Roy Wilson writes, “My brother, sister and I bought the house/farm from the estate of Ruth Apple in May. As next-door neighbors for 60 years, the Apples always told us it was an old stage coach depot on what was then called The Old National Road.
I’d be happy to take you and Cheryl on a tour of the house and farm where we believe there was an old bridge over Nameless Creek, formerly used by the stage line.
While we are not attempting to restore the home, we we are trying to preserve it. I found it incredibly interesting that the basement and the other two levels of the original one-room-per-floor home each had a fireplace. Yes, a fireplace in the basement. In my career, I’ve been in thousands of homes, and I’ve never seen a fireplace in the basement.
My siblings and I still live next door to the Apple farm. A neighbor involved with local historical activities did some research and told me the brick on the house was made on site and had egg shells mixed in the brick recipe, which we found. I’m in the process of obtaining permission to give you her name and phone number.”
Tom Van Duyn has done some research on the property with the family members, Sue Smith and John Apple. Tom says there are five fireplaces in the house and believes that it is was used for some type of commercial purpose like a stage coach stop. Richard McDaniel told me that the cement water troughs for the animals are in the woods across the way.
So I do believe it was an old stage stop. But was it along the Old Centerville Road which ran south to the National Road?
In the early days along the road, there were wagon stands and drovers houses where tired horses rested overnight. Drovers corralled herds of cattle, hogs, sheep and even turkeys at these locations.
Enough. I have told you every things that I know and some things I don’t. Talk to me.
Write to historian Joe Skvarenina at [email protected] or in care of the Daily Reporter, 22 W. New Road, Greenfield, IN 46140.
