W. Frank Anderson Farm, County Road 239, Ruckersville

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA,53-RUCK.V,3-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

South side of County Road .1 mile southeast of its intersection with County Road 1.7 miles northeast of its intersection with County Road Ruckersville vicinity, Elbert County, Georgia. USGS Rock Branch Quadrangle, Universal Transverse Mercator Coordinates: Present Owner/ Occupant: Pervis Martin Anderson, Route 2, Elberton, Georgia at time of recording. Acquired by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in January

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA,53-RUCK.V,3-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The W. Frank Anderson farm is a working example of the evolution of a small twentieth-century Piedmont farm. The traditional southern farm buildings on the tract reflect the handiwork of the owner and the changing needs of his agricultural operation. PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: 1. Date of erection: The house was built ca. by W. Frank Anderson. 2. Architect: None known. 3. Original and subsequent owners: The tract has been in the possession of the Anderson family since but the legal owners have not always been the family members that occupied the farm. W. S. Anderson owned the farm until although his son, W. Frank, built his house on the tract in W. Frank Anderson, who received the deed from his father in lost the farm during the depression. W.

Frank's brother, Reuben J. , bought the farm back in Reuben's son, Pervis Martin, bought it from him in but did not register the deed until The following is an incomplete chain of title: W. FRANK ANDERSON FARM HABS NO. GA-35 (page 2) Deed November 7, recorded January 10, Book 5, page Heirs of J. W. McCalla to W. S. Anderson, acres "being a tract of land conveyed by N. G. Long to J. W. McCalla on the 1st day of January for Deed February 6, Recorded February 20, Book 15, p. W. S. Anderson to W. Frank Anderson, 61 acres for Deed to Secure Debt, June 25, Recorded June 28, Book 22, p. W. F. Anderson to the Federal Land Bank of Columbia, two tracts totalling acres, one of which is 61% acres. Deed December 28, Recorded March 28, Book 46, p. 47. The Federal Land Bank of Columbia to R. J.

Anderson, 61% acres for Deed July 25, Recorded July 25, Book p. 61, Reuben J. Anderson to Pervis M. Anderson, 61% acres "for the natural love and affection the grantor holds for the grantee." 4. Original plans and construction: Originally, the one- story house had a central-hall plan with four rooms. The building was constructed with pine cut, and most likely sawn, on the farm. Weatherboard siding covered the exterior. Horizontal paneled wood covered the in- terior walls. The flooring and the 12' high ceilings were of pine. The house had a tall gable roof with two cross gables in the front, each with a latticed air vent. A shed-roofed porch ran the length of the back of the house. Stone steps rose to the front door. 5. Alterations and additions: Mr.

and Martin Anderson have made a number of changes to the house since they moved there in At about that time, the roof of the house was lowered several feet and the cross gables removed. Also, the red standing-seam metal covering was added. In ca. Martin Anderson replaced the front stoop with a wood-floored porch. This floor was replaced with a concrete slab in ca. Its gable roof is sup- ported by four stone and wood columns. In ca. white asbestos siding was placed over the original weath- erboard siding. In ca. I960, the rear porch was enclosed to provide a bathroom and small bedroom. W. FRANK ANDERSON FARM HABS NO. GA-35 (Page 3) From the time they moved into the house, the Andersons have had work done on the four main rooms of the house, each room done at a different time.

In each room, the ceiling was lowered from 12' to 8'. Sheetrock was put on the walls to cover the original wood paneling, and in at least one of the rooms, the pine wood flooring was replaced with hardwood. The wide central hallway was divided by a partition with a doorway. Electricity was installed in the house in Running water was installed ca. B. Historical Context: When Anderson purchased the tract in he was living with his family in the Heardmont community of Elbert County. Two of his sons, Reuben J. and W. Frank, settled on this tract about Reuben settled on the east end of the tract and had purchased 181 acres of his father's land by (Deed Book 15, p. See Reuben J. Anderson Farm, HABS No. GA-32. W.

