Elisha Sharp House
Encyclopedia
The Elisha Sharp House is a house in Ten Mile, Tennessee
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on July 6, 1982.
Elisha Sharp was born July 25, 1792, and died December 6, 1863. In 1817, he married Elinore Ellen Huff (also spelled “Elinor” and “Eleanor”) (1801–1874). She was sixteen years old, and he was twenty five. They came to Meigs County
sometime between 1816 and 1822 (known as Rhea County
until 1836). Elisha Sharp was a large landowner and one of six original county commissioners of Meigs County. In 1836, Sharp served at a second lieutenant within the first division of the East Tennessee guard under Brigadier General John E. Wool. Assembled to battle against the Cherokee Nation, the units were sent home in November 1836, since some sort of temporary compromise was made with the Cherokees. Sharp later joined the Confederate Army.
The Sharp cemetery is located just around the corner from the Sharp House, on Union Grove Road, also known as county road 508. The earliest headstone still in this cemetery is dated 1830. Most of the gravestones are of the Sharp family, though there are also about six from the Culvahouses, a family who, until roughly 1955, owned the farm on highway 58, west of the Sharp-Wasson-Worth House. The Elisha Sharp House is located on Old Ten Mile Road, which was once a stage coach route that connected Knoxville and Kingston, Tennessee.
The Sharp House was built between 1820 and 1830, probably after 1825, and is located about twelve miles (19 km) north of Decatur, Tennessee
. The Sharp farm was around 226 acre (0.91459036 km²). Elisha Sharp owned it for around 61 years, from 1816 to 1877. In 1877, the Wasson family purchased it, and owned it until 1932 or 1938. Near this time, electric lines
were installed in the area. There were two additional owners between 1938 and 1955.
In 1955, the Sharp House was purchased by James Archibald (aka “J.A.” and “Nub”) Worth, originally from Sevier County, Tennessee
. J.A. Worth was a health physicist for Oak Ridge National Laboratories, and later worked at their test site in Arizona to help assess health problems associated with radioactivity exposure. He married Nell Jeanette Fields Worth in 1957, though they did not move to the Sharp House until 1959, when they came to Meigs County from Campbell County. The Worths raised cattle on the surrounding farm for over forty years. J.A. Worth died in 1999, and Nell Worth sold the house and farm to Jerry Swanks, a neighbor and also a farmer, in 2007.
. The Sharp House was made with bricks, fired in a home kiln, and these bricks were probably made by slaves. The bricks were made from clay that was most likely taken out of the bank of Hurricane Creek
, just few yards away from the house. The interior walls throughout the first floor are about two feet thick.
Little is known about the slaves owned by Elisha Sharp. In a case wherein Elisha Sharp was named as a defendant
, it is stated that in 1832 he purchased a woman named Amy (then twenty years old and pregnant), and her children Phillip (age 5), Betsy (age 4). Her child Nancy was born afterwards. It is unknown if this enslaved family lived on the Sharp farm. Amy was the daughter of a woman named Nan. The case challenged Sharp’s right to purchase Amy and her children, because the claimants argued that Amy belonged to the estate of a prior owner, and the woman who sold her and her children had no right to sell them to Sharp. The claimants not only accused him of buying the slaves improperly, but that he knew the sale was illegal and even kept the slaves hidden after the sale. Sharp later claimed that he subsequently sold the family to an unknown slave trader in 1836, and had no knowledge of the family’s subsequent whereabouts.
A few names of other slaves owned by Elisha Sharp can be gleaned from his will
. Tom, Guy, Alexander, Sally, Susan, Martha, Nancy, and Alley, French, Townley and Joseph, Daniel, Simon, Taylor and Nep are all bequeathed
to various relatives. Sharp must have owned other unnamed persons—or presumed he would own (acquired through purchase, birth from presently ownedslaves, or inherit), other slaves at the time of his death—because he also bequeaths all slaves not named within the will to his children and grandchildren. The will was dated March 4, 1863, and probated April 3, 1865.
There are no other known records about the names or lives of the slaves who built the house on the Sharp farm.
During the Civil War
, Elisha Sharp died on December 6, 1863, as a result of a gunshot wound he had suffered approximately two months earlier. He was shot in front of the front door (in 1863 the house had no porch
) of the Sharp House. Sharp was shot by Isaac Preston Knight (1834–1907), a local man from Meigs County, who was a union soldier
on leave. Apparently, Elisha Sharp had directed his rebel soldiers to steal tools. When Elisha Sharp did not return the tools, apparently some owned by Knight’s father, Knight shot him. Other sources confirm Knight was a union soldier, from April 1863, to August 1864. Sharp is said to have lived for two months before he died. The Knights went west after Mr. Sharp was killed.
