Rascoe House (Caswell County, North Carolina)

This house was built by William Junius Florance (1859-1930) for James Saunders Rascoe (1859-1925) on what is now the Rascoe-Dameron Road in Anderson Township, Caswell County, North Carolina. Construction began in 1888 and was completed over a year later. James Saunders Rascoe owned a store nearby (also on the Rascoe-Dameron Road), and the Rascoe family lived there while the house was being built.

William Junius Saunders was assisted by Pete and Si, both slave descendants who lived in Anderson Township. To support construction, a sawmill was erected on the site. However, some of the timbers were hewn. The gables were covered in split white oak shakes. James Saunders Rascoe paid William Junius Florance $900 after netting out purchases made by Florance at the Rascoe Store. This payment record is found in a book given to James Lee Florence, Jr., by a grandson of James Saunders Rascoe. James Lee Florence, Jr., is a great grandson of William Junius Florence. The house burned during the 2000s, being owned by a Mike Murray who lived there. Photograph Courtesy Sandra Aldridge.

Left-to-Right:

1. Mattie Lee Rascoe (1887-1972)
2. Fannie Geneva Rascoe (1881-1953)
3. Charles Arthur Rascoe (1884-1964)
4. Elizabeth Celesta Rascoe (1882-1966)
5. Mary Catherine Rascoe (1856-1928)
6. Henry Thomas Rascoe (1824-1906)
7. Nannie Reese Rascoe (1892-1977)
8. Esther Mae Rascoe (1895-1980)
9. Mary Elizabeth Rascoe Rascoe (1860-1937)
10. James Saunders Rascoe (1859-1925)
11. Benjamin Franklin Rascoe (1889-1957)

The second photograph shows the house after being remodeled c. 1975. The structure burned between 2003-2007.
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My old house in the eighties. I submitted the picture from the 1970's, which was taken before my family renovated and restored the exterior. My bedroom was where the right side 2nd story window was and my brothers' room was on the left. The middle window was in the upstairs foyer. We had (closed off) fireplaces in our bedrooms. The original house consisted of 4 rooms and 2 foyers. The kitchen and bathrooms were added on at some point on the back of the house and a bathroom was added under the stairs for the downstairs bedroom. All 4 rooms had fireplaces. I loved that house!

Source: Melody Malone 22 May 2019 Post to the Caswell County Historical Association Facebook Page.