A Cautionary Tale:
Joseph White (see prior post on his home) purchased this tract of land in 1856 and passed it on to his son, Thomas. Thomas, born in 1831, fought for the confederacy in the Civil War, serving as both a personal scout and courier for Robert E. Lee.
Following the conclusion of the war, Thomas returned to this tract of land (now adjacent to Club Hollow Rd.)and built his home sometime before 1871. By 1880, the household included Thomas and Mary White, their six children, Mary’s sister Laura Gott, a schoolteacher, and three servants: two farmhands and a young woman to help around the house. The 1880 Census also reflects a Black family living at the same dwelling: two farm laborers, Lawson Robertson and Arthur Prather, Prather’s wife Henrietta, an assistant cook, and their one-year old son, Richard.
Unfortunately, Thomas defaulted on his mortgage in 1897 and the property passed to other members of the White Family until it was sold out of the family in 1942.
Over the last few decades, the home has fallen into a significant state of neglect. Earlier this month, the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Board voted to recommend the home be removed from the county’s historic designation list. In January, the county’s planning commission will vote on whether to accept this recommendation. If the commission accepts the recommendation (and it’s likely they will), the current restrictions on demolition of the home will be lifted.
While I plan to attend the upcoming planning meetings and advocate for keeping the home on the list, it’s hard to argue with the historic preservation committee’s recommendation. The home has reached a point that is likely beyond repair.
Let’s make sure this situation serves as an example of the importance of preserving and maintaining the incredible historic assets throughout the Ag Reserve, lest we lose them forever.