In the 1960s, while pulling down old wallpaper
in the upstairs bedroom above the downstairs living room
of the Sharp House, Nell Worth found the following inscription on the wall above the fireplace.
In 1898, the time of the inscription, the home was owned by the Wassons. It is still on the wall as of August 2010, along with the strips of wallpaper that Nell Worth decided not to change for fear of damaging the inscription.
for a state project, the Tennessee “Homecoming 1986.” The house is one of 14 sites representing the early history of Meigs County that are depicted on the quilt. The quilt now hangs in the Meigs County Historical Museum
, in Decatur, Tennessee
.
Ten Mile, Tennessee
Ten Mile is an unincorporated area in northern Meigs and southeastern Roane counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The Roane County portion is included in the Harriman, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area....
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on July 6, 1982.
Elisha Sharp was born July 25, 1792, and died December 6, 1863. In 1817, he married Elinore Ellen Huff (also spelled “Elinor” and “Eleanor”) (1801–1874). She was sixteen years old, and he was twenty five. They came to Meigs County
Meigs County, Tennessee
Meigs County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 11,753. Its county seat is Decatur.-History:Before 1819, the area that is now Meigs County was Cherokee territory. White settlers established ferries to cross the Tennessee River from Rhea County as...
sometime between 1816 and 1822 (known as Rhea County
Rhea County, Tennessee
Rhea County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 28,400. Its county seat is Dayton.-Geography:According to the U.S...
until 1836). Elisha Sharp was a large landowner and one of six original county commissioners of Meigs County. In 1836, Sharp served at a second lieutenant within the first division of the East Tennessee guard under Brigadier General John E. Wool. Assembled to battle against the Cherokee Nation, the units were sent home in November 1836, since some sort of temporary compromise was made with the Cherokees. Sharp later joined the Confederate Army.
The Sharp cemetery is located just around the corner from the Sharp House, on Union Grove Road, also known as county road 508. The earliest headstone still in this cemetery is dated 1830. Most of the gravestones are of the Sharp family, though there are also about six from the Culvahouses, a family who, until roughly 1955, owned the farm on highway 58, west of the Sharp-Wasson-Worth House. The Elisha Sharp House is located on Old Ten Mile Road, which was once a stage coach route that connected Knoxville and Kingston, Tennessee.
The Sharp House was built between 1820 and 1830, probably after 1825, and is located about twelve miles (19 km) north of Decatur, Tennessee
Decatur, Tennessee
Decatur is a town in Meigs County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,395 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Meigs County.The local pronunciation of the name is duh▪KAY▪ter .-Geography:Decatur is located at...
. The Sharp farm was around 226 acre (0.91459036 km²). Elisha Sharp owned it for around 61 years, from 1816 to 1877. In 1877, the Wasson family purchased it, and owned it until 1932 or 1938. Near this time, electric lines
Electrical wiring
Electrical wiring in general refers to insulated conductors used to carry electricity, and associated devices. This article describes general aspects of electrical wiring as used to provide power in buildings and structures, commonly referred to as building wiring. This article is intended to...
were installed in the area. There were two additional owners between 1938 and 1955.
In 1955, the Sharp House was purchased by James Archibald (aka “J.A.” and “Nub”) Worth, originally from Sevier County, Tennessee
Sevier County, Tennessee
Sevier County is a county of the state of Tennessee, United States. Its population was 71,170 at the 2000 United States Census. It is included in the Sevierville, Tennessee, Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette, TN Combined Statistical Area. The...
. J.A. Worth was a health physicist for Oak Ridge National Laboratories, and later worked at their test site in Arizona to help assess health problems associated with radioactivity exposure. He married Nell Jeanette Fields Worth in 1957, though they did not move to the Sharp House until 1959, when they came to Meigs County from Campbell County. The Worths raised cattle on the surrounding farm for over forty years. J.A. Worth died in 1999, and Nell Worth sold the house and farm to Jerry Swanks, a neighbor and also a farmer, in 2007.
History
Elisha Sharp owned slaves and supported the ConfederacyConfederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. The Sharp House was made with bricks, fired in a home kiln, and these bricks were probably made by slaves. The bricks were made from clay that was most likely taken out of the bank of Hurricane Creek
Hurricane Creek
Hurricane Creek is a tributary of the Black Warrior River located in Southwestern Tuscaloosa County in western Alabama. It is over 30 miles long and its watershed covers approximately 120 square miles. It is used by communities around it, including the city of Tuscaloosa, for recreation and...
