Historic Homesite and Landscape

Historic Homesite and Landscape. . Mortared stone and concrete walls mark the foundation of Ransom Hunter's family home., Hunter first built a simple cabin and barn before constructing the house around 1875. The house was expanded and remodeled several times. In the 1940s and 1950s, bathrooms were added, and the kitchen was connected to the main house. Steps under the kitchen sink led to a cellar that held canned goods and treasured items., The farmland around the home was used for growing crops and raising livestock. A livery stable housed horses, which Ransom cared for in exchange for payment. He grew a field of "Ida Raines" corn to feed the horses and used the well with white-painted boards to water them. By the mid-1900s, the landscape included fruit treeplum, lime, pear, and peach. "The peach tree was next to the driveway. Grandmother [Mena] would stand on the back porch, pull peaches from the tree, and make frosted peach pie. She would peel them, lay them on cheesecloth to sun dry, and then make a pie." - Wanda Holloway, (captions) , This is an archival photo taken around 1910 this early photograph shows Ransom Halunter next to his home. The house was set on large stones and designed in the same floorplan as the main house at Hoyle Homestead., Water from a well on the Hunter plantation which piped water to the animal trough located away from the house., These are archival photos of Ransom Hunter's home. Though the soil is rocky Mena's love of flowers created a colorful and welcoming front yard. A walloway to the gated front porch passes a hill of daylillies and rose bushes below the trees.