Back in the early 1800's this beautiful piece of land was inhabited by the Native Americans.  The first people to purchase the land had a small home in the woods until the larger home was built and the land was cleared for farming and pastures..  The original owners of the land built the current home in the 1860's. The farm was orginally a prized horse farm and the horses were the major industy on the farm.

 

In the 1890's my Great-Grandparents, Bert and Iva Mae Cox bought the land and it has been in my family ever since. In 1912 my Grandmother, Faith Cox, was born in the house as well as her sister.  Bert and Iva were married in 1895 and they bought the farm a few years later.  The house had the first Delco system used for electricity in the community and had two bathrooms, which was unusual for that day and time.  Also, the farm land was improved as Bert and his son Albert dug the ditch west of the house that provided drainage and thus produced superior rich farmland.  In 1936 Faith Cox and Aaron Smith were married and took over the farm, however the house was split in two so they shared it with Bert and Iva for many years.   Shortly after Faith and Aaron married they had my Mother, Berta Mae Smith, and then two more girls Sharon and Shirley Smith.  The three sisters grew up in the house, and then after my Grandparents passed, my Mother owned the house and rented it out for several years. My husband, Steve Franch, and I bought the house from my Mother in 2012 and we spent several years having the Amish renovate it.  It has been completely modernized, but keeping all original wood floors and beautiful architecture.

 

I have always been told that the Underground Railroad ran through the home and they would house the slaves under the staircase.  When we did the renovations it was the first time anyone in my family had seen underneath the stairs.  It was wallpapered and there was shelving on the walls and so very interesting!  The farm has been in our family for over one hundred years now, and we are happy to share the history of the home, along with the peacefully beautiful setting, with the public.