William A Smith House / Olde Pine Tower
This National Historic Register property was built ca. 1860 by William Alexander Smith (1831-1909), the son of Henry S. Smith, who was an early champion and upbuilder of the town that became Pewee Valley. It is one of the few intact properties associated with the Henry Smith family that remains standing.
The William Alexander Smith Years: ca. 1860-1888
“History & Families of Oldham, Kentucky: The First Century 1824-1924,” pages 240 and 242-243, talks about the role the Smith family played in both Pewee’s early history and in shaping the way the town looks today:
Henry Smith also sold a small parcel of land to the railroad for a section house at what is now the corner of Mt. Mercy Drive and Houston Lane. The section house pictured was built in 1901 by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad and replaced one built earlier by the Louisville, Frankfort & Cincinnati Railroad. The 1870 census listed 14 railroad workers living in the section house, plus the family of railroad division boss Lilburne Miller. The section house was razed ca. 2005.
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…(Among) the …settlers of the late 18th century came Michael and Rosanna (Yager) Smith, who brought their young children to Kentucky in 1807…The Smiths moved from Madison County, Virginia, to Jefferson County, Kentucky, and in 1810 bought land for a farm in Rollington, at that time a stopping point between Louisville and Brownsboro.
They had a total of 11 children, eight of whom were born after they made the trip from Virginia to Kentucky…. The seventh son of Michael and Rosanna, Henry Smith (1802-1883) married Susan Wilson from New York and the couple settled in Rollington… A civic leader from the start, Henry conducted land surveys for the county. His first assignment appears to have been a road out of LaGrange commissioned in 1830. …Henry was then commissioned in 1835 “to survey the Rollington to Floydsburg Road. When the county was divided into road districts in 1836, Henry was commissioned to survey District 52, which is now part of the Town of Pewee Valley.” Indeed, the road Henry surveyed followed the path now taken by Central Avenue. Apparently impressed by the property he laid out, Henry began buying land one-half mile from Rollington late in the year of 1835. He acquired five acres from Jacob Schrader, 22.5 acres from John Barbee, and a lot in Floydsburg from L.F. Bradshaw. By spring of the next year, Henry and Rosanna had divided and sold their Rollington property. They moved to a farm on land that now runs from Pewee’s Central Avenue to Houston Lane (note that Olde Pine Tower” is located on a portion of this land) and raised a family of three children: Charles Franklin, William Alexander and Sarah Emma. The Pewee area began to grow as a community around 1849 when service trains began to operate between LaGrange and Louisville… By 1851, the railroad through Oldham County was complete. A commuter train, possibly the first in the country, began in 1854, providing daily service between Louisville and LaGrange on the Louisville & Frankfort line (later the Louisville & Nashville) As a result of this momentum, Henry Smith’s real estate investments of 20 years earlier became hot properties. In 1856, he sold one acre of land for a depot to the Louisville & Frankfort Railroad. The depot was named Smith’s Station, and the area became known as Smith’s Depot. …In addition to selling land to the railroad, his family and other early Pewee residents such as the “Louisville Times” newspaper founder, Walter N. Haldeman, Henry bought property during the 1860s. He purchased 27 acres from Joseph Clore in 1860, and 220 acres from Daniel Fields in 1866, the latter of which Henry meant to make a town… …Immediately following the (Civil) war, Henry Smith began to plan the town of Pewee Valley. He ‘envisioned a town of quiet avenues, shaded by majestic trees’… and he set about laying four main streets, each distinguished by and named for the species of tree Henry planted en masse. Ashwood (now Ash), Tulip, Maple, and Elm…. |
This portion of G.T. Bergmann's 1856 Map of Jefferson County shows the extent of Henry Smith's land holdings that year, before his 1866 purchase of 220 acres from Daniel Fields on the south side of the railroad tracks. There appear to have been two structures on the property -- one on the parcel he later sold to the railroad for a section house and the second near the railroad station. This tract included the eight acres later purchased by his son, William Henry Smith, for building a family home.
Henry Smith served as one of the original trustees of Rollington when the town received its charter from the Kentucky Legislature in 1847, and he was also responsibile for the founding of Pewee Valley Cemetery in 1872.
William A. Smith was the second of three children born to Henry and Susan Smith:
At the time of the 1850 census, all three were living with their parents in Rollington. Henry's occupation was listed as "mechanic" and both boys-- "Franklin" and "Alexander" -- were working as laborers, presumably for their father.
William A. Smith was the second of three children born to Henry and Susan Smith:
- Charles Franklin Smith (September 16, 1828-February 28, 1887); He married Susan Louis Hudson in 1855; served as Pewee Valley's first postmaster in 1856; and then moved his family to Indiana in 1857.
