Killgore Reunion 2009

Last Saturday, Grant's family had a reunion at the Killgore House in Lisbon, LA. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Homes in 1986. It was built by Charles A. Killgore from 1853-1859. It was restored by Edith Killgore Kirkpatrick and her husband. This was the first time I have gone inside the house and was quite impressed.

There are 8 hand carved mantle pieces in the house and no two are alike, heart-pine floors, and old cracked china doorknobs. The walls are decorated with old needlepoint and embroidery. They also have old handmade quilts and hooked rugs used for decoration and of course old pictures of family hanging on the walls. Suzanne and Gemi are greeted at the door. As you came up on the porch they had a table set up so you signed your name and put on a name tag. Mamaw Ruth and Amanda were passing out information sheets as you entered the house.The front door is solid cypress, retrieved from an old antebellum courthouse that was being demolished. You can't see all this but the "petticoat table" and the bookcase in the hall date back to the 1800's. There is a Chickering piano and a chaise lounge in the back of the hall that date from the 1890's.

The hall clock dates from the early 1800's.

Library-Sitting Room - This room has been alternated through the years as a plantation office, a master bedroom, or as library-sitting room. It was told that Charles A. Killgore ran his plantation from this room. There is a roll-top antique American Empire desk, the library table and the bookcase is from this period.The fireplace and mantle in the library-sitting room.Parlor - The parlor furniture is entirely Empire period antiques. The wine draperies were custom made in England for this parlor.The paper on the walls of the parlor and the library-sitting room across the hall were selected in England for this type country house.

The American built piano forte in the parlor was built in 1834 in New York by Mundy and Pethick. This is Grant's dad, Sid Killgore and Sid's younger brother, Bruce Killgore.Dining Room - The dining room contains the Killgore House sideboard with its rich patina which has been restored. The balloon-back chairs are of this period.The oak server and glass china cabinet are of the Victorian period.
Back Downstairs Bedroom - The furniture in the back quest bedroom is intact as Bess and Tom Killgore furnished it in 1914 with the exception of the added antique armoire.
All four of Bess and Tom's children were born in this room. It was used as an isolation and recuperation room when there were epidemics. Well, Hello Susie; She isn't about to give birth and she isn't sick, so I guess she was just visiting.

The upstairs contains a collection of three periods of furniture. There are oak washstands from the early 1900's and a 1914 settee in the front hall.The ledger on this desk belonged to either Charles or Tom, I was never clear on that. It was his records of the people that he had loaned money to. Here, he wrote their name and the amount they owed him.

This is the "boys room". It has a block painted floor. It was painted by Tom and his trusted tenant, Nelus Mallory, in the 1920's.

I would assume this was at one time a bedroom but I think it is now just used as a sitting room. Notice the bathroom that was added. There were several bathrooms added to the house. I never heard when they were added, I figure it was during the last restoration. This was at the top of the stairs. This room still has the original wallpaper on the walls. Look, there is Jenn in the mirror.This room was Shea and Sydney's favorite. This is the "girls room" and the iron bedsteads are from the late 1800's.Some say the attic is haunted. It is only used for storage now and it does harbor some strange sounds, they say. On Halloween night in 1933 a high school football team had their party in the attic and from all accounts scared even the biggest of the players. We didn't get to go into the attic while we were there but I sure did want to.

There is a cemetery about 250 yards out back of the house. Charles A. and Susan Curry Killgore are buried here as are several others. The Civil War regulation tombstone of son William "Billy" is also there. Amanda, Garrett, Shelley, Grant and some cousins from Baton Rouge (sorry, can't remember their names) walked out to the cemetery.Rand and Nancy Killgore catered the reunion. They had big tents set up and lots of good food which is expected when Rand and Nancy are involved.On the wall in the house is a picture of the 100 year celebration. So they got the decedents of Charles A. Killgore together again for the 150 year celebration and for a picture. See Grant and his bunch up there?

This is Ruth and Edith. If I'm not mistaken they are the daughters of Tom and Bess. All I know is that Ms. Edith, on the right, told me she was 90 years old and I could not believe it. Edith and her children own the Killgore House.

Here they are, the decedents of Charles A. Killgore.

Shea is always so excited when she meets somebody and finds out she is kin to them. This is her new found cousin, Laura Jane Kirkpatrick, she is Edith's great granddaughter. Shea and Laura Jane had the best time playing together. She never meets a stranger.

Now for just a little more Killgore information.

Charles' daughter-in-law, Aurelia Williams Killgore would cautiously tell Edith, about the olden days. She did tell Edith that Charles was wealthy, that he liked wine, that he had fine Jersey cattle and strawberry roan high-bred horses that he raced on Mr. McClendon's race track. For these reasons, he did not always stand in good graces with Rocky Springs Church.

Edith's grandmother was the daughter of a Methodist preacher, the wife of lay preacher, John, and the sister of Uncle Bloss Williams, recognized as the oldest Methodist pastor in Louisiana before his death in the 1930's.

In defense of Charles' high living, he and Susan were benevolent, because they housed and fed at least four of their younger relatives while they attended the Lisbon School which was then located on the hill due east and within sight of the house.

Bess and Tom also continued the tradition by becoming mother and father to Bess' sisters and brothers when both her parents, the W.A. Meltons, had died by 1917. In 1918, Eloise and Velma came to live year round from then until the finished Louisiana College and married in 1926 and 1927.

I hope you have found this as interesting as I did. I know many of you do not know the Killgores or anything about the Killgore House in Lisbon so I hope this has served as a bit of a history lesson. I wanted to make sure Candace and Debbie, Grant's cousins from Houston, had the opportunity to see inside since they didn't get to come. We missed you guys.

Now go click on the "comment" link at the bottom of this post and tell me what you think. You don't have to have an account to leave a message just be sure and tell me who you are. I would be interested to know how many of you have actually gotten the opportunity to go inside the house.

Charlene

P.S. I can't seem to figure out how to add spaces between my paragraphs. At one time I could add spaces and still can ever once in a while. This may not bother any of you at all but it is about to drive me crazy so if you know what I am doing wrong, please let me know. I know y'all don't want me to go crazy.