Listed in Arkansas Register of Historic Places on 08/03/16

Summary

The Wilson-Hartsfield House is a renovated dogtrot log structure that is located in rural Columbia County, to the north of Columbia County Road 38 roughly ten miles east of Magnolia, Arkansas. The structure was under construction by 1865 and was constructed using half logs. The Wilson-Hartsfield House is being nominated to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places under Criterion C, with local significance, as an example of a mid-19^th century dog-trot log structure with a rear ell addition.

Elaboration

Benjamin Wilson was born in September of 1773, the second child of James and Martha (Gray) Wilson of Nottoway Parish, Southampton County, Virginia.[1] He married Martha Lutsey in February of 1800 in Virginia, where he became a landowner. After Benjamin Wilson served in the war of 1812 in the 65^th Virginia Militia of Southampton County, he sold his land holdings in Virginia and moved with his wife, children and elderly parents to the newly formed territory of Alabama. Other members of the Wilson extended family also moved to Alabama Territory in the following years. The Wilson family settled in what would become Autauga County, near the Alabama and Coosa rivers. Here they lived in peace with the local Native American tribes for a few short years. Sadly, it was to last only a short time, as land speculators moved into the area and Native American removals soon began. While living in Virginia and then Alabama, Benjamin and Martha Wilson had nine children; Mary, William N., Sarah, Rebecca, Wells Washington, Joseph Gray, Wiley I., Benjamin Baker, and Adaline. Benjamin died in Alabama in 1839 and Martha soon followed in 1846.

The children of Benjamin Wilson began to leave Alabama soon after the death of their parents. Ms. Daniel, who compiled an extensive history of the Wilson Family, lists the depression of the 1840s, which forced the State Bank in Alabama to close, among the reasons for the Wilsons leaving their second homeland. Land prices dropped sharply and farms were virtually worthless. Following closely was a great drought, adding to the farmers' troubles. A yellow fever epidemic created further misery. Ms. Daniel writes that: "By 1860 only two of Benjamin and Patsy's nine children, six of whom they had brought from Virginia, would still make their home in Alabama as brothers and sisters scattered to the four winds, some to never meet again."[2]

Benjamin Baker Wilson, son of Benjamin and Martha Wilson, who had been born in Alabama on November 5th, 1823, married Sarah Elizabeth Shannon on June 11, 1848. Benjamin Baker and Sarah moved from Alabama to Boone Township in Columbia County, Arkansas, in 1853, one year after the county's formation from parts of Ouachita, Union, Hempstead, and Lafayette counties. Benjamin Baker and Sarah had been preceded in their move by an older brother, Wells Washington Wilson, who had come to Ouachita County in late 1850 or 1851. At the time of their coming from Alabama, Benjamin Baker Wilson and Sarah had three children. Benjamin Dulane was the oldest, having been born in 1849, followed by Joana in 1850, and Martha in 1852. Five more children were born to the couple in Arkansas before Sarah Elizabeth (Shannon) Wilson died April 17, 1865; Sara Adeline in 1855, Lovbereck Elmore in 1859, Demarious in 1861, Virginia in 1863 and William Henry in 1865. After the death of Sarah Wilson in 1865, Benjamin Baker married Charlotte Miller Owens. Benjamin Baker and Charlotte would have six additional children; Etiza Elenora, Nancy Zodla, Charlott Blanch, Tampa Beatrice, Payton Oscar and Ora Etta. In total, Benjamin Baker was father to fourteen children, although some had died in their youth.

After arriving in Columbia County, Arkansas, family histories state that Benjamin Baker Wilson started construction of a one room log house on the property of what is now known as the Wilson-Hartsfield House in a small community known historically as Lydesdale and/or Ebenezer. The Wilson family lived in this one room log house until 1865, when a second room was constructed just to the east of the original one room house, creating a dogtrot log house. Apparently, Benjamin Baker Wilson then sold the house and property to a John T. Stevens sometime after building the first portion of the house. John T. Stevens was the husband of one of Benjamin Baker Wilson’s daughters.

The oldest son of Benjamin Baker, Benjamin Dulane, married Mary Henrietta "Mollie" Burch in 1876 in the town of Hot Springs. According to the 1880 United States Census, Benjamin Dulane and Mollie were family living in Garland County. They then moved to Union County, near El Dorado, for a time before returning to the Ebenezer community in the 1880s. A seller's agreement held by the family, shows that Benjamin Dulane Wilson purchased the 120-acre property his father had originally settled from Mr. Stevens for $480 in December of 1888. Benjamin Dulane moved his family, including his six children, back to Columbia County at that time. Benjamin Dulane and Mollie would eventually have ten children together, including; Thomas Jefferson, B. E., A. E., J. T., J. E., W. O., Minnie Ever, Oscar “Oss”, Mary Virginia “Mamie”, and Thomas Arven. After Benjamin Duane Wilson purchased the property, the rear ell addition was constructed in c. 1889. The house at this time included a rear kitchen space, and three spaces that all functioned as bedrooms and family spaces. Benjamin Dulane Wilson’s father Benjamin Baker died on August 21, 1891. Benjamin Baker’s second wife, Charlotte Wilson died on February 20, 1913. Benjamin Dulane and Mollie continued to live in the house with various members of their large family until their death. Benjamin Dulane Wilson died on December 15, 1924, and his wife Mollie died several years later on February 13, 1946.

After the death of Benjamin Dulane Wilson, the house was deeded to Oscar “Oss” Wilson, one of Benjamin Dulane’s sons. Oss Wilson continued to farm the land and lived in the house where he had been born. Oscar Wilson’s sister Mary Virginia “Mamie” Wilson Hartsfield moved back into the house with her brother after her husband died. She moved back with her two small children Verda and Susan Hartsfield. Verda Hartsfield inherited the house and 80-acres of farmland from her uncle Oss Wilson. Verda and her cousin Floyd Wilson, who helped to farm the land, lived in the home for many years.[3] Verda Hartsfield continued to live in the house until her death in October of 1991. The house was then passed to Verda Hartsfield’s niece Mary Hines, while a section of 40-acres of property was inherited by another niece Frankie Snider Couch Elmore in December of 1983.[4] Mary Hines and her family soon moved into the house. The house was sold outside of the family in 2014.[5] In 2015, Frankie Snider Couch Elmore, purchased the property to return it to Wilson/Hartsfield/Hines/Snider family control.

Benjamin Baker, his son and the many members of his extended family farmed the land surrounding his house in the small community of Ebenezer. The Wilson family focused on various crops throughout the farms history. Initially, the family raised peas and winter grains as well as greens and corn.[6] The family also raised hogs for meat and cows for milk. The produce that was raised on the farm was sent to Magnolia and El Dorado for sale. By the turn of the 20^th century, the Wilson family raised sweet potatoes. The family constructed a concrete potato house near the main house to store the sweet potatoes around 1905.[7] This potato house includes an internal fireplace that helped to regulate the temperature of the stored crop in the winter, since stored potatoes require a constant temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit.[8] The family members that inherited the house through the 1970s continued to farm the surrounding land to earn a living.[9]

Based on early family photos, the chimney appeared to be constructed using mud and stick, where a rude frame sub-structure of overlaid logs or planks was thickly covered with mud based plaster or clay. These early vernacular chimneys were impermanent by their material nature and were highly susceptible to fire unless constantly maintained. They were often quickly replaced by more practicable permanent constructions of brick or stone, as seen in the surviving brick chimneys on this property.[10] The original mud and stick chimneys on the house had been replaced by brick chimneys before 1905 based on surviving early family photos of the property.

The visible log portions of the house include roughly square notching techniques on the east side pen and square and semilunate notching on the west side pen. Semilunate notching is an older notching technique and was common on pine log structures in the Deep South. As an 18^th and 19^th century technique, semilunate notching examples have not survived in great quantity.[11] Wooden siding was added to the exterior of the log portions of the house sometime during its history to try to winterize the property by helping to keep out the cold winter winds that cut through the rough cut lumber and only two layers of wood of the original structure. Much of this later vertical wood siding has been removed, with only the rear ell and the east façade of the log structure having remnants remaining. The rear porches were enclosed for a bathroom in the 1960s and a second section of porch was enclosed in the 1990s to form an interior closet. The wood shingled roof was also replaced by corrugated tin sheets; the original wooden roof can be seen in early surviving photos of the house.

Statement of Significance

The Wilson-Hartsfield House is a renovated dogtrot log structure that is located in rural Columbia County, to the north of Columbia County Road 38 roughly ten miles east of Magnolia, Arkansas. The Wilson-Hartsfield House is being nominated to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places under Criterion C, with local significance, as an example of a mid-19^th century dog-trot log structure with a rear ell addition.

Bibliography:

Bomberger, Bruce D. The Preservation and Repair of Historic Log Buildings: Preservation Brief #26. National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

Daniel, Mary Wimmer. The Descendants of James Wilson From England to ARK-LA-TEX. self-published. Held in the personal files of Frankie Elmore, Magnolia, Arkansas.

Elmore, Frankie. Personal Family Recollections as the Great-Granddaughter of Benjamin Baker. Information Provided in 2016.

Gamble, Robert S. Essay #6 Chinmeys: Supplement to Handbook for Owners of Alabama’s Historical Houses. PreserveALA, Alabama Historical Commission. 2001.

McAlester, Virginia & Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. (Alfred A. Knopf: New York, NY), 1984.

Owens, Sheldon Ben. The Dogtrot House Type in Georgia: A History and Evolution (Thesis). (University of Georgia: Athens, Georgia), 2009.

Quinn, Judith. "National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form: Sweet Potato Houses of Sussex County, Delaware". National Park Service, December 23, 1987.

Rehder, John B. Appalachian Folkways. (The John Hopkins University Press: Baltimore, MD), 2004.

United States Census Rolls, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920.

[2] Mary Wimmer Daniel, The Descendants of James Wilson From England to ARK-LA-TEX, self-published.

[3] Personal family recollection, Frankie Elmore, Great-Granddaughter of Benjamin Baker, information provided in 2016.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Judith Quinn, "National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form: Sweet Potato Houses of Sussex County, Delaware," National Park Service, December 23, 1987.

[9] Personal family recollection, Frankie Elmore, Great-Granddaughter of Benjamin Baker, information provided in 2016.

[10] Robert S. Gamble, Essay #6 Chinmeys: Supplement to Handbook for Owners of Alabama’s Historical Houses, PreserveALA, Alabama Historical Commission, 2001.

[11]John B. Rehder, Appalachian Folkways, The John Hopkins University Press: Baltimore, MD, 2004, p 91. Sheldon Ben Owens, The Dogtrot House Type in Georgia: A History and Evolution (Thesis, University of Georgia: Athens, Georgia, 2009, p 91.