- William Alexander Smith (1831-November 1, 1900)
- Sarah (Sallie) Smith (March 9, 1839-September 15, 1875). She married her cousin, James Franklin Smith, on December 24, 1865.
At the time of the 1850 census, all three were living with their parents in Rollington. Henry's occupation was listed as "mechanic" and both boys-- "Franklin" and "Alexander" -- were working as laborers, presumably for their father.
William Alexander was the first to marry. On October 9, 1851, he married Mary Ann Compton. The ceremony was performed by Samuel Helm, a "minister of the gospel of the church of christ" who was licensed in Shelby County.
Together, they had eight children:
“Historic Pewee Valley,” pg. 6, states that William Alexander Smith originally built his home on eight acres he bought from his father the year he got married. However, his actual purchase of the property appears to have occurred several years later, based on G.T. Bergmann's 1856 Map of Jefferson County. According to the National Historic Register, he was reputed to be a “builder by trade and, no doubt, constructed the house for himself. Local tradition credits him with building other Pewee Valley residences as well.” The house itself is a two-story Italianate with some Stick style influences and still retains some of its historic landscaping. William, like his father, Henry, appears to have been an amateur horticulturist and planted many different kinds of trees on the property. Like many other residents, he also grew grapes. By the 1870 census, the family was living in their home on what is now Mt. Mercy Drive. William Alexander Smith's occupation was listed as "blacksmith" and he owned real estate valued at $6,000. His oldest son, William H., was assisting him in his shop. |
Marriage Documents for William A. Smith
and Mary Ann Compton |
Grape farmers bringing their crops to market in Pewee Valley. William A. Smith's son-in-law, Thomas Kane Barbee, was a director of the Pewee Valley Grape Growers Association. Barbee had married Catherine or "Kate" in 1878. From "History & Families of Oldham County: The First Century 1824-1924" published by the Oldham County Historical Society in 1996 (Turner Publishing, Paducah, Ky.)
By 1880, William was employed as a wagonmaker and five of their eight children were still at home:
In 1888, William Smith sold the house to the O'Neals and moved to a much smaller home next door. The 1900 census shows he was working as a carpenter and living there with his wife and daughter Susie, who never married. His next-door neighbors were Dr. Gavin Fulton, who was probably living in the Bondurant-Hustin House, and the O'Neals.
In addition to his home, William A. Smith is credited with designing Pewee Valley's Town Hall in 1897. His oldest son, William H. Smith, designed and built the Sweet Shop in 1905.
- Ella
- Ford, who was working as a clerk in a general retail store
- Clarence, who was assisting in his father's shop
- Susie
- Alec
In 1888, William Smith sold the house to the O'Neals and moved to a much smaller home next door. The 1900 census shows he was working as a carpenter and living there with his wife and daughter Susie, who never married. His next-door neighbors were Dr. Gavin Fulton, who was probably living in the Bondurant-Hustin House, and the O'Neals.
In addition to his home, William A. Smith is credited with designing Pewee Valley's Town Hall in 1897. His oldest son, William H. Smith, designed and built the Sweet Shop in 1905.
William A. Smith died on November 1, 1900. His wife, Mary Ann, died in 1909. They are buried in Pewee Valley Cemetery along with several of their children: William Henry and his wife Sarah Frances Hall; Clarence and his wife Annie Cassaday; Gracie F. Smith Reynolds; and Catherine "Katie" Smith and her husband Thomas Kane Barbee. Susie Louise Smith, their unmarried youngest daughter, is also buried there in an unmarked grave.
Headstones of William A. Smith Family at Pewee Valley Cemetery
The O'Neal Years: 1888-1917
In 1888, the house was sold to Joseph Thomas O'Neal (February 7, 1849-1909), who bought the residence as a summer home. The family retained ownership of the property until 1917.
Merit Doup O'Neal: Commonwealth Attorney
All four O’Neal boys followed in their father’s footsteps and became lawyers. Three also enjoyed distinguished careers in public service. Merit Doup William O’Neal served as a Commonwealth Attorney. Thomas Joseph O’Neal, Jr., served as Mayor of Louisville in 1927. His biography from The Encyclopedia of Louisville, edited by John E. Kleber (University of Kentucky Press, Lexington, Ky: 2001), provides the following information about his life and career:
…. After graduating from Louisville Male High School and from Centre College in Danville, he received his law degree from the University of Louisville in 1903 and began practicing with his father in the law firm of O’Neal & O’Neal.
O’Neal, a Democrat, served as mayor of Louiville from June 25, 1927, through November 22, 1927. He originally ran against Republican Arthur Will in the 1925 election and was defeated. O’Neal had been chosen to run as the Democratic nominee for mayor only days before the election, when it was discovered that the Democratic nominee for William T. Baker has ties to the Ku Klux Klan. An aide to Republican party boss Chesley Searcy discovered in October that Baker had been a member of the Ku Klux Klan as recently as April 1925. Baker ended his candidacy after Louisville’s Herald Post reported extensively on that membership. O’Neal stepped in as the Democratic nominee the week before the election but was narrowly defeated at the polls by Will.
