Treasure homes

 

The Cotton Street house with all the lights. I mentioned it earlier, how it used to have several trees in the yard, then a tornado tore through the property. They were finally working on repairs (without any funding except insurance) when Hurricane Helene caused more damage. But a year later, here are beautiful decorations...just no trees to light up.

2023 version had a star in a tree as well as a fence (below)

Sharing with My Corner of the World

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McClure homes:

I was searching for the original post on FB for the McClure home which I'd been interested in - located in south west Virginia...kind of in my neck of the woods. And these other homes with the same title came up. So I'll share them as well! Some other McClures either built them or owned them!

From Preservation Oklahoma

"Built in 1909, the Nickel Ensor McClure House is a majestic example of Romanesque Revival Style in Alva, Oklahoma. I'm glad to see it in good shape with work continuing to take place by the current owner. It was listed on POK's Most Endangered Places in 2009 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010."

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From Jimmy Lloyd of Natchez Mississippi

"The James McClure house built in 1850 located on North Union. The name McClure is associated with King's Tavern, which was built in 1789." (No mention on the Wikipedia article of Mr. McClure, however as an architect he might have had some input in renovations.)

King' s Tavern built 1769 Natchez Mississippi

The King's Tavern building in was built in 1769, making it the oldest structure in the old river port city of Natchez. When the British moved in and established the nearby Fort Panmure, the King's Tavern building was originally built to be a block house for the fort. As there was no saw mill near this frontier town, this building and other structures were constructed using beams taken from scrapped New Orleans sailing ships, which were brought to Natchez via mule. Another source of wood used in the King's Tavern building construction were barge boards from flat river boats, which were dismantled and sold after arriving in Natchez with their goods after traveling down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Boatmen couldn't take their flat boats back up these rivers, so they just added to their profit by selling the boats as wood, which was needed to build Natchez. Besides the wood, sun-dried bricks also were used as building material. The result is a building which has an ambiance and decor of another era from the outside.

After the Revolutionary War in 1776, the British left the area, leaving the river port open for other interests. In 1789, a New Yorker by the name of Richard King moved his family to Natchez where he bought this block home and opened a combination tavern and inn, as well as the place where the town's mail was dropped off.  

...with the invention of the steamboat, which could travel down and up the river as well, the need for this dangerous travel along Natchez Trace ended with this form of modern transportation. This development cut down on the lucrative stage business significantly, dropping the economic activity taking place at the King's Tavern. Richard King sold the King's Tavern in 1817. The building was once again a private home, becoming the Postalwaith family home for several generations, a total of 150 years, beginning in 1823.

In 1973, the building was sold to a local investor and it eventually became a tavern and restaurant to serve both locals and visitors, taking the original name, the King's Tavern. Under new ownership as "The Tavern" it reopened in the fall of 2013. The owners used the farm-to-table concept using locally sourced quality ingredients.

It was for sale in 2022. It is also supposedly haunted.

Source: Wikipedia

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I don't remember having any McClure ancestors, actually. But there surely were a lot of them building houses! Yes, I found some more McClure homes...(coming soon!) My Ancestry search brought out Confederate Captain John McClure Biggs, husband of my first cousin four times removed. I don't know why his middle name was McClure, haven't gone back in his ancestry...but who knows...

Sharing with Tom's Tuesday's Treasures!

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A house blessing.

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Two more days until Christmas!

This and tomorrow are the biggest days men go shopping (at least in my having seen their quick and somewhat stressed presence in many stores through the years!) Gift wrapped things are highly popular.

Not all men of course.

Some just arrange for gift cards to be emailed around.

(If this sounds familiar, thanks for thinking of us who purchased presents (after thoughtful consideration of the traits of the receiving person) back in what, October? August?)

Actually I purchased or made my presents either this month, or over several years - but packed them and gave the pottery away last month. I do hope my Ohio relatives don't mind. They were busy looking at each other's phones to see what someone said they wanted was the right style or color! That was the 4 women. None of them asked me what I wanted for Christmas. There was no thought that I might like a present. I am positive if I'd presented a list there would have been dead silence from them. I was told however, that my daughter-in-law had already chosen my present.

I'll be grateful to receive anything. How thoughtful to be included in the family with busy lives.

I've said that for years.

But a little bit of the angry "Elderly Grand-Elf" has a bitch to share. No not toward male shoppers who procrastinate...they know who they are.

When do adult grandchildren acknowledge that they have the wherewithal to give gifts to their Elderly Grand-Elf?

My oldest grandson has done this several years. For which I'm very grateful. Of the other 5 grands...not so much.

So no excuses kids...you're grown ups now, and have incomes (except the 2 still in college)..probably much more than mine.

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Today's goddess:

Ceramic creation on display at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 2025