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| Souvenir postcard of Goodwood, ca. 1920s, with portraits of William C. and Margaret Hodges |
"Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Goodwood newsletter! Over the last one hundred and sixty-three years, Goodwood has been recognized as one of Florida's most significant historic sites. For most of this time, the estate served as a private home for five important families. Now, thanks to the considerate planning of the last owner/occupant, Goodwood is undergoing restoration for use as a public museum and park. The Margaret E. Wilson Foundation invites you to join us as we seek to restore the grandeur, sophistication and style for which Goodwood was famous.
"Before we introduce you to the Goodwood of today and tomorrow, a brief history lesson to introduce you to the Goodwood of yesteryear. In upcoming issues we will entertain you with the history of the five families who have called Goodwood home, but for now, we hope a simple listing will give you a frame of reference. The first owners were the Croom family of North Carolina. They owned the plantation from 1834 through 1857, and built the Main House in the 1840s. The Crooms were followed by Arvah Hopkins and his family from 1857 through 1886. Dr. and Mrs. William Lamb Arrowsmith owned the estate from 1886 through 1911; Mrs. Alexander Tiers, from 1811 through 1925, and the Hodges/Hood family, from 1925 through 1990.
"Women have played, and continue to play, a significant role in the story of Goodwood. One of the most important women in our history is Margaret Wilson Hodges Hood. Margaret lived at Goodwood longer than any other owner, and Goodwood is being restored to the elegant appearance it enjoyed when she came to the estate as the young wife of William C. Hodges, one of Florida's most powerful state senators. Margaret dearly loved Goodwood, and Thomas Hood, her second husband, established the Margaret E. Wilson Foundation to honor her memory. The restoration and preservation of her beloved Goodwood would surely please her."
"Before we introduce you to the Goodwood of today and tomorrow, a brief history lesson to introduce you to the Goodwood of yesteryear. In upcoming issues we will entertain you with the history of the five families who have called Goodwood home, but for now, we hope a simple listing will give you a frame of reference. The first owners were the Croom family of North Carolina. They owned the plantation from 1834 through 1857, and built the Main House in the 1840s. The Crooms were followed by Arvah Hopkins and his family from 1857 through 1886. Dr. and Mrs. William Lamb Arrowsmith owned the estate from 1886 through 1911; Mrs. Alexander Tiers, from 1811 through 1925, and the Hodges/Hood family, from 1925 through 1990.
"Women have played, and continue to play, a significant role in the story of Goodwood. One of the most important women in our history is Margaret Wilson Hodges Hood. Margaret lived at Goodwood longer than any other owner, and Goodwood is being restored to the elegant appearance it enjoyed when she came to the estate as the young wife of William C. Hodges, one of Florida's most powerful state senators. Margaret dearly loved Goodwood, and Thomas Hood, her second husband, established the Margaret E. Wilson Foundation to honor her memory. The restoration and preservation of her beloved Goodwood would surely please her."
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