THOMASVILLE — Millpond Plantation is no longer available for purchase and will remain with the original family.

The historic main house and surrounding acreage will remain with the Sedgwick family, who have established themselves as excellent land stewards and conservationists during five generations of ownership, said Ben McCollum, broker for The Wright Group

Located in the heart of Red Hills quail country, Millpond’s circa 1908 historic main house is one of the property’s distinctive features and was designed in a California Spanish Revival style — a stark departure from the Classic Revival, white column esthetic typical of the region during the era, McCollum said.

The 38,000-square-foot house is defined by a center atrium, with retractable glass roof panels that open and close with the season providing protection to citrus trees, bougainvillea and palms below. Beyond the main house, intricate formal gardens and grounds were designed by Warren Manning, who apprenticed under Frederick Law Olmsted, the creator of noted works including New York’s Central Park and North Carolina’s Biltmore Estate.

McCollum said that despite multiple market price offers following Millpond’s listing release, the family struggled with the contemplation of selling this landmarked property and cherished family estate. 

The Wright Group formulated a solution that allowed for retention of the historic main house and surrounding acreage. In evaluating overall family land holdings — close to 10,000 acres — the firm identified many non-core land assets that could be sold at premium prices to create an overall offset, according to McCollum.

“It was a classic example of the sum of the parts being worth as much — or more —than the whole,” McCollum said. “Through our strategic analysis and restructuring, we are happy to assist the family and ensure that this remarkable legacy continues for generations to come. Furthermore, divesting some of the outlying land holdings drastically increases management efficiencies and maximizes overall operational costs for the retained core holdings.”

The first of outlying properties to be offered is Conifer, made up of more than 1,007 acresy. Conifer is being offered by exclusive bid sale on May 10.