, just few yards away from the house. The interior walls throughout the first floor are about two feet thick.
Little is known about the slaves owned by Elisha Sharp. In a case wherein Elisha Sharp was named as a defendant
Defendant
A defendant or defender is any party who is required to answer the complaint of a plaintiff or pursuer in a civil lawsuit before a court, or any party who has been formally charged or accused of violating a criminal statute...
, it is stated that in 1832 he purchased a woman named Amy (then twenty years old and pregnant), and her children Phillip (age 5), Betsy (age 4). Her child Nancy was born afterwards. It is unknown if this enslaved family lived on the Sharp farm. Amy was the daughter of a woman named Nan. The case challenged Sharp’s right to purchase Amy and her children, because the claimants argued that Amy belonged to the estate of a prior owner, and the woman who sold her and her children had no right to sell them to Sharp. The claimants not only accused him of buying the slaves improperly, but that he knew the sale was illegal and even kept the slaves hidden after the sale. Sharp later claimed that he subsequently sold the family to an unknown slave trader in 1836, and had no knowledge of the family’s subsequent whereabouts.
A few names of other slaves owned by Elisha Sharp can be gleaned from his will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
. Tom, Guy, Alexander, Sally, Susan, Martha, Nancy, and Alley, French, Townley and Joseph, Daniel, Simon, Taylor and Nep are all bequeathed
Bequest
A bequest is the act of giving property by will. Strictly, "bequest" is used of personal property, and "devise" of real property. In legal terminology, "bequeath" is a verb form meaning "to make a bequest."...
to various relatives. Sharp must have owned other unnamed persons—or presumed he would own (acquired through purchase, birth from presently ownedslaves, or inherit), other slaves at the time of his death—because he also bequeaths all slaves not named within the will to his children and grandchildren. The will was dated March 4, 1863, and probated April 3, 1865.
There are no other known records about the names or lives of the slaves who built the house on the Sharp farm.
During the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Elisha Sharp died on December 6, 1863, as a result of a gunshot wound he had suffered approximately two months earlier. He was shot in front of the front door (in 1863 the house had no porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
) of the Sharp House. Sharp was shot by Isaac Preston Knight (1834–1907), a local man from Meigs County, who was a union soldier
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
on leave. Apparently, Elisha Sharp had directed his rebel soldiers to steal tools. When Elisha Sharp did not return the tools, apparently some owned by Knight’s father, Knight shot him. Other sources confirm Knight was a union soldier, from April 1863, to August 1864. Sharp is said to have lived for two months before he died. The Knights went west after Mr. Sharp was killed.
In the 1960s, while pulling down old wallpaper
Wallpaper
Wallpaper is a kind of material used to cover and decorate the interior walls of homes, offices, and other buildings; it is one aspect of interior decoration. It is usually sold in rolls and is put onto a wall using wallpaper paste...
in the upstairs bedroom above the downstairs living room
Living room
A living room, also known as sitting room, lounge room or lounge , is a room for entertaining adult guests, reading, or other activities...
of the Sharp House, Nell Worth found the following inscription on the wall above the fireplace.
“Remember Me for I may be in these
Western hills where men folks are free
Yours respect.
Moulton Wood
August 28, 1898”
In 1898, the time of the inscription, the home was owned by the Wassons. It is still on the wall as of August 2010, along with the strips of wallpaper that Nell Worth decided not to change for fear of damaging the inscription.
Quilt
In 1985, the FCE Club (“Family and Community Education”) began a large quiltQuilt
A quilt is a type of bed cover, traditionally composed of three layers of fiber: a woven cloth top, a layer of batting or wadding and a woven back, combined using the technique of quilting. “Quilting” refers to the technique of joining at least two fabric layers by stitches or ties...
for a state project, the Tennessee “Homecoming 1986.” The house is one of 14 sites representing the early history of Meigs County that are depicted on the quilt. The quilt now hangs in the Meigs County Historical Museum
Meigs County Historical Museum
A new building on Smith Avenue in Decatur, Tennessee, of Meigs County, Tennessee was built to house the collection of the Meigs County Historical Museum. The groundbreaking for this new site was in July 2002. The Meigs County Historical Museum houses many court and family records. On permanent...
, in Decatur, Tennessee
Decatur, Tennessee
Decatur is a town in Meigs County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,395 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Meigs County.The local pronunciation of the name is duh▪KAY▪ter .-Geography:Decatur is located at...
.