| Notes |
- There is a lot of history and other information about the farm located here. Pineola Farms has a rich history from Growing and Ginning of Cotton by a Stephen Elisha Bassett, a southern preacher to stories of British Cadets who spent some of their last days enjoying the hospitality of Henriette Bassett before flying and fighting in WWII to the present time as a pecan farm and wedding venue. We look forward to continuing the rich history and southern hospitality at Pineola Farms.
BELOW IS THE LETTER WE FOUND THE DAY WE CLOSED ON THE HOUSE. WE ALREADY NEW THE HOUSE HAD A LOT OF SPIRIT...THEN THIS LETTER. WE WERE CRYING SO MUCH, IT TOOK 5 FAMILY MEMBERS TO READ IT. WE CALLED INFORMATION AND GOT SIMONE'S PHONE NUMBER AND CALLED HER THAT NIGHT! IT HAS BEEN EXCITING EVER SINCE.
May 7, 1994
Dear Mr. Snipe:
Although we haven’t met, I think we may have something in common — the love of an old house. I believe you met my elder sister, Marguerite Bassett Harrison, about a year ago when she was being shown through your house. The third of the girls in my family, I came to Indiana as a bride in 1950. My husband, Dr. J. Albert Robbins, was a professor of English and American Literature at Indiana University until his death in 1992. There were five of us Bassett girls, all old ladies now, of course. One, my sister Beulah, died in 1976, and until recently, that date - when I attended her funeral - was my last visit to Fort Valley.
However, in late April I returned for my 51st High School Reunion, and was in Fort Valley for six days. It was a rather momentous occasion for me, since not only was it the first reunion I had attended, but it was also the first time I had seen my husband’s grave, having sent his body down two years ago for burial in the Bassett family plot. I found many changes in the town and the surrounding countryside, with new roads and buildings, etc. My friend, Sara Middlebrooks, arranged with your manager, Roy Henson, for me to have a tour of the interior of the house which we used to call Pineola and which I understand you now call Barnby Manors. I was very grateful to Roy and Sara for this opportunity.
By now, you must be wondering why this garrulous old lady is writing to you and what is the purpose of this letter. Let me say first of all that I am sorry you were not in residence at the time of my visit, for I would surely have sought you out for a good long talk about Pineola’s past. I think there may be something there of interest to you as a Britisher. Before I explain, may I express my appreciation of the care you have given to the house. I know you have spent quite a bit on it, I liked your changes although I had no way of knowing which were yours and which were those of earlier residents since my sister sold the house. I do believe that you have saved the house from falling into disrepair and decay, especially by installing central air and heat. My mother would be pleased.
And it is because of my mother that I am writing to you. Nothing would please her more than to know that an Englishman now owns the house. You see, she came to Georgia from Paris, France, in 1919, having married a Georgia man, Captain Ralph Bassett. She had gone to boarding school in England as a young girl and then returned to teach French in an English school. Having been brought up very strictly in Paris, Henriette Bourdier felt that England represented freedom and fun, and she often spoke of playing tennis, punting on the Thames, and how happy she was in Leicester.
When World War II arrived, even before the United States entered the war, there were young Britishers in America, particularly in the South, Royal Air Force cadets, being trained mostly as fighter pilots. What is now the Macon Airport was then called Cochran Field, which was a basic training school. My mother was beside herself to know they were there, and immediately began organizing dances at the American Legion, and arranging for many families in Fort Valley to open their homes to the young men from across the seas. She called on church groups to take them home for Sunday dinner after church and many families “adopted” boys from each of the successive training classes.
As for Pineola, it was open house for the RAF for the remainder of the war. I really cannot tell you how many young men we entertained, but it was a period I will never forget. The house was well set up for hosting the cadets, as we could put them in the two-room wing added by my father in 1930. Here they had their own bath and complete privacy from the rest of the house. I believe this is the part of the house you presently use as your living—quarters.
I remember once when we had eight men, who came from three different bases, having all received graduation leave at the same time. I have a photo taken on the lawn at Pineola of my mother, two younger sisters and the eight. They were mostly there for a week, and what a time we had. My father left for a fishing trip in Florida, telling Guy Halifax, one of the older of the group, that he expected a full written report of what happened while he was gone, to be placed in his cigar box. When he checked the cigar box on his return, the cigars were gone, and Guy had left a note saying that too much had happened, he couldn’t possibly write it up. Of the eight, at least four died in the war. I am in correspondence with three of the survivors: Norman Bate, Ken Lewis, and Desmond Macey.
Over the years, we gradually lost touch with the “Bassett Boys” but in 1985 I was contacted by Dr. Gilbert Guinn, a History professor in Greenwood, SC, who was trying to write a voluminous history of the training of the RAF in the States, and in particular of those who were under the Arnold Scheme of training (named for the American general, “Hap” Arnold.) He asked for any and all information I might be able to supply him on the boys we had entertained, saying that the name of the Bassett family kept coming up again and again. Also that Norman Bate was asking for our addresses. Thereafter Norman and I began a correspondence which has endured to this day. Norman also began publication of the Arnold Register, which was an attempt, largely successful, to re—establish contact among those who had trained in the States. This Spring Norman was decorated by the queen for his efforts, as was another Bassett boy, Johnny Johnson (for his activities in working with underprivileged boys). Norman says that he made a solemn promise to Mama Bassett that he would try to keep the boys in touch with each other, and thinks he has fulfilled that promise.
A group of these RAF veterans has already come on tour to the States. They were given the keys to the city of Macon, Ga. and feted for several days in Albany, GA, home of one of the advanced bases. Unfortunately when they came to Fort Valley, they were unannounced and couldn’t even find the route to Pineola Farm. I am telling you this because Norman tells me that a small group is coming over again in September of this year. They are definitely going to be in Macon again, and I assume that at least certain ones would be very interested in seeing Fort Valley again, as well as the old house where they spent so many days. I have permission from Sara Middlebrooks to give Norman her name, address and tel. no., and would like your permission to do the same for you. Norman called me from Leicester the moment he got my letter telling him I was finally going back to Fort Valley again. Will you by any chance be in residence in Fort Valley in September? I still must write him to give an account of my trip.
I find it a very daunting project to try to explain in a letter about those war years, Henriette Bassett, the unabashed Anglophile, and how beloved your house is to your countrymen. Norman simply gasped when I told him the place was now owned by an Englishman. Somewhere I have copies of the photo of the eight on the lawn that day, but so far have not been able to put my hands on them. If I find them, will send you one.
So thank you, Sir, for taking such good care of our former home. If I can give you any more information, please let me know. The spirits of those eager young men must still sometimes find their way about the place. Not that they would haunt it, for they were happy times, as happy as possible in war time. So think of them as good spirits, wishing you well in your endeavors.
Sincerely yours,
Simone Bassett
F. Norman Bate
51 Henley Rd.
Leicester LE3 9RD England tel. 0533-519454
Desmond Macey
7 Whistlefield Cottages
Overstone Park
Northampton, Gt. Britain NN6-OAP tel. 0604-49-4645
Oaklawn Cemetery, Peach County, Georgia
Capt. Ralphiel Phillipps Bassett
12 September 1891 16 April 1951
"Daddy Bill"
Henriette Blanche Alphonsine Bourdier Bassett, wife of Capt. Ralphiel Phillipps Bassett
26 October 1894 20 Apr 1971
"Mama"
Beulah Henriette Bassett Fricke, daughter of R.P. & H.B. Bassett
17 February 1922 28 August 1976
"Mama"
John Albert Robbins, Jr.
5 December 1914 4 March 1992
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Bassett Family Association Database
1894 - 1971 (76 years)