Maguire-Livsey Family Big House

The Maguire-Livsey Family Big House traces its origins to the early 1800s with Thomas Maguire, who was born in Ireland in 1801. By the 1820s, Maguire had purchased the initial 40 acres of land in Gwinnett County, later naming the property The Promised Land. The house is believed to have been built sometime in the early 1830s. By 1863, the property, bounded on its southeastern side by the Hightower Trail, had expanded to more than 1,200 acres. 

Although the Promised Land prospered, its success was built on enslaved labor. Historical records show that by 1860, Thomas Maguire enslaved 26 people who resided in four houses on the plantation. No physical remains of those structures have been discovered to date. However, Maguire kept detailed journals throughout the 1800s, documenting daily life and operations on the property. These writings offer limited insight into the lives of the people he enslaved. 

Following Maguire’s death in 1886, The Promised Land plantation was subdivided. The original house was rented, first to the Haney family and later to the Lucas family. In 1926, Robert and Morena Livsey, African American residents of Gwinnett, purchased the home and 110 acres of land once part of the plantation.

Unable to obtain a mortgage loan to purchase the property due to racial discrimination, the Livseys purchased the property through a bond-for-title agreement. Robert, Morena, and their 13 children plowed, cultivated, and maintained the property. Over time, they scaled back farming operations and launched several new businesses in the community. The family eventually divided the land into smaller parcels for their children, and many descendants still live in the area. The Livsey family retained ownership until selling the home to Gwinnett County in 2017.