Lee was in Texas; Slave kitchen also well preserved property. Is now owned by C. A. Goeth. On the banks of the Cibolo, about two miles north of Sutherland Springs, still stands the majestic old home of Joseph H. Polly, built in 1848, a monument of prosperity of the planters of the South during slavery days. Mr. Polly moved into this section of Texas, first because he was attracted by the fertility of the soil of the Cibolo Valley, and, on other hand, he was a friend of the Houstons, who lived in this same neighborhood, and his son-in-law, John James, sold him the land upon which he built his home.
The old J. H. P. Polly home is probably one of the best preserved mansions of the slavery days in the South, not only the two-story ten room solid stone building with its 5 open fire places, stone petition walls 18 inches in thickness, and wood work built of cypress beams hauled by ox teams from distant saw-mills but also the log-cabin kitchen of slavery days, setting out in the yard, constructed of carefully hewn post oak logs, with its large open fire places, is probably the only one of its kind so well preserved. All have withstood the strain of wear and time, and still overlook the valley of the Cibolo valley, where slaves once cultivated corn and cotton. In the yard is the under ground cistern to catch rain water, and this is as good-as if it was built 8 years ago. Under a large post oak tree, in premises one hundred yards from the house, is a well dug fifty feet deep, producing an abundance of fine water, and which for the entire depth is cased in a rock wall built with remarkable precision and accuracy, and which will apparently stand forever, and from which water was drawn in those days by an old oaken bucket. Mr. Polly was a man of fine education, and a father in law of the well known John James, former resident of this city, and grandfather of John James Jr.
Mr. Polly prospered in his home on the Cibolo until the war between the North and South. His will was made in 1862, while the war was on, and disposed of slaves with no thought that he could be dispossessed of his property as a result of the war. The following quotations are from his will.
"Item sixth. Whereas, my daughters Mary A. Baylor, and Susan B. Henderson, having each one negro girl in their possession until the final distribution of my estate as here in before directed when I directed that the negro girl slave should be valued to my said daughters as a part of the distributed share of my estate. I to my said daughters as a part of the distributed share of my estate."
"Item eight. It will be my will and desire that my negro slaves Theresa, and Anna, shall be allowed to choose a Master or Mistress as they may elect among my children here in before named, provided they shall not be at liberty to choose the same Master or Mistress and provided further that Theresa, shall be entitled to the first choice." Gen. Robert E. Lee, was a close personal friend of Mr. Polly, and visited the Polly home many times and joined in the festivities of the neighborhood and the delightful social functions, including the dances in the large and spacious hall running through the house.
Mr. Polly died in 1869, and the cemetery of the Polly home has grown over with mesquite, cactus and Spanish dagger, but still the reminder of the almost forgotten days, and the seemingly has impossible has happened that Texas, the slave state of Polly, days has gone Republican, and deserted its old time allegianceto the South, it would seem that the old Polly home and the slave kitchen in the back yard are just a few of the things left to remind present day folks of a lost cause and of days long gone by. The place is now owned by C. A. Goeth. Who takes great interest in preserving structure of heroic value; he has a herd of white face cattle grazing on the field once cultivated by the slaves, and Jim Hogan, pioneer of Texas, and up to recently president of the Freighter's Association, now is master in charge of the place.
Emerson Hugh, in his search of historic value, on his last visit to San Antonio, visited the old Polly, home with Mr. Goeth, and expressed great interest in its historic value and great wonder at its remarkable state of preservation and manner of substantial construction. Hugh, went under the ceiling of the third story and marveled at the accuracy of construction, and the fact that all the cypress beams were tied together by wooden pins instead of nails, but for his early death, Hugh, probably have followed up the history and romance of the place, and used it as a subject for a history novel. Joseph H. Polly had a large family, and his son, Gen. Joseph H. Polly, while prominent lawyer at Floresville, and was a familiar figure in San Antonio. His daughter Mrs. Ed. Golson, is a resident of San Antonio. There is an old legend that goes with the Polly house. It is said that it was haunted and everyone refused to live there. A group of men wanted to have a party one night so they went to the old Polly house to have the party.
After the party was over the men raised a purse of five hundred dollars to the man who would stay at the house all night. One man said he would take the bet. He unsaddled his horse, loaded his rifle, and stuck his six shooter in his belt. The men rode down the road and stopped to watch if the man will stay in the house they left.
