Online Version: 06/23/2010
- The two story home of Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Evans in
the Carmack Community is several miles from its
original location in the Carroll County town of Vaiden. The Star Herald
- Mrs. Bobby Evans stands in the stair well of her Carmack home while photos of family are displayed
below. The Star Herald
- Mrs. Bobby Evans stands in the dining room of her
home.
July 23, 2010
Hilltop move: Couple moves home from Carroll County to
Attala
By Nancy Green The Star Herald
CARMACK — The two story home of Mr.
and Mrs. Bobby Evans makes a striking pose from its hilltop setting in the Carmack Community, several miles from its original location in the Carroll
County town of Vaiden.
Built in 1849, the home was purchased by the Evanses
and moved to the Attala County location. For the past five years, “a work in
progress” has been underway by the family in restoring and refurbishing their
home.
It was built by a Vaiden merchant, Mr. Armstrong, as a gift to his daughter.
Through the years the home was occupied by members of that family and for the
past 30 years the home had been the property of the Vaiden Baptist Church.
“The church advertised for bids on the sale of the house to be moved. I think
we were the only bidders,” said Mrs. Evans.
Movers were unable to move the house intact, resulting in the top story being
torn away prior to the move. All materials were salvaged and used in
restoration of the first floor and rebuilding of the top.
As Mrs. Evans shows the home she points out boards, cabinets, wainscoting and
flooring that came about from materials of the upper level.
In the front hallway, one gets a view of the pine flooring which is found
throughout the home. The parlor, dining room, kitchen, den, bathroom and master
bedroom occupy the lower level. Most of the windows are original, with the
exception of several which were blown out from the remnants of Hurricane
Katrina which swept the area in 2005. Twelve foot ceiling are found throughout.
Mrs. Evans shared bits of information which have been passed to she and her husband concerning the home. In the parlor, she
pointed to an area and markings on the floor where the grand piano set, the
place where the home’s owner gave piano lessons for many years.
Antiques fill the home with a story about many that came from family members.
There’s furniture which belonged to her late parents, Robert and Loleta Keeton of Meridian, and other furnishing which
belonged to his parents, Joel and Maggie Evans. A picture of his parents
occupies a wall in the entry hall.
The kitchen cabinets were crafted from material which had once been a part of
the upper story. The patina of the kitchen floor shows burned spots resulting
from the use of a wood burning stove. A large den was built adjacent to the
kitchen. The original front door to the home was moved to the den and opens
onto a patio. A breezeway-sun room connects to the carport and provides a
perfect place for plants and a wall for hanging pictures which Evans acquired
from the Morman Manufacturing Co. for which he worked
for 36 years.
Completing the first level of the home is the master bedroom and bath. The
bedroom features the addition of a bay window and a tray ceiling as a feature.
No window treatments are used throughout allowing natural light and a view of
the wooded surroundings.
From the back hallway, the original staircase
provides access to the upper story’s three bedrooms and baths. From a hallway
at the top of the stairs, entry is gained to the balcony where one can have a
view of the surrounding countryside.
Despite all the work with their home, the couple has found time to continue
with mission work in which they have been involved for a number of years. They
are members of the Vaiden Baptist Church and are involved in mission work
through the Carroll-Montgomery Baptist Association. During recent weeks they
have been with a group on a trip to Lake Shores on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
