By mid-twentieth century, as prosperous white farmers moved into town or built modern brick homes on their land, tenant farmers and sharecroppers moved into the wooden dwellings they left behind. By the end of the century, with the disappearance of this way of life, these houses were abandoned, and most have been torn down.
A chance post on Facebook alerted me to this house off London Church Road. Though now ramshackle, the dwelling and several of its outbuildings still stand. African-American families lived in this house for decades, including that of Sarah Lizzie Woodard Cooper Ward, who was a great-granddaughter of Primitive Baptist preacher London Woodard.
The house, with its broad shed-roof porch.
The rear addition.
The interior — plaster walls with exposed laths.
Outbuildings.
The capped well that supplied water to the farm.
Many thanks to Rodney Richardson for bringing this house to my attention, and Anthony E. Reid Sr. for information on its London Woodard connection.
Is this house still there and where is it. Sarah Lizzie Woodard ward. Are there tenant houses still standing to see near Wilson?
This house is still standing. I took these photos last August. There are relatively few late 19th/early 20th-century tenant houses remaining. 20-30 years ago, they were still easy to spot when riding around the countryside, but no longer.
Hello Lisa,
Lizzie, was my grandmother, my mom was Joyce Cooper-Reid-Witherspoon. She was Born 1905 and died 1995. I remember visiting her at this house, throwing rocks in the pond and watching chickens running around the yard. Precious memories
Anthony