That’s what my friend Dakota of The Old History Project called it last week when we went traipsing through the ivy-covered property next door to Hayslope.
Oddly enough, for a while, the house that stood on that property was called “Hayslope,” although it was initially called “Killiecrankie,” after a famous Scottish battle in the 17th century. Dakota and I found no physical signs of the house I knew as the Blair house, just daffodils and English ivy – and an awfully big patch of vinca.
We did, however, find signs of the three cottages that stood behind the big house.
Here’s the story: Robert Patterson, a nephew of Theo and Louisa Rogan (son of her sister Connie) married Maud Hooper of Selma, Alabama. Her mother, Maude, spent many a summer at Hayslope when it was a 500-or-so acre resort. After Theo and Louisa died and the property was divided between their five children, Robert and Maude bought parcels from Griffith and Hugh Rogan, including the piece directly to the south of the old homeplace. And there Robert built Killiecrankie and the cottages, one of which was for Maude. Now, Robert’s sister-in-law, Ruth, married a true Scotsman named Robert Blair, and the Blairs, Pattersons, and Hoopers lived in the new structures along with friends and relatives who came to visit.
Cassie Rogan, the eldest child of Theo and Louisa, was living next door in the old house. Newspaper articles called Patterson’s house Killiecrankie until around 1925, when the comings and goings in the society pages began calling that house Hayslope. Cassie lived in the old house until her death in 1932, and five years later, Briscoe and Escoe Thomason bought the house and its 28 acres from Cassie’s sister, Ellen Stephens, who lived in Florida.
Meanwhile, the Pattersons and Blairs kept coming to their house in the summers, spending winters in Selma. After the Roberts died, both in the 1940s, Ruth and Maud kept up the tradition. Maud died in the 1950s, leaving the property to Ruth, who spent her summers in Russellville until she, too, died, in the 1960s. After that, the city of Morristown got the property.
We suspect the city may have bulldozed the big house, although perhaps more digging around in the ivy will overturn some evidence that it was there (other than my memory!) But there are plenty of bricks, including a chimney, indicating where the cabins were.
That’s why we went back in there to begin with. Dakota wanted to show me the chimney, which appears to be built with hand-made brick, and we found more piles of bricks, some looking like maybe part of a step or walk, and an odd construction that was likely some kind of ventilation for a crawlspace beneath one of the cottages. That particular construction was clearly made with more “modern” brick, and by that we mean not 18th or early 19th century.
Further back, we found what appeared to be a continuation of the old Kentucky Road – that famous road is pretty clear right next to Hayslope. It’s cut pretty deep right there, and there are even steps from the Hayslope yard down to the road level. The road wandered back through what’s now the east end of Morristown’s industrial park and then crossed the old stage road – creating Cheek’s Crossroads – before winding on toward the river and then up the mountains to Kentucky.
And then Dakota nearly fell into an old cistern. Somebody (and I can’t remember who it was) told me it was back there before. I looked once, but didn’t find it. Dakota did. We couldn’t get a very good look into it. There’s a rim of brick around it, what may be a collapsed lid directly below, and the cut-out goes we don’t know how far around it. A better look later, we hope. It’s also more or less in line with the spring across Warrensburg Road, so we wondered if it might be connected.
It makes me really nervous with the city of Morristown owning that little strip of property right next to Hayslope. Personally, I think they should give it to us as part of the historic property, or donate it to the National Historic Trust as a preservation easement. Either of those would completely erase any nervousness on my part.
I am searching for descendants of Ruth Blair – it doesn’t appear the Pattersons had children. The Blairs did, however. They’ve all since died as well, but grandchildren may have photos of the house.
And so, our journey continues. We’re getting very close to being able to begin the real work on the house. As soon as the tenants currently living there are out, we’ll be doing a little termite treatment and getting utilities set up. And next week when I’m there, I’m planning to take a crowbar to a small section of the siding and see what it looks like under there. Pictures WILL be made.