The Democrats then alleged voting fraud and corruption on the part of the Republicans. A lawsuit was filed in November 1915, and in June 1927 the Court of Appeals ruled the election invalid. O’Neal was appointed by Gov. William J. Fields to serve out the remainder of the term until a November 7 special election. O’Neal ran in that election against Republican William B. Harrison and was defeated by a narrow margin. O’Neal also served as judge of the Court of Appeals for several months but refused to seek reelection. He was married to Clara Swift of Louisville on January 20, 1926.
The most famous of the brothers, however, was Emmet O’Neal, who was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1934-1946, when he was defeated by Republican candidate Thruston Ballard Morton. He also served as Ambassador to the Philippines from June 20, 1947, to January 20, 1949. His biography also appears in The Encyclopedia of Louisville:
…Emmet O’Neal attended Male High School in Louisville. An accomplished athlete, he was captain of the football, baseball and basketball teams both there in in college.
In 1907 O’Neal graduated from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree. The following year he completed a second baccalaureate at Yale University. In 1910, he received his law degree from the University of Louisville and was admitted to the bar.
He practiced law in Louisville until World War I, when he entered the army as a private in the Fifth Field Artillery in the First Division. He served in France and was commissioned in 1917 as a lieutenant in the Third Field Artillery in the Twenty-sixth Division. Following the war, he returned to Louisville, where he practiced law and was a partner in the investment securities firm O’Neal, Alden & Co. On July 30, 1921, he married Glessie Morris. They had two daughters, Mary Hamilton and Lydia Wright.
…Emmet O’Neal attended Male High School in Louisville. An accomplished athlete, he was captain of the football, baseball and basketball teams both there in in college.
In 1907 O’Neal graduated from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree. The following year he completed a second baccalaureate at Yale University. In 1910, he received his law degree from the University of Louisville and was admitted to the bar.
He practiced law in Louisville until World War I, when he entered the army as a private in the Fifth Field Artillery in the First Division. He served in France and was commissioned in 1917 as a lieutenant in the Third Field Artillery in the Twenty-sixth Division. Following the war, he returned to Louisville, where he practiced law and was a partner in the investment securities firm O’Neal, Alden & Co. On July 30, 1921, he married Glessie Morris. They had two daughters, Mary Hamilton and Lydia Wright.
In 1934 O’Neal ran for Congress in the third district. Defeating Frank M. Drake, he was the first Democrat to represent Jefferson County since 1916. Known as a conservative Democrat, O’Neal opposed several of Pres. Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal plans. During his second term, he voted against funding for the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Wage-Hour Act, and the Anti-lynching Bill. O’Neal served on the House Appropriations Committee and was a strong advocate of a balanced budget. In 1946 O’Neal lost his bid for reelection to Republican Thruston Ballard Morton. Following the defeat, Pres. Harry Truman appointed him ambassador to the Phillippines, a post he held from June 20, 1947, to January 20, 1949, when he retired to practice law in Washington, D.C. From 1953 until his death, O’Neal served as a member and later the chair of the Corregidor-Bataan Memorial Commission, an organization that planned and supervised the construction of a World War II memorial on Corregidor Island at the entrance of Manila Bay in the Phillippines.
College Career at Centre
During Emmet’s college career at Centre, his room mate was none other than Albert Conrad Dick who married real-life Little Colonel Hattie Cochran. Emmet, in fact was Albert Dick’s best man at their wedding, as well as a childhood friend of Hattie Cochran, according to his daughter. In 1992, Emmet O’Neal was posthumously inducted into the Centre College Athletic Hall of Fame.
