William Jonathan Northen, Governor of Georgia from 1890 to 1894, lived in this house. Born in Jones County on July 9, 1835, of Scotch ancestry, Northen graduated from Mercer University and taught for many years at Mt. Zion School in Hancock County. When he became a candidate for governor, it was said that every man in Georgia had gone to school to him or with him, and he was elected overwhelmingly. One of the most prosperous and advanced farmers in the state, he was influential in farm organizations and served as a member of the House and Senate. He died on March 25, 1913.