Crestwood

Introduction

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Crestwood is a historic plantation house situated at the end of a driveway off Eager Road that was built in 1915 and expanded in 1928 by its first owner, William C. Eager. Eager was a mechanical engineer and credited with developing the sawed-off shotgun used in trench warfare during World War I. Crestwood is also significant for its architecture. The home was designed in the Neoclassical style, featuring a two-story portico with fluted columns, Craftsman-style beveled glass doors, and double-hung windows. Inside, Crestwood features fine woodwork, hardwood floors, a three-run stairway, and a library with a large limestone fireplace. The plantation was also a large producer of pecans through much of the 20th century.

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Crestwood was built by William C. Eager in 1915. Eager is known for developing a modified sawed-off shotgun that proved extremely effective in World War I trench warfare.

Backstory and Context

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William C. Eager

Information regarding Eager's early life and upbringing is not readily available but it is known that he earned a bachelor's degree of science in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania sometime before 1917. In the years after graduation, he became the general manager of a local lighting company in Valdosta.

During this time he developed his plans for the sawed-off shotgun, proposing to add a pumping mechanism to existing sporting shotguns. On October 19, 1917 Eager submitted his engineering report for the gun to the General Staff of the U.S. Army, which then sent it to General John J. Pershing, the commander of the American Expeditionary Force in France. Pershing approved it on November 5th (it should be noted that the gun's development was kept secret) and American soldiers began receiving them in late April 1918.

The gun was very effective, so much so that Germany formally objected to it in September. This was considered hypocritical given that Germany used flamethrowers and poisonous gas. American soldiers dubbed the shotgun "trench brooms" and "trench sweepers." A copy of Eager's report is housed at the nearby Lowes County Historical Society Museum.

Crestwood

As for Crestwood, it became a major pecan producer in the late 1920s, producing up to 30,000 pounds of pecans per year. Pecans began to be grown in Georgia in 1905 to add to help diversify the state's exports. In a shed behind the house, pecans were processed and prepared for shipment. Eventually, pecan companies took over this process. The Crestwood property is now only a small part of what was a large plantation. It is not clear how long Eager lived at Crestwood or exactly how long pecans were grown here (the National Register form suggests this lasted at least until the 1980s). Today, the house is private residence. Crestwood was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 for its architecture and its association with Eager and the pecan industry.

Sources

Brooks, Carolyn. "Crestwood." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. January 12, 1984. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/84001147_text.

Jones, Charles A. "The 1918 Shotgun Protest." MHQ—The Quarterly Journal of Military History, vol. 32, no. 2 (Winter 2020). Retrieved from HistoryNet on December 2, 2020. https://www.historynet.com/the-1918-shotgun-protest.htm.

"WWI: Eager’s Trench Shot Gun A Success." Yesterday & Today, vol. 46, nos. 4-7 (Summer 2017). http://valdostamuseum.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/April-May-June-SUMMER-2017.pdf.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Jud McCranie, via Wikimedia Commons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crestwood_(Valdosta,_Georgia)#/media/File:Crestwood_house,_Valdosta,_GA,_US.jpg