Old Brooks Farm

The original property was given to Thomas S. Spencer in 1788 in the North Carolina Land Grant. He took up residency in a hollowed out Sycamore tree and was later called "Big Foot Spencer" by the Indians due to the large size of his footprints.
The land was then purchased by W.W. Brooks in approximately 1823 and the main house was built. It consisted of 2 rooms, the downstairs living room and upstairs bedroom. They stayed in the living room during the day and at night would pull down a "closet staircase" (which we are hoping is sealed up in the ceiling) so the heat from the fireplace could keep them warm.
Sometime between 1840 and 1853 the main staircase & master bedroom were added to the main house, also an additional bedroom was added to the upstairs. During the Civil War, the Old Brooks Farm was used as a hospital as were most larger houses from this time. The access to the railroad and three natural springs made this home a natural depot for the solders. In December of 1864, the Bledsoe Battery under Brigadier General Stovall's command occupied the full property as their main encampment. The property lies on the northern outskirts of Hood's Retreat.
In 1907, the interurban railway was put in and the house had to be moved back 100 feet. It was placed on logs and rolled back to it's current position. They piled up rocks and put any flat surface that was available under the home to support the house. The railway was discontinued around the 1930's and the tracks still lay beneath the grass in the front yard.
In December of 1936, the Minton's purchased the property as a real-estate investment then sold it to the Clarkson's on the day before Pearl Harbor in 1941. The Clarkson's added on a kitchen with a "dog run" between the two structures leaving the original "Whistle Walk" in tact between the main house and the Smokehouse. This is where the slaves would have brought the food to the main house whistling to verify they were not eating the food. The kitchen still has the brick oven that they used to prepare food but has been altered to accommodate an electric one. In the mid-1900's the opening between the kitchen and the main house was closed-in to accommodate a dining room. The large spikes used to bar the back door with a board are still there at the back of the entryway.
Mr. Clarkson worked for the railroad. When the wooden boxcars were changed to steel construction, Mr. Clarkson brought the wood home and built the old pole barn out of it. You can still see the car numbers, lettering and bracket outlines on the inside of the barn. The slave quarters, beside the barn, was used as a chicken coop and the old smokehouse, just behind the house, was used for storage but still contains the original counter they used to prepare the food.
The Clarkson's lived here until recently, when the Barker's purchased it in April of this year. It is their goal to restore the home to its origins.

Before and after pictures of the Barn & Back porch