by
Betty Stanley, Ozark County Times
Chris
Harlin grew up listening to his granddad and dad tell stories
of life in the house known in Gainesville as the Harlin house.
"I can't remember when I didn't want to do this," he said.
Chris and
his wife, Missy, along with his parents, John and Linda Harlin,
and several other relatives purchased the historic house in 2001 from the previous owners and
have restored its exterior "just the way it was in 1912" - or
as close to that as possible. The interior is preserved to reflect
the period but adapted to house a restaurant and museum. I offered them $1.00 for the house when I was
11," Chris said. "As I said, I've always wanted to
own this house."
The family
has formed a corporation called "Uncle Johnny, Inc.," named
for "Uncle Johnny" Harlin, who had the house built in 1912.
The late Hugh Tan Harlin, father of John and grandfather of
Chris, was the youngest child of "Uncle Johnny" and his wife,
Clara.
John
Harlin related his fond memories of the house, especially the
attic. "It was a wonderful place to play for my sister and cousins
and me - a real treasure trove. There were camel back trunks
filled with all sorts of things. My uncle had been in World
War I. His uniform and helmet were up there, plus a German sword
- things that could feed a child's imagination endlessly."
Harlin was
6 or 7 when his grandparents moved to a smaller house, selling
the larger home to another family.
The house
is historic to the city of Gainesville, as well as the Harlin
family. Its well supplied the water for all the homes "on the
hill," John Harlin recalled.
The house
is built of native lumber - walnut, pine and oak - which was
sawed by Sid Amyx of Rockbridge. It was built at an original
cost of $1,700.
In September
of 2005, Missy Harlin opened a restaurant, specializing
in soups, salads, and sandwiches for lunch from
11:00 am to 2:00 pm, Monday through Friday, on the first floor
of the house. There are also special Friday evenings once a month.
"We
have used artifacts, pictures, documents and other memorabilia
to create a museum setting in the dining area," Chris
explained.
The
second floor has two bedrooms with baths for family
use. Future plans include completion of the third floor.
On prominent display at Century Bank is a replica of the house, lovingly
constructed by the late Hugh Tan Harlin. The replica is
designed to scale with an eye to historical accuracy reflected
in details such as the cedar shake roof and the pale yellow
paint.
|
The
home is on the National Register of Historic Places. |
"We loved
Hugh so much, we wanted to put the house back the way he wanted
it to be," Missy Harlin said.
"We are
glad we have been able to do this, not only because it is part of our
family's history, but also because this house is an important
part of the history of Gainesville and Ozark County," she added.
