| Ned Coleman’s Rock House As described by Ned to Leslie & JD Evans Ned Coleman (now deceased) once owned the property immediately to the west of the gas plant on Lone Star Road in Clay County. This old stone house is located on that property. Ned is shown here with Leslie Evans about 1998. As Ned remembered, this house was already here when his family moved here about 1912. Ned lived here for two years when he was about 12 to 14 years old. The house faces south, and in design, closely resembles ancient storage buildings in France. The house is constructed of trimmed local stone, with a clay and cement covering that is partially visible on the west side. The floor is dug out app. 5 feet. In the rear is a wood burning cook stove that also provided heat. There is a galvanized smoke stack going out the north wall, and up to the level of the crown of the roof. Two shelves were on the left side of the stove and a small (app. 3’x3’x1’) cabinet was on the right. Above the stove, was a shelf large enough to hold a double mattress. There was a chair and a small rocker in front on the dirt floor. About 20 yards to the west was a hand-dug well that provided cool sweet water, and was never known to go dry. When the gas plant located next door, the well became contaminated and was filled in. This is the lintel above the door immediately above Ned’s head in the photo above. The initials JWC were carved in it, while he lived here, by either Ned’s brother or cousin. He told us which, but I can’t remember. |
