The Little House, on Elm Bluff is one of the grandest of the antebellum homes in Powell Valley. Originally a traditional "L" shaped brick, the home has been added to to make it a squared shape. There are 14 rooms in the house excluding the basement and hallways. The home sits 100 yards away from the old highway 63, and is shielded from the traffic noise by large oaks, maples, and southern magnolia trees. There is a limestone retaining wall in front of the house about 3 feet high, built by slave labor. The grounds still have the original steel hitching posts as well as the stile for getting into and out of buggies. A stone barn, unusual in the area, was built in 1913 and is 250 yards northeast of the house. Other structures on the property are a springhouse, a smokehouse, and a framed house in which lived a groundskeeper.The orginial gates are still present on the other side of the road. The Little House is part of a 320 acre farm now owned by Paul and Judy Rice (1984). A herd of sheep guarded by a big Australian Sheepdog now grazes the pasture lands. The house has seen many changes since it was purchased by Silas Little at the turn of the century. He was responsible for filling in the "L" with a white framed Victorian addition. The addition housed an extra bedroom, drawing room, and pantry. He also added the large 2 story porch which enhanced its strong antebellum image. Little altered the interior as well. He added color tile over the fireplaces and changed the mantels, making them much more elaborate. Corinthian columns supporting round arches were added to the entrance of the living room coming from the main hall. The house is a mixture of Silas Little's basically Victorian tastes and antebellum splendor. Each of the 14 rooms is furnished with antiques, some pre-Civil War and some turn of the century. The furniture is also a mixture of European and American pieces. They all exhibit fine craftmanship. In 1944 entirely new electrical and plumbing systems were added. Also at the time the floor on the porch was replaced and limestone replaced deteriorated brick around the fireplaces. The limestone and wood for the porch were taken from the site. It is the only one of a few antebellum homes left in Campbell County. Its significance is further underlined by its excellent condition. It was built in 1840 for Franklin Moss Smith, son of Robert C. and Sally Moss Smith. The house has passed through several other families over the years. The exact dates of their purchases were destroyed when the county courthouse burned in the 1950's. The 1840 construction date was established when renovation took place in 1944, uncovering names and dates scrawled on joists and brick. After the Civil War, the farm and home were purchased by Joshua Little, who was a circuit preacher in the Powell Valley. His wife, Olivia Kincaid, was a daughter of John Kincaid II, a major force in the Valley prior to the Civil War. Kincaid was responsible for building the only other antebellum brick homes left in Campbell and Claiborne Counties. The Little House bears marked resemblance to the Ausmus House which Kincaid built for his son. It is thought that several of Kincaid's slaves were used in the construction of "The Little House". The stone and brick work as well as the general proportions of the house resemble the other Kincaid homes. Joshua Little continued to preach as well as to farm this land. Sometime during the 1890's he sold the house and farm to his son, Silas Little, who had made a fortune in the clothing business in Knoxville. Silas made a number of changes to the house, already described. He built the cottage in back for his mother and father who were no longer able to care for the large house. Silas died in 1927 and left the house to his only daughter, Gladys. She lived in the house for only a few years and then moved to Knoxville. The house was unoccipied for over 10 years until it was bought by Sam Mars II. The house was used by Mrs. Ethel Mars as a weekend and summer home. It is now reported unoccipied except a few resident Haunts. Listed as a National Register Nomination
The background picture was taken Sept. 2000 by Steven B. Hoke, my husband. The stone barn is to the left of the house and behind the barn, we found a cemetery, with my G-G-G-Uncle Robert C. Smith, with wife, Sarah Moss Smith, and daughter-in-law, Susannah Viney McHenry Smith. There are at least three more blank headstones. The Cemetery is in great need of clearing and repair. This farmland was once a part of the farm owned by Robert C Smith, a Slave owner, who came here from Granville/Warren Co,NC around 1800 with his wife and family. His father was Gulielmus Smith, born Hanover Co, VA and moved to Granville/ Warren Co, NC, where he had several plantations. John Kincaid II and Mary Jane Smith, had a daughter Elizabeth Sharp Kincaid, who married Col. W. H. Smith, who was the son of Jourdan Smith. Jourdan and Franklin were brothers. John Kincaid II and Elizabeth Moss had a daughter, Olevia Moss Kincaid married to the Joshua Little above.
Source: Speedwell (through 200 years) by Bonnie Page
Many Family members and Genealogy friends
Thanks to Thomas Dyke for the info on Judith Ann Smith Dyke
A Special Thanks to the Rice family for allowing us to visit the property.