Frank Anderson settled on the west end of the tract and purchased 61^ acres from his father in (Deed Book 15, p. Frank Anderson built the house on this tract ca. He also owned a 318-acre tract near Ruckersville to which he moved ca. From this time until when he lost the property to the bank, W. Frank Anderson kept tenants on the Martin Anderson tract. The land was farmed while held by the land bank and at least one person is known to have lived in the house during this time. R. J. Anderson managed to hold onto all of his land during the depression. He and his wife, Dora, had eight children between and When R. J. Anderson's son, Martin, decided to begin farming on his own, he purchased W.

Frank Anderson's old 61%-acre tract from his father, who had acquired the tract by purchase from the land bank. Martin Anderson (born moved onto the 61V*acre tract about the time of his marriage to Mary Dixon in February For the first five years he owned the land, Martin Anderson farmed exclusively. He cleared much of the woodland, had a gully which ran across the property filled in, and terraced crop land. Today the tract is 39 acres pasture and 22 acres timber (Real Estate Files). Martin Anderson grew cotton for about four years after he moved to the site. A combination of low cotton prices and the boll weevil made cotton unprofit- able, so he went into the production of grains wheat, oats, and corn. When he found profits from grain crops to be too low, Anderson cut them back.

He went completely out of the production of wheat when his acreage allotment was reduced to 1.6 acres per year. W. FRANK ANDERSON FARM HABS NO. GA-35 (page 4) In March Martin Anderson went to work in the Jackson Textile Mill in Iva, where he still works. Since that time he has farmed on weekends and in the afternoon. Anderson worked for most of the time until ca. She has worked at the Jackson Mill, the "blast plant/' the Gallant- Belk store in Elbert, and at the dietary department of the Elbert County Hospital. Most of Mr. Anderson's farm time now goes into the production of garden vegetables, including watermelons, corn, peas, butterbeans, and turnips. He sells most of these vegetables in Iva, where he takes daily orders, mainly from co-workers at the mill.

An antique pro- duce scale in the backyard of the Anderson home is used to weigh the vegetables. Anderson runs a herd of about twenty beef cattle. Most calves are sold yearly, although a few females may be kept to in- crease the herd. The Andersons usually slaughter one cow per year for food. About one litter of pigs per year were raised on the farm until ca. when Anderson stopped having them altogether. At one time as many as three roosters and four- teen hens were kept on the farm. These chickens provided enough eggs to fill family needs. Eggs were laid in the barn, usually in cattle feed troughs, and the chickens roosted in trees around the yard. In the past year most of the chickens have been killed by a fox or other animal.

A riding horse owned by one of the Anderson daughters is kept on the farm. Mr. Anderson has two king snakes on the farm to reduce the rodent population. Three tractors and a combine are in use on the farm. Martin Anderson also keeps old pieces of farm machinery, including a wheat binder, thresher (pat. and hammer mill on his land purely for enjoyment. An old sawmill run by mule power, which used to sit on the farm, is now located on R. J. Anderson's land. This piece of machinery has been kept by the family for years, although it was replaced ca. by a steam-powered sawmill, which also is no longer in use. Wood cut on the land is now taken to a commercial sawmill.

In addition to his house site, Martin Anderson owns a forty- acre tract above the Rock Branch community in Elbert County where he and his wife will move when their land is acquired by the Corps of Engineers. He also farms two small rental tracts with his sons-in-law. One ten-acre tract is in Oglethorpe County and the other, an eight-acre tract, is at Deep Creek in Elbert County. W. FRANK ANDERSON FARM HABS NO. GA-35 (page 5) As most of the nation's agricultural operations are turning into corporate agri-businesses, Martin Anderson remains an example of the independent small farmer. Almost all building and maintenance work on the farm is done by Anderson himself. Wood for new buildings commonly comes from his own land.

