Deen, C. W., House

The C.W. Deen House, built between 1894 and 1897, is historically significant in the areas of architecture, commerce, and local history. In terms of architecture, the house is significant as an outstanding example of a late-Victorian residence with Queen Ann style detailing in Southeast Georgia. It is the largest and grandest house remaining in the county built in this style and during this period. Its outstanding interior wood detailing is a fine example of the particularly elaborate woodwork that is often associated with the houses of South Georgia's timber and naval store operators such as C.W. Deen. In terms of commerce, the house is significant for its association with C.W. Deen, the leading landowner and businessman in Appling County in the early years of the twentieth century.

Deen was a major naval store operator at a time when south Georgia led the world as a producer of naval stores; he was also active locally in banking, farming, and real estate. In terms of local history, the house is significant for the role it played as a center of social life in Baxley during the tenure of the Deen family and of their successors, W. Hughes Rogers and his wife Carrie Rogers, who was co-founder of the Baxley Women's Club.

Architecturally, the Deen House is a fine example of a large late-Victorian residence in the Baxley area. It has many typical Queen Ann style features including the wraparound porch, stained glass windows, tall corbeled chimneys, projecting gables, varied exterior wall treatment, and interior paneling and mantels; yet its four-over-four with central stairhall plan lacks the open flow-through layout associated with high-style Queen Ann residences. The Deen House is an outstanding local interpretation of the style. Particularly notable are the fine exterior shingle work and porch detailing and the magnificent curly heart pine woodwork in the stair hall and dining room that includes the wainscoting, newel post, and built-in china cabinet and sideboard. The mantels, each individually carved, and many with mirrored over mantels and imported tiles, and the stained glass windows are also very fine. The Deen House is the only residence of this period and style remaining in Appling County. The house was designed by Joseph J. Johnson, a locally well-known builder/architect who designed and built a number of Baxley's most prominent structures including the county courthouse, a bank building, a church, and several other residences.

The Deen House is commercially significant because of its association with C.W. Deen (1861-1927), one of Appling County's most successful businessmen of the turn-of-the-century. C.W. Deen, a native of Appling County, built his Baxley house between 1894 and 1897 and lived there until 1908, when he moved his family to Lakeland, Florida. While in Appling County he became one of the largest naval store operators in the region with at least two turpentine stills in operation, one in Baxley and one in Beach, Georgia near Alma in what is now Bacon County. At the turn-of-the-century, Georgia was the leading producer of naval stores in the country, and Appling County, with its huge tracts of long leaf yellow pine, was one of the important turpentine-producing counties in the state. Baxley, which in 1872 became the county seat, developed after 1870 around Station #7 on the Bacon and Brunswick Railroad. It became the county's marketing and shipping center as the area experienced a period of rapid growth in the last decade of the nineteenth century. In 1908 C.W. Deen was the largest landowner in the county with a total of 8,350 acres.

Dean was active in other business and farming enterprises, in addition to his naval store operations. In 1888, he was operating a grist mill in Baxley, and in 1889 he is shown as occupying a store there. In 1901 he became a leader in a local project to build a sugar refinery that was intended to boost the area's economy. He bought $1600 of stock in the operation and planted some of his extensive farmland in sugar cane. In 1906, he became involved with the development of nearby Alma (now in Bacon County), becoming secretary of the Alma Land and Improvement Company. He maintained business interests in the county after his move to Florida, and in 1917 played a key role in the establishment of the Baxley State Bank.

In terms of local history, the C.W. Deen House is significant for the role it played as a center of social life in Baxley. During the Deen family years in the house much entertaining went on, and parties given in the house were sometimes front page news in the Baxley News Banner. The house was set up for entertaining with a large billiard room downstairs and a game room on the second floor. In 1909, W. Hughes Rogers, a Baxley businessman, and his wife Carrie Rogers bought the house, and Carrie Rogers, active in local women's organizations in town and co-founder of the Women's Club of Baxley, continued the tradition of hosting parties.