Lizzie’s House

When we bought our home way back in 1987, we learned that the small house in the back had always been known as “Lizzie’s house”.

The structure was original to the home when built in 1869 or 1870; there was also a carriage house in the far back that was torn down sometime in the 1930s. Lizzie’s would have been called the “servant’s quarters” and consists of 1 16′ square room with 1 window, 1 door, 1 fireplace and 0 bathrooms. While indoor plumbing was available and included when the original house was built, it would have been “indoors” only to the occupants of the main house.

Well, servants “had to go” too, so there was a tiny bathroom accessible through its own door via the main home’s back porch. The door remains (although now nailed shut and a part of the wall) and our master bathroom’s shower occupies the space once taken by the servant’s bathroom.

Lizzie’s is unique and is the thing most commented on by people on their first visit to our home. I’ve done a good bit of work on it over the years (heat, power, cable phone, rebuilt porch, insulation, drywall, repaired and replaced much of the exterior batten) and may be undertaking a substantial project with Lizzie’s fairly soon (hint: indoor plumbing).

We love Lizzie’s as is even if we still have to go back inside our house to find “plumbing”. The Confederate Jasmine and Dremel-art gourd lights are beginning to blend together nicely and some fresh Adirondack chairs reside on the porch. The massive old pecan tree that hovers above provides just the right amount of shade in just the right parts of the day and a fat kitten often is seen lounging on the porch surveying his domain. Lizzie’s is our back yard.

OK, but who was Lizzie?

Lizzie was the last full time occupant of the house; she lived there while working for Dr and Mrs Lindsey in the 30s and 40s we believe. I present Lizzie, circa 1940ish, and by her looks someone who undoubtedly was not to be trifled with:

And her house, circa 2013:

Long live Lizzie!

🙂