Monday, March 12, 2012

Lea-Newman House (Leasburg, North Carolina)

Lea-Newman House. 1838. Pretentious, well-preserved story and a half frame house of transitional Federal-Greek Revival design, five bays wide, with four exterior end brick chimneys, flat-paneled entrance, original pedimented entrance porch with chamfered posts. One chimney has inscription believed to be "Luiz Pulliam 1838." Contemporary frame kitchen, dairy, and smokehouse remain. Family cemetery on east side.

Source: An Inventory of Historic Architecture: Caswell County, North Carolina, Ruth Little-Stokes and Tony P. Wrenn (1979) at 183. Photograph courtesy Carolina Caswell.

The cemetery beside the house is known as the Pulliam-Connally Family Cemetery and may be more associated with the nearby Stanfield-Connally-Kimbro house than the Lea-Newman house.

The above authors apparently dated this house based upon the "1838" found on a chimney. However, others believe this house was built much earlier by James (Cobb's Creek) Lea (c.1743 - 1816). The house at one time was occupied by the brother of James (Cobb's Creek) Lea, George (Cobb's Creek) Lea (aft.1755 - bef. 1830). James (Cobb's Creek) Lea sometimes is seen as James M. Lea, and George (Cobb's Creek) Lea sometimes is seen as George W. Lea.