Letter from Annie Fellows Johnston to Emmet O'Neal
Before his death in 1967, Emmet wrote the following reminiscence of the O’Neal summer home in Pewee Valley:
The O’Neal home in Pewee Valley was purchased by J. T. O’Neal about 1888. Later he acquired an abandoned lane (NOTE: this lane formerly led to Beechmore. The road was straightened out when Beechmore became the Jennie Casseday Rest Cottage for Working Women) which adjoined his eastern boundary line and turned west at right angles passing along his northern boundary line. I think this thin strip of land contained about 2-1/2 acres. Two tennis courts were made on the land property, and it was easily distinguishable throughout the years. The home site was bought from a remarkable old man by the name of Smith. I remember him well, but at the moment do not recall his first name. He left quite a few descendents around Pewee Wally. One of them married J. T. E. Stites an attorney, in Louisville, at the present time. (Editor's note: William A. Smith's great-granddaughter by his son William H. and grandson Seldon Miller Smith was Mildred Gray Smith. She married John Edward Stites.) Mr. Smith who sold the property to J.T. O’Neal was greatly interested in horticulture and was extremely successful along that line. He wished to beautify his home place, and he successfully grew either sixty seven or forty seven varieties of trees on the land sold to J.T. O’Neal. No doubt many are there to this day. They were greatly admired and discussed because of their beauty and variety. I recall very accurately many of them – Several varieties of pine (the tallest and biggest I ever saw, but several of them in storms broke apart with the brittleness of matches), Cedars, Arbor Vitae, Larch, Mountain Ash, a rare Kentucky Coffee Tree, Mulberry Birch, many varieties of Maple, Beech, Red Haw, Black Haw, Chestnut, Walnut, Horse Chestnut, Damson, Apple, Peach, Cherry, Poplar, Locust and others. In addition the finest grapes were on the place, of six or seven types. Mr. Smith moved next door to the O’Neal home. His daughter married a Mr. Barbee, the son of the founder of the Main Street wholesale house of Barbee and Castleman. (Editor's note: this was Catherine or "Katie" Smith, who married John Kane Barbee.) It is too long a story to tell in this brief statement, but the home had interesting associations with many prominent people. Irvin Cobb (Editor’s note: Irvin Cobb, June 23, 1876 – March 11, 1944, was an American author, humorist, and columnist who authored more than 60 books and 300 short stories. He was a native of Paducah, Ky., and worked for the Louisville Evening Post for a year |
The Property Next to the William A Smith House Where William Moved After Selling the Big House to the O'Neals
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and a half. He spent most of his career in New York) lived next door and was a frequent visitor there. The tennis courts were congregating points for every day play, and for local tournaments. Prominent lawyers and business men of Louisville were frequent visitors there, especially on the 4th of July. The regular picnic on that date, brought as many as 125 people each year, from Louisville and elsewhere. Quite a few celebrities visited the old place, including authors such as Annie Fellows Johnston and diplomats, including the late Ambassador to the Court of St. James, Judge Bingham. A wedding even took place on the lawn between a neighborhood girl and her fiancé. The two carved stone dogs (editor’s note: at the stone entrance gate) were a gift to J.T. O’Neal. (I always thought the dogs should be placed to look “out” and not “in”).
Storms tore down a long row of trees one day, and a viewer sat on the front porch and did not feel even a breeze. (An oddity of a cyclone) A strip of land was given to widen the road at the front of the property. There was always maintained a freshly white washed fence, known everywhere as the Pewee Valley fence, because of its distinctive design.
The life of the old place was interwoven with the history of Pewee Valley, and Louisville. Time has magnified everything tremendously, and values have changed, but here was never a better hypothesis of living than that maintained in Pewee Valley and in its homes such as the one I just described.
Storms tore down a long row of trees one day, and a viewer sat on the front porch and did not feel even a breeze. (An oddity of a cyclone) A strip of land was given to widen the road at the front of the property. There was always maintained a freshly white washed fence, known everywhere as the Pewee Valley fence, because of its distinctive design.
The life of the old place was interwoven with the history of Pewee Valley, and Louisville. Time has magnified everything tremendously, and values have changed, but here was never a better hypothesis of living than that maintained in Pewee Valley and in its homes such as the one I just described.
The home’s distinctive gates were added by the O’Neals. The National Historic Register submission states, “Marking the driveway are historic stone gateposts topped by sculptures of dogs… This contributing structure was probably built in 1901 when the owners conveyed to the town a strip of land across the front of the property for the purpose of widening Mt. Mercy Drive (then Railroad Avenue) for the interurban tracks. The deed documenting this land transaction states that the Pewee Valley Electric Railway Company was to build a new fence and a stone and iron gate along the new property line. The present … fence along the front is a replacement, but the gates, although slightly damaged in a 1920s tornado (editor’s note: the dogs lost their noses), are still in place.”
Was the gift of the dogs an inside joke about Pewee Valley’s earliest suburbanites? Today’s Peweeans may never know; however, a story in the March 19, 1856 edition of the Louisville Democrat noted that the first house, west of Woodside at that time, “…is not celebrated for its beauty or singularity of architecture, but for a pair of ferocious dogs who never fail to welcome all passers-by and the effect of the meeting is really very ‘moving.’”
Was the gift of the dogs an inside joke about Pewee Valley’s earliest suburbanites? Today’s Peweeans may never know; however, a story in the March 19, 1856 edition of the Louisville Democrat noted that the first house, west of Woodside at that time, “…is not celebrated for its beauty or singularity of architecture, but for a pair of ferocious dogs who never fail to welcome all passers-by and the effect of the meeting is really very ‘moving.’”
1989 Photos by Carolyn Brooks for the National Register of Historic Places Nomination
Later History
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