It is a rarity to be afforded a piece of history, yet The Ford Plantation represents just such an opportunity. From the antebellum plantation-era oak trees to the Greek Revival mansion built by Henry Ford, The Ford Plantation is a testimony to a bygone era.
As with anything old and cherished, special care must be taken in the development of The Ford Plantation to ensure that the ‘new era’ of The Ford Plantation is a continuation of its rich past. The original vision for the developers of The Ford Plantation was to create a community which would preserve the architectural heritage of the antebellum Lowcountry and the unique character and natural beauty consistent with its rich cultural Savannah area setting. The goal was to create a community that would reflect a refined, yet informal, style.
It is this image of the past that fuels the vision of the future at The Ford Plantation. Good architecture is steeped in the southern vernacular, and each residence is a version of a southern retreat complete with manor-style amenities to complement our contemporary way of life. It is a goal for designs to appear indigenous and non-intrusive while embracing vistas and capitalizing on other assets of the pristine natural surroundings. Homes should be visually compatible with their surroundings. Each design should contribute its own unique qualities, developing rich and diverse, yet regionally appropriate, architectural fabric for The Plantation.
Of the numerous architectural design approaches that are expressed in American architecture, the developers selected four styles as appropriate for The Ford Plantation:
