by Una Queener Maddox: Written in 1986
It was the house that brought us to Philadelphia. my parents, Lynn and Lila Rose Queener bought this old house at an auction in 1968. They lived here for three years. We loved the old house so much that they sold it to us, and in 1971 Allen, LeRoy and I moved here.
We found so much more than just a beautiful old house to live in. We found a town filled with love. "Small Town", U. S. A. " at it's best.
There are others who have lived in this town longer than we have who have written "memories". This old house has seen and been a part of it all.
The arrow heads we have found on these grounds tell us Indians used it before we did.
Walter Franklin Lenoir built the house of hand pressed brick (we found a brick with thumb prints) using slave labor in 1848 thru 1853. It took five years to complete, as every all ( even inner walls ) are three brick and five brick thick. Oh, if the old walls could talk, the memories they could tell.
Some of them do. The south wall still holds a minnie ball fired in the Civil War. We found many more in the lawns and gardens. The back door bears the scare where bushwhackers broke into the house.
I often wonder from which room Commander Col. J. J. Morrison wrote his letter headed:
Lenoir's House, Philadelphia
Oct 20, 1863
General Stevenson:
I have the honor to state that agreeable to you instructions, I succeeded in getting between Loudon and Philadelphia after making a march of 50 miles in fifteen hours, found the enemy Wolford's Brigade in line of battle. Sent one regiment to Loudon to make a demonstration at that place to prevent Crl. Wolford's force from being augmented by the forces at Loudon. I attacked him at once w with, the remainder of my force, numbering 1,200. After a very severe fight, with twice my number pitted against me, supported by six pieces of artillery, I succeeded in completely routing him, capturing all of his artillery, entire wagon train, and 400 prisoners. My loss will foot up to 10 killed, 68 wounded, and 70 missing.
Myra Ann Lenoir wrote a letter to her sister, Elizabeth M. Martin in which she said, "Rebels surprised Wolford's Brigade, which was camped around the W.T. Lenoir house, completely routing them, taking 400-500 prisoners, 60 vehicles, tents and everything they had there."
It is hard to imagine this old house was barely ten years old when. all those bullets were fired around and into it.
There is writing on the wall going into the basement that says "SET PARLOR HEN, JULY 17, 1911" The basement walls have names of townspeople who stored potatoes down there to be picked up by the train.
Also, in the basement were shelves with hidden hinges that when swung open revealed a space large enough for four or five men to have stood.
In an upstairs closet is a hidden compartment and behind a base board is another. A few years ago we found a metal, leather covered, pouch in a crevice over a door way in the basement, that we have been told dates from the Civil War years.
On the grounds we have dug up an old "sad" iron with the handle missing, an 1899 quarter, an 1895 Indian Head penny, a yellow stone from a piece of jewelry, a black jet button, a metal button, tin silverware and many clay marbles. Under the maple trees we dug up a yellow handled pocket knife with " Yance Gibroy, Briceville, Tenn. written on it.
When we opened the fireplace in the old slave kitchen, we found a white glass head hat pin, a crochet hook, a wooden hand carved token with "B.N.S. 1913", and an old leather strap.
The Lenoirs lived here until the depression years. The home was sold and several families lived here.
I have been told teachers and mill workers boarded here. Also, that a cyclone passed the old house in 1911 ( good thing the little hen was sitting in the parlor) taking down many of the old oak trees that gave the house it's name.
Susan Lenoir Harris (granddaughter of the original builder) had told us so many memories of the house. She played here in the early 1900's. Today our granddaughter, Nicole Maddox, wheels her doll and buggy thru the hallways. We look forward to our future and treasure our past.It is the 1980's, our town has a lady mayor, Sarah Letterman. Block Grants have redone many of the older homes. The watershed program cleared the old spring that once furnished most of the water for the town. The trains still run through our town. they don't stop anymore.
Philadelphia has a new school, library, many churches, post office, bank, beauty shop, craft shop, volunteer fire department, and garages and grocery store. Surrounding our town are rolling landscapes where cattle and horses graze. There are many dairy farms. "Small Town, U.S.A." What more could anyone want?