birdhouse genealogy comes to life

In 1881, Frances Purdy built the Birdhouse. She willed it to her son. Then followed a series of half dozen or so owners in as many years.

Meanwhile….

There were several cotton crop failures in South Carolina because of the boll weevil and in the 1920’s many Caroliners moved to Florida. One such migrator was Thomas Arrington. He worked for the orange companies in a local packing house. He saved his money and bought first one orange grove and then another, until he owned many. He and his wife saw the Birdhouse aka Purdy Villa and decided to buy it and do some renovations. They enclosed the back porch to make a sitting room and added a fireplace. His wife wasn’t healthy and they made our tv room into a bedroom. Eventually, she passed away, and  he married her sister, known in the family as Sissy.

Sissy and Thomas owned the house for many years and most Sunday afternoons all the reasonably local Arringtons came to visit including these two.

Doug and I with Mildred and Charlie Arrington.

Thomas Arrington was Mildred’s uncle by marriage and thus, Charlie’s great uncle. They knocked on my door today and told me part of their story. I invited them to come back in a couple of hours when my husband was home, and they did.

Mildred is 93 and her son Charlie who was born on her birthday is 63. They loved seeing the house and I loved seeing them and listening to their stories.

She said that in those days the servants lived on the third floor. Charlie said that he was afraid to go up there, but occasionally he did when messing around with his cousins. They both remember “the kids” including himself, sliding down the banister.

Thomas willed the house to his daughter, Edith Lineback. She only recently passed away. How I would have loved to have chatted with her. All the stories that have been verbally passed down to me were verified and are apparently accurate.

It was a family home and they were happy to see that it still is a family home loved by us the same way that it was loved by them.

I was so happy for their very belated Sunday afternoon visit.