Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-01-05
AN OLD HOUSE and A NO ABLE
FAMILY.

FAMILY.
When in church, 1896, the village 0
Lexington, Va, was burned, he fix
was check d at the = ossing of Hen
and ain, on the lot where the liver.
alb e now stands. On the northwe-
conor of Henry and Main was the use
of Mr.. Mat hew Hanna, which, tel
passing through several changes,is now
he property of Mrs. Gibbs.
This re liginated, as ] have oftel
heard, in the garden of a house on the
corner of Main and Lewis streets,
where the occupant of the house had
been burning trash to preparefor cult
waiting his ground. He thought the
fire was entirely extinsuished, but wind
rising in the night Lindled few Goals
With had been overlooked; the weather
was dry, and the buildings nearby
we of wood, so that the progress Of
the flames was rapid. There was n
supply Ct water to meet such an emer-
4ency, for the villagers depended for
heir wa'er on tie 9prings near the
lover end of town, which were far off
and MOI large. The inhabitants eXer ed
themselves to tie utmost, but we're
unable to prevent the destruction Of
all the houses ON Main street, with some
of those on the cross streets of Nelson
and Washington, which were near the
junction with Main Among those
burned was the Court House, which
stood on Nelson. nearly on the site of
the Baptist church. By the time the
fire reached Henry street, those who
had been fighting it for hours were
completely exhausted, and it was said
that in tteir extremity most effec.ual
assistance was given by The daughters
of Mr. Hanna. Thsse ladies' getting
water, (the Back Spring was not far
from this point,) soaked blankets and
climbing to the upperpart of the house
on the corner, spread these blankets on
the roof and exposed parts Of the build
ing, and kept them wet until the fire |
around abated, and this timely help |
checked the further progress of the
flames
Mr. Hanna was Scotch Irishman,
and, think, native of Ireland. His |
wife was Miss Montgomery, whose
family came early TO this country and
located themselves in Oxford and On
Golfers Greek, where their descend
ants still lie .ide. I do not know the
date of Mr.. Hanna's coming to this
country, nor of his marriage, but in
1916 he was living in the house on
Henry street with family of daugh-
ters. lie probably built this home
which is i'll occupied though enlarged
and altered. 1t was in my earliest
lecc lection pretty much the same,
suppose, as when first used, and was
q frame building of two stories and
cellar, with high CAB turned to-
wards Main street, from which it stood
back about tbir y OF forty feet with q
grassy yard and green trees. Within,
the house had one large room, into this
two smaller rooms, each with fire. :
p ace, opened There was no way of i
heating the large rooms except from
the two smaller, and it must have been .
very coldin winter. Upstairs the ar
of rooms was like that be-
low. Round this house ran porch v
..om dor on Henry street to one in
he back yaid, completely encircling
lalf the building, and making it, in my Il
childish eyes a gr at, charming resi- u
lence
The large room I have spoken of was Il
sed for a dining room in early times, o
I'D often for more saciel purposes !"
there was no church building in Lex II
ngtOn then The fist church was It
pened in the fall of 1902 Before -
his, preaching was in the Court House. ..
r sometimes at Mr.. Hanna's. Prayer ~ "
leetings were ED there; and the re- L
ords of Lexington Presbytery sh wv 81
lat this body repeatedly adjourned ~
ON Monmouth tr the Academy "to g..
Ieet at Mr.. Hannas" OF course The 81
re.bytafy was smaller body than at 81
resent or even Mr.. Hannas large y,
,Om would not nave accommodated =,
MIR. Hanna was an e'der before he w w
lme to Lexington, at least he took til d
lace here, and he had probably acted "a
this capacity in his old home, 1 eA
i've been told that he signed call for W
le Rev. VIM. Graham 10 this place and y.
have acall signed by him and one IL
her elder for Mr.. Baxter's services W
'99. l do not unders and how call W. W.
'uld be given by a church which had "
organized existence and the Lexin = i'
n church was not organized until vi
81; but Presbyterians were Just Se'
merging from the times when we DC
uld only have meeting houses not ~
urches, and forms were relaxed. wv
Like so many of the noble Scotch ' .ei
ISL race. Mr.. Hanna's rue of life t,r'
rs, cas- for me and my house we vii 'n'
a q