The Wirick-Simmons house, the oldest home in Jefferson County, has an interesting history. The old beauty was was built is 1831 for the Rev. Adam Wirick, “Eminent Methodist divine” and Methodist circuit rider.
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Apparently, he married a widow with enough money to construct the antebellum home, whose design was probably copied from one of the books by Asher Benjamin. "The Country Builders Assistant" and the "Practical House Carpenter" were widely used as guides by carpenters of the era. The home is a two-story heartwood pine, Greek Revival house, with four columned porticos with pediments, balconies and elaborate wood cornices. Today, the home stands essentially as it did in the days of Wirick's occupancy. In 1871, it was sold to Thomas Simmons who moved to Monticello from South Carolina, and his family occupied it for many years. The home has “always been surrounded by myriad beautiful flowers which fill the yard and spill over to the sidewalks edge,” according to the "History of Jefferson County."
The house was scheduled for destruction until, in 1964, the Jefferson County Historical Association purchased the house from an heir of the Simmons family.
Sadly, over the years, the beautiful old home was not gently used. It was in bad repair with deteriorated foundations, rotting wood and peeling paint.
From 1964 to today, an unstoppable army of dedicated volunteers has raised money and solicited advice to bring the Wirick-Simmons house back. An article in the Tallahassee Democrat on Oct. 6, 1963, mentions James Sledge and Mary Budd Holmes, who have dedicated many years to the rehabilitation of this ageless beauty and are still active today.
Its restoration began in 1965 with the long-range plan to fix the exterior and paint; restore the interior; furnish the rooms as they were restored; and restore the gardens and garden enclosures. The famous architect Edward Vason Jones contributed his expertise when the project began, and today landscape architect Winston Lee has worked on the restoration plan as well.
The first three phases are now completed and garden restoration begins this year.
Because the gardens will be dug up, the first event is a public archaeological dig on Nov. 3 with Lee Terzis, senior project archaeologist for engineers Post, Buckely, Schuh and Jernigan, supervising the excavations. The public is invited to either participate or watch the dig.
Terzis and Lee are now residents of Monticello, which is lucky to attract these newest foot soldiers in the restoration army.
It would have been easy to give up; this was new stuff in the 1960s. "In the 1960s, Monticello was in the forefront of historical preservation. We want to bring it back to life. We want to know what we have here,” longtime volunteer Beulah Brinson said.
The dig may find artifacts of 19th-century life in Monticello. The archaeology fest could unearth artifacts that were used in everyday life. The hope is that some may provide glimpses into the social status and living habits of the occupants. Who knows what was buried there by the many families who occupied the Late Federal Greek Revival stunner?
Come join the volunteer archeology army and find out. "
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Directory of cultural resource and historic preservation firms.
Gray & Pape, Inc. Archaeology**History**Historic Preservation
Serving your cultural resources needs since 1987.
Ohio -
11-03-11
New South Associates, Inc. New South Associates is a women-owned small business providing cultural resource management services, both nationally and internationally. Our specialities include archaeology, history, architectural history, preservation planning, and public interpretati
Georgia -
03-25-11
Kerns CRM Consultants Cultural and Historical Resource Management Services
Maryland -
01-10-11
Paula S. Reed and Associates, Inc. Paula S. Reed and Associates, Inc. is a small, woman-owned corporation organized in the State of Maryland, which provides cultural resource evaluation on a nation-wide basis, specializing in National Historic Landmark nominations. We meet qualifications o
Maryland -
11-23-10
SWCA Environmental Consultants Acquires Northwest Archaeological Associates SWCA Environmental Consultants has acquired Northwest Archaeological Associates, expanding SWCA's Pacific Northwest presence with a new Seattle office offering cultural and natural resource management and environmental permitting and compliance consulting.
04-04-11
ACHP Section 106 Essentials two-day course which explains the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
02-02-11
