THOM 1 | Fall / Winter 2013

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tasteMaker Written by Jennifer Jefferson Photographed by Mia Yakel and Jay Bowman CHARLIE I LIKE OPEN ROADS. I always have. There is something thrilling about zipping down wide expanses of asphalt. With Charlie Whitney as my guide, it is easy to get lost in this moment. Handsome man, vintage car, a buttery voice guiding me through the world, showing me things I’ve never seen before: art, antiques, architecture. I imagine in his younger years he looked like a savvy James Bond, smooth as fine silk, speeding down country, canopied roads. In his 60s, Charlie is tall and debonair. His tortoise-shell, round-frame glasses are as much a part of his signature as his love for vintage Land Rovers. He’s owned a couple. The one parked in front of his home is red, restored and rebellious. Charlie can own any room, but to see him in his home is magical. Here he is the master of ceremonies, and this is his palace. The high ceilings allow for ample space for his antler collection. The golden walls highlight his interests. This place suggests that he’s been to many corners of the world. Dutch ceramics, taxidermy and arrowheads are meticulously arranged throughout his house with hundreds of books revealing a man of sophisticated taste. French wine and moonshine pepper nooks. This setup provides a chic playground for a pug named Mango Delicious and an elusive cat. This day, Charlie sits in a corner chair. He crosses his legs, furrows his brow and clasps his hands. His platinum hair glints as slivers of light peek through the shutters and dance on his head. This is when I realize that Charlie is charming, but also shy. When pressed about his specific expertise, he defines his business, C.H. Whitney, in broad strokes: part interior designer, part renovator, part preserver, part real estate broker, part antiques dealer. In 1996, the charismatic entrepreneur moved from Moultrie to Thomasville, where he was raised. After three decades of working solely in real estate and as a fast-talking auctioneer, he opened an antiques shop and began renovating and preserving historic buildings. In his home, I stop at a painting of a fox in the woods on the floor in a corner of his living room. Charlie has also taken a liking to painting. The lines are thick and 13
tastemaker the colors are saturated. The works are mostly scenes from life in Thomasville. The self-taught artist has sold about 40 of his works through his antiques shop where every minute detail has been well-curated. He’s an avid collector and seller of 18th century antiques. “The shop supports my habit,” he says. In C.H. Whitney you will find a wolf hide, $875. The ivory tag reads “For the woman who runs with wolves” in Charlie’s tiny cursive handwriting. Dutch Delft Chargers, circa 1760–1780, $1375. Queen Anne Maple Chest, $4,800. “It’s pretty amazing once you think about it. Some of these have been around for 200 years. They’re masterpieces.” His shop has become a go-to for fabulous finds. “Thomasville is a big art community,” Charlie says. “A community that is open to art is generally more accepting of new ideas.” Later, I will discover that Charlie seems to know everyone by first and family name. Part of his vast reach into the community is tied to two things: he’s the fourth generation of his family to live in Thomasville and he is on the board of directors for Thomasville Landmarks. From street to street, he can point out homes the organization has worked hard to save and provide a little history on the Victorian and antebellum style homes from Thomasville to Boston, Georgia. I am impressed I’ve spent 25 years just south of here, in Tallahassee, and could not tell anyone a thing about the architecture or the history of the place. I do have a pretty good eye for anything new or innovative. Maybe that says something about my generation. Charlie’s vision can be seen at the private properties of his clients and friends, as well as in public buildings from courthouses to clock towers. He explains to me the work that went into each building to unveil its innate beauty. He does so with the enthusiasm of a shy boy showing off a model airplane; Charlie seems to be both proud of his work and in awe of his creations. “In the latter part of my life, I decided to do what I really wanted to do. I am kind of a late bloomer.” Although, it often makes him uncomfortable to talk about himself, his friends take no issue with describing Charlie’s genteel nature. “That’s a good guy you’re with,” says Dwayne Hoven. Charlie and Dwayne became fast friends while shooting quail together. Dwayne shows me the custom case that houses his guns during hunting season. Charlie restored an old service station counter and reworked it into a towering gun case. This is the genius of Charlie. He can see the beauty in the discarded. Charlie has become a reflection of the city itself. He’s a man who can be lured by the history of the area, but he is also a supporter of art and revitalization. Simply put, he knows something of value when he sees it. He has long loved Savannah, and his two sons have planted their roots in Atlanta, but Thomasville is the best fit for him. “I like the sense of community and being wherever you want to be in 5 to 10 minutes,” Charlie says. You can find Charlie partaking in the wave of businesses budding downtown. After hours you may see him having a glass of wine with his wife Carol at Sweet Grass Dairy Cheese Shop. People constantly interrupt him to say “hi,” and you can’t miss that unmistakable quack coming from his phone. Charlie is entertaining to watch. He enjoys conversation, but most people don’t notice that they are talking more than he is. He never interrupts in a conversation and answers each and every question with care, filling awkward moments with a raspy laugh. His phone’s quack reminds me of the Chattahoochee River. It whips through the South with grace and ease. People are drawn to the serenity of it. It’s peaceful, but people are attracted to its wildness of spirit. I think the same can be said of Charlie. What he brings to Thomasville is a worldview that’s filled with heritage and a constantly renewed spirit. Much like Paul Newman said to Robert Redford in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, “Boy, I got vision, and the rest of the world wears bifocals.” In our last conversation he says that many women describe him as a “renaissance man.” I would describe him as the consummate southern gentleman. When I ask him to describe himself, he says, “just a little bit of a rascal.” 14
Page 1 and 2: THOM Volume 1 | issue 1 Fall/Winter
Page 4 and 5: contents fall 2013 THOUGHT LEADER 2
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Page 8 and 9: thought leader Mayor Max Beverly is
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Page 12 and 13: Muse Hananel, 24, embodies a profou
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Page 18 and 19: tastemaker He’s a man who can be
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Page 24 and 25: creators they use for rainy day hun
Page 26 and 27: Creators created to represent. The
Page 28 and 29: CELEBRATING THE SPORTING LIFE THROU
Page 30 and 31: collaborators A PEEK INSIDE THE TRE
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Page 38 and 39: un.walk.lounge 107 S. Broad St. •
Page 40 and 41: Mode 128 S. Broad St. • Thomasvil
Page 42 and 43: Deana Ponder, Owner Toscoga 39
Page 44 and 45: cornerstone builders llc 239 S Madi
Page 46 and 47: DOWNTOWN THOMASVILLE | LUNCH SERVED
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Page 52 and 53: Chubb Associates Fine Real Estate I
Page 54 and 55: 111 S. Broad St., Thomasville, Geor
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Page 60 and 61: Sewell, Morgan & Hilliard, PC certi
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C.H. Whitney 18th and 19th century
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140 north broad street thomasville,
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THE WRIGHT GROUP Real Estate Broker
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EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY 229.226.6
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Thomasville enTerTainmenT FoundaTio
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Thomasville Georgia Nancy Moody, Ow
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MILLS HERNDON BOBBY D. BROWN SUSAN
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trailblazer Written by Michele Arwo
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trailblazer M: So when did you deci
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site, but even then we didn’t rel
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FOODIES Carol Whitney looks over,
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FOODIES next one.” Nan has receiv
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WE ARE SURROUNDED BY FOOD AND BEAUT
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As a Georgian, I know that Southern
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This work, like Carly’s creations
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Placemakers When a patron is ready
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Placemakers viki believes art is to
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Glass is the most phenomenal materi
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country, it’s a safe prediction t
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Contributing Artists Clay Byars is
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THOM 1 | Fall / Winter 2013

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