Flatwoods near Linden in Perry County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
James Dickson House
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 2, 2023
1. James Dickson House Marker
The first Perry County court met at this house, the home of James Dickson, on the first Monday of January 1820.
The first county officials were elected by the group assembled there.
This house is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Government & Politics. A significant historical date for this entry is January 3, 1820.
Location. 35° 41.348′ N, 87° 57.611′ W. Marker is near Linden, Tennessee, in Perry County. It is in Flatwoods. It is on Lower Lick Creek Road 0.4 miles west of Porter Hollow Road, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1097 Lower Lick Creek Rd, Linden TN 37096, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee and in the Highland Rim. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Tennessee River (approx. 4.2 miles away); Cedar Grove Iron Works (approx. 5.2 miles away); Amphibious Attack on Linden (approx. 5.7 miles away); In Memoriam (approx. 5.7 miles away); Perryville (approx. 6.6 miles away); Perryville First County Seat of Perry County (approx. 6.7 miles away); Razing the Courthouse (approx. 8½ miles away); Cedar Grove Iron Furnace (approx. 9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Linden.
Regarding James Dickson House.
this page online
The finely crafted two-story frame house is one of the earliest surviving structures in rural Perry County and is significant because of its braced-frame construction. Hand hewn joists and beams, mortise and tenon joints, struts and wind braces are all discernable, In addition, grained doors, a marbleized fireplace and ornamental woodwork accentuate the overall appearance of the building.
The house was probably built before 1820 by James Dickson, who was listed that year in the decennial census as living on the property with a wife and daughter.
Late in the nineteenth century the house and property were acquired by the Ledbetter family of Perry County. A daughter, Minerva Ledbetter, married Jessie Sparks and continued to live at the house until her death in 1942. The house is still known locally as the old Sparks place, after J. Kent Sparks, a local favorite and member of the Tennessee General Assembly, and the last member of the family to reside in the house.
Also see . . . James Dickson House. National Register nomination (PDF) and photographs (separate PDF) submitted for the house, which was listed in 1985. (National Park Service) (Submitted on April 10, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 2, 2023
2. James Dickson House Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on April 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 10, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 734 times since then and 51 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 10, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
