Paul and Sallie (Bailey) Francis moved from Jellico to LaFollette, TN, in September 1928, and lived in a home on Indiana Avenue across from the Harvey M. LaFollette home. In the 1930s, they built a home on 15 acres about a mile from the center of LaFollette on South Tennessee Avenue. A florist shop and green houses were built behind the home. Formal gardens were also created with the "showcase" located on the south side of the south driveway entrance. It consisted of paths, ponds, gazebos and other open buildings, a wishing well, small bell tower, and a small scene of a house and wooden figures depicting Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. A rock wall was built along the street between the two driveway entrances. Behind the wall was a bank of purple phlox and tulips. On the north side of the house was a wooden swing and numerous flower beds. Between the back of the house and the florist shop and greenhouses was a formal English-style garden of shrubs and flowers. The front and north side yards were filled with azaleas and pink and white dogwoods, which lined the driveway to the house from the north entrance. Descriptions and photographs of the house and gardens were published in "Campbell County, Tennessee, USA, Volume 1", by Miller McDonald, published by the County Services Syndicate, LaFollette, Tennessee, 1993, pp. 234-240. I have been told that people would drive many miles on Sunday afternoons to walk through the gardens in the late 1930s and 1940s.
In the florist shop, Sallie B. Francis operated Francis Florist for many years. She also operated florist shops in Jellico, TN, and Harlan, KY.
Living across the street, my brother and I spent many hours of our childhood roaming through the woods behind the house, picking blackberries at the top of the hill behind the house, and playing in the gardens.
I have included some photgraphs of the gardens in the 1950s at their most beautiful times - the spring with the dogwoods and azaleas in bloom, and the winter with snow. |
