Devil Anse Hatfield's Homeplace

Devil Anse Hatfield's Homeplace. . , This rare photograph is of the homeplace of William Anderson "Devil Anse" and Louvicey "Levicy" Hatfield, located at Sarah Ann, West Virginia., The house was built by Devil Anse in 1901. Prior to the clan moving to this new location, the family resided at their first home along the borderlands, consisting of a primitive log cabin, barns, and acerage in the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River., Their goal in moving further inward (in the same county) was to put greater distance between themselves and the McCoys, bounty hunters, opportunists, and law enforcement and/or organized possies., The estate was extensive, including the eventual construction of Anse's large farmhouse, several barns, multiple outbuildings, and various timber enterprises. When first erected, the two-story house was considered large and modern for its day. It had thick glass windows, tall interior ceilings, wallpapered plaster walls, multiple fireplaces, and a white picket fence surrounded the grounds., The home had a large spring house, a sizable root cellar, several vegetable and ginseng gardens, fruit and nut tree orchards, chicken coups and pig pens, livestock stalls, and a couple of corrals for horses. There were also numerous beehive boxes., Anse Hatfield was a devoted outdoorsman and hunter; and had a keen interest in black bears. At one point, he had as many as ten full-grown bears, which he kept in a large barn on the property. He raised them all from small cubs., In front of the home was a retractable drawbridge, which crossed over a fast moving, but shallow creek. Later concreted in after the feud., He became major property owner, possessing over 7,000 acres of prime woodlands in Southern WV. He was also known as a man of many affairs., Property managed and curated by: Jack Hatfield, Jr. 3rd Great Grandson of the Devil himself.