The Four Oldest Buildings in Florence

The Oldest remaining [building in Florence] is now occupied by James Tanner as a hardware store. "This is a log structure but now covered by weatherboarding." The first house built here was opposite the school at the junction of Oblique and Center St. If you visit this spot you can still see the remains of an old well that furnished water for this residence. The writer has a record of the boy who lived in this house during the Civil War and helped carry Larkin Vaughn from the junction of Shelby Street and Main Street when he was shot by a stray bullet by the advance guard of Gen. Wallace's army stationed at Fort Mitchell. After the Civil War was over John Latham purchased this house and moved it to the corner of Oblique St. and Burlington Pike, when it was used as a barn. It was later town down. The second house was erected near the corner of what is now Lyn St., and Lloyd Ave. The writer still recalls the early 90's when you could go to this spot and fill your basket with Rambo apples and many other varieties, plus all the persimmons you cared to eat. (Building now torn down). The third building erected was a log structure near the Schram property, corner Girard St. and Burlington Pike. The last family to live here was (colored) by the name of Johnson. It was torn down during the 90's. The fourth house was built near the elbow in the Price Pike. This house was a two-story frame building and was occupied for a long time by a McNeil family, but when they passed away (a free slave) (colored) Thomas McNeal fell heir to it and he sold it. (Building now gone). [spellings of McNeil/McNeal are in the original]

from the December, 1951 Stringtown Christian, by A. M. Yealey