Martin Anderson has no hired hands, but does most of the work with his family. He usually deals directly with the consumers of his produce. In addition to the orders he takes for vege- tables, Anderson sells much of his corn to farmers who bring their trucks directly to his fields to purchase and pick it up. PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: 1. Architectural Statement: The W. Frank Anderson farmhouse is a modest gable-roofed center-hall plan frame structure with a small shed roofed rear addition. 2. Condition of fabric: good. B. Description of Exterior: 1. Overall dimensions: The one-story house measures x including the entrance porch on the east front and the shed addition on the west.

The gable roof, with ridge running north-south, is covered with standing-seam metal, painted red. 2. Foundations: Concrete block. 3. Structural system: The structure is assumed to be frame, covered with asbestos shingles. 4. Porches: The front porch has a gable roof with the ridge running east-west. The porch measures x centered on the front. The porch floor and steps are concrete. The shed addition on the northwest corner of the rear measures x 5. Chimneys: Two brick chimneys are located on the ridge of the roof, set about 5' in from each end. 6. Windows: Windows on the north, south, and east sides have two-over-two-light double-hung sash. The windows on the rear addition are two-light louvered windows. W. FRANK ANDERSON FARM HABS NO. GA-35 (page 6) C. Description of Interior: 1.

Floor plan: On the interior, the house has a central hall which is used as the living room. Two rooms are on each side, and a bathroom and small bedroom are in the rear. 2. Flooring: The flooring is pine planking. 3. Wall finish: The walls are sheetrock. D. Site: 1. General setting and orientation: The house is located approximately southwest of the road. The front porch is equipped with a metal swinging seat, potted plants, and hanging baskets. The yard has a number of hardwood trees. An oak tree in the backyard shelters a picnic table made by Martin Anderson from locally quar- ried granite. All of the farm buildings are located close to the house, to the south and west.

A pond with earth dam located approximately southwest of the house was built by Martin Anderson in and stocked by the U.S. Game and Wildlife Commission. 2. Outbuildings: a. Earn: When Martin Anderson moved to the farm, this wood-frame transverse-crib barn had three lofts above the ground floor. It had been built by W. F. Anderson ca. About Martin Anderson lowered the barn's gable roof, taking off the second and third lofts. He added a lean-to post shed to the west side of the barn and a cattle-feeding rack to the rear. The barn measures x with a x shed addition on the west. The structure is a mixture of several construction materials ranging from hewn logs for the sills and main supports to cut lumber for the roof framing and some wall con- struction.

The walls are covered with weather- boards, except for the south wall which has vertical- planks. The gable roof, with ridge running east- west, is covered with standing-seam metal. The barn has a central drive-through aisle, off of which are six stalls with rough wood-panel doors. South of this is another aisle for tractor storage. On the north, the roof extends to cover an open pen. The second level is used for hay storage. W. FRANK ANDERSON FARM HABS NO. GA-35 (page 7) b. Smokehouse: This small frame structure was built ca. by W. F. Anderson. It measures x and has a gable roof with ridge running northeast- southeast. A sheet metal roof was placed over the original shingle roof by Martin Anderson ca. The frame structure is sheathed with weatherboard siding. The floor is dirt.

A large wooden slat box is found in the building. When curing meat, corn cobs are placed in the bottom of the box to allow air to get to the meat- Then meat is laid over the corn cobs and salted. The box is closed and the meat allowed to cure. After six weeks, the meat is taken out, washed, and sprinkled with pepper and borax. Finally, the cured meat is hung from the top of the smokehouse on wire hooks. Although the Andersons call this structure the "smokehouse," and meat is cured here, nothing is ever smoked. At present, the building is used for storage. c. Well houses: A well house built ca. by W. F. Anderson stands behind the house. The open-sided wood-post structure measures x The gable roof, with ridge running northwest-southeast, is now protected by a plastic tarp.

