Loss Of Historic Home Rekindles Fond Memories

WAUSAU - The June 17 issue of The Washington County News carried the front page account of the devastating fire which occurred on Friday night, June 12, destroying the Elbert Duncan Martin House in the Poplar Head community of Washington County.

Cecilia Spears, staff writer for The News, wrote the heart rending story of the loss of one  of the county’s historic landmark homes. Many  memories, and much  heritage,  are deeply embedded as treasures in the hearts and minds of family members.

Jay Felsberg, Managing Editor of the newspaper asked this question: “Perry, do you think you could get a picture of this old house before the fire”?  Jay also added his blessing to the writer’s exploring further into the  history of the old home place and the early settlers who established it as a home.

Elbert Duncan Martin, born in 1873 and died in 1971 at the age of 97, built the recently destroyed home.  The home began in the late 1800s  as a one room log house.  Later, the remainder of the house was built from heart pine and cypress, hand cut lumber, and was separate from the original log cabin, which then became the kitchen.

Martin, who was known by his middle name, Duncan, or “Dunc”, built the home expressly for his new bride, Rebecca White Martin, known as Becky.  Both had grown up in the Poplar Head community. She was born in 1879 and died in 1965.

The Martin ancestors came to Washington County  looking for undeveloped and less expensive land than that available in their home state.

Farm land was plentiful and had the reputation of being fertile soil for growing crops. The turpentine industry, which was flourishing in the area at that time, could have  contributed to  the move to the Poplar Head community by the Martins and other early settlers.

Duncan and Becky Martin were blessed with the arrival of their first son, Andrew in 1900.  He married Lillie Brackin of Bonifay and worked and lived in Panama City where he was well  known as a barber.   He died in 1987.

Tom Martin, born was born in 1903.   He married a lady with the first name, Vassie, who was from Georgia.  Tom established himself as a professional barber in Gainesville.  He was  also known as an excellent cook.   Preparing  “egg custard pies” was his specialty.

The third child of the Martins was a son, Leslie, who died young from an unknown childhood disease.

The fourth child was a daughter, Jessie Martin Richards,  born in  1906 and died in 2000.   She married first Douglas Richards of Chipley and they had six children.  She moved to West Palm Beach after the death of her first husband.   Later, she married Chet Wells.  Jessie was in her 80s and 90s when she returned to Washington County and lived adjacent to the old homestead.

Preston Martin was born in  1907 and died  1976.   He married Nona Yates from the Vernon area.   They made their home in Macon, Ga. where he was employed.   They returned to the area and lived in Bonifay their last years.

Daughter, Willie Dee Martin Chesnut was born in  1910 and died in  2000.  She married Roy Chesnut, who was also reared in the Poplar Head area.   She lived her lifetime in close proximity to her parents and took care of them in their declining years.

Her son, Lee Roy “Buddy” Chesnut and wife, Margaret Hutchinson Chesnut, have owned and cared for the aged and beloved home place for the past 25 years.   Their home is in the community and they  make almost daily visits to the property caring for the beautiful shrubbery, flowers and the well manicured lawn adorning the prominent historical edifice.

Son, Harry Martin, was  born in 1913 amd  died in 2001.   His wife, Charlotte, was from Virgina.   They lived in Memphis and Birmingham during his employment  with Union Carbide.   Harry and wife also returned home after retirement in 1979 and lived next door to the noted Martin house.

Harvey Martin, was born in 1916 and died in 1987.  After military service in World War II,  returned to the home of his parents, which remained his home until death.   Harvey never married and died  where he was born.

Poplar Head Freewill Baptist Church was the  home church to the Duncan Martins while they raised their family.   They, along with six of the children, are buried in the church cemetery.   Tom Martin is buried in Gainesville and the infant, Leslie, is thought to be buried at Hard Labor Cemetery.

The Martin offspring received their elementary education  at Poplar Head School.   After that school closed, some students attended  Union Hill and others went to Bonifay schools.

Probably a long forgotten incident in the life of Elbert Duncan Martin’s life was that he served on two of the three juries which convicted defendants of  three separate murders in Washington County in 1901.  The historic event is recorded in E. W. Carswell’s book, Washington, Florida’s Twelfth County.

Martin was interviewed for a newspaper story on this matter in 1970 when he was 97 years old.  He recalled details of the experience with clarity.  He reports speculation at the time of the trials that Sheriff J. A. McKeithen’s enthusiasm for the job of sheriff had  lessened.  This  resulted in the Sheriff’s   resignation  from the office before his elected term ended.

Martin did not attend the July 1, 1901 hangings, explaining that he had only been married a short time and did want to leave his wife alone “with everyone else in the community gone to Vernon”.  Vernon was the county seat at the time.

Buddy and Margaret Chesnut are making every effort to be philosophical and understanding as to their loss.  “Our family was so saddened to find the old home place burned to the ground,” reports Buddy and Margaret.   “Not only was the place a special reminder of Washington County history, but it reminded us of all the wonderful people who had grown up there and had lived during ‘hard times’ and had gone on and given many productive years of service to others and our society,” concluded the heart broken couple.

Two songs regarding old houses and homes  come to the mind of the writer when thinking of the subject of the story.

One is the George Jones composition, which was later popularized by Bill Monroe,  entitled “The Old, Old House.   Lyrics include:   “There’s an Old, Old House That Once Was a Mansion, On a Hill Overlooking The Town, Where Time’s Left a Wreck That Once Was A Beauty, And Soon The Old House Tumbled Down”.

Stuart Hamblem’s song “This Old House” also recorded by Rosemary Clooney and others has the following impressive lyrics:   “This Old House Once Knew My Children, This Old House Once Knew My Wife, This Old House Was Home and Shelter, As We Fought The Storms of Life”.

Many  family members, and other kinsmen to the Chesnuts,  still reside in the Poplar Head community.  They, along with  neighbors of long standing, fellow  church members, associates in the work place and friends by the hundreds, have expressed concern and offered words of encouragement to the Martin and Chesnut family in the sad loss of their historic home which has stood as a beacon and lighthouse to so many for generations.