Big Creek Farms

Nestled in Lanier County, Georgia, Big Creek Farm is a 3,310± acre legacy property where the art of land stewardship meets architectural mastery. It represents the convergence of Georgia’s signature trophy farm with one of the state’s most magnificent architectural homes. This is not simply land; it is a generational vision realized.

For more than two centuries, the Studstill family has worked this ground, each generation adding its chapter to the story. Today, that legacy stands as one of the state’s most celebrated Classical Revival homes and complete private properties in Georgia - comprised of 3,310± total acres including 2,000± acres of high-quality recreation and 1,263± acres of Georgia’s best farmland.

The home at Big Creek Farm is an achievement rarely seen in modern times - a 22,000-square-foot (17,000 h/c) masterpiece home and guest home under one roof, meticulously envisioned by Haynes and Justin Studstill in partnership with designer Doug Carter of Valdosta. Three+ years in the making, every inch was planned, drawn, and refined with purpose, resulting in a residence that blends 1840s inspiration with twenty-first-century innovation.

From its columned façade and balanced roofline to the intricate crown moldings carved in Egypt and the French-oak parquet floors sourced from Europe, the home radiates authenticity. Hidden technology and modern convenience complement the old-world craftsmanship—windows that turn opaque at the touch of a button, a lighting system that responds to a single command, a 100-watt generator, fiber internet, and full fuel and gas capacity.

Downstairs is the primary bedroom, a private sanctuary, complete with heated floors, intelligent glass, and an adjoining study overlooking the pastures and centuries-old live oaks. The main level also includes the library, formal dining room, and powder bath, each space designed with proportion and balance in mind.

Upstairs, four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a game room, and a study create a series of self-contained retreats for family and guests. Every suite is intentional, private, and consistent in finish with the main level. The guest wing offers an additional one-bedroom, one-bath layout, while a separate guest apartment above the garage provides yet another layer of privacy and independence.

The gun room, paneled in pecky cypress and anchored by a stone fireplace, is both a showpiece and a working space—housing more than 120 firearms in a setting that reflects the South’s sporting tradition. The garage, fully heated and cooled, features 18-foot ceilings and stained concrete floors, built to the same standard as the main residence.

Big Creek Farms stands as a model of how working land and careful management coexist. The property spans 3,310± acres of prime agricultural and recreational ground, with three miles on Big Creek and 2,680± acres under conservation easement. Roughly 2,000± acres are dedicated to high-quality recreation and cattle pasture, and 1,263± acres represent some of Georgia’s finest farmland (139± acres dry farmland) — and 1,124± acres irrigated by 11 pivots powered by electric and diesel wells producing up to 3,000 gallons per minute. Income-producing, the irrigated farmland is rented for $250 per acre. These are the top soil classes in the state — fertile, well-drained, and historically proven.

White-tailed deer genetics here are exceptional, whitetail typically score in the 150-inch class. Big Creek winds for three miles through the property, connecting 50 acres of Lee Pond and 20 acres of fishponds. On the north end, two managed duck impoundments, roughly ten acres combined—are fully irrigated and floodable for corn production. That setup works in perfect harmony with one of Georgia’s best natural flyways. Through prescribed fire, selective thinning, and herbicide applications, the Studstills have restored native groundcover and strengthened quail and turkey populations.

"You can kill ten mallards in the morning, quail hunt midday, and sit in a deer stand that afternoon,” says the landowner. “There aren’t many places in Georgia where you can do that.”

The equestrian complex includes a world-class enclosed 120 × 200-foot covered and lighted riding arena, eight-stall barn, irrigated pastures, and a sophisticated fly-spray and watering system. Each pasture on the property has a shelter for animals. The fencing surrounding the pastures is painted, four board, with every other post cemented into the ground with concrete. The stables, designed with the same level of detail as the home, are both functional and beautiful.

The property also features a striking, completely furnished, four-bedroom hunting lodge complete with outside band stage, bar, and walk-in cooler - ideal for entertaining after a day afield. There are also two rental homes; one is 2,500 sf, three bedrooms and two bathrooms and the other is 2,200 sf with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Additional improvements include a one-mile-long shooting range, insulated/enclosed shooting house with windows, staircase and hand rails, fuel system, 50x100 storage building (concrete and enclosed on three sides), 40x100 boat barn (insulated, air-conditioned, pine wood on wall, stained concrete floor), 50x50 barn, commodity barn for equipment, and workshops all underscore the property’s turnkey readiness.