The gables have weatherboard siding. As this well is no longer used, the building is used for storage. A new well was drilled ca. I960, just in front of the old one. A cinder-block structure measuring x with a wood-framed shed roof encloses this new well and its pump. d. Hog pen: A x shed-roofed hog pen with a rough wood frame was built on the farm ca. by Mr. Anderson. Large quarried granite slabs serve as flooring. Anderson engineered an adjustable ramp for hogs to walk from a truck tailgate into the pen. e. Storage shed: This low-gabled post and frame shed was built by Martin Anderson ca. The north- west end of the shed, which measures x has two rooms used to store grains. The southeast end of the shed, measuring x is open and used to store machinery.

An additional open shed was built onto the northwest side of the front of the building in by Martin Anderson. W. FRANK ANDERSON FARM HABS NO. GA-35 (page 8) f. Garage: Martin Anderson built this open-front two- car shelter ca. It measures x with a shed roof sloping south. It has a log post construction with board and batten sides. The shelter is now used for storage. g. Mobile home: Martin Anderson is currently con- structing a mobile home, using an old metal frame as the base. This structure sits to the east of the house site. h. Muscadine and scuppernong arbor: This post arbor was built by Martin Anderson sometime after PART III. SOURCES OF INFORMATION A. Aerial View: Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Ser- vice, Elberton, GA Air photo tract photo shot B. Interview: Mr.

and Martin Anderson, interviewed on September 3, at their house in Elbert County, Georgia. C.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA,53-RUCK.V,3-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Elbert County Deed Records, Office of the Clerk of Courts, Elbert County Courthouse, Elberton, Georgia Elbert County Tax Digest, Georgia State Archives, Archives and Records Building, Atlanta, Georgia Marriage Records, Elbert County Probate Records, Office of the Judge of the Probate Court, Elbert County Court- house, Elberton, Georgia Real Estate Files, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Real Estate Office, Elberton, Georgia 2. Secondary Glassie, Henry. Folk Housing in Middle Virginia, Knox- ville, Tennessee: University of Tennessee Press, W. FRANK ANDERSON FARM HABS NO. GA-35 (page 9) Montell, William Lynwood, and Morse, Michael Kentucky Folk Architecture. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, Prepared by: Marcie Robertson Assistant Historian Richard J.

Cronenberger Project Supervisor HABS Summer PART IV,

Project Information

The documentation of the historic resources within the Richard B. Russell Dam project was undertaken by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), of the National Architectural and Engineering Record (NAER), a division of the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service in cooperation with Interagency Archeological Services (IAS), Atlanta, Georgia, and cosponsored by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District Office in compliance with Executive Order as a mitigative effort in construction of the dam. The project was executed under the direction of Robert Kapsch, Chief of NAER; John Poppeliers, Chief of HABS; and Kenneth L. Anderson, Principal Architect, in the HABS field office, Elberton, Georgia. Recording was conducted during the summer of by Richard J.

Cronen- berger (staff architect), project supervisor; LeAnne Baird (University of Nebraska), project historian; Marcie L. Robertson (University of Georgia), assistant historian; Dennis M. O'Kain (University of Georgia), project photographer; Reginald A. Berry (staff architect), foreman; William F. Hand (Auburn University) foreman; and student architects Carol B. DeGroote (University of Maryland), Dale R. Gerber (University of Minnesota), Cynthia Wilson-Glicksman (University of Arizona), and Mark Schara (University of Michigan). The Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) historian was John P. Johnson. The clerk-typist was Teena Kenimer (University of Georgia), The written data were edited in the HABS Washington office by Alison K. Hoagland in April ADDENDUM TO: HABS GA-35 W.

FRANK ANDERSON FARM GA,53-RUCK.V,3- Richard B. Russell Dam Project County Road 239 Ruckersville vicinity Elbert County Georgia FIELD RECORDS HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior C Street NW Washington, DC