The man that was to stay got out his six shooter and layed his rifle by him. He then started smoking his pipe. He looked around and saw something move or rather thought he did. He looked around again and saw a man sitting beside him. The ghost said "There is no body here but you and I". The man that was staying at the house sat there for a minute getting more scared as the seconds rolled by. At last he said to the ghost "If you will only wait two minutes there will be no one here but you".
The old J. H. P. Polly home is probably one of the best preserved mansions of the slavery days in the South, not only the two-story ten room solid stone building with its 5 open fire places, stone petition walls 18 inches in thickness, and wood work built of cypress beams hauled by ox teams from distant saw-mills but also the log-cabin kitchen of slavery days, setting out in the yard, constructed of carefully hewn post oak logs, with its large open fire places, is probably the only one of its kind so well preserved. All have withstood the strain of wear and time, and still overlook the valley of the Cibolo valley, where slaves once cultivated corn and cotton. In the yard is the under ground cistern to catch rain water, and this is as good-as if it was built 8 years ago. Under a large post oak tree, in premises one hundred yards from the house, is a well dug fifty feet deep, producing an abundance of fine water, and which for the entire depth is cased in a rock wall built with remarkable precision and accuracy, and which will apparently stand forever, and from which water was drawn in those days by an old oaken bucket. Mr. Polly was a man of fine education, and a father in law of the well known John James, former resident of this city, and grandfather of John James Jr.
Mr. Polly prospered in his home on the Cibolo until the war between the North and South. His will was made in 1862, while the war was on, and disposed of slaves with no thought that he could be dispossessed of his property as a result of the war. The following quotations are from his will.
"Item sixth. Whereas, my daughters Mary A. Baylor, and Susan B. Henderson, having each one negro girl in their possession until the final distribution of my estate as here in before directed when I directed that the negro girl slave should be valued to my said daughters as a part of the distributed share of my estate. I to my said daughters as a part of the distributed share of my estate."
"Item eight. It will be my will and desire that my negro slaves Theresa, and Anna, shall be allowed to choose a Master or Mistress as they may elect among my children here in before named, provided they shall not be at liberty to choose the same Master or Mistress and provided further that Theresa, shall be entitled to the first choice." Gen. Robert E. Lee, was a close personal friend of Mr. Polly, and visited the Polly home many times and joined in the festivities of the neighborhood and the delightful social functions, including the dances in the large and spacious hall running through the house.
Mr. Polly died in 1869, and the cemetery of the Polly home has grown over with mesquite, cactus and Spanish dagger, but still the reminder of the almost forgotten days, and the seemingly has impossible has happened that Texas, the slave state of Polly, days has gone Republican, and deserted its old time allegianceto the South, it would seem that the old Polly home and the slave kitchen in the back yard are just a few of the things left to remind present day folks of a lost cause and of days long gone by. The place is now owned by C. A. Goeth. Who takes great interest in preserving structure of heroic value; he has a herd of white face cattle grazing on the field once cultivated by the slaves, and Jim Hogan, pioneer of Texas, and up to recently president of the Freighter's Association, now is master in charge of the place.
Emerson Hugh, in his search of historic value, on his last visit to San Antonio, visited the old Polly, home with Mr. Goeth, and expressed great interest in its historic value and great wonder at its remarkable state of preservation and manner of substantial construction. Hugh, went under the ceiling of the third story and marveled at the accuracy of construction, and the fact that all the cypress beams were tied together by wooden pins instead of nails, but for his early death, Hugh, probably have followed up the history and romance of the place, and used it as a subject for a history novel. Joseph H. Polly had a large family, and his son, Gen. Joseph H. Polly, while prominent lawyer at Floresville, and was a familiar figure in San Antonio. His daughter Mrs. Ed. Golson, is a resident of San Antonio. There is an old legend that goes with the Polly house. It is said that it was haunted and everyone refused to live there. A group of men wanted to have a party one night so they went to the old Polly house to have the party.
After the party was over the men raised a purse of five hundred dollars to the man who would stay at the house all night. One man said he would take the bet. He unsaddled his horse, loaded his rifle, and stuck his six shooter in his belt. The men rode down the road and stopped to watch if the man will stay in the house they left.
The man that was to stay got out his six shooter and layed his rifle by him. He then started smoking his pipe. He looked around and saw something move or rather thought he did. He looked around again and saw a man sitting beside him. The ghost said "There is no body here but you and I". The man that was staying at the house sat there for a minute getting more scared as the seconds rolled by. At last he said to the ghost "If you will only wait two minutes there will be no one here but you".
