Ray Lear House
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West Chesterfield 14885 Highway 9 West |
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Ray Lear House |
Sarah Elizabeth Phillips Lear: We bought two acres for a house site and some pasture land from Ray’s father in 1960. Our house sits in what was a pea-field in the sixties. Many people thought nothing would grow on this sandy land, but we have had success with several plants and various vegetables over the years. Today, a portion of the property is planted in pine trees. The home site has an acre of frontage on Highway # 9. A semi-circular drive runs from the road around behind the house. We realized early in the planning process that the highway might be expanded in the future and so we built on the back of the lot. The house is a three bedroom, two bath brick, ranch style house that has retained its popularity over the years. One of my favorite rooms is the large living room with hardwood floors and plantation shutters. Exposed California redwood (costing $5 a box for 5 boards in 1960) was placed in the gable end of the house. In 1991 we used the same redwood in the gable of the garage at a cost of $100 a box. Originally we had a breezeway and attached garage. Mr. Baxter Lisenby and his crew started the house on May 16, 1960, one day after Ray’s birthday. We found plans that we liked and wanted to have the house completed by the time we were married and we were able to do that. At the time we built I wanted the house to have three things: a blue bathtub, a picture window with small panes, and a sliding glass door; all of which we were able to include in the construction. We married on June 17th, 1962 and had our wedding reception in the house. At the time, our furniture consisted of a dining table and chairs and a bedroom suit. One of our wedding guests, Pat Pittman later told me that the thing she remembered most about our reception was the crack in the large bathroom mirror. When the mirror was being installed one of the screws holding the mirror in place was tightened too tight and it caused the mirror to crack. As we left on our honeymoon, we were showered with rice, and for many years grains of rice would turn up as we cleaned the house. I had never seen so much rice showered on a bride and groom and my memory of it remains vivid today. One Christmas season about three years after we were married, I became seriously ill and was admitted to the hospital. I was hoping to be discharged in time for Christmas but I was wondering what to do about a tree. To our surprise, when Ray brought me home from the hospital on the 23rd of December, a decorated Christmas was glowing in our picture window. Rouse Pusser and some friends had found a way to get in the house, set up a tree, and decorate it. I shall always be grateful to him for his thoughtfulness and for his kindness. Elizabeth, our daughter, was born in 1967 and I recall bringing her home from the Perry Clinic at two-days old. Neither of us slept that first night as she was in our bedroom. The next day we moved her down the hall to her own room and my mother thought it was horrible to move her at such a young age, but we all slept better. Our extended family always met on Wednesday afternoons, and we would go fishing and eat at Uncle Edgar Redfearn’s pond. Everyone was so surprised when Ray and I brought Libby at four days old. Libby grew up in this house as some of our furniture can attest because scratches and imprints of her teeth are still visible today. Twenty years later she married Carroll Walker and her reception was held in the home as well. The house has undergone a number of renovations since it was built. The breezeway was enclosed and the utility room was relocated. The kitchen has been redone, and the den and utility room have been updated. In 1991 we added a separate garage at the rear of the house, and one of Ray’s favorites additions has been a wood stove in the den. Ray has contributed to the additions and renovations through his own skills. He added a brick patio and built an arched arbor that used wood from his father’s garden gate. He planned two ponds that are located on the back of the property. Many of Libby’s birthday parties were held here and occasionally they included horse rides for each guest. On one occasion, one of the guest fell from the horse and gave us all a scare. When Libby was old enough to ride a trail bike, her daddy bought one for her and she carries a scar on one knee because she tangled with a rather large tree. The tree remains unmarked. In 1969 we had a terrible ice storm and we were without electricity for days. Many meals were cooked over the fireplace and grits never tasted so good. Libby was still in diapers (unfortunately disposable ones were not available at the time) and it was several days before we could wash them. Isn’t it strange the little things one remembers about ice storms. Lightning struck the house several times over the years but fortunately no serious damage occurred. A later ice storm convinced us to remove the pine trees in the front yard, but there are still several large trees which provide Vaughn, our grandson, a place to climb. I recall a special Mother’s Day when Libby and Ray presented me a kitchen cupboard that I had wanted. They had worked hard to refinish it, and were hiding behind it one night when I came home, what a wonderful surprise that was! When we built here in the sixties, we considered ourselves to be in the country even though the highway was a main route into town. Today Highway # 9 is four lanes, Hopewell Baptist Church, a beautiful facility across the street, has always been our neighbor, but now the new Chesterfield-Ruby Middle School is our new neighbor to the east, and there are several new home to the west of us. All of this serves as a reminder that we no longer live in the country, but we love it here and it will always be home to us. |
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