December 4, 2005

Cold weather came in on Saturday, broke to mild on Sunday morning, and back to cold Sunday evening.

The house is showing signs of activity as the siding is being removed. We discovered the entire west side of the house was replaced at one time with newer / broader clapboard. Judging by the nails and lumber this probably happened in the late 1940's or early 50's. Another house not far from the EW Birthplace that we know was built in the 1940's has the same newer clapboard. The damage however on this exterior wall is major. It is in the same location as the damage on the inside in the bedroom and was expected. The entire area will require removal and rebuilding.

The masonite siding on the front porch has now been removed, as has the siding on the front of the house up to the 12-foot mark.

We measured the rooms and J.O is making drawings.

We have more details on the property especially the garden. John D. Waymon grew sweet potatoes (always), cabbage, white potatoes, green beans, okra, and onions. Just out the front door of the house and down the steps towards the road, Kate Waymon had what was called "the flower pit" for over wintering her plants. The hole was about three feet from the path and about three feet from the road on the right hand side facing the road. A flower pit is a hole that is dug deep where wooden shelves are put down in it and plants are placed. Then the hole is covered for the winter. In the spring the hole is dug up again and the plants are pulled out and planted.

Also, in front of the garden below the house was an old peach tree that fruited every other year. Beyond that on the lower side of the garden was a fence.

We have two details about the stoves in the house. In the living room there was a "round belly stove" that was loaded from a door on the front or from a door on the top. It burned coal and in the kitchen the stove burned wood.

John D. would from time to time take the children up the railroad tracks towards Saluda, NC where they would pick up small bits of coal in buckets and bring it home. The wood would come from nearby in Lynn, NC where John D. would take the children in his old car to where he knew all the best places.

These accounts come from first hand stories collected this weekend.