The "OLD HOUSE" 1990
Originally a two-story Revolutionary War era log house, a larger addition was built onto the house ca. 1885-1890 when "Bub" Smith owned the property.
In this photo the original log house is the right rectangular section, extending into the larger house nine feet.
The log section measures twenty-six by sixteen feet, with one large room upstairs and two down.
A separate log kitchen house was originally located behind the house and was later used as corn crib, cotton house and storage shed, but has since decayed.
The "Old House" was last occupied in 1967.
John and Louise Drake bought the property in 1926. The land and log house had belonged to their great-grandparents, the Seawrights. Amanda Seawright Drake was born in the downstairs "fireplace room".
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1998 The logs are pine. These thick hand hewn timbers typically measure 6 to 8 inches wide by 12 to 16 inches tall. The logs are joined at the corners by a half-dovetail notch. No hardware reinforces the notches. The sill logs rest, or rested (one sill has rotted), on stacked local rocks. There are twelve floor joists of chestnut. The house shows no evidence of ever having been "chinked & daubed." |
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Winter 2000 The log sill running lengthwise and adjacent to the rock porch had rotted after the porch roof collapsed sometimes in the mid-1980's. The porch section was torn out Oct 99 to prevent further water damage and to allow access to replace the damaged sill.
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Winter 2000 Dan and Josie Fleming.
1994 Eva Lee Drake |
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~1945 Cousin David and wife Odell out front.
kfleming[AT]wctel[DOT]net